Highland Stallion Read online

  “Oh, Zach! I’ve wanted this for so long.”

  He groaned his response, as he was busy running his tongue along the side of her clit. His attack was relentless and soon she tensed, panting hard and moaning as orgasm broke over her straining body.

  “Zach! Ah! Zach!” she cried, her fingers tight on his head.

  He clutched her bottom, kneading the firm, smooth globes. His cock ached with need and his entire body tingled. Gods, he wanted her!

  Sitting up, Zach grasped her waist and tugged her on top of him, guiding her legs around him. Sophia clutched his neck, her eyes on his.

  “Put me inside you,” he whispered against her lips.

  She drew a deep breath before reaching down and guiding his stiff cock into her hot, wet pussy. A shiver of pleasure rippled down his spine as he wrapped his arms around her. She flexed her legs and whimpered with desire as her passion rekindled.

  Zach supported her with his hands, his heart racing as she drove both of them closer to orgasm.

  He kissed her mouth and took her lower lip between his teeth, running his tongue along it. Closing his eyes tightly, he enjoyed the sensation of ultimate intimacy with the woman he’d loved and desired for what seemed like forever. Their joining was even better than in the dreams. Her scent enveloped him. The echo of her breath and the tension in her small body wrapped around his was akin to nothing he’d ever felt before.

  “Sophia, oh, yes!” he breathed. His breath came in pants. His entire body was aflame. With a sharp cry, she came, throbbing around his rock-hard cock, her fingers sinking into his shoulder muscles.

  With a growl of passion, Zach gently pushed her onto her back. He thrust into her still-throbbing pussy then pulled out almost to the tip. He forced his eyes open to gaze at her as he drove in and out of her heated body.

  “Oh! Zach!” she cried as her body surged towards another orgasm. His eyes slipped halfway closed and his heart pounded as he watched her. His cock felt ready to explode and every muscle in his body begged for release. Her pussy tightened and pulsed around him as he continued pumping fast, long, and steady. All he heard was the pounding of his heart in his ears and the rasp of their mingled breaths.

  Sophia ran her nails over his shoulders and back. She grasped his waist, the pads of her fingers pressing and stroking his lower back. Zach’s eyes squeezed shut against unendurable pleasure. The lower back was highly sensitive to Horsemen. It was the location of their Turning Point, the part of their body where shapeshifting originated, allowing them to switch from man-body to equine. Sophia massaged his lower back in circles. Zach thought he might die of pleasure. Her touch brought forth heat that stemmed from his middle and radiated in every direction.

  “Sophia,” he panted, “don’t stop. Your hands, keep them where they are!”

  “Here?” she gasped, her tone teasing in spite of the desire that threatened to demolish her. She pressed her fingertips harder against him and he drew a sharp breath as desire stabbed him through to his soul.

  “Gods, yes!”

  Her liquid pussy squeezed around his cock, her legs entangled with his, and her fingertips stroked and pressed his Turning Point until he thought his heart would burst from his chest. The worst loads he’d been forced to pull in the mines had never sent his heart to pumping in such a deadly rhythm and he could think of no sweeter way to die!

  She moaned and thrashed as another climax broke over her, but she never stopped caressing his back. The throbbing of her pussy around his cock combined with the stimulation of his Turning Point was more than he could stand. He exploded, surging and moaning. Ripples of pleasure even coursed through his huge arms supporting his weight on either side of her body.

  Zach heaved himself onto his back and dragged her against him. Her breath fanned his chest as she draped her leg over his body and cuddled close.

  All he could think was what a fool he’d been to believe he could resist her.

  * * * * *

  Sophia awoke abruptly in the dimness, her heart pounding as if after a wild dream, though she had no reason why she would feel that way. It was one of those emotions that simply happened. Through her half-opened eyes she watched the fire’s dying embers and the dance of moonlight across the floor. Though covered only by a sheet, she didn’t feel the least bit cold. Marvelous warmth enfolded her from behind. She smiled. Turning, she gazed at Zach who slept, his nude body stretched out, stomach down, his eyes closed and handsome features relaxed.

