Chapter 24

As their minds sharpened again, Jon and Sara realised that the voices in the barn hadn’t gone away, but seemed to be drawing slowly closer. Keeping low, they managed to untangle their legs, each pulling up their jeans quickly, then Jon removed the straw from Sara’s hair with a grin. They made it to their feet just as the voices came close, and Sara surprised Jon by starting to talk immediately.

“Yes, so this is the kind of size of stall you’d need to look at if your daughter does want a horse.” She smiled at him, flickering her eyes toward the stall door, and he guessed that somebody was pretty close to them.

“Great. I’m glad I bumped into you, Sara - I forgot you were such a good ride…r.” He smirked at her as she tried to keep a straight face at his deliberate delay before finishing the word, then heard a voice behind him.

“Jon?” It was Ryan, walking around the barn with one of the grooms, and Jon turned with a grin, pushing open the stall door.

“Ryan! How are ya, buddy?”

“I’m good - nervous, but good! I see you’ve met Sara - she’s the photographer for tomorrow.”

“Oh, we met last week - Sara was commissioned to do some photos for a magazine thing. Quite handy, really - we’d been thinking about getting a horse for the kids, and Sara rides, so she was just explaining to me what we’d need to look for.”

“That’s good. Sara - if you want to ride any of these, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Ryan, but I guess I’ll be pretty busy. You’ve a nice string of horses here, though. Wish I had the time to try some of them.”

The groom had disappeared while they talked, and the three of them - Jon, Sara and Ryan - strolled back to the main building, where Ryan excused himself to go check on something.

“Coffee?” Jon suggested, and when Sara nodded they went through to the dining room where they got some coffee and a snack, sitting together at a small table.

It was difficult for Jon not to touch Sara while they sat there, pretending to be casual, professional acquaintances, and when he looked into her eyes as they made polite small talk, she looked away quickly, and Jon knew she felt it too. He quickly glanced around, trying not to make it too obvious as he checked there was nobody within earshot.

“Sara - do you know what I want?”

“Ummm - more coffee?”

He laughed softly. “No. I want to spend the night with you.”

“I think we’ve already done that, Jon.”

“No - I mean, I want to spend the whole night with you, sleeping in the same bed with you, and waking up with you tomorrow morning. Can I come to your room tonight? What number are you?”

“But what if somebody catches us?” Her brown eyes looked into his briefly, then back down at her coffee.

“They won’t. In fact, even if they do, I don’t care, Sara. Everything with Dot’s out in the open now, so if we get caught with our pants down - again! - I don’t care.”

Now a smile was lifting the corner of her mouth and she looked at him mischievously.

“But I care - I’ve got a reputation as a cold-hearted bitch to protect you know!”

“Who the hell called you that?” Jon was stunned - how could people be so blind.

“Nobody, not exactly, but I’m pretty sure that’s how people see me.” She laughed again, a little bitterly. “Do you know, Paul has worked with me for two years now, and he told me yesterday he was terrified of me when he started. How can anybody be terrified of me?!”

“I guess some guys are just scared of strong-willed women.” As she looked at him, Jon grinned. “Hell, after the beating you gave me earlier, I’m scared of you!”

“Believe me, sweetie,” she said quietly, with a smile of her own, “that wasn’t a beating! That was just a warning.”

“So what do you say?” Jon asked, going back to his original question, and Sara decided - for once - to follow her heart, not her mind.

“Okay. I’m in room 158.”

With a grin, Jon stood up, leaning on the table to push his chair back and whispering as he did so. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way.” Then he was gone, and Sara played with her coffee cup for a minute before heading over to get some more food - looked like she’d need all her strength tonight!

For the rest of the afternoon, Sara wandered around the ranch, camera in hand as she took a number of photos to get a feeling for the scenery and light. Passing the building at one point, she could see into the gym, and caught a glimpse of Jon on one of the treadmills. The sight of the sweat on his face made her lick her lips involuntarily, and she quickly walked away before he saw her.

