Taking the Reigns

"Yeah, he is a good guy. A white hat in a world of black ones," Alyssa mused thinking of Justin and Kerrick, but beginning to laugh with Gwen. "Let's go in before Harry wonders if I am seducing you," she laughed loudly at the idea.

Gwen doubled over laughing, "Oh please do! Though she probably thinks it's the other way around."

They walked into the kitchen still laughing and Tom looked up at the door, "What's so funny?"

"I was trying to seduce Gwen but my moves need a bit of work it seems," Alyssa said with a smirk.

"I was never good with subtlety, unless a girl walks up and kisses me I am oblivious," Gwen laughed.

"Usually it's Alyssa who is oblivious. I doubt she has ever kissed a girl," Tom joined their good mood.

"Well no, but I haven't done or even thought of doing a lot things I have done this week," Alyssa smiled sweetly at Tom.

"So do it," he shrugged. "You might like it."

The look in his eyes as he stared at Alyssa was as if he had dared her and she spun Gwen around and kissed her, letting the kiss linger before pulling back with a shy smile at Gwen who was grinning. "Not bad. I didn't mind that at all. Maybe I should consider playing on your side of the fence."

Tom groaned and seemed frozen to the spot. Both women laughed outrageously. "Don't panic, Tom," Gwen said between bouts of giggling, "I haven't stolen her yet. I wouldn't be daring her to kiss Harry though if you don't want to lose her entirely."

They walked back to the lounge room together and after topping up everyone's glasses Tom came and sat beside Alyssa again pulling her close and murmuring, "You know if you don't stop teasing me I won't be responsible for what happens." Alyssa laughed again and Gwen looked over at her and winked.

The night wore on as Harry and Joe talked about their articles and getting some more photos in the morning of the horses training and maybe Alyssa down at the stables. Alyssa had had to dig her heels in about nudity in front of the farm hands and for once Tom backed her up. Ash fussed with her hair tying it up in such a away that it wouldn't harm the braids until the next morning and, finally exhausted, Alyssa fell asleep with her head on Tom's shoulder.

The following morning she woke alone in her own bed. She looked at the clock as she turned off the alarm and got up to shower, quickly scrubbing the previous day's make up and left-over grime from her body. She dressed in decent jeans and a crisp white shirt rather than her everyday work clothes and wandered down to the kitchen. Marcie smiled, and offered juice and toast as she prepared a breakfast feast. Alyssa gulped down half a glass of juice and grabbed some toast. "I'm just going down to warn Lou and Bob that the team want more photos down there this morning and see if it's possible. I won't be long."

"You own this place, don't forget," Marcie called after her. "You get to tell them what IS possible."

After a brief conversation with Lou and Bob, Alyssa had left them to work out the details. She wanted to be more involved with the track work but she also realised that she was the business, and she needed to concentrate more on improving the way the farm was run and less on riding and interfering with the training schedule that was already in place. She could slowly get Bob used to the idea she would like to come down once in a while and ride, no need to cause more tension right now, not while so many changes were taking place. It was like the fog of her grief had finally lifted and she felt more sure about what she needed to do here rather than trying to be involved in everything in a hands-on way.

She was walking back through the stables to feed her own horse an apple, on the way back to the house, when Tom appeared and grabbed her, dragging her into a stall. He bent his head low and kissed her deeply, pressing his body against hers and grinding his hips slightly as the kiss lasted. Finally, breathless, he broke the kiss and looked down into her eyes smiling. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Good morning," she smiled feeling flushed and excited by his obvious arousal. He had run a finger down her neck and begun to undo the top button of her shirt when she reached up and put her hand over his. "Tom, I...," she looked up into his face and dread looked back at her from his deep blue eyes. "I want a proper date. I was only half teasing when I used to say I didn't want to be a notch on your bed-head. I want more than a roll in the hay. I want to do it right because if we are going to fuck up our friendship for the chance of something more, I just... want to do it right."

Tom kissed her again and growled low, "You are killing me, you know that?" He took his hand away from the button of her shirt and stood back. "You're right, I suppose. A proper date it is then, but..." he moved against her again and kissed her deeply, "There will be a price for all this torment." He ground his hips against her letting her feel his arousal as he took her breath away with a searing kiss.

