Sugar and Spice - Part Two

Rey and Poe take their arrangement to the next level

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexual content. Reader discretion advised!

Rey watched as Poe arched an eyebrow at her, his expression telling her he knew there was more to the story.

She shifted uncomfortably, then sighed and reached down to pull off her heeled sandals. “I suppose I should start at the beginning,” she mumbled.

“That would be the best thing to do,” Poe responded as he pulled out the stool and pushed himself onto it, resting his arms on the top of the island, hands folded in front of him. He looked like some brown-nose student waiting for a lesson from his teacher.

Rey leaned back on the kitchen counter behind her. “My father grew up here, in the L.A. area,” she started. “He went to university in England and met my mother. They married and settled in London. I came much later, after they had essentially given up on getting pregnant. They were both already in their forties.” She turned and got a glass out of the cupboard, filling it with water from the sink, but didn’t stop talking. “Papa always wanted to retire here in SoCal, so when I went to university, they took the rest of their savings and moved to a nice little inexpensive retirement community in L.A.

“For a couple of years, everything was good. Then mum had a stroke. A bad one.” She took a sip of her water. “She became disabled in a way my dad couldn’t take care of by himself, but their savings weren’t enough for them to move to an assisted living facility.” She looked at him. “But mine were.”

“Your school money,” Poe nodded.

“I knew they wouldn’t accept it, so I lied and said they got a grant from some place associated with my school. I figured it would be cheaper for me to find a job here in the U.S. so I could continue to pay the facility without my parents finding out the truth.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I was going to be able to finish school anyway. So, I came here, not letting my parents know. When I got the job working for you, everything was good for a while, but then…”

Poe waited for her to continue, his expression encouraging. Compassionate. Rey felt tears fill her eyes and quickly blinked them away. She took a deep breath.  

“Then my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer.” She offered Poe a sad smile. “Treating cancer in this country isn’t cheap.”

“That’s why you needed more money,” Poe concluded.

She nodded. “I also told them the truth. They know all I did now. Well, not all,” she amended. “They weren’t happy, but they recognize that I enjoy my job, here. They always knew I wanted to ride jumpers professionally, not be a lawyer.” She smiled again, feeling a little lighter.

Poe gave her a soft smile back, but then cocked his head at her. “And this Ren?”

Her heart sank and she took another deep breath. “I met Kyle on-line. Both he and Finn were part of a gaming group I belonged to. When I decided to come, he invited me to live with him while Finn helped get me the job at Oakwood. But with so much of my money going to Atria Del Rey, I couldn’t even afford half of the rent. So… Kyle allowed me to pay in… other ways.” Her voice had gotten softer and she was once more looking down, her arms crossed over her chest in what she recognized as a defensive posture. “And not just with him. First his friends. Then… others.”

“He pimped you out,” Poe growled.

Rey looked up, unsurprised to see the angry expression on his face.

“I kept telling myself it was an acceptable choice. That it was necessary.” She took a deep breath. “But I hated it. It made me feel dirty. Used.” She shrugged. “I wanted out, but Kyle wasn’t going to let me out. We fought and he hit me. I knew there was no way I was going to stay after that.”

Poe’s expression had turned from angry to enraged.

“I left that night, leaving him what money I could, hoping it would be enough for him to leave me alone. I lived in my car, changing its location every night in hopes he wouldn’t find me. When Finn came to Oakwood to tell me about the grooming position here, I was scared to take it. I knew who you were. I knew about Zorii and Ben and Raven. Anyone who knew anything about show jumping knew them. I didn’t think there was any way I was good enough to work at a place like this.” She couldn’t help but smile at Poe’s eye roll. “But… it did have an apartment. And I knew I would be safe here.”

Poe sighed heavily, his angry expression easing as she continued her story. “And then your dad got sick and I offered you a second job.”

She nodded.

“You know, if you’d told me your situation, I would have given you the money you needed free and clear.”

Rey felt tears form in her eyes again as she nodded. “And I wouldn’t have taken it.”

Poe shook his head. “Jesus, it’s no wonder you looked panicked when I first offered to pay you to date me.” He brought up a hand to sweep it over his face. “I’m glad I made sure you knew sex wasn’t a part of the deal.”

Rey shifted, bringing up one bare foot to scratch at her other leg. “I would have still said yes.”

Poe looked at her, startled.

She licked her lips. “And not… because I was that desperate for money,” she added. She cocked her head at him, hoping he understood.

He got up suddenly, swiftly moving around the island to stand before her. She usually stood taller than him when she was in heels, but now that she was barefoot, he was slightly taller than her. He reached out carefully and stroked her cheek, his eyes intense as he looked at her. She didn’t move away from his touch like she had earlier in the evening. She closed her eyes and leaned into it.

“Has anyone ever made love to you, Rey?” he whispered. She opened her eyes to look at him. “Has anyone ever been focused solely on your pleasure?”

She shook her head faintly, her whole body heating up from his look. His touch. “Never,” she breathed.

“Let me change that.”

He brought his lips close to hers, then stopped. Waiting for permission to continue. She moved forward that last couple of inches, tilting her head, touching her lips to his. Her acquiescence was all he needed. His mouth opened over hers as he took control, his lips and tongue coaxing her to open for him. She had no desire to refuse. My God, could this man kiss! She felt a moan start low in her throat as he made love to her mouth, and an unfamiliar tightness began to present itself low in her belly. Unfamiliar in the presence of a man, anyway.

