by KB Alan
“I’ve never been on a horse in my entire life,” he said.
“Uh, okay,” she said, looking at him with a questioning smile. “I’ve never been surfing.”
“You don’t say that as though it’s something you’d like to rectify.”
“No, not particularly.” She laughed. “Although I do love the ocean, I prefer to enjoy it from a balcony, the sand or a ship.”
“Oh yeah, I love the ocean. Wouldn’t it be great to have a place overlooking the beach?”
“Not so easy to find these days, for less than a small fortune.”
The off-ramp he wanted was close, so he let her hand go to maneuver through the lanes. She left hers on his leg, opening it up to rest against his thigh. Her thumb began a light caress and he wanted to sing hallelujah but he managed to resist as he took the exit. As the car climbed up into the Hollywood Hills, he crossed his arm over hers to rest his hand on her leg instead of his. Her breath hitched in and her fingers clenched, just for a moment.
“What, um. What would you like to do that you’ve never tried?” Valerie asked him.
“Hmm. I would like to travel more. I’ve gone lots of places on shoots, but I’d like to travel on my own agenda, to take more time before and after a shoot to explore the areas.”
She nodded. “I’d like to travel. Europe, Africa, Australia. Hell, I’ve hardly seen any of the U.S., either. I promised my mom we’d drive to the Grand Canyon this year.”
“You and your mom are close?”
“Yeah. She can be frustrating at times, of course, but she’s great.” The smile in her voice told him more than the words.
He pulled his hand back to the steering wheel as they passed through some gates, and wheeled the car into a parking space on the right. “And,” he said dramatically, “I’d like to try that horseback riding thing.”
Her mouth was open and her brows drawn in confusion. “We’re going horseback riding for dinner?”
“I should probably leave you hanging in suspense, but I’ll tell you. They have a group ride every Friday that takes you over the hills at sunset. You stop at the bottom of the hill at Griffith Park and have dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then you ride back.”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“We’re early, let’s walk over to those trees for a bit.”
Out of the car, he made his way around to her side in time to watch her bend over and retrieve her purse from the floor. Giving in to instinct and desire, he put both hands on her taut ass and slid them up and around to her hips. He heard her sharp intake of breath but she gave no other reaction, just stood slowly upright, her purse dangling from her hand.
He let his hands slip under her shirt to feel bare, smooth skin. It took a great deal of willpower not to move higher up, but they were still in the parking lot, damn it. He was not going to abuse her trust by causing her embarrassment.
Reluctantly, he dropped his hands.
“There are sweatshirts in the trunk we need to get. If you want, you can put your purse in there. I can put your ID in my pocket.” His voice was hoarse and when she turned around her face was flushed. She gave a small nod and he led the way to the back of the car.
He took a San Diego Chargers sweatshirt out of the trunk and handed it to her, pulling a Los Angeles Dodgers one out for himself. The football sweatshirt was his favorite and a bit worn, but should be plenty warm, and he wanted to see her wearing it. Hell, he wanted to see her wearing it and nothing else but that would have to wait for later.
“It will get cold once the sun goes down,” he said, tying the pullover around his waist while she removed her ID and credit card from her purse and handed them to him. He moved to put them into his wallet and glanced down at her license. Holy shit.
Chapter Four
“Today is your birthday,” Keith said dumbly.
“Yeah.” Val was tying the sweatshirt around her waist and didn’t even look up.
“We’ve just spent all day together and you never even mentioned it.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “It didn’t come up.”
He gaped at her. When she went back to arranging herself he forced his mind to start working again. He put his wallet away and turned back to the trunk, using his body to block her view of the small bullet vibe and remote he’d left in there. Clearly he needed to pull out the big guns to get this woman’s attention.
“Oh, let me get a scrunchie.”
She nudged him out of the way, ignoring his confused look, and leaned back in to rummage through her purse. Pulling out a hairband, she slipped it onto her wrist. He noticed that but only barely as his attention was focused on her ass again, until she stood up looking happy.
When they were set, he closed the trunk and led her into the small area of trees. He wanted a little distance from the parking lot for what he had planned, and found a nice wide tree that he led her behind. From where he stood he couldn’t see the cars and figured they couldn’t be seen either.
“Are you having fun?” he asked, leaning his back against the tree and pulling her gently into his arms.
“You know I am,” she answered, sounding slightly put out but resting easily against him.
She put her head on his shoulder and he laid his cheek against her soft hair.
“I don’t know why you’re doing this.”
Her murmur was so quiet he almost didn’t hear her. He wanted to yell, shake some sense into her. How could it not be obvious? He wanted her and he knew she wanted him. What could be simpler?
“I’ve liked you for a long time. You’re the one who’s been pretending not to understand my hints for more.”
“You spend all day with beautiful models and I’m supposed to believe you want to spend your free time with me?”
Frustration beat at him but he took a deep breath and hoped his voice was calm. Talking wasn’t going to convince her though, so he sent his hands moving while he answered her question.
