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[{ squishy }]

I hopped out of the driver's seat of the farm's Chevrolet pick-up truck, my boots stirring up dust as I landed. I smiled brightly as I heard the chorus of whinnies break the early morning Kentucky spring silence. I closed the truck door and started striding toward the yearling barn. I wanted to visit one of our most promising fillies, and see how she was doing. She was this beautiful dark gray filly with a large star in the middle of her forehead, though it would disappear in a few years with age. She was such a dark gray that she nearly looked black. Opening the barn door, I flipped on the lights, chuckling as the yearlings whinnied at me, searching for their breakfast. Laughing, I shook my head, standing there. "You guys are gonna have to wait. I can't give you munchkins your food yet." Several of them snorted and stomped their hooves, angry in the denial that I gave them.

I shook my head and headed to the very first stall in the barn, a soft nicker coming to my ears. I pressed my hand against her muzzle, her lips taking the carrot I offered from my hand. "Easy. Don't take my hand off." I patted her on the neck before looking around, frowning. I was expecting to see the new trainer that my father had hired, but I guess he hadn't arrived yet. Leaving the barn, I kept the light on and the door open. I strode out to the pastures, my ice blue eyes scanning the fields. In the first one was our Belmont Stakes winner, Wonder's Star. I had ridden him in the race, and it was a great confidence booster for the entire farm. We had lost faith in his abilities after he had finished last in the Derby behind my cousin, Melanie, and her filly, Image's Dream. But, two weeks later, he instilled faith in us when finishing third in the Preakness Stakes, thanks to the disqualification of a horse who had finished ahead of him.

Ironically, we had that horse in our barn now, having bought him just two weeks ago. He was a bit of a headcase, but with the help of our new trainer, we were hoping to get him figured out before we ran him or trained him again. I sighed gently, throwing my blonde hair up in a ponytail. What was taking the trainer so long to get here?

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BEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP, BEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPP, BEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

the furious alarm of my phone had to have been going off for god knows how long, and when it finally roused me from my sleep I jack knifed from my laying position as dread set in. oh no. oh no! I sprang from the bed, and ended up falling to my face because the covers had tangled around my feet. i pushed myself back up to a standing position, and quickly rummaged through my closet for something to wear. i settled on a light blue t-shirt, and jeans before pulling my cowboy boots over my feet, and making a sprint for the bathroom. i ran the deodorant under my armpits, brushed my teeth, and sprayed some cologne in the air before walking through it.

with truck keys in hand, i sprinted out of the house that my boss had kindly let me stay in since i was to stay at the farm at all times just in case there had been issues with the horses. i know, i know. what was a cowboy looking dude doing at a farm that breeds race horses? different sport, right? i'll get into that later. i jumped into my standard pickup truck, and threw it into gear. the engine roared to life as i took off at a moderate speed down the drive way, and toward the barns where i knew jynx to be. that colt was trouble. i sighed at the thought, and ran a hand through my tosseled brown hair. i groaned to myself. i had forgotten to comb my hair! after serious contemplation i decided not to go back, and instead pulled up outside the barn.

There, I spotted my boss's daughter. it was my understanding that I would be working with her, and the boss many had been very clear. his daughter was off limits. i turned the ignition off, and jumped out of the truck, taking a second to shut the door, and then jogging over to where she stood. "hi, i'm toby." i stuck my hand out for her to shake, and offered her my best apologetic smile i could muster up.

[{ squishy }]

It was nice to be home. I hadn't been on the farm in several weeks, and it was nice to be back. I had been over in Ireland, riding some of our best turf horses there. That was around the time I got the word that we had fired Parker Townsend as our trainer and had hired someone else. It made me sad to see him go, but was best for everyone. Our stats had started slipping, and our horses started getting hurt. Star had gotten hurt in a workout a week ago, and he was going to be off the track for at least three months. I scoffed lightly at the memory, and shook my head, ashamed at everything that had gone down. It never should have happened. If I had just been more aware of things that had been going on... This shit never would have happened. I was more pissed at myself than I was at Parker. Though... The way he left wasn't fair to us. He cut off all ties with one of our biggest clients, and that made me want to beat the ever-loving shit out of him.

I scanned the rest of the pastures, and I grinned when I saw a diminutive chestnut colt bucking wildly in his enclosure. He was our homebred two-year-old, one that we had actually considered selling until I mentioned something about his pedigree to my father. Of course, he couldn't say no to his princess. No one could ever say no to me. I always got my way. I strode to Jynx's fence, and called to him, wanting him to come over to me so I could look him over and see if he was good to go for a slow and steady gallop today. Of course, he ignored me and stopped bucking, only to lower himself to the grass and roll. I nearly facepalmed at the colt's antics, realized he had just gotten a bath. I smirked at him as a truck rolled up the driveway, kicking up dust and pulled into the barn.