  She rose to her knees, careful not to wake him, and stared at the magnificence of his broad shoulders, long legs, and hard buttocks. His entire body was forged of perfectly developed muscle. She ran her fingertips down his side, counting each rib. Though he could use a few pounds, she’d never felt such power as he exuded. It was like lying with hot, breathing stone. But he was not stone, she thought as she traced the scars riddling his flesh. He was a man, made of muscle, blood, and feeling.

  Pausing, she leaned closer to the thick, hair-dusted back of one of his thighs. An enormous bruise darkened most of it, and she guessed it was what was left of his earlier injury from the rock. Shifting shape must have hastened the healing process, but the injury hadn’t vanished, as if he possessed the constitution of some mythical creature. She touched her lips to the bruise and he shifted position suddenly, flinging her onto her back.

  Sophia’s heart pounded at the fury in his eyes. She gasped, staring into his face as it softened.

  “I’m sorry.” He sat beside her, stroking hair from her brow. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

  “No,” she murmured. “What’s wrong?”

  Drawing a deep breath, he stood, reached for his trousers, and tugged them on. “I’m going back to the barn.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean, why? I could have hurt you.” His callused palm swept over her hip. “You’re so small and I…”

  “What?” She took his hand, holding it tightly.

  “I have dreams. And when I wake, sometimes I think they’re real.” He shook his head. “Stupid, isn’t it? For an ox like me to be bothered by dreams?”

  “No, not after living in the mines.”

  “I won’t risk hurting you. I should never have come here at all.”

  “You’ll hurt me if you go, especially now that we’ve made love.”

  He raised his eyes skyward and sighed.

  “Zach, please lie with me.” She stood on top of the bed and slipped her arms around his neck, clinging to him.

  He embraced her, holding her close to his warm, steely chest. The mat of soft hair felt so good against her breasts. She kissed his neck and licked his ear.

  “Gods, it’s wrong that you’re so good for me and I’m so bad for you.” He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her.

  Sophia uttered a contented sound as his tongue parted her lips. Hers joined it, licking and stroking. His hands caressed her back before he picked her up and lowered her to the bed. Dragging her to the edge of it, he tore off his trousers and knelt on the floor in front of her. Bending over her, he took one of her nipples between his lips and teased it with his tongue. Clutching his head closer, she gasped as he sucked her nipple while gently using his palm to stimulate her clit. He rubbed in slow, tender circles before slipping a finger into her pussy. Then the same slick finger circled her clit. Sophia panted, her eyes tightly closed. Suddenly his hand was gone and his cock entered her. As he worked his hips, he continued stroking her clit with one hand while the other fondled her breasts.

  “Oh, Zach,” she breathed, her eyes closing in pleasure. She covered the hand on her breast with both of hers, pressing it close, knowing he felt her wildly throbbing heart. “You even think about leaving this bed again and I’ll clobber you!”

  Laughter rumbled in his chest and she opened her eyes, unable to resist grinning in spite of the waves of pleasure attacking her body.

  “At least sometimes I can get you to smile,” she said.

  “I’m always smiling around
you.” He purred like some giant cat, “On the inside, where it feels good and real.”

  She moaned as his thrusting increased. His breathing grew ragged and he grasped her hips to steady them as their motions turned wild with passion.

  “Oh, Zach!” she cried, stroking her own breasts as she exploded in orgasm.

  “Sophia!” His voice sounded raw with desire as he thrust so fast she nearly lost her breath. She felt him stiffen and explode inside her still-throbbing pussy.

  His soft cock slipped from her. He groaned deep in his chest as he lowered his head to her belly, resting his cheek against it for a long moment.

  Threading her fingers through his hair, she closed her eyes and smiled. She’d found the perfect man, and he didn’t have the good sense to know it.

  Chapter Three

  First Flight

  Zach awoke before dawn and slipped from the bed. He built a fire in the hearth and washed in the river before carrying two fresh buckets of water to the cottage. He left them for Sophia who still curled on the bed in sleep.

