Jockeying for You (12 page)

“Do these mineral baths really work?”

The woman stopped and smiled. “For most people they do. Some folks find it helps them quite a lot. Some only a little. Even the ones who don’t feel physically improved enjoy the experience anyway.”

“What does the water do?”

“Soothes frayed nerves. Relaxes muscles and heals damage. Reduces bone aches and stomach ailments. There are also minerals in there that treat all kinds of skin conditions. They soften up rough or damaged skin so much you’d think it belongs on a baby.”

This time Ryder’s eyes grew even wider. “Really?”

“For some people,” she confirmed. “Maybe for you, too. Let me know. In the meantime, there’s a call button on the wall to push if you need me.” The woman shut the door behind her.

Ryder stood alone for a minute, hesitating before she took off her robe.
Can I be this lucky?
Ryder put the stool down next to the tub and gingerly stepped in.
Here goes nothing.

The submersion in the tub was deeper than she thought, the water level rose up to her neck. After a moment of trying to settle in, the bubbles kicked up. Not enough to be too visible but enough to lift her body. Her legs, arms, and breasts rose up to the water’s surface.

Placing the stool as instructed allowed her to stay straight and secure. With her head against the back of the tub, she closed her eyes. Stress drifted away. Pleasant thoughts drifted in.

The bubbles felt so good against her skin. They floated and popped at a slow steady pace. Some popped against her scars. She peered down into the water but could not see the blemishes, or anything else, through the dark-brown liquid.

Amazing. People have been sitting here in this exact same tub for almost a hundred years.
Some folks must have wanted mental relaxation. Some no doubt wanted physical relief. And some prayed for the deepest healing. Healing they longed for. Like her.

Lying in the dark waters of the barely lit room, she felt the bubbles lift not only her body but her spirits. In the dark, her body was as flawless as everybody else’s. Only those close to her would ever know the marks were even there. Those people had always accepted her battle scars because they accepted her.

Was Jake one of those people? He hadn’t seen her scars dead on, but he knew they were there. Surely he, too, accepted her, flaws and all.

Could she accept her flaws as well? Conquer her fear of not living up to people’s high expectations? Or her own high expectations?

Chapter 13

Jake sipped a cappuccino on the patio of the Gideon Putnam Hotel, waiting for Ryder to finish her bath and massage. The hotel was historic and elegant, a stone’s throw from the Roosevelt Bath House. Once she was done having her spa treatments, he’d pick her up so they could enjoy a night on the town.

Ryder was right, his mission was to win her over. Not just her body, but her mind. Like a thoroughbred racehorse, Ryder was skittish. There were walls around her for some reason. They would be tough to break through.

The whole purpose of this trip was for him to chisel away at her defenses. The spa treatment would hopefully get her relaxed enough to be receptive to what he had to say. Getting her to trust him would be hard. He’d take the help where he could get it. If it came in the form of bath water, so be it.

It was clear she wanted to be a jockey again. Equally clear, she was terrified. The thought that people judged her dream harshly paralyzed her.

For some reason she seemed to think people judged her appearance harshly, too. Sure she was petite, but she was athletically built with a beautiful face to match. Her torso was somewhat scarred up, but who cared?

He’d never been one to judge a woman’s appearance unkindly. Ironically, she was, even if directed only toward herself. Her struggle to keep her body hidden, even from his eyes, made him wonder what was in her head.

Jake checked the time on his Rolex, drained the bottom of the white mug, placed a twenty-dollar bill on the table, and got up to leave. Ryder’s spa time should finally be up. With any luck she’d already be dressed. He’d made dinner reservations at one of the best restaurants in town, The Patio at 15 Church. Reservations there were not easy to come by. If they were late for their eight o’clock table it would be gone. Snatched up by the next horse owner ready to descend on it like a bird of prey.

The day had been more fantasy than reality to Ryder. The last stop had been drinks and dinner at one of the best hot spots in town. The Patio at 15 Church had been more than merely a place for great cocktails, it had been a romantic wonderland. Overhead fans from the open-air pergola created a light breeze through the otherwise stifling hot night air. Instrumental music played softly through hidden loudspeakers. Rock wall fountains glowed in ever changing lights. She had sipped her Burke’s Lemonade slowly, savoring every minute of the bubbly vodka drink, while watching the fountain’s lights bathe the wall in pinks, purples, golds, and blues.