I turned as the truck's engine shut off and the new trainer - I'm guessing - hopped out of his pick-up. I arched a brow and smiled mischievously. Oh, I was going to have fun with him. I leaned nonchalantly against the fence to Jynx's pasture, and I watched Toby as he strode toward me, face full of apology. I took his hand, and grinned lightly, teasingly. "You're late, Toby. Of course, I won't say anything if you don't. I'm Ashleigh, but everyone calls me Ash. So, who do you want to look at first?" Oh, this was going to be fun.

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i could tell she was trouble from the moment i strode toward her. she leaned back against the fence in a nonchalant manner, and i could see a copper colored cold grazing in the field behind her. i arched a brow at the colt, wonder why he was acting that way. i would have to observe him more. i glanced to Ashleigh as she told me that i was late - something i very nearly blushed for - and raised a hand to rub the back of my neck. "Yeah... i'm really sorry about that. i slept through my alarm. i think i need a blow horn form now on to get me up."

i finally took this opportunity to moved up beside her. she gave me her name, and told me to call her ash. i nodded at her, and leaned forward against the fence. my eyes watched the coat intently. he's got a bit of an attitude problem. i can tell from here, and i haven't even worked with him yet. i look forward to it." I stood up straight as she asked me what i wanted to start out with first today. i gave her a lop-side grin, and shoved my hands into my jeans pockets.

"you tell me. i've only just started working here. i could use an idea of who i'm supposed to be training. i'm assuming that i am not the only one." I mentioned to her, another goofy smile twisting my mouth up into an inviting grin.

[{ squishy }]

Of course I was trouble. People wouldn't expect anything less from me. My parents' only child, their whole world, the jockey that helped them get back to the main stage where we belonged... I nearly helped rebuild this farm on my own. The entire fence line, and those surrounding the horses, were all paid by race earnings from races that I won or finished second and third in. The earnings I received not only helped pay the staff we have around the farm, but also helped pay for upgrades around. The barns all had central air and heat now. The training track had both turf and dirt now... Everything new, I helped pay for. But that didn't matter now. As he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, I grinned brightly, chuckling. He was cute... And I knew we were going to get into trouble one day. "No, don't apologize. We've all been there. If you want... I can install a starting gate bell and rig it so it's connected to your alarm clock." I couldn't resist winking at him, so that's what I did.

I already knew well enough that my father had warned him that I was very off-limits, but my father didn't say anything about Toby being off-limits. Like I said. He was cute. I already wanted him to ask me out, and we had literally just met. He said Jynx had an attitude problem and I couldn't help but let out a laugh at the statement. It was just so out there, but ut was true. Very true. "You don't even know the half of it. Oh god, you should have seen him as a yearling. He was such hell to handle." I shook my head and looked at Toby, smirking. He was looking forward to handling Jynx? Well. He was the first. Parker wanted to cull the poor guy, and I had to stop him. Jynx was the first horse I'd bonded with immediately and he was perfect in my eyes.

"Well, you're the main farm trainer. We have trainers all over the country with our horses that aren't on the farm. Some in California, some in New York, Florida, New Jersey, here in Kentucky. You handle the farm stock, what we haven't sent out to the others yet." I looked over at him again, the sun just now rising over the horizon. "How about we start with Gratis? He's the colt we just bought two weeks ago. He finished ahead of Star in the Preakness last season, but was disqualified. He's... Special." Of course, I would need to ride him. Oh, this ought to be fun.

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a starting bell? in my room? it would break my ear drums! i had to grin at her, and shook my head. "heh, uhm, no that's alright. thank you, though. i like my ear drums intact, and i need to be able to hear to do my job efficiently." i could tell she was going to make me lose my job. there was just something about when you first meet some one, and your instantly attracted to them. i felt this way about her. there was just something about her that was going to get me into a world of trouble one day...

when she said that he had been a hand full, i gave an amused chuckle. "with his pedigree, i wouldn't doubt it. got some of big red's lines, and Man o' War. i reckon that he will be quite the handful, but once he knows what he's doing, he'll leave them all behind. i can tell you that. as i spoke about the colt, he looked up toward me, and seemed to be nod just a little bit before he resumed his grazing. we would one day have an understanding. i had a good feeling about him.

she began to tell me that they have trainers all over the place, but i was responsible for the home front. i laughed nervously. i had actually never been in charge of anything ever in my life. really, her father was giving me a chance. her father and mine went way back, and my father had taught me everything he knew about horses, on top of me attending college classes, and learning more about the equine species. i was here basically because her father trusted my dad. i couldn't fuck that up. i needed a cigarette. when she suggested gratis, i tipped my head to the side to motion toward the barn. "go tack up then, and we'll head out to the track."