  Gazing down at her, Zach resisted the urge to kiss her. She looked so adorable wrapped in the sheets, her hair in disarray around her sleep-softened face that he didn’t want to disturb her.

  He found an ax and a wheelbarrow in the barn and walked to the woods. Work would be easier once he got a harness, but in the meantime he could start chopping and haul the larger logs later. Sophia had asked him to begin clearing. Since maneuvering among the trees would be easier in Huform than with his equine-half, he didn’t bother changing shape.

  About an hour after sunrise, he paused in chopping and stared as Sophia approached, a basket in her hand. His pulse raced just from looking at her.

  “Good morning.” She smiled, gazing around the clearing. “Gods, you’ve done a lot already.”

  Zach shrugged, leaning the ax against a log and approaching her. Her eyes swept him from head to foot in a manner that made his cock ache. She certainly didn’t seem to mind that his bare chest and his trousers were stained with dirt and sweat.

  “Oh, Zach.” She placed the basket on the ground and launched herself into his arms. He grasped her buttocks, lifting her, as she clung to his neck and covered his face with kisses. Her fingers kneaded the hot, tight muscles in his shoulders. “You are so handsome; I can’t get enough of you.”

  His entire body tingled and he drew a deep breath, squeezing her close before covering her mouth with his. In truth, she made him feel handsome.

  “I thought you might be hungry,” she said when the kiss broke and they stared into each other’s eyes. “I brought breakfast.”

  “What is it?” He glanced at the basket.

  “Put me down and I’ll show you.”

  “What if I don’t want to put you down?” He held her tighter and rubbed his nose against hers.

  “Then we’ll never have raisin nut rolls, apples, and freshly cooked eggs.”

  Again his eyes strayed to the basket. “It’s a hard decision, but the food wins.”

  Her mouth flew open and her eyes widened before she laughed and playfully slapped the back of his head. Zach had no intention of letting her go, even for food. With Sophia still in his arms, he squatted and picked up the basket, carrying both to a log and sitting on it.

  She slipped off his lap and sat beside him, her leg brushing his as she lifted the cloth off the basket.

  While she unpacked the food, Zach walked to the brook and washed dirt from his hands, face, and chest.

  As he sat beside her, she offered him a roll. He chewed, savoring the delicious flavor, as he watched her remove a bowl filled with fluffy cooked eggs. She scooped them out with a spoon and raised it to her lips. He watched as she chewed, the tip of her tongue licking the corner of her mouth. She filled the spoon again and offered it to him. Zach took a bite and broke off a piece of the sweet raisin roll and held it to her lips. She took it, licking his fingertips. Zach found feeding one another to be oddly arousing. They finished the eggs and rolls in that fashion, then she took a bite of a large red apple and held it out to him. Zach’s teeth sank into the sweet fruit.

  When the food was gone, Sophia dropped the empty bowl into the basket and kissed his mouth. Stroking his cheek, she said, “I’ll see you at the midday meal.”

  Zach grasped her hand and kissed her inner wrist before standing and picking up his ax. He watched as she walked out of the woods and across the field to the house.

  For the next several hours, Zach chopped trees. Afterward, he loaded some of the smaller logs into the wheelbarrow and brought them closer to the cottage where he could split and stack them for firewood.

  He’d nearly finished when he caught sight of a Horseman streaking with breathtaking speed across the sky. The Horseman slowed and circled above the barn. Using a hand to shield his eyes against the sun as the Horseman drifted lower, Zach recognized Terra’s gleaming black coat.

  The sleek Carrier landed between the cottage and the barn and approached, folding his black wings to his equine sides and wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

  “Hey, Zach,” Terra called, slightly breathless from what had apparently been a long, fast flight. “Moor said you’re working for Sophia now.”

  “That’s right.”

  Terra grinned. “A much better choice than Simon’s place.”

