27
Flora slid her hand down Dylan’s bare back and rested it on his hip bone.
‘Dylan,’ she whispered seductively in his ear, ‘are you awake?’
Was he ever. He’d slept like a log last night after their energetic lovemaking, leaving him fully refreshed, and it looked like Flora was raring to go again. A far cry from the past few weeks where both of them had virtually slept back to back in silence. Since the race Flora had returned to her old self, full of life and love for Dylan; and he was only too happy to reap the rewards having missed her lithe, curvaceous body beneath his. The sex between them was electric, taking him back to the early days when they’d first met and couldn’t keep their hands off one another.
And whilst Dylan was making the most of it and relishing every minute of Flora’s attention, it was tinged with a sense of foreboding. Flora winning the race with Phoenix so spectacularly would only leave her hungry for more. She’d proved a point, hadn’t she? This left Dylan in a quandary. He was resolute in not wanting to endanger his precious girlfriend in any way whatsoever, and flying through the air on horseback in a steeplechase was most definitely dangerous.
The possibilities of what could happen didn’t bear thinking about. He’d only just had a lucky escape himself, having taken a fall on his last race before retiring from the racing circuit. He counted his blessings that he’d only suffered a couple of broken ribs, bruising and concussion. Dylan knew jockeys who had never walked again from injuries sustained – paralysis was every jockey’s nightmare. He understood, all too well, that wonderful feeling of euphoria from winning a race – of course he did, he’d been champion jockey – but looking at Flora’s petite frame and knowing what risks lay ahead if she raced again turned his stomach. There wasno wayhe could ever allow that to happen again. Non-negotiable. But for now, he’d bask in the welcome change of mood.
‘Dylan?’ Flora’s hand moved from his hip bone and crept to cover his rock-hard erection. Gently she slid her fingers up and down the shaft. ‘Hmm, something tells me you are awake.’ She giggled and ran kisses over his shoulder and up his neck.
‘Come here, you little minx.’ Dylan turned on his back and pulled her onto his broad, dark chest. His mouth sought hers, running his tongue across her lips.
Flora’s arms wrapped round his neck, pulling herself further into his warm, muscular body. He smelt delicious, and virile, making her want more. Dylan’s head dipped to her full, firm breasts and caught a rosy nipple, flicking his tongue. It instantly stiffened, making her moan with pleasure. His tongue continued sucking and licking, whilst his hand moved down to softly stroke the insides of her thighs, before finding its way to her hot, slick core. He rubbed smoothly, gliding his finger in and out. Flora cried out again in ecstasy. She was ready for him and ground her hips urgently against his pulsing body. Dylan continued, slowly teasing her with his probing.
‘Dylan,’ she begged, turning him on further until he couldn’t resist any longer. He turned to flip her on her back and he quickly nestled in between her legs. His cock edged into her and they both gasped. Flora clenched his buttocks as he moved further into her.
‘Flora,’ he groaned, thrusting deeper again and again until finally exploding with complete and utter satisfaction. They both lay still with exhaustion. Was now the time to tell her how he felt about her racing again, whilst she was so relaxed and peaceful? He looked into her face and she smiled and closed her eyes. Probably not. Then his thoughts were interrupted by the harsh ring of the phone.
Climbing out of bed, he grabbed his bathrobe and then made his way down the stairs into the hall.
‘Hello—’
‘Delany, you robbing bastard!’ thundered a voice that he instantly recognised. It was Graham Roper, the previous owner of Phoenix. Roper had asked Dylan to train his horse, in a last-ditch attempt to make it a flat race winner. Once Phoenix arrived at his racing yard, it was blatantly obvious how he had been mistreated, judging by his wounds. Instantly Flora had taken a shine to the horse and together they had bonded so well, it was impossible to think of him returning to an owner who wasn’t a horse lover, but purely a businessman, wanting to make money from him.
Flora had also soon realised that Phoenix was more suited to soft ground, having a high knee action; because he raised his legs far up and forcefully down, he needed to land on softer turf, which was why the hard, flat race courses were not for him. Phoenix needed the jump courses, which had a gentler landing for him. Dylan, in his wisdom, had simply told Roper that his horse would never make a flat race winner, which was true. He’d been economical with the truth in order to convince Roper to sell him, which he did, but to Gary Belcher. Dylan, for obvious reasons, kept his name out of the sale. Once the deal was completed, he and Gary formed their partnership aptly named “The Last Laugh”. If Roper had seen Phoenix win so superbly at the point-to-pint, it wouldn’t have helped seeing the names of the new owners in the programme. Dylan took a deep breath.
‘You were paid for that horse, Roper,’ he answered flatly.
‘I was underpaid and you know it, you thieving swine!’
‘I said Phoenix wouldn’t make a flat race winner, which is true.’
‘Yeah, no mention of him jumping like a stag, though, was there?’ roared Roper down the phone.
‘And why’s that?’ cut in Dylan icily. ‘Perhaps it’s because the poor horse was covered in whip lashes and clearly suffering from stress. You don’t care for your horses, you bastard, they’re just money-making machines to you. Well, tough shit, you won’t be making any money from Phoenix,’ and down went the phone. Dylan’s hand was shaking slightly.
Flora, overhearing the conversation was behind him now. ‘Could he take Phoenix from us, Dylan?’ she asked wide eyed. Her bottom lip trembled.
‘No, no of course not, sweetheart.’ He reached out and hugged her to him. Although he sounded reassuring and confident, Dylan couldn’t help but think he hadn’t heard the last of Roper.