She brought her arms up around his neck, stepping closer, wanting to feel him pressed against her. He returned the favor by wrapping his arms around her body, one hand dropping down to caress her butt. The moan she had been holding in escaped when he backed off a bit for air, but then they were kissing again. Hot. Wet. Exciting.

Rey had never been so turned on in her life, but she wasn’t at all surprised that it was this man, a man she had been slowly falling in love with ever since she had come to work for him, that was making her feel this way.

Poe pulled his head back, breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers. “As beautiful as this dress is, can I take it off you now?” he whispered.

She bit her bottom lip, wanting to shout for joy and cry at the same time. She nodded, then pulled away from him. He let her go as she passed him, but she grabbed his wrist in her hand as she did so, pulling him to follow her.

Silently, she led him to her bedroom.

******

There was a hidden zipper on Rey’s dress, and when Poe found it, he had to restrain himself from letting out a giddy shout of triumph. Rey seemed to sense his enthusiasm, and she gave him one of her thousand-watt smiles as he worked the tiny tab downward along her side. When he reached the end, Rey was able to wiggle out of the slinky dress with ease. She tossed it carelessly onto the top of her dresser and stood straight, her eyes huge as she looked at him, naked except for a pair of black satin bikini panties.

Poe stepped up to her, very aware he was still fully dressed, and feeling a rush of adrenaline because of that fact. He had never been into sub/dom dynamics when it came to sex, but having this perfect woman standing before him, naked and vulnerable, was a huge turn on. However, he had no interest in dominating her, but had every hope of ensuring she was about to have the best night of her life.  

He cupped her face in his hands, looking at her intently, trying to tell her without words to trust him. That he was going to take good care of her. Then he kissed her, carefully, gently, until she responded. He deepened the kiss when she opened her mouth for him, her arms once more curling around his neck. He brought his hands up to grasp her hips, then guided her toward her bed without removing his mouth from hers. When they reached it, he pulled away from her.

“Lie down,” he whispered, then he stepped back and began unbuttoning his shirt.

She took a shuddering breath, her eyes dropping to watch his hands, but she did as he asked, scooting to the middle of the bed. He could see her excitement, but he could tell she was very nervous, too. The excitement pleased him. It was proof that she was doing this because she wanted to, not because she thought it was expected of her. Not because he was paying her. The nervousness was understandable, too, but he would make sure to ease her anxiety as quickly as possible. He pulled off his shirt, toed off his shoes and socks, and began undoing the fly of his dress pants.

Rey’s breathing was getting heavier, and then she shifted suddenly, reaching for her underwear.

“Don’t!” Poe said softly, holding up a hand toward her. “I’ll take care of those.” She looked confused. “Just lay back and don’t worry about a thing.”

She nodded and lay down, her head on the pillow, while Poe pulled his pants off. He kept his boxers on. For now.

He crawled up onto the bed and moved to lay next to her, leaning on one elbow. “Is there anywhere you don’t like being touched?” he asked her, his eyes roaming her body. Lean and muscled and strong thanks to her work with the horses and her riding, but still beautifully feminine.

“I don’t… think so,” she answered.

He looked at her and gave her a soft smile. “If there is, let me know,” he told her. “I will stop. No questions asked.”

“You’re kind of scaring me,” she huffed. “It’s just… sex.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you so nervous?”

“I… I don’t know,” she laughed softly. “I guess I’ve never wanted it like this before.”

“I’m flattered, Ms. Skywalker,” he grinned.

“Oh, I’m sure I’m not the first pretty young thing you’ve seduced, Mr. Dameron.”

He stilled and looked at her steadily. “Yeah, you are.” Every woman he’d ever had a relationship with had been his age or slightly younger. The last time he had been with a woman Rey’s age he had been the same age. He’d never been attracted to anyone so much younger than him until Rey.

Rey’s mouth opened in surprise and Poe didn’t give her a chance to think about what to say next as he leaned over her to kiss her cheek. Then her jaw, working his way down her neck. Kissing and licking and softly biting her skin. One of her hands came up to his head, and he smiled as her fingers burrowed into his hair. She jumped slightly when he reached her collarbone. He glanced up at her to check in, but she was grinning.

“Your beard tickles,” she said softly.

He smiled back. “Better get used to it.” He dropped back down, kissing his way down her sternum and angling off toward one small, perfect breast. “God, your tits are amazing,” he muttered against her skin, watching as the nipple he was heading toward peaked tightly. She shifted underneath him, her hips arching up. He could smell her arousal, and his excitement increased as he began to imagine what he would find between her legs. But first, her breasts needed attention.

He closed his lips around the nipple, reveling in her squeaky sounding “Oh!” as he tongued it. She let out a loud moan, then a soft whimper, her fingers tightening in his hair, as he continued to toy with her breast. He gave a firm suck, making her squeal, before he moved to the other one. “Such sweet little titties,” he murmured, licking around her areola. She was gasping now, a little whine here and there. He sucked that one a little longer, until he heard her say his name on one of those whines.

He went back to the other breast, kissing a path between them, spending as much time as he wanted on her breasts, loving the sounds she was making. It was obvious no one had ever made love to her tits before. What an injustice.

Finally, he left her breasts, both nipples wet and rosy, and trailed kisses down to her belly button. He tongued it, smiling as she screeched softly and laughed, then he made his way down her flat belly to the waistband of her panties. Without hesitating, he grabbed the material between his teeth and slowly slid downward.

