Tim picked us up for breakfast at nine. I sat in the back of his truck, grinning and blushing as I relived my delicious dream. Ben and Ash made senseless chit chat with him through breakfast whilst I smirked to myself in the corner.
As I finished my second pancake, I pushed my plate away as I’d had my fill.
“Did you sleep well?” Tim asked.
I nodded.
“Good. I like to take care of my guests.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, which served me with another kick in the shin from Ash. He narrowed his eyes, giving me a steely warning. I flashed him a sweet smile before deciding to get down to the nitty gritty.
“So, Tim.” I paused as I caught Ash’s hardened stare and smiled at my charming brother. “What exactly happened with Mum?”
His jaw clenched as he glared at me. “We had a thunderstorm. Your mum heard one of the horses getting upset so she went to check on them. It was Nelson, my big black stallion. He can be rather sensitive and temperamental at the best of times. I don’t know what happened but something made her go in his stable. Something spooked him and he lashed out and caught your mum on the side of her head. I didn’t find her for nearly half an hour. It wasn’t until she’d been gone that long that I realised something was wrong.”
He broke down in tears and started sobbing.
I rolled my eyes at his crocodile tears. Something niggled at me that there was more to it than that.
Ash threw his arm over Tim’s shoulder and comforted him for a few minutes.
Unable to help myself, I questioned his actions. “Why didn’t you go out to them?”
Ash gave me a definitive if looks could kill look but I ignored him.
“What?” Tim asked.
“Why didn’t you go out to the horses? It was the middle of the night and pouring with rain, so why did Mum go?”
He faltered for a moment, wiping at his tearstained face. “She was already dressed as she hadn’t come to bed yet. She grabbed her hat and coat and off she went.”
“Why didn’t you follow her? Why would you leave your older wife to deal with spooked horses on her own in the middle of the night? Especially when there are stallions in there?”
I wasn’t going to leave it alone. It didn’t make sense to me. Unless he was just a coward of a man.
Ash kicked me once again. “Kyra…”
“Stop kicking me, Ash. I’m entitled to ask questions.”
A sheepish look crossed Tim’s face before he whispered, “I’m scared of thunderstorms.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his pathetic admission and poor excuse. I wasn’t sure which side of it was funnier.
Ash comforted him whilst my growing anger itched for me to leave. “I’m going out for some air.”
“I’ll come with you,” Ben said.
Surprised but grateful, I stepped outside into the cool November air. We meandered our way around the yard in silence. Finding ourselves a fair distance from the house, we leaned over the post and rail fencing, gazing out across the rolling hills at the grazing horses.
“I don’t like that guy,” Ben said.
I turned to him, trying to read his confused emotions in his dark eyes. “Can I ask why?”
He shrugged his big shoulders. “I don’t know. Just something a little—”
“Off?”
He nodded, smiling. “I can tell there’s tension between you both.”
“I presume Ash told you what had happened?”
He nodded again. “To be honest, I think I’m more inclined to believe you than him. I know why Ash thinks you did it, freaking out about your dad and all, but I don’t know, there’s just something not right with him.”
I grinned. “I know exactly what you mean.”
***
The rest of the day was spent listening to Tim’s sorrowful howls combined with lame excuses and his stories about my mum. We were due to go to the funeral parlour on Monday and pay our last respects. In all honesty, I didn’t want to go. It had been difficult for me to see Dad laid out in his coffin. The nauseating smell of the embalming fluid hanging in the air was something I would never forget. It was definitely not something I wished to repeat. Not only that, I wanted Mum buried at home next to Dad but she was being cremated and having a memorial stone here. I was not impressed.
After tea, Tim drove us back to the cabins and said he would leave the truck there for us to use ourselves in the morning. Ash offered to drive him back to his house but he refused, saying the walk would help clear his head.
Ash disappeared back inside his cabin with Ben. I was well aware he’d barely spoken to me since we’d arrived but I didn’t care. I knew he had to deal with this in his own way, and if that included him snapping at me about Tim, then fair enough. I knew the truth even if he refused to accept it.
I stripped off and jumped in bed, leaving the TV on to blare out to itself. At least some noise was a distraction from the empty loneliness in here. I checked my phone, disappointed to see I had no communication from Paul. I shrugged it off as I lay back against the pillows and daringly allowed myself to think of that brilliant dream from last night.
Imagine my delight when Paul returned to my dreams once more.
He trailed his fingers up and down my legs, goosebumps chasing his touch. He kissed my shoulder and nibbled at my skin here and there, gently waking my body for him. When he skated his fingers across the side of my breasts, I gasped at the powerful throbs shooting straight between my legs.
I groaned and rolled over onto my back, giving him access to whatever he wanted. He coated me in a sweet oblivion with those sumptuous lips of his, laying kisses on every inch of me. As he worked his way down my midriff, I groaned in anticipation of where he was heading. He grazed his lips along my inner thighs, my hips bucking of their own accord as I begged for him to delight me with his tongue.
He obliged, moving his hands to my chest at the same time. The soft strokes from his hands combined with the jagged, rough patterns he drew on me with his tongue had me in a vortex of pure bliss. He moved one hand, skimming it down my body before teasing his way inside me with two fingers.
He matched the rhythm of his tongue to that of his skilful fingers, and within minutes, I was wriggling around on the end of his hand as I succumbed to a brilliantly sharp orgasm. My hands gripped the bed sheets as I lay back panting, every inch of me quivering in delight.
He walked his way up my body with his mouth, drowning me in more pleasures before whispering,
“Isn’t it good when you let me take care of you?”
Those strange words knocked on my subconscious, telling me it was time to wake up. Still reeling in my hazy dream, I didn’t want to wake up but something yanked my consciousness to the forefront, peeling my eyes open.
I blinked myself awake, the room spinning around me. Still suffering with a foggy mind, it took me a good few seconds to register what greeted me.
Looming over me, naked and ready, was Tim.