“I spend all day with models. Some of them are nice, many of them are not. All of them are working and wrapped up in that, not me.” One hand cupped her ass, the other moved up to her nape to tickle the delicate skin underneath her long hair.
She shivered against him and he smiled. Communicating with his hands was much easier than talking, but he would try both if that’s what she wanted.
“I’m focused on work when I’m with you,” she pointed out.
“You’re focused on me. Maybe I’m selfish. Does it matter? I don’t want to spend time away from work with them. I want to spend it with you.”
His hand on her ass dipped between her thighs. He pressed the seam of her jeans into her cleft and she gasped. One of her hands was resting on his chest, over his heart. She began to move, sliding it up his shoulder, tracing a line up his neck, then moving her fingers into his hair.
Her thighs clenched around his invading hand and he couldn’t hold back a small groan. She tried not to react, he could tell. But her fingers betrayed her, nails digging in through his shirt. Oh yeah, she was right there with him.
“Kiss me,” he whispered, his hands too occupied to lift her face to his.
She lifted up to him, her eyes glazed, and he leaned down to meet her. He wanted to tease her, to lick and nip, but it was too much, he needed more than that now. Instead he devoured her, thrust his tongue in hard and fast. Her other arm came around his neck and both hands pulled him closer to her, a move he heartily approved of.
One of her legs lifted to hook over his hip but he stopped her without releasing her mouth. She moaned in denial but he used his free hand to unbutton her jeans and she stilled. Except for her tongue, which matched his thrust for thrust, swirling and tasting him as if she couldn’t get enough. He forced his concentration to divide between the sweet perfection of her mouth and the need to get into her jeans.
The button came free and he eased the zipper down then slipped his fingers inside the jeans and under her panties. Her hips arched up to allow him bet
ter access and he tore his mouth from hers to stare into her eyes. They were both breathing hard and he was sure he looked as dazed as she did.
“You’re wet.”
“Your fault.”
He grinned and slid one finger into her sex to move the cream around and around. She dropped her forehead to his chest. The jeans were open enough now for him to get his whole hand inside. He pulled the hand out and she startled, but he soothed her with nonsense words and returned quickly, this time with the bullet in hand.
The metal was warm from being held and it took her a second to realize it wasn’t just his fingers caressing her clit. Her head popped back up and she would have taken a step back but his arm had gone back around her waist.
“I bought this for you. I’ve been fantasizing about giving it to you.”
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he moved the object through her wetness until it was liberally coated then set it against her opening.
“I wanted to give you this ride, hoped you’d enjoy it, but I didn’t want to feel jealous of the horse, since I won’t be able to wrap my arms around you. It’s going to take a few hours and I had to talk myself into coming here instead of dragging you back to my place and showing you what I think you should be riding.” He pushed gently, feeling her tense then relax around the vibrator. More cream crept from her body as he slowly pushed the bullet all the way inside.
“This way we can still enjoy the ride but I’ll feel like part of you is focused on me. On the pleasure I want to give you. I want you feeling my touch, even when I can’t get my hands on you.”
“You…you bought this for me?” she asked, watching him.
“Val, I’ve been wanting you for so long. When I saw this,” he showed her the remote control, “it about drove me crazy thinking of the ways we could play with it.” He kissed her again. “Together.”
She started to give him a small nod, but then frowned again. “It, um, might scare the horse.”
“It’s pretty quiet. Let me show you.” He held up the remote and turned the dial. The buzzing sound was very faint as she jerked against him.
He pulled his hand out and closed her jeans back up before pulling away. “See, no sound.” Putting his hand between her legs, he added, “Put your hand under mine. I don’t think the vibration will go through the saddle and blanket and stuff. The horse won’t have a clue.”
The sight of her small hand against his as he cupped her made him groan. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “We could do this another time, you know. The riding thing. Go back to my place and…”
Her hand over his tightened. “I want to try this. I want you touching me, right out in the open, when nobody can see.”
“Fuck.” A quick squeeze was all he allowed himself before he pulled away and turned off the remote.
Leaning back against the tree, he pulled her close. She leaned against him again, legs between his thighs, head tucked under his chin.
“You know,” he said, “I’m glad you ignored those first few times I asked you out.”
“Really,” she drawled skeptically. “But not the last few times?”
“Smart-ass. No, the first few times, you were right. I probably would have done exactly what you expected, wined you and dined you until you let me fuck you. Then been happy to go back to the way things had been.”
“It doesn’t always work that way,” she said, her voice tight.
He hugged her close. “I know. I guess, well, I’ve never been friends with a woman I was really attracted to. And the more we got to know each other, the more attracted I was, but we probably never would have gotten to that point if we’d slept together early on.”
“What makes you think we’re past that point now?”
She said it so quietly he wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard it, but the lurch in his stomach assured him he had.