[{ squishy }]

Oh, I was so totally kidding. I hoped he knew that. He grinned at me, and I couldn't stop a slight blush that crossed over my cheeks and my neck. I mentally facepalmed because it was a huge tell, and I didn't do this often - flirt with farm employees. The last one was Parker... That didn't end well. He ended up breaking up with me just a month before he was fired. He never explained why, and that was why I went to Europe. I wanted a change of scenery, and soon enough, I was back to my old self. He started talking to me and laughed at my statement. "Haha, alright, alright. You win. How about I get you an actual alarm clock?" I could never make him lose his job. If my father tried to fire him, I'd turn on the waterworks. It never failed. I always got my way then.

Toby started talking about Jynx's pedigree and I grinned brightly, turning my head to gaze at the chestnut colt. He certainly was a wild one. But, he was just two, and he was sure to be a bit of a late bloomer. There was no doubt he had talent. I could just stand and look at him and just imagine the highs he would take us on. "You know, he's a bit of a late bloomer, but he's got outrageous potential and talent. There's no doubt he can't take us on extreme highs." I turned my head to look at Toby, wanting to see what he thought of what I said.

Despite us having trainers all over, our farm trainer was the most cherished employee we had, besides our grooms. We treated our trainers like family members, and we always made sure they were healthy and happy and well-taken care of. I looked over at Toby, studying him closely. It would be an honor to work under him. My father had nothing but good things to say about Toby and his family, and I was hoping to learn as much as I could from him. Though, when I looked at his resume for my mother before she handed it over to my father, his college classes really impressed me. He really was dedicated to learning as much as he possibly could to make sure he did everything right. He looked at me and I suddenly looked away, blushing. I was so bold, and yet, here he was, causing me to act as giddy as a schoolgirl with her first crush. He tipped his head toward the racing barn, and I smiled. "Yes, sir." I mock saluted at him and chuckled before turning from the pasture fence and walking toward the barn.

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she suggested that she buy me an alarm clock, and the charming guy inside of me rose up. i grinned brightly at her, my eyes reflecting that smile to show that it was genuine. i was already saying the words before my brain had time to process them. "or, you could be my wake up call. y'know, give me a call in the morning to make sure my ass is out of bed." whelp. i had already said it. there was no going back now. i looked down at the ground, and dug the tip of my boot down into the dirt. i was going to die. i really needed a cigarette...

she spoke, looking over toward jynx, and saying that he was a late bloomer. i nodded in agreement. he surely was a late bloomer, but i believed he had it in him some where down deep inside of him. "he'll show all the nay-sayers." i had confidence in the colt even though i had never seen him in action. when she turned away i caught the faintest blush that had crossed her cheek bones. well i'll be damned if i didn't know that i was the reason for that blush, but what exactly did i do to make it cross her face? i would have to poke around later. when i tipped my crown toward the barn, she smiled at me, and i let a lop-sided grin cross my features.

i waited for her to lead the way, and i figured it would be good for me to follow her, and see the stock. at least, that's what i told myself. it wasn't because i found her genuinely nice to be around. i raked a hand through my hair, and gave a slight uneasy chuckle. a whinny caught my attention though, and the smell of hay, and leather filled my senses. that smell would never get old. never. my eyes wandered around before they landed on ash as she was gathering tack. she bent over to pick something up, and my eyes had a mind of their own. her jeans peeked down a little bit, and i caught a flash of skin.

lord almighty. i found myself staring before one of the horses nipped me on the shoulder as if to save my hide. i yelped, and looked at the filly to did it. she was giving me a dirty look, and i'm sure i was blushing scarlet.

[{ squishy }]

Once I said what I said, I knew he was going to say something daring, something bold. But what he would eventually say left me kind of boggled. It was either what he said or the way his eyes shimmered as he smiled. I felt my knees go slightly weak, but I tried to push it off, to think about someone else. But his voice... His charm... It was nearly too much. How did I get this lucky to work with a trainer this cute? My mouth suddenly had a mind of its own, and the words tumbled out before I could do anything to stop them. "Oh, I don't think you want me to be your wake-up call. If I came in because you weren't answering your phone, there's no way we'd be seen for a day or two." Shit. What the hell did I just say? My face flushed scarlet and I bit my lip, looking away from his face, feeling completely embarrassed and ashamed. There was going to be absolutely no way he'd let me live this down.