Jake had held her hand while they enjoyed the drinks and each other. Their conversation had flowed as easily as the water in the multi-colored rock wall.

It had almost been a shame to leave. Almost. Her head buzzing from the prospect of spending a night with him again was the only adequate incentive. Thoughts of what they’d be doing were bubbling up in her blood at a much higher intensity than the Roosevelt Bath House’s tubs. Fortunately Jake had chosen an in-town location for them to stay the night, only walking distance away from the restaurant. By the time they keyed into the garden level suite of the Saratoga Arms she was as hot as the night air.

“We’re all alone,” he murmured.

“Convenient, don’t you think?”

“Extremely. Anything else you need to say, do it now. You won’t be able to speak for a long while after this. I’ve got much better plans for your mouth.”

Man, it’s hot in here.
Before she could utter a last response, he picked her up and dropped her on the bed with a grin. The lush pillow and mattress he’d placed her on felt like nothing less than a cloud of air. Appropriate, since she felt like she was floating.

Closing her eyes, she blocked out the light that enveloped the room and allowed herself to enjoy nothing but the feel of sensations. The cool air against her skin as he started to undress her.

Until a thought made her tense up. “Would you mind shutting the light off?”

“Actually, I do. You’ve never given me a chance to see your body,” he said, his voice as soft as his touch. “I’m sure your petite figure is as beautiful as your face. I want to see you. All of you.”

She shook her head. “Maybe some other time. Can you kill the lights now? Please?”

His brow furrowed. “Talk to me, Ry. What’s going on with you?” He gave her a sardonic look. “You really do think I’m ugly.”

A small smile spread across her face. “I’ve already seen you in the buff. You are a very handsome man, Jake Carter.” Then her smile faded. “The only person who’s unattractive here is me.”

“Ryder—”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lifting her head, she kissed him. “There are so many other things we could be doing.” To make her point, she gestured toward the zipper of his slacks.

She was shocked when he gently pushed her away. “But—”

“I need you to trust me.”

Shit. I have to start getting weepy
now
?
“No. Just no. Okay?”

He didn’t answer her. His expression looked like he was in pain. Was her defense shield actually hurting him? Driving a wedge between them?

With a move so fast she didn’t have time to second-guess herself, she got up to strip. Moments later, she was completely naked. Though her body shook from nerves she stood there for a full ten seconds, her eyes focused on the wall. Then she dive-bombed back into the bed, the blanket wrapped around her tight enough to be a shroud.

A sea of stomach acid stormed inside her. Tentatively she looked at his face to gauge his reaction. His expression, however, remained neutral. “Say something. Damn it!” She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. “Please?”

“Let go of the blanket, Ry.”

Biting her lip, she did as he asked. Then she felt him trace the lines of her scars with his fingertip. Softly, gently, as if a mere feather. Her skin flinched at first and then relaxed. Heat soon surged wherever his hand stroked.

Until a thought cooled her down.
He can’t possibly be okay with this.

“Stop making that face,” he chastised lightly. “I see your scars. They’re not a big deal. To me, anyway. I’m sorry you’re so worried about them.” He stretched out next to her, lying on his side to face her. “What’s it going to take to prove I think you’re beautiful?”

She ignored the feel of a single trickle rolling down her cheek. “A trophy. You got one?”

His lips curved upward. “I’ll have one ordered right away. I’ll even get it engraved for you.
Most Attractive Woman. First Place in Both Head and Heart Categories.”

Wide-eyed, she stared at him. His words made her heart beat faster.

“Ry, I’m beyond attracted to you. Inside and out. I want to be with you. See where our relationship goes. I can talk to you in ways I can’t with any other person. I don’t just want you in my bed. I want you in my life.” He took her hand and placed it against his lips. “I want to be with you, Ryder. In every possible way.”

His other hand traced the outline of her curves, forcing a ripple of pleasure to shimmer through her.

Timidly, she took a hand and traced the outline of his body as he had hers. The cool feel of his skin was in stark contrast to the burning trail he left on her. She opened his button-down shirt. Let her hand glide over his tight abs. Up toward his torso. When she stroked his nipple his eyes closed in apparent bliss.