The morning went by in a rush after that. She was primped and prodded and made over again, except instead of nude shots she was photographed in her jeans and white shirt to begin with then while they had lunch they discussed another final set of shots. She was given a modern day evening gown that had been made in the medieval style. It was gathered under the bust and flowed freely to drape around her feet. It was a vivid shade of green with gold-brocade rope-like ribbons under her breasts and around the edges of the sleeves. The dress was simply beautiful and Alyssa felt beautiful wearing it.

The final shots took another couple of hours and the day was growing late when they finally wrapped it up for the day and weekend. Alyssa slumped mercifully in a chair and let Ash finally remove the heavy extensions from her hair. So used to having Lana fuss over her, she didn't notice that she was touching up the make-up rather than taking it off until she said, "There, you look lovely."

"I'm sure the horses and farm hands would be happy about that but I doubt I'll go back down there tonight," Alyssa laughed.

"Of course not, Tom's taking us all to dinner at that quaint little pub he's been telling Harry about." Gwen said from behind her.

Alyssa hadn't realised that while her hair was being taken care of everyone had gone to pack and change, including Tom who was looking amazing in a suit and tie. "Shall we go?" he held out his hand to her.

"Just let me grab my...," Marcie handed her handbag and an overnight bag.

"Just in case you want to have a drink and stay the night there," the woman smiled and waved them out the door. "Go have fun with your friends. Lou and I can look after everything here."

Alyssa hugged the woman and walked down to the waiting cars. "See you there," Harry called out from the stretch limousine as it pulled away. Alyssa waved and looked up to see Tom smiling down on her.

He opened the car door for her, "You wanted a date. You got it."

He closed the door and hurried around to the driver's side and climbed in beside her. Reaching to the back seat he handed her a small bunch of brightly coloured flowers that had been wrapped in pretty paper, and a small box containing home-made fudge. He grinned at her, "Not quite roses and chocolates but best I could do on short notice."

"It's wonderful," she said, truly in awe of the effort he had gone to for her. "Thank you."

He slid in a CD and the sweet voice of Natalie Merchant played softly. They made small talk between long stretches of silences when they listened to the music, neither wanting to touch on the problems of the farm or the anxiousness she felt about the upcoming columns that Joe and Harry would write about her and her stud farm. Alyssa asked about his other family, having found out Harry was his step sister, and he talked candidly about his mother and her family and his life in the city while he had been at university before they lapsed back into silence each with their own thoughts.

It was well and truly evening when they pulled into the hotel car park and entered the restaurant with the group they had led there. The all ate and drank too much as they laughed and joked through the dinner. A small band played and Alyssa was swept onto the dance floor by Tom and then passed around the team as she lost sight of him for the longest time. She was laughing after trying to teach Gwen how to boot-scoot which seemed impossible in the dress she was wearing, when Tom finally reappeared through the restaurant entrance.

Harry suddenly announced it was time to go, she had to be back in the city before dawn and she laughed merrily as she kissed Alyssa and Tom goodbye, promising to send the copy of her column before it was published. It seemed they were gone in a moment and Tom took Alyssa's hand and murmured in her ear, "Let's walk that dinner off." He put a hand around her waist and pulled her close to his side as they walked through the small country town, stopping every so often to kiss her softly.

They had come back to their original starting point in front of the hotel and he walked with her through the bar waving to the older woman who was serving the regulars before exiting the building through the rear door. There were a group of three rundown looking bungalows and he held her to him, "It's late and I have had more wine than I should have with dinner. So I thought we would stay the night"

Alyssa started to protest but he held up his hand and kissed her, "Let me finish." He turned her so she faced him and looked down into her eyes. "I know you want to go slow and take some time but I have never been surer. It's late and if you don't want it to go any further tonight you can have the cabin in the middle and I will try not to bother you until morning. I will be in the right cabin and you're welcome to stay there with me." He smiled reassuringly, "No pressure, no strings."