Toby nodded in agreement when I said Jynx was a late-bloomer. But, hopefully, with the speed and stamina that his sire and dam had both possessed in their racing days would help him peak when it was needed and required. I shook my head, my ponytail landing on my right shoulder. "There is absolutely no way that he won't be a force to be reckoned with eventually. He may not be a champion at two, but next year - at three - he's definitely going to be something." I was super confident in the colt. Despite being difficult to handle from the day of his foaling, Jynx has showed me nothing but promise. He was definitely one of our smallest two year olds on the farm, but he was our best-looking two year old, the one who seemed to be the most talented. Once I turned and walked away from the fence, I saw a lop-sided grin from Toby, and I chuckled to myself, tossing my hair over my shoulder to let it rest in the middle of my back. It was so going to bother me in my helmet.

I led the way to the racing barn, and I opened the barn door, and flipped on the lights. Most of the horses in here wouldn't get fed until after the morning work-outs, except for a few select individuals. That didn't stop the chorus of neighs, nickers, and stomping hooves. I ducked into the tack room to grab the stuff that I would require to ride Gratis, and I set my face in a slight grimace, remembering how he had acted the first time I rode him in his very first start. Ironically, we stood his sire at our farm, but the dark bay stallion was nothing but sweet. Gratis must have gotten the nasty temperament from his dam's side. Shrugging my shoulders, I strode confidently out of the tack room and toward the stall that contained the bay colt. I rolled my shoulders lightly and I felt the saddle pad and girth fall from my hand and shoulder. Cursing to myself, I bent down to pick them up, not noticing that my jeans had revealed quite a bit of skin.

I stood up and heard a yelp from behind me, and I frowned, turning in that direction. Arching a brow at Toby, I tilted my head to the side, curious. "Oh yeah... I should have warned you that Wonder's Miracle was a bit nippy. I apologize." That was the truth. It had completely slipped my mind that I had to warn him about her. I didn't see Toby blush beet red, and Miracle just looked at me, her big brown eyes full of life, curiosity.

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at her comment, i wanted to ask her if that would be a bad thing, but i kept my lips sealed. i was not about to dig us into a deeper hole than we already were in. i was content to keeping that comment to myself for the time being. or forever. i haven't decided yet. i was still rubbing my arm from where the female had bit me. that was really uncalled for. i mean, i wasn't doing anything wrong. i watched silently with my hands in my pockets as ash lead gratis from his stall, and then began saddling him.

the whole time she was reaching up, and then ducking for the girth her shirt and pants played peek a boo with me. i kept finding my eyes drawn to that area, and i felt like a scum bag. a big fat scum bag. something about her just drew me to her like a moth to a flame. i didn't know what it was, but i wanted to touch her. i wanted to hold her, and i even wanted to kiss her. i shook my head of all the thoughts, and then strode forward with purpose as i saw she had finished the job of getting the male tacked up.

i laced my fingers together, and lowered my hands so that she could use them to step up, and into the stirrup better. i grinned at her, and said "up you go!"

[{ squishy }]

My comment was bold, extremely bold. But, I didn't really regret saying it. I knew the hole we had dug ourselves into, and it was brilliantly glorious. It was very bold, very dramatic, very... Against the rules. The thought of it made me giddy inside, and absolutely exciting. I knew my father would be completely pissed off about it, but I was making the first moves, the first to show interest. I ducked into Gratis' stall and led the four-year-old colt out into the shed row. I placed him in the cross-ties, quickly running a brush over his muscular body before placing the tack on him. He wasn't happy with how tightly I made the saddle, but he was known for bloating his stomach and making the saddle slip.

As I reached underneath Gratis to grab the girth so I could buckle the saddle. My shirt rode up to the middle of my back, nearly displaying my bra strap. I knew it rode up, but I didn't do anything about it, especially as I stood. I ran my hand down Gratis' neck, patting him in encouragement as he allowed me to tighten the girth once more, albeit reluctantly. I chuckled at the colt, who tossed his head and snorted in Toby's direction, his audits perked and optics bright. As Toby walked over, my heart skipped a beat momentarily, my arms yearning to hold him, my body yearning for his touch. I felt my skin flaming, and I turned around, my back facing him as I placed my arms on the saddle, one hand holding the reins. My left leg was in the air as I waited for the leg-up onto the muscular back of the shifting horse.

I placed my foot in Toby's hands as he laced his fingers together. I went to push myself up into the saddle and slipped, falling against the trainer's chest, an 'oof' coming from between my lips. I looked up at him, my face covered in scarlet. My eyes searched his face, and stopped at his lips. Biting my own lip, I groaned softly, bringing his head to meet my lips. The kiss was soft at first, yet got rougher and more heated as it went on.