“Poe!” Rey said, laughing once more.

He didn’t get very far, of course. Grinning, he sat up, grabbing the panties in both hands and sliding them down and off her legs. “It was worth a shot,” he said.

Still smiling, she pulled her lower lip into her mouth, shifting her hips a bit as Poe tossed the panties to the floor. He looked down to the part of her body he had just exposed, and watched as her thighs closed self-consciously. He looked up, making eye contact with her, then carefully lowered himself back down so that he was even with the apex of her thighs.

He brought his hand down, slowly sliding it between her legs. Sighing, she opened for him, her breath shuddering. He looked up at her again, sensing her nervousness. “Has no one ever made love to you here, Rey?” he asked huskily.

She shook her head. “No,” she whispered sharply.

“What a shame,” he said as he looked back down. Her pubic hair had been trimmed neatly, but thank goodness wasn’t shaved; he hated that. He had been able to smell her arousal for a while, but now he was able to see it, drenching her center with slick moisture. He reached a finger up, smoothing it along her slit, unsurprised when her whole body jumped at his touch. Using his first two fingers, he spread her open, admiring the pink folds he exposed. She whimpered softly. “You mean to tell me that nobody has ever played with this pretty pussy?” he asked.

She whined in response, her hips rising slightly off the bed. He could see a trail of fluid dribble past his fingers. With a groan, he leaned in and caught it with his tongue. Rey practically screamed. “Ohhhhh, God!”

“Not quite,” he huffed against her core, smiling. “But let’s see if I can make you see heaven tonight.” He pushed forward, kissing her center with an open mouth, lips and tongue working her up and down. His tongue found her clit, tiny but hard, and he sucked on it gently as he brought his middle fingers up to her pussy, pushing them inside firmly. He began to thrust with his hand, matching the quick little sucks from his mouth.

She was wriggling wildly underneath him, so he brought his other hand up from under her thigh, placing it low over her belly, holding her down as best he could. He sucked harder, thrusting faster with his fingers. He saw her thighs start to tremor and he looked up. She had her head thrown back, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her face, neck, and upper chest were rosy red. Her back arched and a low, vibrating moan came from her throat. He felt her walls tighten on his fingers, so he stilled them, holding them inside her as she pulsed around him. He lifted his head to watch her more closely, enjoying the most beautiful orgasm he had ever seen.

As her body sank back down to the bed, he slowly removed his fingers, shifting his body a bit so he could use his other hand to wipe his soaked beard. She was watching him through slitted eyes.

“Holy shit,” she finally murmured. “That was…”

“You like it?” he asked, knowing the answer.

She huffed a laugh. “Yeah,” she said, blinking rapidly. “A lot.”

“Good,” he winked, lowering himself down between her legs again. “Because I’m not done with you, yet, babygirl.”

******

Rey wasn’t sure what time it was or how long it had been since they had arrived at her apartment and she had told Poe her sob story. All she knew was that after her fourth orgasm, she had… well, sorta blacked out.

She lay with her eyes closed, trying to slow her breathing and calm her racing heart. Her whole body was lethargic and felt like jelly. There was a pleasant ache between her legs, and her breasts were still tight and a bit sore. She felt the man who had indeed taken her to heaven move up to lay beside her. She opened her eyes to see him propped up on his elbow, watching her with a very pleased smirk on his gorgeous face. Despite the grey in his hair and beard, and despite the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, his expression made him look like a little boy.

“I didn’t know it could be like that,” she told him truthfully.

“Well, I am very happy to have shown you what it can be like,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said simply.

He just smiled.

Rey felt a tightness in her chest, and she realized it was her nervousness coming back again. Because now that he had given her so much pleasure, he surely expected a return favor. And while she had never enjoyed the act of pleasuring a man with her mouth, she was fairly adept at it; the better she did, the more likely the man she was with would get off and be done, and she could avoid actual intercourse.

She shifted closer to Poe, sitting up a bit so she could reach his mouth. He kissed her back, his soft groan letting her know she was doing something he obviously liked. She continued to push herself into him, encouraging him to lie back. She kissed him for a while longer, recognizing the slightly tangy taste still on his tongue as hers, before she left his mouth and nuzzled and kissed her way down his bearded chin and to his neck. She continued to trail downward, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“No,” he said softly but firmly. She stopped and looked at him, confused. “We’re not doing that tonight. Tonight was about you. I’m not going to ask you to perform for me like I’m sure you were expected to in the past.”

Rey felt her face heat a bit as she sat up. She glanced down at his tented boxers, wanting to see what was underneath, but not upset that he didn’t expect her to do more. She lay down next to him again. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a man that would turn down head,” she told him.

He shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t like it,” he explained. “It’s just that when it happens, I want it to be because you want to do it, not because you think you’re obligated or coerced or as payback.” He paused. “I want you to enjoy pleasuring me as much as I enjoyed pleasuring you.”

She looked at him, contemplating his words. He spoke as if he expected this relationship to continue for a while, and for that she was grateful. While she knew there wouldn’t be a ‘happily ever after’ with Poe, she wanted to enjoy being with him, in whatever capacity he allowed, for as long as possible. She glanced down at his still covered erection. “But I can’t leave you like that,” she explained.

He raised his eyebrow at her. “I’ll live,” he said with a smirk.

