Secret Fantasy

“Horses! It smells like horse poop.” She laughed. “This place is a stable! How amazing!” Grabbing on to the metal bar, she hauled herself out of the cart and jumped onto the ground. “I have always wanted to ride. When I was a little girl, I begged my father for a horse. He laughed and bought me a puppy instead. He was back and forth to Washington, D.C. too often to saddle himself or us with the responsibility of ponies, but I never stopped wanting one.” Sheer joy edged her voice.

In her excitement, she hadn’t even realized she’d connected her father to Washington, D.C. and opened the subject up for questioning. Doug knew. But any mention of her father would destroy the moment and he was too enthralled watching her happiness to burst her enthusiasm. And again, emotions won out over professional necessity. Doug stifled a curse, knowing this woman had him tied in knots in a way he’d never before experienced.

“I didn’t know they had horses here.”

“There isn’t much Merrilee’s missing.”

She turned to face him. “So what’s the plan?”

“An evening ride on the beach.”

Her eyes opened wide and filled with gratitude. “I can’t think of anything better.”

Looking at her, neither could he. The stable hand privately warned Doug about an incoming tropical storm, common for this time of year, and the gray sky in the distance backed the claim. Doug promised to return early or take advantage of the shelter points set up along the route. The smart thing would be to give Juliette a brief ride and return quickly—but nothing about his reaction to Juliette, including his feelings, was smart. Still he’d been warned and the choice was his.

After touring the stables, they took off. The farther from the resort they traveled, the more pristine the beach, the whiter the sand and the farther they got from civilization. Because Doug had ridden before and the horse chosen for Juliette was gentle and easy, they’d gone out on their own, following the trail set by the staff. The ocean was choppy thanks to the incoming weather system and he kept the horses back from the tide.

Though Doug had planned this trip for Juliette, he was blown away by the beauty surrounding him and he wasn’t just talking about the crashing waves, the endless deep blue water or even the dolphin he saw breaking through the surf. He was floored by Juliette’s childlike reaction to the little things in life—like blue jeans and a horseback ride. And again, it was that innocence, in stark contrast to his jaded life, that beckoned to him.

He had much to learn from her, he realized, and glancing around he knew he was seeing the world for the first time—because her perspective was rubbing off on him. Changing him.

Thanks to the sound of the ocean and the noise made by the horses, they couldn’t do more than drink in the serenity and relax to the steady beat of the hooves, and Doug was grateful. He couldn’t speak if he wanted to. The lump in his throat was too great.

Dinner, some pointed questions and a quick return home—he reminded himself that was his plan. One that would minimize the risk to his heart, which he suspected was too far gone already. Finally they reached their destination on the other side of the island, and he transferred the horses to a stable hand.

“Where are we?” Juliette asked.

In response, he held out his hand and led her beyond the stables. Like much of Florida, this part of the island was decorated with pastel-colored stucco buildings, making the rougher city boy in him feel out of his element. He walked her toward a yellow house with lush tropical gardens he’d seen in the pictures this afternoon.

A birdbath with running water flowed freely out front. “This place is owned by a couple who used to work in a New York City restaurant and got tired of the pace. They hooked up with Merrilee, moved down here and they now cater to private parties,” he explained.

“So it’s just us?” He heard the hitch in her voice and understood the emotion because it obviously matched the feelings rioting inside him. His heart beat louder in his chest whenever she was near. The two of them alone was either a prelude to disaster or a trip to heaven in the making.

“I could call out the cavalry if you’d rather not be alone,” he said lightly.

“There’s no place else I’d rather be,” Juliette said. And her body agreed.

She’d dreamed of riding a horse as a child, but never had she envisioned the adult feelings the powerful beast could stir. Sitting on the horse, her concentration on both the romantic scenery surrounding her and the incredible man by her side, she’d discovered the pounding surf had nothing on the pulse beating between her legs. The ride had taken on aphrodisiacal qualities and its effect hadn’t lessened since she’d climbed down and into Doug’s waiting arms.

Still strung tight from the vibration of riding the horse and thinking about Doug at the same time, she tingled in anticipation of them spending the evening alone. And two hours later, full from a lobster dinner and light-headed f

rom a glass of wine, she still felt the same way. There hadn’t been a lull in the conversation and they’d covered a broad range of topics, likes and dislikes, much like a first date.

She was more relaxed than she ought to be considering the intent way Doug studied her, yet she had no second thoughts about being with him, no hesitation or doubts that he was a good man.

“Are you ready to head back?”

She shook her head. “Are we in a rush? Because you wouldn’t want me riding drunk would you?”

He laughed but she caught a hint of something that resembled anxiety in his. “I didn’t realize one glass of wine over a two-hour dinner would hit you hard.”

“Can I tell you a secret?” She folded her hands in front of her and leaned forward in her seat, then crooked her finger, indicating he should do the same.

He closed the distance, only a small table corner separating them, but before he could respond the waiter stopped by their table. “Excuse me, folks.”

“Yes,” Doug said through clenched teeth.

Well, at least he wasn’t any happier with the intrusion than she was.