The fine hairs of his chest felt like downy feathers. The comparison of him to a baby bird almost made her laugh until she stroked a part of him lower down. There was nothing funny about the length and hardness of this gorgeous man, merely awe. A soft groan escaped his lips. “My Lord, Ryder. What you do to me.”

What you to do me.

He got up to strip his clothes off, moving faster than one of his racehorses. When he got back into bed he put his hand over hers. “Touch me,” he ground out.

“I want to.” Reaching down to hold his naked length, she could feel him twitch in anticipation. When she tightened her grip she felt him tighten, too. A drop of slickness smoothed the strokes of her hand motion, which was tantalizingly slow. She relished the pleasure she was giving him.

“You’re killing me,” he said through gritted teeth. “But if I have to die, this is how I want to go.”

“Don’t die. You’re the one man who could never be replaced.”

He looked at her dead-on. “I won’t. I’d hate to leave you.”

She blinked, melting from his words even more than she had from his acceptance of her body. Or from the searing sexual fire building within.

He moved on top of her and brought his lips down to hers, followed by a trail of kisses down her breasts. Lower and lower until he traced the soft fine hair above her thighs with his fingers. And then with his tongue.

She bit back a cry as her hips bucked. Soon she shattered into a thousand tiny little shards of glass.

Riding high from her orgasm, she barely realized when he pulled away to sheath himself. When he finally did enter her, his long, strong strokes caused her body to combust, his hardness putting her in a blissful haze. A torturous tension built up that cried out for release.

When her second orgasm hit, it finally managed to extinguish the blaze. A moment later, she felt him combust, too.

They lay there together, only moving to wrap their arms around each other. They stayed locked this way, connected in body and in mind.

“I’m not willing to let you go,” she said, nuzzling her nose against his chest.

She could admit that now. To him. And to herself.

Chapter 14

Sunlight filtered in underneath the drawn shades of their suite in the Saratoga Arms. Jake held Ryder’s body loosely against him as she slept. He’d been awake for quite a while.

The new day had brought him new resolve. Ryder had come a long way in trusting him. Baring her scars was a big step. Even if they were softer after the spa bath. But it wasn’t enough.

She was going to have to fight for herself, as well as for her relationship with him. Like he had to fight against his father and people like Barney Smythe. It wasn’t only horses that had to win—people did, too. The finish line was more than a physical point, it was mental and even spiritual. The desire to race toward one’s ultimate goal, unhindered by doubts and despite any pain. Because doing anything less would be a letdown to one’s self.

He was sure Handsome Dancer instinctively knew this. He could only hope Ryder did, too. She was so fragile. Not just physically, with her jockey-esque figure, but with her psyche. For her, it was clearly a much harder blow to be knocked over by people than a mere horse. Some injuries were harder to overcome than others.

He glanced down at the beauty sleeping beside him and watched her eyes flutter open. He squeezed her tighter to him. “Glad you’re awake.”

She stretched out languidly and gave him a kiss. “Glad to wake up with you.”

He pretended to frown. “Then why am I only getting a kiss on the cheek?”

“You know the rule. No toothpaste, no nookie.”

“Don’t care,” he responded, kissing her deeply on the lips until she giggled.

“Let me do you a favor and brush my teeth.”

But her attempt to get up was thwarted by his holding her down. “Stop running away. If you really want to do me a favor, you’ll ride Handsome Dancer in the upcoming maiden special weight race. Say you agree.” He grinned. “You’ve already got the silks.”

Her happy expression faded in front of him. “So much for morning bliss,” she groused.

“At least I let you sleep on it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I haven’t been a jockey for a long time. Assuming I was going to do this, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of time for me to get back up to speed. And I have other horses I can’t neglect.”

“Can Mindy and Lenny help you out more with the others?”

“Lenny already does everything he can for me. Mindy is down a few horses right now, so I can ask her. She’s a great trainer but also struggles to get clients.”

“I’ll make it worth her while if she’ll agree to do it.”

Ryder bit her lower lip. “I can call her to find out.”

Jake felt his heart stop beating. And then flutter with hope. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

He felt her shake and cling tightly to him. Her words were muffled as she buried her head against his bare chest. “I don’t know. This is all happening so fast.”