Alyssa, too, had drunk more than she should have during dinner and she put her hand up to his cheek, "What if I just wanted to be close to you? No string or expectations. Could you do that?"

Tom groaned, "I'm only human Alyssa. I would try but I am not sure how much longer my self-control will hold out."

Alyssa wrapped her arms about his neck. She felt beautiful and desirable and she wanted him in that moment as much as he was telling her that he wanted her. For the first time since he had kissed her the day before she instigated the intimacy between them by pressing herself against him as her lips brushed gently over his. "Yes," she whispered and kissed him, "I'll stay with you."

Tom had been mentally preparing himself for a night alone, in the last few minutes, and was stunned by her words. Alyssa took the moment to dance out of his arms and across the small courtyard toward the right. He caught up to her in a few hurried strides and grabbed her around the waist pulling her to the middle cabin, she looked confused as he fumbled for a key.

"This was always going to be your cabin regardless of what you decided," he said and opened the door with a flourish. She stepped into a room lit by dim candlelight and strewn with flower petals. "Wow," she whispered and turned to look at him. She looped her arms around his neck. "Make love to me," she cooed seductively, her breath brushing against his ear.

"'I thought you would never ask," he said and took her lips in a deep kiss. Tom was leaning over her, his dark eyes gleaming, golden shards of desire reflecting the candle light. He slipped the dress from her shoulders, exposing her high firm breasts to his view. He had seen them so many times it seemed but never like this. "Baby, you are perfect and you looked so beautiful tonight," Tom murmured making her blush.

Tom fumbled with the zip on the back of her dress but finally the green material fell from her body and pooled at her feet leaving her standing in a g-string. He carefully picked her up and walked her to the bed, laying her softly amongst the flower petals and with a soft, gentle motion removed the only piece of clothing left between him and her body.

She watched as, in seconds, he had dispensed with his shirt and trousers, cursing as he stumbled in his rush to disrobe. Alyssa was amazed by the beauty of his naked body. Her shy but fascinated gaze roamed over every inch of him, from his wide shoulders to the broad muscular chest liberally sprinkled with black hair. She shivered in her excitement, her curiosity forcing her to look lower to where the evidence of his excitement and arousal stood erect between hard muscled thighs.

Alyssa gasped staring at his sizable cock and then Tom was leaning over her, his strong hands caressing her and trailing down the length of her body. Completely naked and totally exposed to his fiercely glittering gaze, she blushed and shivered again, as he slowly dragged the tips of his long fingers sensually back up her legs, sending shockwaves through her that made her quiver with a need she could no longer deny.

"Tom," She whispered his name.

"Ssh," he responded. His hand caressed her hip, the indentation of her waist and slowly rose over her breast to her throat. He rose up above her supporting himself on one elbow, his wide shoulders leaning over her. Then his dark head bent down and his mouth found hers once more. They kissed with a passion that made her legs go weak. His hand swept over her body again, his agile fingers rolling her hardening nipples, first one and then the other before caressing lower over her flat stomach to the soft curls at the juncture of her thighs.

No man had ever touched her so carefully before and for a second, a semblance of inferiority surfaced, but it was extinguished as his head dipped to the hard bud of her nipple and suckled it into the heat of his mouth, his teeth teasing at the sensitive flesh. She gasped out loud, her body trembling in pleasure that was almost pain, and then he soothed the bud with his tongue, sending her heartbeat hammering against the wall of her chest.

Alyssa hadn't known such feelings, such cravings, existed until now. It wasn't that her past lovers were bad. It was just that this felt so different. She reached for him, her hands curving around his wide shoulders, stroking down his broad back and round to his chest. She discovered the hair she had wondered about earlier was soft and curly. His body held a new fascination for her. She could not control her response; indeed she did not want to, as the sensual expertise of his hands and his mouth led her deeper and deeper into a state of hot, needful lust.

Tom's face loomed over hers again and crushed her swollen lips once more under his. His fingers traced along her slender thigh and sought the moist heat of her tender flesh, while his tongue plundered her mouth with a rhythm she felt throughout her body.

"Make love to me, please," Alyssa whispered. She looked up into his face, the dark blue eyes showing his desire, and she knew it was for her.