“Poe,” she said, exasperated.

“I don’t have a condom,” he continued. “I have not needed one for a long time now, and I was certainly not expecting this to happen tonight.”

She watched him for a moment, then turned around to reach into the top drawer of the dresser next to her bed, where she pulled out a box of condoms. She turned back to Poe, letting him see them, then proceeded to open it.

“Unopened?” Poe said as he watched her, a wry smirk on his face.

This time, she shrugged. “Are you surprised?” She gave him a small smile. “After I left Kyle, I didn’t think I’d ever want to see one of these things again, but ‘be prepared’ and all that…” She pulled out one little square package and ripped it open.

“And now?” Poe’s voice was hushed.

Rey stopped and looked at his suddenly serious face. “Now I really, really want to try one out on you.” She watched him, hoping he believed that this was what she wanted, not an obligation.

He nodded, then lay back again, folding his hands under his head and lifting one eyebrow at her as if to say, “Well?”

Rey shifted up on her knees, grabbed the waistband of his boxers, and carefully pulled them down his legs. His erection hadn’t diminished much during their talk and Rey found herself impressed. He wasn’t porno-huge, but he was far from tiny. She felt a dribble of fluid leak from her pussy as she admired him, and she bit her lower lip to stifle a groan. How could she still be so aroused after four freaking orgasms? She reached for the condom she had set on the bed, then grasped his cock, carefully rolling the condom onto it. He moaned as if she had her mouth on him, and more liquid flowed. Apparently, she had the freaking Amazon River between her legs now! With a soft cry, she straddled him, not waiting one more moment. Poe sat up, placing his hands lightly on her hips and watching as she inserted the tip of his cock in her pussy. She lowered herself onto him and he slid all the way in without any resistance. “Oh, fuck!” she cried softly. It was a tight fit, but he fit.

She closed her eyes, absorbed by the feel of his hardness so deep inside her. Never had she thought she would enjoy the feel of a man’s cock penetrating her, but she loved this so much. What had this man done to her? She knew the answer. Opening her eyes to see him watching her intently, his hands carefully smoothing up and down along her lower back and ass, she admitted to herself how much she loved him.

Poe let her sit on him for a long moment, letting her adjust, and when she moved her hips slightly, gasping at the amazing feeling, he seemed to know she was ready for more. But instead of initiating any more movement, he simply let his upper body drop back down to the bed. “Ride me, babygirl,” he groaned. “Ride me as hard and as long as you want.”

“Oh, fuck, yes!” she cried as she let her hips start moving. Up and down. A twist here and there. Back and forth. She chased the pleasure, shocked she could still feel it reaching for her after all this man had already done to her. She braced her hands on his ribs, loving that he was fit without being hard, his body healthy without being model perfect. She started bouncing on him while he chanted beneath her.

“Oh, my God, yes! Just like that! Grab for that high, babygirl! Take it! Take me!”

The orgasm flowed over and through her like a wave, her body stiffening as she cried out in pleasure. Her muscles relaxed after a moment and she drooped, looking down at the man smiling softly up at her.

“I’ll never get tired of watching you come,” he said, and Rey suddenly became aware that he was still hot and hard inside her.

“Poe,” she whispered. “It’s your turn. How do you want me?” Just saying the words caused excitement to flow through her. She would take him however he wanted, and love it.

“Hang on,” he grumbled, sitting up again and wrapping his arms around her lower back. With a lurch, he flipped her over without ever leaving her body, and she couldn’t stop the squeal of pleasure as he thrust into her sharply upon landing. “You good?” he asked roughly.

Instead of speaking, she brought her legs up and wrapped them around his waist.

“Fuck,” he muttered, then immediately started thrusting his hips into her hard.

Rey would have been perfectly okay with him just finishing quickly. He had already given her five amazing orgasms and she didn’t expect anything more. But as she watched him move over her, his eyes never leaving hers, his expression almost severe, she began to feel her body start climbing again. “Oh, god!” she cried, closing her eyes. Suddenly, she was afraid that if she lost herself in this man, she would never come back.

His thrusts became erratic. “Come on, babygirl,” he growled. “Come with me. I’ve got you. Let go! Be a good girl and come one more time for me!”

“Poe!” she cried as her body began to convulse. This was even more intense than any other time tonight! She grasped his shoulders, clinging to him, her nails digging into his skin. “Poe! Ahhhhh!” she screamed.

“Yes! Fuck, yes!” Poe responded, as his own body reached its climax. He buried his face in her neck, squeezing her as hard as she was him. “Rey!”

And Rey knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was too late. She was already lost. She was his now.

Forever.

******

Three Months Later

Poe’s flight had been delayed due to weather on the East Coast and his plane didn’t land until well after midnight. He had landed at the Ontario Airport (he always flew in and out of Ontario when he could; it was much less busy than LAX), so the drive home was short, less than twenty minutes at this late hour. He was exhausted, but anxious to get home, as he had been gone over a week, visiting three different conventions in Europe. He had wanted Rey to go with him, but the Desert Holiday show jumping event had started over the weekend, and Rey needed to be there to focus on her riding. Both Raven and Teddy were entered in the Coachella Grand Prix for next weekend. It would be Rey’s first major International competition, with a one-million-dollar purse, and she needed to be ready.

