Chapter Thirtyeight

Piers again woke up first and he remembered that Sue had said they would cook a full English breakfast together this morning but she looked so peaceful asleep that he decided he'd have another go at doing it by himself.

After putting the shopping away last night he felt confident that he knew his way around her small kitchen and he found all the things he wanted to cook and lined them up on the work surface.

Preparation, he decided was the key and he put the baked beans in a microwaveable jug first. Next he put the bread in the toaster but didn't depress the levers to start toasting it. He grilled the bacon while he fried the eggs and when they were almost done he did the toast and beans. As he arranged the food on two plates he waited for the kettle to boil and when it did he made the coffee.

He dressed her table and when he had cleaned up a little he went to wake her up. She stretched like a cat and yawned, "Something smells good."

"I made breakfast"

"By yourself?"

He nodded and she cocked her head to one side and said, "But I don't hear a smoke alarm."

"I know I did it right this time." and he caught her hand and pulled her lightly on to her feet before leading her to the kitchen.

"You cleaned up too!"

"Sit down and eat, how do you feel?"

"I feel better, sorry I crashed on you last night."

"Don't be, you were tired, sleeps good when you are tired. Just so long as you aren't coming down with anything?"

"No I feel fine this morning and this is good!"

When they had eaten and Sue insisted on finishing clearing up and loading the dishwasher they dressed in their riding gear and Piers drove them to the stables.

Once there Sue went straight to Arthur and set about grooming him and getting him ready for a ride. She was planning to do a few jumps and a gallop before Piers' lesson and as she was tacking him up a stable hand she was friendly with asked her, "Have you heard he's been sold?"

"Oh no, who bought him?"

Piers was standing a few feet away from her and listening in.

The hand turned and pointed to Piers, "He did."

Sue turned open mouthed and Piers just smiled and said, "He's your baby."

"But I… I can't afford his feed."

"All his bills come to me. I bought him for you. Do you like your gift?"

Sue squealed and threw herself at him he picked her up and swung her around as she squealed in to his neck, "I love him and I love you, thank you so much. This is why you wanted to come with me today! How can I ever repay you?"

Piers whispered in to her hair, "I'll think of a way."

When he lowered her to the ground she moved back to Arthur and began stroking and talking to him as she tightened the girth around him. She mounted him and beamed at Piers calling over her shoulder, "Watch me!"

He stood indulgently leaning against the field's fence as she put Arthur through his paces. They jumped together and she took him along the gallops several times before returning to Piers pink cheeked and glowing with happiness.

I'll just rub him down and come and watch your lesson." she kissed him before whispering, "For luck." as she walked away.

His lesson went pretty well but he was rather nonplussed to find he was the only adult having lessons. The rest were children but once they had got over who he was and each in turn had had to talk a little about themselves; he had told them that he had used to ride and ride well but an accident had stopped him riding. Until recently he had got on a very placid mount with a friend who is an experienced rider. He hadn't gone in to details they were only children after all, they all began the lesson and enjoyed it. Sue as promised watched and when the lesson was over and the instructor had suggested moving him on to a new group Piers had readily agreed.

"You enjoyed it then?"

"I did, you were right it is like riding a bike; you never forget."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. You looked good you even relaxed as the lesson went on."

"Next week's might be more challenging. I'll be in the other group they've all ridden before."

"Well so have you."

"A long time ago"

"It's like riding…"

"… A bike?"

"Yes! I have to go and say goodbye to Arthur."

He followed her and watched as she nuzzled and petted the huge animal. When she returned he asked, "Time to go home?"

"Yes time to go home and work out a way to thank you properly."

When they got home Sue suggested they shower together and Piers readily agreed, "Is this what you meant by thanking me properly?"

"It's the first thing I'd like to do with you, there's more afterwards."

She kissed him hard and rubbed his groin as he swelled in his jodhpurs leaving nothing to the imagination. Leaving a trail of clothing scattered across her apartment they made their way to the shower in her bathroom. Whilst not as large or ornate as his it was more than adequate for what she had in mind. As they entered the glass enclosure she turned on the water and they clung together as the initially cold water cascaded down on then.

The temperature of the water did nothing to dull their passion and as they stroked and caressed and sucked and bit at each other's flesh their shrieks of shock at the cold water became screams of desire as he thrust inside her sending shockwaves throughout her body as she climaxed around him and he poured himself inside her.

As they left the bathroom Sue retrieved a key from her bathroom cabinet and as they lay on her bed talking about their morning she reached across and unlocked her bedside cabinet drawer and retrieved the small red velvet box from where she had secreted it.

"I told Kay at work yesterday that I had made my decision and then today you gave me Arthur. I want you to know that I had decided before this morning that I want to be your wife, so please will you ask me again?"

"Oh Susan… sweetheart will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes I will" she pressed the box in to his hand and he opened it and took out the ring it contained and slid it on to the third finger of her left hand.