“Docking areas?”
“Their asses.”
“Oh.” He chuckles at me and then grabs the brush.
“Here let me show you.”
He stands super close to me and puts the brush in my hand. Putting his hand over mine, he shows me how much pressure to use and how to brush the circles on the horse. His hand is strong and yet gentle. I can feel my hand shaking under his.
“See, he likes it. He’d much rather have a pretty girl brushing him than me.” He winks at me. “Grooming the horses also helps them build trust with you. They’ll get used to you and trust you to take care of them. Here.” He takes the brush from my hand and sets it down. He reaches for my hand again and places it on the horse’s nose. “You don’t have to be scared to touch him. He likes it.”
I can’t help but to think he may be talking about more than just the horse. We split up the horses and groom them all. By the third one, I’m a pro. I even let one eat some hay out of my hand. I’ve never smiled so much in my life. I’m so tired from all the work but I also feel an intense sense of gratification. For the first time in a long time, I have hope for the future.
Dillon lets me off the hook with poop duty. He can tell I’m about to fall over. He sends me off to take a shower while he disposes of the manure and tells me to dress in something comfortable, and that he’ll meet me back at the barn in an hour.
I turn the water on and step into the shower. As I close my eyes and let the spray of warm water massage my sore muscles and wash the dirt and grime off of my body, I replay the day’s events in my head with a smile tugging on my lips. I soap up my hands and rub the suds across my chest and breasts. My nipples stiffen and suddenly feel very sensitive. It’s not something I’ve ever felt before. I skim my fingertips back over my hardened nipples as pleasure radiates through my entire body. My legs start to feel weak. My lips part as my breathing increases. I’ve never touched myself. I’ve never even thought about it. I’ve never had the need. Something in me is changing. I place my foot on the side of the tub, spreading my legs, and explore myself with my finger. I think about Dillon and imagine him touching me there. I close my eyes and my finger moves faster in a circular motion over my sensitive bundle of nerves, and within just a few minutes, an overwhelming sensation causes my body to jolt, and I have to reach out and steady myself against the shower wall. I remove my finger and take a couple of deep breaths. I feel shaky. I stand there for a few minutes feeling a little embarrassed, thinking that Dillon has definitely awakened parts of my body that I never knew existed.
I dry off and change into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt from Laney’s closet. I pull my hair up into a ponytail and head back out to the barn. Dillon isn’t here yet, so I visit with the horses, letting them eat hay out of my hand again. I talk to them and pat their noses. It’s probably a simple thing to most, but for me, it just means so much. To be able to trust and be so comfortable around them already.
“Hey! Have you been waiting long?” Dillon struts in wearing his worn boots, denim and a plain white tee.
“I just got here.” I can feel my cheeks warm when I look at him, as if he knows what I just did in the shower while thinking about him.
“Good. Ready to ride?”
“Yes! I’m so excited.”
Dillon guides Buster and his horse Ben out of the stalls. After he ties their leads to a post, he holds his hand out to me. I let him take my hand and guide me to where he wants me to stand.
“Okay, so I want you to hold on to this horn with your left hand. Then put your left foot here in the stirrups. Then swing your right leg up and over the saddle. I’m going to help lift you up okay?”
“Okay.”
I do as he says and try to lift myself over the horse and as I struggle to get myself up, I feel his strong hands grip my ass and push me over. A grunt of some sort belts out of my throat and I hear him laugh. When I finally get settled on the horse, he comes to stand next to me.
“You feel comfortable?”
“I guess.” No. I’m freaked out.
“Don’t worry about controlling Buster. He’ll follow Ben when we get to the trail. Just hold onto these reins. You can pull them to the right or left to tell him to turn. If you need him to stop, pull back on them. If he’s moving downhill, lean back a bit, if he’s going uphill, you’ll want to lean forward a bit. He’s easy. He’ll follow me. If he stops, just give him a swift kick in the ass. Good?”
“I don’t really have to kick him, do I?”
“Yeah. You won’t hurt him. I promise. If you can’t, let me know. I’ll get him moving for you.”