There was no way in hell she could go through with this. She was stupid to be attempting to recreate that afternoon in the barn with Jake. So what if she was obsessed with a man from her past? A boy from her past, actually, who was probably married, bald, and portly by now. Most women were fixated on their first crush to one degree or another. And no matter how hot her cowboy fantasy guy was, there was no way he could compare to her memory of Jake. Time had turned the small, shameful act of watching a lonely boy masturbate into the epitome of eroticism for her, and she didn't think anything could change that. She was doomed.
If she went through with this, she was going to leave this ridiculously over-the-top stable feeling used, empty, and disappointed. And that was the best case scenario. What if this guy was some kind of psycho and hurt her? They were alone. No one knew she was here except Miss Bright, and she didn't completely trust that woman. If this guy wanted to get his rocks off torturing her then she was basically at his mercy.
If he was a maniac, and somehow she managed to escape, she couldn't even go to the police without admitting why she was here. And there was no chance she was going to tell the police she had driven out to this isolated barn to meet a male prostitute. She was pretty sure she wouldn't get much sympathy.
Panic started to set in. Just as she was about to dart out of the stall and sprint to her car, she heard hooves on cobblestone, and a soft, low voice murmuring from the opposite end of the stable. She held her breath as they came into view.
She saw the horse first. It completely blocked her view of the man walking along the far side, leading the animal towards the tack area across the corridor from her. The stallion was a giant, at least 18 hands high and so sleekly muscled she could see every flex and ripple of its flesh as it walked. The horse's shiny black coat shone dully in the stable's dim light and she couldn't help but admire his elegant form. This was obviously a very expensive piece of horseflesh.
Leaning down, she could see some long, denim-clad legs on the other side of the horse, but that was it. From the sounds coming from the man's direction it sounded like he was grooming the horse, rubbing it down and ensuring it was clean and comfortable before he put it in its stall for the night.
"Now, that was a good day's work, wasn't it?" A deep voice said from the other side of the animal. "Man, you are one lucky son of a bitch. You get to laze around all day, and when you do have to work, it takes about three minutes out of your whole month, and no one complains. If I took that long, there would be hell to pay. Let me tell you."
He was talking to the horse like they were having an actual conversation? Kayla felt herself grinning like an idiot. This wasn't exactly what she'd envisioned when she imagined spying on a cowboy, but it was entertaining. Her panic left her and she tried to imagine what the man attached to that wonderful, playful voice might look like. Anyone who conversed with a horse couldn't be too dangerous, right?
"You live the life of Riley, don't you?" The man said in a jovial tone, and the horse nickered agreement.
"Yup. All you have to do is hang around, and wait for someone to bring you a sweet little filly to service every few weeks. Me? I get to watch you do your thing and all I've got is my right hand for company. Not fair, I tell you. A man shouldn't be envious of a horse. Am I right?" The horse blew air out of his nose and threw his head back as if offended.
"Now, don't get all uppity like that. I'm glad you had a good time and all, but what about me? My needs, huh? If I wasn't so overworked, I'd bring a woman here and show you how it's done. 'Cause I gotta tell you, you really need to work on your finesse. No offense."
Kayla nearly laughed. Anyone who had ever seen a stallion cover a mare knew exactly what this man was talking about. Foreplay was non-existent and the actual mating between horses could be quite savage.
The appropriateness of her environment finally struck her. She was meeting her own stud at an actual stud-farm, not a dairy farm as she'd believed on her drive down. They bred racing stock here. That explained the luxurious surroundings and even the nameplates on the stalls. Kingmaker? Wasn't that the name of one of the descendants of a Triple Crown winning thoroughbred? Good Lord. Was that him? Being groomed by her fantasy man? She wasn't big on racing, but still couldn't help being impressed. That beast must be worth several million dollars in stud fees and yet he was following her cowboy around like a puppy on a leash.
Finally, the man came into her sight line. He was maneuvering around the horse to groom the opposite side of its tremendous body. Kayla pressed herself tightly into her corner to avoid detection. She could only see his back, but it was a mouth-watering view.
He was wearing a red and white plaid shirt with the sleeves ripped off, and faded jeans that looked like they'd seen a lot of work. His black hat was pushed far back on his head, so she couldn't see the color of his hair. The skin on his heavily muscled arms was deeply tanned. The light caught a few golden hairs on his corded forearms, so she suspected he would be blonde, just like Jake.
Similar coloring was where the similarity to that lanky boy ended. This was definitely a man. He was tall. At least a few inches over six feet, with a lovely wide back, slim hips and powerful-looking thighs. Unlike many large men, he seemed to move with an easy feline grace around the horse. Completely comfortable in his skin, and with his surroundings.
She watched in admiration as he gently brushed the horse while keeping up a constant patter of one-sided conversation that seemed to enthrall the animal. Its velvety ears twitched as he registered the friendly tone of this man's voice, even if it didn't understand the words. The cowboy's hands moved over its hide and Kayla couldn't help but imagine what those callused palms would feel like kneading her own pliant flesh instead.
He wasn't even touching himself, yet Kayla felt her breasts grow heavy as she watched him work. The way his muscles flexed under his smooth skin was hypnotic. She thought how alike he and the horse were — two prime specimens. The very best their respective species had to offer. Physically well worth the stud fees, as far as she was concerned. Though she suspected she had the better deal over the filly who had come to be impregnated by the four-legged stud this afternoon. Unlike that poor beast, she would get some foreplay out of the deal. Hopefully, a lot of foreplay.
"Well, now. I think you're ready to take a load off after your exhausting day. What do you think?" He asked the horse as he tossed the brush on the table and walked around to the animal's head. He gently ran his hand down its nose, and the horse nuzzled his fingers for a moment. "C'mon then, Studly. Let's get you fed and bedded. I've got work to do. And miles to go before I sleep." He took the animal's lead and walked him toward the stall next to Kayla's hiding spot.
He passed within two feet of her and she finally got a good look at his face. She had been half-hoping he would be scarred, or flawed in some minor but interesting way. In reality, pretty men were not her thing. But he was more than pretty. He was rugged and gorgeous with a square chin, wide cheekbones and lips that were full, but infinitely masculine. She tightened her thighs together as she noticed that there were several days of golden stubble covering his cheeks and chin. She felt herself get quite warm imagining the severe case of whisker burn she was going to have on the inside of her thighs tomorrow.
Every small detail she'd wanted was there. Unlike the men she dealt with on a daily basis, he was raw and deliciously rough-looking. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but it looked like Miss Bright had found her the exact embodiment of all her cowboy fantasies.