"God!" Tom growled as he rose over her and surged hot and hard into her pliant body. For a moment he froze as he registered his harsh entry and her muffled cry, but her hands clasped around his back, and she kissed the skin of his shoulder and neck. She cried out again with pleasure as he surged back into the hot wetness of her.

Alyssa discovered the true meaning of making love. Her body knew instinctively how to respond to his movements by arching into him, meeting every thrust of his hips with such pleasure that her fingernails dragged down his back. Higher and higher she flew, soaring into the feelings he gave her, her heart thundering, her greedy hands holding him fiercely, terrified he would stop too soon, and deny her the ecstasy she knew was so close.

Then it happened; her body convulsed, jerking and twitching in wave upon wave of orgasmic release as he surged into her one last time. She could hear his low moan in counterpoint to her own cry as she felt him shudder in his own explosive climax.

Tom collapsed on top of her, his head resting in the curve of her neck, and she lifted a trembling hand and smoothed the dark sweat-damp hair of his head, loving the way he rested against her, loving the heat of his hard body over her. Loving him ... her thought froze. Did she love him? Of course she did but...

Tom sighed and rolled onto his back. Sliding an arm under her waist, he pulled her close so she was splayed half over his broad chest. "Was I too rough?" he asked, seeing the strange expression her thoughts had left on her face. He swept the damp tendrils of hair from her cheek and forehead, his dark eyes searching her lovely face flushed with the glow of sex.

"You were perfect," she said and kissed his lips.

Tom looked at her guiltily, "I'm sorry ... I didn't use the condom. Call it heat of the moment from all of the tormenting you have done lately."

"I never tormented on purpose," Alyssa grinned at him, "Though if that's what I get as punishment..." She seemed to consider him before bursting out laughing. "It's okay. I have birth control," she said and dropped a kiss on his worried face. He smacked her ass lightly and laughed with her, more than a little relieved.

They explored every inch of each other's bodies that night, dozing off just before dawn, wrapped in each others arms. When they woke they made love again before showering together and finally leaving the peaceful bliss of the dingy cabin. They stopped at a small bakery for breakfast and began the long drive home. As they drove, his hand rested constantly on her thigh and she held it gently. She had never imagined it could be this wonderful between them.

Alyssa said quietly, "So much has changed in just a week, and once that column appears hopefully the farm will pick up and life will be the best it's been in the longest time."

Tom turned his head and smiled at her. "Yeah, life is pretty damn good," he said squeezing her thigh.

Marcie was waiting for them when they finally drove up. She saw them kiss as Tom gathered their bags from the car and walked Alyssa in. "Well it's about time," Marcie laughed. When they stared at her blankly she laughed, "Don't play coy with me. If you hadn't worked it out soon, I was gonna have Lou lock you two in a room together until you finally realised what we have all known for a long time."

"So much for that little secret," Alyssa said but returned the woman's smile.

"I wasn't keeping it a secret, actually I was about to go tell the boys that I finally nailed the boss lady," he grimaced as Alyssa punched his arm. He leaned down and kissed her happily, "I'm going to go check in with Dad. I'll see you for dinner." He bounded back down the stairs, "If I make it that long."

That first night Tom spent in Alyssa's small bed with her grumbling about a perfectly good king sized bed no one was using just down the hall. Alyssa couldn't bare the thought of using her father's room with all his stuff in there so the following night she stayed in his cottage. After a particularly torrid bout of love making Alyssa lay spent beside him in his big bed and smiled slyly, "So cowboy, you got a pocket knife handy?"

"What do you need that for?" Tom looked at her curiously.

"Don't worry I won't stab you with it or anything, I just need it for a moment," she said and watched as his handsome form rose from the bed and crossed the room to retrieve it. She loved the way his body looked with its wide shoulders and broad chest tapering down to a narrower waist. She still found it hard to believe that he was hers. She took the pocket knife from him, and as he watched her curiously, she knelt up and etched a tally mark in the headboard of his bed.

Tom grabbed her throwing the pocketknife away and rolling her onto her back. "First and last in this bed, baby."