He stroked the back of her head, reveling in the softness of her blond hair. “Is it fast? The way your rode Handsome Dancer I could have sworn you were riding him in a race. You can handle him.”

“They’ll be other horses to contend with on the track. I’m not used to maneuvering through them anymore. Neither is Handsome. It’ll be like having two newbies together. At best, we’ll lose. At worst, one of us will get injured.”

He frowned at the thought. “You know I don’t want any harm to come to you. Either of you, actually. But injuries can happen at any time on the track, even if you’re the most knowledgeable superstar. You know this field is dangerous. Emanuel knows what he’s doing and he still got hurt.”

He felt her stiffen next to him. Quickly, he smoothed the back of her hair with his hands to soothe her.

“When my father passed on, Lenny was too happy to teach me to be a trainer. Lenny doesn’t have any kids. I think he wants to be sure he can hang on to me. I think that’s why he’s grouchy all the time. He knows I want to be a jockey again. He’s afraid I’ll get hurt.”

“He’s told you not to do it?”

“He hasn’t said anything one way or another. He doesn’t bring it up and neither do I.”

He could swear he felt a drop of water trickle down his chest. He tilted her head up. “Look at me. Are you crying?”

“No. Maybe. A little.” She swiped at her eyes. “Lenny’s torn. I am, too.”

“You’ve been trained by more than Lenny. You told me your father taught you how to race. You’ve prepared for years. I doubt you can forget that. For you, it’ll literally be getting right back in the saddle.”

She said nothing while she traced Jake’s chest with a fingertip. He beat the sexual thoughts down and garnered up the strength to finish the important conversation. “Do what’s in your heart, Ry. Not for me, not for Lenny, not for Handsome Dancer. Do this for you. You have a golden opportunity. It’s the brass ring you’ve been waiting for. Reach out from the carousel’s horse and take it.”

He held her chin and her gaze. Her light blue eyes were more beautiful than any he’d ever seen. They reflected sincerity, fear, and hopefulness all at the same time.

“The most injured person around here is me,” he quipped. “I’ve fallen for you hard.” He kissed the tip of her nose, wet and salty from her tears.

“My God, Jake . . .” Her voice trailed off.

Good, because I’ve still got one important thing left to say.
“Regardless of what you decide, please know I still want to be with you. I can give up on horses. Business. Even my father. But I can’t give up on you.”

Her eyes were now round. Large and perfect. He whisked a blond strand away from them.

“Okay,” she said softly.

The volume of her voice was so low he thought he might have misheard her. Or that she had said nothing, but he’d heard wishful thinking in the wind. “What did you say?” His own voice was so tight he was amazed his words formed.

She angled herself upward and kissed his lips. “I said okay. I’ll do it. I want to make you happy. And maybe it will make me happy.” She choked back obvious emotion.

“Do it for you, Ryder. The first person to please is yourself.”

“When I’m pleasing you, I’m pleasing me. I’m falling for you, too, Jake Carter.”

“Then I promise to be there to catch you. I—” His words were cut off by a sharp beeping from his smartphone.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ryder said sourly. “
Now
your phone has to ring?”

Jake apparently wasn’t thrilled by the timing either. He cursed as he leaned over the nightstand to pick it up. But when he glanced at it he smiled. “Oh,” he remarked, his voice perky. “Excellent. It’s nine o’clock already.” He hopped off the bed, grabbed a robe and stealthy opened the suite’s door.

What the heck is he doing?
“Um, Jake? Everything all right?” Then she watched him bend down and pick up a large box.

“Right on time.” He shut the door and practically ran back to the bed. “The package is for you. Open it.” He sounded like an enthusiastic child.

Her eyes went wide. “Thank you, but what’s the occasion? Christmas in July?”

“Funny. Open it.”

She grinned. “Okay. I’m excited.” She tore off the bright, multicolored gift-wrap and then lifted up the box’s lid.

With delicate fingers, she took out a derby hat, similar to the one she had admired in the store, only this one was decked out in his stable’s colors.

He smiled at her, his expression warm and deep. “Whether you’re racing my horse or in the stands with me, I want you wearing my colors. I want the whole world to know you’re mine.”

Her heart soared, her breathing hitched, and her mouth dropped open.

Jake seemed only too happy to kiss her lips closed.