The last three months had been amazing. Though Rey hadn’t officially moved into the house with him, she spent most of her free time there, even when he was out of town. The barn staff were well aware of the relationship between them, and nobody seemed particularly worried or upset about it, although Rey did warn Poe that Finn was very protective of her, especially since he knew what she had gone through with Kyle. Fortunately, Finn respected and trusted Poe, so he was only ‘keeping a close eye’ on the situation. Poe had no intention of ever doing anything to hurt Rey; in fact, he was very much hoping this thing that had started between them would never end, but he was quite sure Rey would want to move on in the future. And he would let her, as much as he didn’t want to. She was far too young to saddle herself with him for the rest of her life. For now, he was going to enjoy what they had for as long as it lasted.

He continued to take her out with him to all the local events, gifting her with jewelry and making sure she used his credit card for whatever event or item she wanted. She was actually very frugal with the money he gave her. As she often reminded him, ‘you can’t take it with you.’ If she didn’t feel a real need for something, she didn’t bother with it. He had taken over the payments for her parent’s living arrangements, including Luke’s medical bills. Rey’s father had finished chemo and was doing much better, but he still wasn’t cancer free. Poe had gone with her to visit them two weeks ago, and had found them to be wonderful people with a great sense of humor. Mara had teasingly flirted with him while Luke had pretended to be overly protective, but they obviously loved their daughter and could see she was happy with him.

And she was happy. He rarely ever saw her in a bad mood, and her constant enthusiasm about riding and competing and even going with him to boring charity events where they would inevitably leave early to go eat at some fast-food place or a small local restaurant was contagious. When she was happy, he was happy. A few weeks ago, she had mentioned that she had never been to Disneyland. He had immediately booked a suite at the Grand Californian and they spent the weekend exploring the theme park and riding every ride possible. Rey fell in love with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and kept dragging him back to Galaxy’s Edge over and over again. He had never had so much fun!

This past week since he had been gone had been horrible, even if he found time to talk with her every day. He had made Finn film her rides at the show so he could watch them at the end of his day, then he would send her texts telling her how amazing she and whichever horse she was on looked. He had still missed her terribly, which in turn made him a bit mad at himself. He didn’t want to be this attached to her. He already knew he loved her, and there was nothing about that he could change, but the more accustomed to her presence in his life he became, the harder it was going to be when she left.

And she would leave. Eventually. He was sure of it.

He arrived home, punched in the code for the gate, then parked in the garage. Quietly, he unlocked the door and entered the house, typing in the security code for the alarm after he did so. His security system was top-notch, of course, but it was also a pain in the ass sometimes. He left his shoes, coat, and luggage in the hall to deal with in the morning, climbed the stairs, then slipped into his bathroom without turning on any lights until he closed the door. He stripped and showered quickly, getting the stink of airplane and airports off of him, then toweled himself dry, turning off the light as he stepped back into the bedroom.

As he had hoped, Rey was sound asleep in his bed. He crawled in behind her, immediately curling up around her. He had never loved spooning with anyone as much as her, and the best part was that sometimes he got to be the little spoon. He felt her jerk a bit as she was startled awake, but she quickly wiggled back into him, sighing happily.

“Welcome home,” she whispered. Though there was nobody else in the house, he appreciated that she was trying to be quiet so as to not awaken herself any more than she already was.

“Sorry I’m late,” he grumbled softly back.

“S’okay,” she mumbled. “You’re here now.”

Her breathing deepened, and Poe knew she had fallen back to sleep. She was probably almost as exhausted as he was, having competed the last couple of days. He knew she and the horses had three days off before they would be back to qualify for the Grand Prix final next weekend. He would be here to watch and support her this time. He felt his body relax as sleep pulled at him, and soon he followed her over.  

When he next opened his eyes, he found himself essentially in the same position he had been in when he fell asleep. Only not. Rey had apparently tried turning onto her back in her sleep and had ended up half on top of him, her elbow digging into his upper chest, one of her legs in between his. He then realized that there was daylight already shining through the window. He knew he hadn’t set an alarm, and it was obvious Rey hadn’t, either. Which meant…

“You’re not riding today.” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but the words came out as he excitedly realized the possibilities of the morning ahead of him. There were few things he adored more than morning sex, but Rey never liked it if she had to ride later that day.

“It’s just a bit uncomfortable,” she had told him. “I feel a bit too… open.” She had blushed at those words.

Poe had teasingly shaken his finger at her. “See? That’s why historically men didn’t think women should ride horses astride!”

She had smacked his hand, laughing. “Shut up, pervert!”

But if Rey wasn’t riding today…

She had shifted after he had spoken, opening her eyes and turning her head to look at him. She shook her head. “I wanna day off,” she mumbled. “Teddy and Raven need a day off.”

Poe pushed into her, bringing one of his legs up to curl over her thighs and rutting against her ass. “I’m very okay with that.”

She moaned as she felt his erection nudge the crevasse of her butt; she had panties and one of his old t-shirts on, but he was naked. He just needed to grab a condom…

“Wait, wait!” she said suddenly. “Not yet!”

“What?” Poe grumbled. “What do you mean?”

She pulled away from him and turned to look at him. “We have time to mess around in bed later,” she said, wide awake now. “I wanted to ask if you’d do something with me today first. Something other than sex.”

Poe sighed. “It’s been almost two weeks,” he whined.

Rey laughed. “You big baby. You can wait until this evening. Please?”

“Okay, what do you want to do?” Poe pretended to be disgruntled, but the truth was he couldn’t deny this woman anything.