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i being the gentleman that i was, had of course been ready to hoist her into the saddle. i had seen her foot slipping in slow motion, and i stood to be able to catch her. i folded her into my arms, and pulled back to find her eyes searching my face. i tilted my crown to the side, and then found that she urged my mouth against hers. my arms instantly tightened around her, my lips meshing against hers softly, and then rougher as she had initiated it.

i took a step back, and found that there was a bucket directly behind me. we fell back into the empty stall that was behind us, and landed in a pile of hay. i had her safely on my chest, and i moved my hand up to cup her cheek as i pressed my mouth against hers again, and nibbled on her lower lip. my whole body buzzed with this feeling that i had never felt before. i'd been with women before, but she was different. my mind was conflicted, half of it screaming at me to stop, and the other urging me on.

i groaned. "ash...mmm..." i couldn't bring myself to stop just yet. i needed her mouth crushed against mine again, with more urgency. i moved my hand up to the back of her head, and curled my fingers into her brown hair as i opened my mouth wide to take her deep.

[{ squishy }]

I hadn't been expecting to fall from the horse's side. I had been legged up onto horses a million times, and not once did I fall before I was even securely in the saddle. What the hell happened this time to make me fall? I slowly went over the reason why as I pressed my lips against Toby's own. I could feel my face begin to flush, but I didn't care. I was getting what I wanted, and I'm sure Toby was as well. I didn't understand why I felt this way about someone I had just met, but something was connecting us together.

The bucket that Toby backed into rattled against the wood and hook it was being supported by. I removed my lips from Toby's own, and I whispered softly to him, curling my fingers into his brown hair. "Shh... You make too much noise, we're going to get caught..." My voice was hushed, lips swollen from the kisses. I giggled as we landed in the hay, the stall flooring cushioning our fall, making sure we didn't get hurt. I raised my body off his own, and I once again attached my lips against his swollen ones, fingers digging into the hay beneath us. Dear Lord. If my father found us... There would be hell to pay. Of course, I'd take the heat for it because I did instigate it, and Toby deserved to keep his job. All my mind screamed at me was to keep going, though I knew I needed to stop.

I heard Toby groan my name, and I responded eagerly, rubbing against him. I moaned into his mouth, and I moved my hands to tangle in his already tousled hair. He was lighting up every nerve, everything that had been dormant for so long. I hadn't had someone embrace me like this in years. It felt amazing. I groaned against his lip, removing my lips from his own and pressing against his neck. "Mm... Toby... Don't..." I couldn't even finish my sentence; my skin was on fire.

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i was fired. i knew it. strangely enough, i didn't care very much right now. my hands ran over her back, and one moved to cup the back of her neck. she rubbed against me, and i purred deep in my throat. i couldn't do this. i just couldn't. this was too much. it was driving me nuts. she pulled away from me, and pressed her swollen lips into my neck. i leaned my head back, breathing in deeply for a moment as i tried to catch my bearings. what were we doing? we had only met ten or fifteen minutes ago, and here we were rolling around in a staff of hay. there was something seriously wrong with me.

i moved my head so that i could nuzzle her head with my cheek, and inhale her sweet scent. she smelled heavenly. i could swim in her sweet scent. i moved my mouth to the sensitive skin behind her ear, and then pressed to more kisses against that beating vein in her neck. my kisses traveled across her neck as i tried to work in my brain why this felt okay with her. i had only met her just now, hadn't i?

[{ squishy }]

I would never let him get fired. Never would my father fire him, not when he realizes how much Toby meant to me, even though we had just met 10 or 15 minutes ago. As I pressed my lips against his neck, my teeth grazed his skin there, his pulse hammering against my tongue and teeth. I felt his fingers running up the length of my back, and I shivered, muffing a moan against the divot where his neck and shoulder met. My fingers dug into the straw bedding beneath us as i rubbed against him. this was too electrifying; we weren't going to be able to keep our hands off each other whenever we saw the other. It was bound to get us in trouble.

He moved his head so he could nuzzle my cheek and I smiled brightly, my eyes closing at the nice feeling. I felt my left hand move on its own accord and rub his left leg, before it moved underneath his shirt, my fingers splaying out on his stomach and chest. I moaned deep in my throat at the feel of his abs under my fingertips, my teeth grazing his earlobe, his hair mingling with mine. He smelled irresistible, intoxicating. That smell... It was so familiar, but I couldn't place a finger on it, no matter how hard I tried. No matter. I just focused on the task at hand, the straw crunching beneath our weight.