They saw each other briefly that evening, in the dining room, where Jon was sitting with Ryan and a group of others. Sara quickly got some pasta and dessert, then went out to the decked area to eat. While she didn’t mind working with celebrities, she didn’t feel comfortable being around them a lot of the time, and she decided it was best that the ‘hired help’ ate alone.
Jon glanced outside as he laughed at a story Ryan was telling, and he caught sight of Sara sitting outside, alone. His smile slipped a little, and Ryan followed his gaze.

“I don’t get it.” Ryan said, still looking at Sara, and Jon looked at him quickly.

“Don’t get what?”

“I just don’t get how a woman who looks like that is still single. She must be a real bitch, I guess, or she’s gay - and what a waste that would be.”

Jon now found himself in a similar position to Sara had been when Kay attacked him - he couldn’t say too much without raising suspicion.

“Well, she didn’t seem like a bitch to me - maybe she’s just shy, Ryan - and that’s why she hides behind her cameras.”

“I guess. Anyway, it doesn’t matter - she’s a real good photographer, and that’s all that matters, right? Not like either of us is single, right?”

He looked surprised when Jon laughed. “What?”

“Oh, nothing really, man. Guess you’ve been too busy to read the papers, huh? Dot and I are separated.”

Ryan looked shocked. “Shit! Aw, Jon, I didn’t know. What happened?”

“Long story, but we’re cool - just moving on.”

Typically male, they switched the subject quickly, moving onto safer ground with movies and sports, and Ryan grilled Jon about the ins and outs of owning the Soul. They were still talking football when Sara came back through the dining room and headed out to her room without even a glance at Jon, and he surreptitiously looked at his watch. Still way too early to say he was heading for bed, so he took another glass of wine and carried on talking with Ryan.
Back in her room, Sara filled the bath, then grabbed her book and a drink before stripping off. As she was about to climb into the water, she remembered Jon saying he’d call her, so brought her cellphone through to the bathroom, just in case. Slowly she lowered herself into the steaming bubbles, until she was submerged to her chin, with just her head and hands out of the water so she could hold her book. She soaked blissfully until the water had cooled beyond being comfortable, then carefully climbed out, slippery with bubbles, and dried off. Wrapped in a huge, fluffy towel, she went through to the bedroom and lay on the bed to continue reading, cellphone by her side.

Even though she was expecting the phone to ring, she still jumped when it did, disturbing the silence, and she saw it was almost midnight. When she picked it up, she saw the now familiar number and smiled.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby.” Jon’s voice was husky with the wine, and Sara could feel that burning tingle behind her ears at the sound.

“Hi Jon. Where are you?” As she spoke, she heard a soft scratching at her door.

“Right here, honey. Come let me in?”

She rolled off the bed and walked to the door, holding the towel as she looked through the peephole, just to make sure he was at the right door! He was standing smiling at the door, as though he knew she was watching, and Sara quickly unlocked the door and let him in.
Jon closed the door behind him and reached for Sara, and she could taste the spicy hint of the red wine when he kissed her.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He said as their lips parted, then looped his arms behind her waist, looking down at her as she wrinkled her nose at him. “I just want to hold you all night.” He told her, and now Sara smiled.

“Works for me.” She said, reaching behind her to take his hand, and she led him over to the bed.
Sara flipped back the cover as Jon divested himself of his clothes, and by the time he was as naked as she was - the towel also lying on the floor - Sara was snugly in the bed, holding open the cover for him. Jon climbed in beside her and took her in his arms, kissing her again, then they just lay facing each other on the pillows, content to lie close as they talked quietly about everything and nothing.

They talked until sleep overtook them, Sara succumbing first, and Jon fell asleep watching her. Much later, he woke briefly, feeling a movement, and realised Sara had turned over in her sleep, and she now lay with her back to him, hair covering her face. He tenderly lifted the stray locks, smoothing then back over her shoulder, then snuggled up close behind her, her back against his chest and his thighs tucked behind hers, holding her with one arm around her waist. She moved again, still in sleep, bringing her hand over the top of his and just leaving it there, then Jon dozed off again, feeling a supreme contentment. For the rest of the night, their sleep was undisturbed, until the sunlight through the window woke them both.

“Good morning, baby.” Jon whispered close in her ear, and Sara rubbed her hand over his.

“Good morning to you, sweetie.”

And, as though they’d been doing it forever, Sara naturally turned to face Jon, bringing her face to his for a kiss.