  “Can’t argue there.” Zach’s gaze swept Terra’s sweat-drenched body and said, “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “Just getting in some extra practice before the fair,” Terra said. “I thought I’d give myself another year in the race.”

  “Little James told me about the fair. I was thinking of entering the pulling contest.”

  “Great.” Terra flashed another smile. “I think your worst competition will be Frederick from Grayville. Strong Horseman, but I’d wager on you.”

  “Thanks for saying so. And from what I’ve heard about you from Moor and Sophia, you’re sure to win the race.”

  “Nothing’s ever a sure thing, but I have a damn good chance.”

  “Moor said you set a speed record with the Fighting Carriers?”

  “The fastest nonstop flight to the northern-most island in the Spikelands and back. Nobody’s broken it yet. That’s when I was young and crazy.”

  “Terra!” Sophia called, hurrying out of the cottage. “Will Inez be home tomorrow morning? I need to talk with her.”

  “Yes, she will,” replied the Carrier. “Tomorrow’s our day off. We were lucky. Only had two flights this week.”

  “We were just about to eat,” Sophia said. “Would you like to stay?”

  “Thank you, but no. I need to finish my workout.”

  “You do that.” Sophia grinned. “I’m wagering on you to win.”

  “Unless I sprain another wing, I don’t plan to disappoint. Goodbye.” Terra galloped for several strides and ascended like a streak of black lightning.

  Zach shook his head. “Surprised he doesn’t get a nosebleed rising that fast.”

  “He’s got more speed than any Horseman should,” Sophia said. “You know he’s won all but one race in his whole life, both at fairs and in the Fighting Carriers? Last summer he sprained his wing and came in second to one of his students, Linn. At next month’s fair Terra’s challenge will be a professional racer called Gael. Rumor is he’s won every fair race this year from Grayville to the tropics. He’s coming next month just to race Terra.”

  “You like all that speed?” Zach felt a twinge of envy.

  “It’s beautiful to watch but I prefer pulling contests. You might be interested in watching that.” Sophia took his hand as they walked to the cottage for midday meal.

  “I’m entering.”

  Her gaze flew to his, her eyes glowing. “You are?”

  “I want to win the wagon, maybe use it to start my own business.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” Sophia said. “I wouldn’t count on it too much, though. There’s a puller named Frederick—”
<
br />   “Frederick again, huh?” Zach wondered about the feeling in his gut. In the mines, there had been no competition, only hard work. Suddenly he felt aggressive about winning this contest, not so much for the wagon, but to prove to Sophia just what kind of a Horseman he was.

  “I know you’re strong, Zach, but he has a lot of weight on you.”

  “More weight doesn’t necessarily mean more strength, and I can guarantee you after working the mines I’m more conditioned than any free puller you match me against.”

  Sophia smiled and ran her fingertips over his chest. “Zach, I do believe you’re a born competitor.”

  “No. I just know what I’m capable of.”

  “You know, I think I like this attitude on you.”

  “I don’t have an attitude.”

  They paused by the cottage door and she stood on a tree stump to kiss him.

  Zach swept her into his arms and carried her inside, nudging the door shut with his booted foot.

  He had just lowered her to the bed when someone tapped on the door.

  “Who is it?” Sophia called.

  “It’s James.”

  Zach strode across the room and opened the door while Sophia stood and straightened her dress.

  “Hey, little one.” Zach winked at James.

  “Hi, Zach!”

  “What are you doing here?”

  James held up a pouch. Coins jingled inside. “Father wanted someone to bring your wages and Ma convinced him to let me do it. He said he’ll give no man reason to say he tried to get free labor.”

  Zach’s first impulse was to tell Simon where to stick his money, then he thought better of it. If the farmer paid him the price they agreed upon, he should have enough money for a new harness. Not only did he want one to complete Sophia’s work, but the more training he got in for the pulling contest, the better he’d be. He was determined not to lose in front of Sophia.

  “Thank you.” Zach walked to the trunk at the foot of the bed and placed the money pouch on top. “So how are you and your mother?”

  “Not bad,” James said. “Zach, can I see your—”