Chapter 1: The beginning?

3…2…1…

Silence. For a split second, there was nothing but the wind rushing past her face and the sheer force of 1,250lbs being thrust through the air. Then they were on the other side of the hanging log, galloping down towards the last fence on course. The adrenaline ran thick through her veins with the finish line in sight. One last check of her watch confirmed that she was running right on optimum time as she approached the final obstacle. The pair flew over the wooden table with ease and crossed the timers.

10.23 minutes on the dot! She was ecstatic as she trotted her horse out towards the vet box to get their final check. Anya slowed her horse to a walk and hopped off. She kept pace with the panting animal as she quickly undid and removed her saddle, dropping it next to the fence line as she approached the waiting vets. Next she removed the bridle, replacing it with a halter, and threw it over her shoulder. The vets were efficient in checking her horse's vitals, and when he was cleared, Anya collected her saddle and set off towards the stables.

"Anya!" A familiar voice shouted her name as she passed by the first competitor barn. Turning to look, she found herself smiling at Erwin as he approached her with open arms.

"Good timing!" She laughed as she heaved her saddle into Erwin's open arms. He grunted, and mumbled something about being a pack mule, but dutifully followed her to the third barn. Once her horse was cooled down, bathed, and settled into his stall, Anya turned to bury her face into Erwin's chest.

"I'm so happy you could make it," Anya sighed running her hands around Erwin's waist and up his back, "Surprised, but happy."

Erwin rested his chin atop her head and chuckled. "I wasn't sure I was going to make it in time, I sprinted across the cross country course to find you at fence 12 once I heard the announcer clear you at the water complex." His hands stroked slowly up and down her shoulders, relishing the quiet moment.

She tipped her head up to gaze at him, and found him looking back softly. Their lips met in a sweet, feather-light kiss, a simple and tender display of affection. Erwin pulled back shortly after, only to entwine his fingers with hers.

"Oh I almost forgot!" He looked very smug as he grabbed two carrots from the back pocket of his dress pants, and led her over to Leo's stall. The big, bay gelding was all too happy to scarf the carrots down, and continued to nose around Erwin's hands and pockets for more. With a final pat on Leo's neck, Erwin turned back to Anya and found her with a goofy smile plastered to her face.

"I never would've pictured you as an animal man."

"I take offense to that, I love all animals." Erwin smiled, but truthfully there was just something about horses that was…familiar to him. He'd never so much as pet one before he met Anya, but he was drawn to them nonetheless. Growing up in New York City, and being groomed to become CEO of his father's company didn't really lend itself to the equestrian life after all.

"Well I've got about an hour before I have to be in the warm-up arena to coach Lillian, so if you want, we could go grab lunch somewhere?" Anya laced their fingers once again, and started for the entryway.

"Sounds perfect." Erwin mumbled and wrapped his arm around Anya's shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple as the made their way to the food vendors on the showgrounds.

Erwin hung around for the rest of the afternoon, watching Anya work with several students, and riding a few other horses that were owned by clients. It always amazed him that she was such an accomplished rider and owned her own business at 28. Although he'd been CEO of his father's company for two years now and he was only 32. They were both standouts in their fields.

"What are you staring at?" Anya smiled as she glanced down at him from atop a grey mare.

"Nothing in particular…" Erwin trailed off and he took in her tightly clad legs draped around the horse's sides. He could sometimes forget how athletic she was when they were just relaxing in her apartment, or in his, but not now, when every inch of her was in some kind of spandex that showed off her toned body perfectly.

"Well I'm done with this horse, so we can head back to the barn if you want."

Erwin nodded and turned to follow the pair back to the stables. When they arrived he helped her to untack and clean the horse off, before returning it to its stall.

The scent of dust, hay, and horse swirled around them as they entered the stall. Clothing was torn off hastily, the straps of their gear slowing them down briefly as each of them let out frustrated curses.

"Goddamn these buckles!" Anya spewed as she struggled with one of the straps on Erwin's thighs.

"Don't even bother with them, I need you now…" Erwin sighed as he brushed his lips along her jaw and up to her ear, where he ran his tongue along the shell.

Anya moaned and left the strap half undone, her fingers trailing over to the obvious bulge in his pants. She captured his lips again as she slowly unzipped his trousers, her tongue gliding along his lower lip before giving it a quick nip. Finally pulling out his erection, Anya dropped to her knees as Erwin let out a long hiss.

"I've been waiting for this all damn day." Anya glanced up at Erwin as she ran her tongue from base to tip, before taking him into her mouth. He let out a strangled moan as his hands ran gently through her hair.

She brought him right to the edge of orgasm before he pulled her off of him, a trail of saliva connecting them. "Shit that was close…" his eyes were closed tightly, jaw clenched, and a sweet flush covering his high cheek bones. Anya smirked as she kissed her way up his abdomen, over his collar bone, to claim his lips once again.

Erwin groaned into the kiss, his hands cradling her face delicately. "I thought I was going to lose you today…" He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, her cheek, the tip of her nose, her eyelids, and finally her forehead.

"Don't think about it, I'm fine. I'm right here." Anya slid her arms around his waist and hugged him close. Then she smirked and rolled her hips against his, earning a quiet 'fuck' from the blonde male.

He quickly spun her around, pressing her chest to the wall, and slid his hands down her back. He traced the straps that wound around her waist and thighs, before efficiently unbuckling them and yanking her pants and underwear down to her knees. He kneaded her knuckles into her ass and she let out a shaky sigh. "Please…"

Erwin dropped his forehead to her shoulder and circled his hands around her hips, before dropping them both between her legs. "Shit…" Anya moaned as two fingers slipped inside her, and his other hand wove magic over her clit. His slow exploration of her was agonizing, she need more friction, more pressure, more…

He pinched her clit gently between two fingers, pressing down firmly, while his other fingers curled forward inside her. She lost it after that, her head slamming into the wall in front of her, silent moans dropping from her parted lips as this orgasm washed over her in gentle waves.

His hands left her body briefly, but she couldn't think enough to protest. They were back soon enough anyway, one arm circling her waist to draw her back against her. The other hand guided his member to her entrance, and with a slow push, his girth filled her completely. "Erwin!" Anya shouted as her body trembled in his arms, it had been too damn long since she had him inside of her like this.

"God, I'd almost forgotten how good you felt…"He sighed into the crook of her neck, slowly starting to move within her.

"Erwin! Hey!" He blinked slowly, Anya coming to focus before him. "Where'd you go there?" She raised an eyebrow at him, closing the stall door behind her.

That's right, we're at a competition. He smiled quickly and grabbed her hand. I'm not sure where that memory came from, but it seemed too realistic.

"What's the rest of your schedule for today like?" He changed the subject, not really sure how to explain what he just experienced.

We were in an old wooden barn, wearing some kind of…uniform? We'd just gotten back from an expedition of some sort, and she had almost died. Erwin shook his head to clear the memory from his mind, he must've gotten it from some TV show, or maybe a book he'd read once.

"I'm done actually, Karen will take care of the horses this evening, so we're free to do whatever." Anya smirked at him, "We can head back to the hotel if you want?"

Memory forgotten, Erwin grinned and all but shoved her towards the car.