“I want you to go riding with me.”

Poe stilled. “You what?”

“I’ve been here over a year, and I’ve never seen you ride,” she told him, her expression earnest. “You have ridden before, haven’t you?”

“Of course,” he told her. “But… it’s been a while.”

“Finn said you can ride Goose,” Rey told him. “He’s not a deadhead, but he’s calm and patient.”

“Kid broke, you mean?” he raised an eyebrow at her.

“A husband horse,” she corrected. “That’s what we call them now.”

He snorted a laugh. It was true that in the United States more women rode than men, and many of those women had husbands who didn’t ride much, therefore a gentle, safe horse was called a ‘husband horse.’

“Please?”

God, when she looked at him like that…

“On one condition,” he told her.

“What?”

“If I go riding with you today, I ride you all night tonight.”

Rey smirked. “Deal.”  

The following weekend, everything changed.

******

Rey rode both Teddy and Raven to clear rounds in the finals of the Coachella Grand Prix, and Raven had a respectable clear round in the jump-off, though she was slower than the other two horse and rider combos. Rey rode Teddy last, and the first half of the round was perfect, fast and clear. But she misjudged a turn, asking for it late while Teddy was focused on a different jump. He quickly compensated, but the resulting sharpness of the turn caused him to slip. His back feet slid out from under him and he went down, right on top of Rey. He bounced up and was unhurt, running out around the jump then turning a big circle back to Rey when he realized she was no longer on his back.

Rey was not so lucky.

She suffered a dislocated hip and a fractured femur. Her whole left side was bruised and if she had not had a safety vest on, her ribs most likely would have been cracked. Or worse. Her recovery was slow and frustrating. Once she was given the go ahead to start physical therapy to get back in the saddle, there was no time for her to get in shape fast enough to compete in the World Championship qualifiers. Everyone from Poe to Finn to her parents reminded her again and again that she would heal and have another chance in the future. Teddy was young and had a long career ahead of him, not to mention the prospect of other horses to ride. But the disappointment was unbearable; she felt like she had let everyone, especially Poe, down.

Poe moved Rey into her own room on the ground floor of his house during her recovery, as she had to spend the first few weeks in a wheelchair and there was no way she could go up the stairs to her own apartment. He hired a nurse, Harter, to come help her for a few hours a day until she was on her feet again, but Poe himself took care of her whenever he could. On Christmas Eve, the whole barn staff was invited to Poe’s house for dinner, and the next morning Poe drove Rey to her parent’s place at Atria Del Rey, then he went on to spend the holiday with the Solo’s in Malibu.

But as attentive as he was, there was something… different in the way he treated her.

Rey was back in the saddle by mid-February, but she was a long way off from competing again. She had moved back to her apartment by then, uncomfortable with the fact that she and Poe had not had sex since her accident. He never asked her to join him at any of the events he attended during this time, but her weekly check still included the allowance he had promised her from their original deal; Rey put everything into savings, with the idea that she would give it back to him in the future. Or if he wouldn’t take it back, maybe she would give it to charity.

Rey often felt lonely and unwanted during that time, even after she started riding again. She wanted to confront Poe, but she was scared. Scared it was over already. Scared that his new, distant attitude was a sign that he was done with her. The only bright spot in an otherwise depressing early spring was the word that Luke’s cancer had finally gone into remission. While there was no guarantee it wouldn’t come back, he was happy and healthy for now.

It was during a cloudy, cool day in late February when Poe came out to watch her ride again for the first time since she had started back after the injury. He seemed nervous, often looking away right before she took a jump, and Rey realized for the first time that maybe his coldness was due to something other than not wanting her anymore.

He was scared to watch her ride.

After the ride, he followed her and Misu, the mare she had been riding, back to the barn. She glanced at him carefully as she unsaddled and started grooming the horse, something she still liked to do when she had the time. He just sat on the bench alongside the barn door and watched her. Finally, when she put Misu back in her stall, he spoke.

“Are you busy tonight?”

“No.”

“There’s a dinner slash investors meeting at Snap’s house tonight. It’ll be boring business stuff after dinner, but I’d love it if you came with me.”

Rey’s heart started racing; she couldn’t help the excitement she was feeling. She nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.” She had been to Snap’s house once before, back when she was on Poe’s arm all the time. He had been friends with Poe in college and had invested in Poe’s company almost from day one, so he had gone from being relatively poor to wealthy in a few short years. While he loved spending money, he was still humble and unpretentious, things that were lacking in most of the wealthy people Rey had met during her time with Poe.

Poe smiled, and she saw warmth and yearning in his gaze. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

Rey wore a dress she had bought just before the accident and had never had a chance to wear out and about yet. It was simple enough for a dinner, but still expensive and classy. She preened under Poe’s appreciative gaze when she slid into his car with him, and she couldn’t help but hope they would end up in the same bed tonight. God, she missed him. She had always believed being his lover would be temporary, but she was not ready for it to end so soon.

Dinner was fun and delicious, as Snap and his wife Karè offered them a new-to-them recipe for grilled flank steak with chimichurri, but during it, she was reminded of the other not so pleasant people that were investors in Worldmedia, especially Armitage Hux. The meeting started shortly afterwards in the library of the Wexley’s impressive house, and as Poe predicted it was pretty boring. Rey wandered out, having already been told by Karè to make herself at home, and when she looked out the window, she had realized it was raining. She went in search of a door that would lead to the covered back deck, anxious to smell the rain; it was a rare thing here in SoCal, and she missed it.

