Chapter 4.

Something went out of Ali that day. A few days after she had seen Dom the hospital had released her, her concussion was lessening and she hadn't broken anything so they had told her to go home and rest. But her mind constantly kept wandering back to him, it didn't help that he made an effort to avoid her whenever he was at the yard. That small gesture devastating her and driving her further inside herself.

When she was well enough to do her horses she thanked her lucky stars that her yard and arena was apart from the main yard so she could spend hours there away from everyone else doing what she loved best. But even that wasn't enough to keep her from thinking of him, she spent hours out on hacks with Kestrel reliving the memories of the feel of his short dark hair, or the trace of stubble on his chin, or his already dark eyes becoming almost black when she kissed him. She spent hours schooling the others on auto-pilot wondering how she could make him understand that there was nothing wrong with them being together, but she knew it was to no avail, he could not get past her age and his profession.

She wondered how she was still managing to get placed at almost every competition she went to. The junior Chef d'Euip was no fool however, he could see the desperation in her riding, yes she may be shaving seconds off her time in jump-off's but only because there was a new recklessness in her, like she didn't care what happened to her any more. He was worried about her and mentioned it to Maria.

Maria was was worried too, and growing more so as the weeks went on. She could see how unhappy the young pair were and she was at a loss as to what to do about it. She had spoken to Dom on numerous occasions but he had just clammed up and disappeared and Ali didn't say much about anything these days. Finally after spending yet another meal with nothing but one word answers from Ali she had had enough. She had to do something to get the two of them to talk to each other, to see what they were doing to each other. She spent the rest of dinner plotting and decided that a simple idea was the best one.

The next day she found Dom in the yard and asked him into the office which was in the annexe off the main house, she knew Ali was in the office and had purposely locked the internal door behind her. She ushered Dom in in front of her and closed the door firmly behind her.

"Now, you two it's about time you sat down and had a conversation about things. You've danced around each other for too long now, can't you see what you are doing to each other? Dom you've let that fabulous horse of yours go because your heart isn't in it any more and as for you Ali, coach Saunders thinks you're trying to kill yourself with the way you've been riding over the last few months. You're either going to break yourself or your horse or both. So I am not letting you out of here before you've talked things over." and with that she left.

The silence in the room became deafening and the tension unbearable within minutes. Ali swore and strode across the room towards him, she stopped half a foot away from him and glared at him.

"Dom, I have spent the last 5 months letting you drive me out of my mind and I'll be damned if I'll spend another 5 months doing so. I can't see anyway to convince you that there is nothing wrong with us being together but I still love you, I can't help it. I try and stop but all I can think of is you," she stopped suddenly, turned and walked away from him towards the window, leaning on the window sill.

"you know it's funny, I've spent the last 6 months convincing myself that all hell would break loose if I let myself fall for you before realising it's too damn late." he said with a wry grin "besides Martin gave me a kick up the ass and told me what an idiot I was being. You're so beautiful, and fearless, I'd watch every competition you went to unable to take my eyes away from you. I wanted to tell the whole show-ground that you were my girl and then I kept thinking that I had blown it that day at the hospital." he swore " Dammit Ali, I don't know what to do any more, I feel like everybody will think it's wrong for me to be with you, I feel like the parents at the school will lynch me if they think I have a thing for 16 year old girls, I feel like I should be struck off for feeling this way. I also feel like I can't be apart from you for a single second without breaking into a thousand pieces.".

She smiled briefly at his last comment then turned to face him,

"Dom only you can make piece with yourself over this, you know as well as I do that my parents adore you, Mum made that very clear today! And I also don't think that you are attracted to 16 year old school girls as a rule, but then i'm not your average 16 year old " this last comment was meant in jest, but as his serious expression never wavered she carried on. "All I can tell you is I love you and I am willing to do whatever you want. Whether that be trying to make a go of things now or waiting until I am 18, although I think I would find it very hard to wait. Just being in this room with you is more than I can stand..." she trailed off.

Dom felt the same, he could barely think straight with her standing so close, he reached out and ran his hand lightly down her arm, feeling the goosebumps which had formed at his touch. She shivered and caught his hand as he dropped it to her side, pulling him into an embrace. Pulling back slightly and looking up at him she asked

"so what happens now?".

"i don't know Ali, these last few months have been so hard, seeing you round the yard and not having the courage to come and talk to you. Seeing you unhappy and knowing it was me that caused it. I can't stop loving you and I can't stop wanting to be with you, but I can't stop thinking that it is wrong somehow."

"that's not an answer Dom, you can't leave me hanging like this, I need to know where we stand. Maybe you should talk it through with Martin, see what he says?".

He nodded in agreement and turned to leave, as he walked out the door he heard her sigh. He knew how she felt, like nothing had changed even though they had just had their first proper conversation since that day at the hospital. He abruptly changed his direction, walked back through the door, straight up to Ali and kissed her.

Instantly the world faded away and all she could concentrate on was his lips on hers, his hands on the small of her back and his toned muscular torso under her own hands. She ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders before letting them slide slowly down his back pulling him closer as she did so. He pushed her back against the wall and leant into her, hooking his leg through hers he pushed her legs apart so there was no gap between their bodies. Running his hand down her side, over her hips and back up her thighs he deepened the kiss letting her know exactly how she felt without uttering a single word. After a few moments he pulled away and looked down at her

"i think I just figured out what i'm going to do. I can't not be with you, I want to make a go of things. I..." he trailed off suddenly unsure of what to say.

"lets take things very slowly eh? There is all the time in the world for us." and, smiling, she kissed him again, a sweet chaste kiss that robbed him of the ability to think, he could only feel.