“In a heartbeat. My loft at home has a beautiful picturesque scene of the Pacific Ocean. Other window views are burdened with skyscrapers. I like the open space; so natural, crisp and clean. It’s good living out here. No smog, like San Francisco sometimes has.”
Darrius wrapped her arms around his hips. “It’s not all roses out here, but I like it.”
They came upon a large stable, and Darrius walked her over to three stalls with a horse in each one. The horses whinnied, sensing his presence. They loved him, and she could tell by their reaction that they didn’t mind that a stranger was with him. A silver horse looked like the one at the rodeo, but it had no painted circles. But then, what might have been on him would have been washed off.
Justine stood aside as he poured grain into each of their troughs, stroked their manes and cooed at them, telling them how good they were. And then he turned to her.
“I have someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
“Are you sure? I am a stranger to them.”
“I’m sure. They won’t hurt you.”
Justine treaded lightly, not wanting to agitate them. She went to one side and watched him stroke the silver stallion. He was beautiful, with streaks of light brown mixed within brilliant strands of silver. “What’s his name?”
“Gecko.”
“Gecko? Why did you name him after a lizard?”
“Because he’s fast. You should know; you saw him the other day.”
Her forehead creased. “What do you mean?”
“I know you saw him, Justine. He was the one that impressed you at the rodeo. Only then he had painted circles of life all over him.”
“I know you saw me. I saw you looking at me when the bull charged.”
“I would have been there if you’d needed help. So would all the workers and ground keepers. Every reporter or photographer worth their grit goes to the rodeo. Red Rock has the most spectacular shows of any rodeo. So, am I right about you seeing me there?”
She couldn’t deny it, and remembering how well he had ridden the frisky stallion made her hot again. The way he jerked, maneuvered and made the horse gallop to a smooth stride was a sight she wouldn’t soon forget. “True, the pictures of the rodeo will be a great added feature for The San Francisco Examiner, but it was the rider that got my juices flowing.” She briefly looked into the stallion’s eyes. “Can I touch him?”
“He’d love to have a beautiful woman stroke his mane—like you stroke mine. You want to get on top?”
That caught her off guard. “Oh, you mean on top of Gecko.”
Darrius kissed her cheek. “You can get on top of me anytime you like, but yes, I did mean my main man here,” he said, patting the horse’s rear end.
“Will you get on with me?”
“No, I’m gonna let him have his way with you and give you a rugged ride around the stable.”
“Darrius! You know a city girl has no experience with horses. There’s probably not one horse near where I live—”
“I’m joking, darling.” He slid his foot into the stirrup and swung himself on, and then reached for her hand. “Just let me pull you up. You can sit in front of me.”
Good deal! She could get first-hand experience and feel Darrius’s hard body pressing against hers at the same time. Yeah, that would definitely be a good ride.
With that idea in mind, she willingly let Darrius pull her onto the horse and plant her directly in front of him. Once secure, she settled back, letting him enclose her, maneuvering her hips closer to his. As the horse trotted, she closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the slow, sensual gallop press her against him.
The feel of Justine’s soft hair falling against his face and her fragrant skin made the ride harder to take. She smelled like the daintiest of flowers. He slowed the horse, making it tread on rough terrain simply for the pleasure of having her fall against him. Justine’s hips moved with his, making him harder, ready to burst, and he moaned against her neck. “Are you sure you need to get to Red Rock today?”
She opened her eyes, realizing she wasn’t in heaven, but with a man who made it seem so much more attainable. “Yep! Got a deadline.”
“Too bad, because I’m loving this ride. Aren’t you?”
She placed his hands over her taut nipples, letting him massage them. “Does this answer you?”
The pads of his fingers rubbed the fleshy nub. “I think it does.”
She moved his hand under her dress and into her panties. “What’s it like to make love on a horse?”
“I don’t know. Never had the opportunity.”
“You could now.”
“What about your deadline? Forgot about it so soon?”
“It’s just hard leaving you.”
“We might have a little time to play, but aren’t you scared our movements may make him move faster?”
“Not anymore. My knight in shining armor will save me, right?”
“You got it.”
He kissed her neck and moved his hands to the front of her dress. Her hand slid against his as he massaged. He loved how this woman felt, her softness. He whispered into her ear. “Is this what you mean?”
“I’d like a little more, but I’ll definitely take this.”