As she did so, Poe and Snap came out of the library. Poe spotted her and walked over to her, his expression apologetic. “Hey, Snap and I still have to go over some numbers. It’ll be just a little bit longer.”

“That’s okay,” Rey told him. She honestly didn’t mind waiting. She looked at Snap. “You don’t mind if I check out your books, do you?”

“Go right ahead,” the tall man told her. “And if you find something you’d like to read, don’t hesitate borrowing it.”

They both headed for what Rey assumed was Snap’s office, leaving the door open, which Rey appreciated as a sign that what they would be discussing wasn’t a big secret to anyone in the house. She turned toward the library and was about to walk inside when a voice she recognized as Hux’s stopped her in her tracks. She had only met the man a couple of times, but she had gotten a ‘bad vibe’ from him both times and wasn’t sure she really wanted to deal with him or the other two young men who were his friends.

As she turned away, set on finding that door outside, she heard Poe’s name.

“What’s up with Dameron and his slut? I never hardly see her anymore.” It was one of Hux’s friends, Erich.

“Well, she got hurt riding a while back, didn’t she?” Gideon answered.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Dameron is planning on dropping her, soon,” Armitage grumbled. “I can’t imagine the sex was good when she was hurt.”

Gideon snorted. “You think that’s the only reason he keeps her? She is a good little rider.”

“Oh, I bet she rides him real good,” Hux laughed. Their voices were hushed, as if they were trying to avoid anyone hearing them, but she was close enough. Too close. She felt her anger grow.

“I’d love to be ridden by her,” Erich said.

“Well, you got the money,” Armitage responded. “Make her an offer.”

“I highly doubt you could match whatever Dameron pays her,” Gideon argued.

“She’s a whore,” Hux countered. “She’ll take whatever she can get. Besides, if Dameron is indeed getting tired of her, she’s probably gonna be looking for a new sugar daddy, and at least you aren’t old enough to be her real daddy!”

Rey felt herself backing away from the door, seething. She should go in there and say something, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. Nothing she could say to them would change what assholes they were. She turned away, tears of anger filling her eyes, blindly walking toward the dining room and the doors to the outside she hoped to find beyond it. As she did so, the tears changed as her anger faded and guilt and horror replaced it.

They weren’t wrong. She was a whore. It didn’t matter who was paying her or how much. Whether she was using the money to pay her share of rent or for her parent’s comfort or to be given to some charity, it was all the same. It didn’t even matter if she was in love with the man who was paying her now. She saw the French doors that led to the back deck and pushed herself outside, not caring that the temperature was much cooler than was the norm for SoCal. She stepped up to the railing and breathed in deep the smell of petrichor, closing her eyes and willing away the tears.

After a few minutes, she heard the sound of a throat clearing just behind her. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, steadying herself. After a moment, she looked over her shoulder, surprised to see Beaumont Kin standing there, his eyes wide and worried. The son of one of Poe’s original investors from the U.K., who had inherited his father’s share when the older man had died, Rey had only met the young man once. Fortunately, she didn’t get the nasty vibe from him she did most of these rich bastards.

“Are you okay, Rey?” he asked, concern clouding his expression.

Taking another deep breath, she nodded. “I will be.”

He stepped up to the railing next to her. “I saw you head out here, and you looked upset. I just wanted to check on you.”

She smiled. “Thank you,” she said, genuinely touched. In her heels, she was taller than him, but like Poe, he didn’t seem uncomfortable with that fact. “I just heard something that caught me off guard. I’ve been a little emotional lately.”

“You got hurt really bad a while back, didn’t you?” he responded. “I saw the fall on Youtube. That’s got to be hard to get over.”

Rey nodded. “I guess. It was more frustrating not being able to do my normal activities while I healed, and there were some nerves to get over when I started riding again,” she admitted. “But… other things changed afterwards, too.”

He nodded understandingly. “Life has a way of throwing you under the bus when you least expect it, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, I think I’ve been under the bus for a long time,” Rey said with a snort. “It’s when I think I’m finally getting helped up off the ground that another comes and runs me down.” She laughed.

Beau laughed with her, and Rey realized that he was actually quite an attractive man. Nothing like Poe, of course. He was also her age, not someone who could be her father. She sure as hell wasn’t going to go looking for a new sugar daddy when this ended, she thought. No matter what people thought of her, she was done with being used. If she started a new relationship, it was going to be on even terms.

Or maybe she’d just give up on men altogether.

There was a noise behind them and they both turned to see Poe standing in the doorway. Rey had just begun to start feeling a bit chilled from the cold air outside, but seeing his expression truly made her shiver. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him so angry. Suddenly, his expression changed to a bland, stony look. “I’m ready to go,” he told her in monotone.

Rey stood straight and turned toward him. “Yeah,” she said. “Okay.” She looked back at Beau. “Thanks for checking on me, Beau. Have a good night.”

“You, too, Rey.”

Rey walked toward Poe, who stepped aside to let her pass. She felt his hand come down on the small of her back as he followed her. His touch both excited and unnerved her.

“We need to talk when we get home,” he said softly, his voice low. Dangerous.

Rey felt unease flow through her. He was mad, and she wasn’t really sure why. Was it at her, or something that had happened in his meetings? But as she remembered what she had overheard with Hux and his cronies, and what she thought when she had been talking with Beau, she agreed.