“Because I’ve decided we have. And I’ll work hard to make sure we have. This is good, Val. We’re good. Don’t throw that away because you’re scared.” He pushed her away gently so that he could see her face. “Don’t pull away before I’ve even had a chance to prove it to you.”
He moved both hands up to cup her chin and slowly lowered his lips to hers. This time he was able to rein himself in and show her he could do sweet. He licked her lower lip then pulled it gently between his teeth. When she moved forward for more, he nipped the corner of her mouth then nuzzled his nose into the sweet spot below her ear before taking her lobe into his mouth and sucking hard.
The tension melted back out of her and she softened against him. Reluctantly he broke away, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before she could tempt him to more.
“We need to get going.” He led her back to the parking lot and then up to the check-in window.
Valerie let Keith lead her to the small building. He’d distracted her from the bullet between her legs until they’d started walking again. The small device was pretty unobtrusive actually, it was more her saturated panties against the jeans that grabbed her attention. Was she totally insane, letting this happen? She’d determined to let this day be what it was, assuming it would lead to the end of her relationship with Keith, but this was a little more intense than she’d imagined. She couldn’t believe he’d said what he had, admitted she’d been right about him, but only earlier on in their relationship.
And those kisses. That first kiss had been amazing. How could she not go where it was leading her? Where he was leading her? Then there was the vibrator. She’d never played with toys with a partner before, though she’d had plenty of fantasies involving Keith and her vibrator. Walking up to the window knowing that he could turn it on at any time and nobody else would know was an amazing turn-on.
All of her previous experiences were a lot tamer than just one afternoon with Keith—letting him touch her under the tree, finger-fuck her just yards from the parking lot just now. Though she didn’t trust him with her heart, she had no trouble, apparently, in trusting him with her body.
They signed in, giving their information including their riding expertise, and were given the names of the horses they were to ride, then listened to the rules. While they waited for their horses, she had a look around. It was a nice place, with about fifteen other people waiting to go on the group ride. She’d never done something like this, had always assumed she would hate a nose-to-tail trail ride compared to being able to go at her own pace and choose her own direction, but now she was excited. It was amazing that he’d thought of this for her. Suddenly she realized she’d managed to forget about the toy waiting inside her. But she hadn’t forgotten about the man standing at her side. He was looking around, taking it in, but his hand never left her body, whether it was resting on her hip, caressing her shoulder or laced with her own hand.
She felt bad that she hadn’t told him it was her birthday, but what was she supposed to have done? Announced it when he dragged her from his house and into his car? Or maybe while they were lying on the grass at Huntington Library and he was making her insides melt. She only knew his birthday because she helped him fill out his taxes. And she’d gotten him a card last year, damn it. If he’d wanted to know when she was born, that would have been a fine time to ask.
But they were sure getting to know each other now. And she couldn’t deny that they had become friends before today, no matter how much she’d pretended otherwise. The proof was in the date, because she’d never had a first date like this before. Certainly she’d never let a man touch her like that on a first date, let alone the toy…
A man approached with a beautiful chestnut gelding. “Who’s riding Garth?”
“That’s me.” She stepped forward and reached out to run her hand along the sleek neck. “He’s beautiful.” Garth leaned into her caress then snorted and tossed his head.
She quickly gathered her hair into a ponytail then got settled while another hand brought a slightly smaller horse out for Keith. Biting her lip to keep from smiling at Keith’s expression
, which had gone from cocky to unsure in the space of a heartbeat, she realized he hadn’t quite thought this part through. It was possible he’d never been this close to a horse before. The pictures he’d taken of the Arabians hadn’t been very up close, she remembered. He listened carefully to everything the man told him, then glanced up at her. She gave him an encouraging smile.
With help from the handler, he managed to get up without looking too silly. The horse he’d been given was clearly meant for beginners and likely would trail along with the others regardless of what Keith did or didn’t do.
Eventually all the guests were on their horses and the guides set off. Val gave Garth a small cluck with her tongue, angling so that her movement would encourage Keith’s mount forward also. Keith grabbed tight to the pommel as the horse walked.
“Don’t pull her reins tight,” she murmured to him.
He glanced at her but then unclenched his fist and let the reins slack a little.
“There you go, you’ll be fine. What’s her name?”
“Honey.” He sounded curt but she didn’t take it personally.
“I promise, Keith, she’ll go where Garth goes. You don’t need to do anything but stay upright.”
He took a deep breath then nodded, forcing some of the tension from his body.
They moved at an easy pace and he relaxed slowly. Finally he looked at her with a grin.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize they were quite so big.”
She laughed. “No problem. Thank you for doing this. It’s a lovely idea.”
The hills were greener then she would have guessed, probably because it was February and they’d had a relatively wet winter. The trail led up into the hills and the sun was going down in front of them in a blaze of pink and gold.
“I should have brought a camera,” Keith said, looking around.
She laughed. “You would have had to let go of the saddle.”