“Yeah, we do.”

******

Fan Art for Sugar and Spice by @sonotpractical on Tumblr

It took over two hours for them to get home thanks to the rain, and very few words were spoken. Rey fiddled with the radio about thirty minutes in, and it played softly for the rest of the drive. When they finally reached the farm, Poe didn’t drive back to the barn to drop her off like usual, but instead pulled right into the garage. His anger had long ago fizzled on the drive, but now that they were safe at home, he started to feel it rise again.

And the worst part was, he had no right feeling the way he felt.

Rey proceeded him into the house, dropping her bag on the kitchen island and then slipping out of her heels. She turned to him and folded her arms in front of her chest, glancing at him warily. He recognized it as a defensive posture, and he took a deep breath through his nose to settle his own nerves. Rey remained silent.

“How long have you been friends with Beaumont?” he finally asked.

Rey shrugged. “Tonight was only the second time I’ve met him. He seems nice.”

“Yeah, he’s a good kid.” He watched Rey wince at his words, and he realized how condescending he sounded; Kin was about the same age as Rey, after all. He sighed. “He lives in Manchester, but comes to SoCal a few times a year. He’d be good to you,” he said softly.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock. “What do you mean by that?” she said, her voice raising as she lowered her arms. “You thinking of selling me to my next sugar daddy?”

“Oh, God, no!” Poe was aghast. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like that! I mean that he would be good for you. In a real relationship kind of way.”

“Because what we have isn’t a real relationship, right?” Rey’s face was red and he could tell she was seething with anger.

Poe clenched his teeth for a second. “What we have probably needs to end.”

Rey’s face fell and she stepped back, blinking. She nodded. “You’re probably right,” she breathed. “I kept the money from the last few weeks, since the accident. You can have it back-“

“No!” Poe cut her off. “Whatever I’ve given you is yours to keep. And I’d still like you to ride for me if possible. Just… I don’t expect anything else.”

Rey nodded again, her expression tight. “And if I get an apartment of my own elsewhere?”

Don’t leave, Poe thought. Out loud, he said, “As long as it’s a good, secure place. I want you safe.”

“And if you see me out and about with Beau?” she asked, her expression cold. “Or even Hux?”

Poe felt his heart clench along with his jaw. “If that’s what you want.”

“I happen to know that Hux and his friends would pay good money for me,” Rey muttered angrily.

Poe felt every bit of the pain and anger and fear he had been feeling the last several weeks break free. “The hell they will!” he practically shouted.

Rey stepped forward, her own anger exploding. “You don’t have any say in it! You just let me go!”

“You’re not a fucking whore, Rey!”

“Aren’t I?” she shouted back. “You were paying me, weren’t you? Letting the world think we were lovers even before we actually had sex! Using me to make yourself look better. Feel better!” She spun around and grabbed her shoes, then stalked over to her bag and scooped it up. “You wanted someone who needed your money and your security, but who wouldn’t ask for your heart. And you got her. But she doesn’t need you anymore, and you obviously don’t want her!” She started walking for the door.

Poe lunged forward and grabbed her with one arm around her waist and the other loosely around her throat, slamming her back into him. She screamed softly, startled, dropping her shoes and purse and bringing her hands up to the arm around her neck. He brought his mouth up to her ear.

“Don’t you ever think I don’t want you, babygirl,” he growled. “I’ve wanted you from day one, but I didn’t dare let myself believe I could have you. You were too young. Too perfect. But then you gave me that opening. That belief that I could have you without really having you. Making it business. Making it impersonal.” He was breathing hard, his anger combined with her closeness creating arousal. “And you’re right. It was a job. But I never considered the sex a part of that job. I would never think of you as a whore, and it makes me sick that you think of yourself as one.”

He rested his face against her hair. “The idea of another man touching you makes me crazy. The thought of you leaving makes me scream inside. Do you know how I felt when Teddy fell that day? When I saw you disappear for a moment under his body? When I thought you could die?” He felt tears fill his eyes as he remembered the terror of that moment. Of watching the horse get up while Rey continued to just lay there on the ground.

He backed away from her, letting her go. She spun around to face him, her eyes wide and filled with tears of their own.

“If I had my way, you’d stay here with me forever,” he whispered. “But you deserve better than that. Someone younger. Better than me.” He shook his head. “I need to let you go, Rey. I need to let you find yourself. To find love. To have a family, if that’s what you want.” He swallowed harshly. “If you want to keep riding, I’ll keep you on staff. But I won’t fight you if you decide you want to go to another barn. Just promise me…” his throat caught and he blinked rapidly. “Just promise me you’ll never give yourself to someone else for money or trinkets or status ever again. Please, wait for the love you deserve.”

He backed away from her another couple of steps, looking at the ground in front of him. “You’re welcome to use the room you stayed in last month if you don’t want to go out into the rain,” he told her softly. He looked up at her. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were still wet.

“Goodnight, Rey.”

******

Rey watched him walk away silently, her whole body trembling with emotion. He hadn’t spoken the words, but she recognized what hadn’t been said.

He loved her.

He had paid her to be his partner because he had thought she wouldn’t have him any other way. And she had let him, because she had felt it was the only way to ever be with him.

They were both so fucking blind.

She closed her eyes and felt the tears fall and slide down her face. She swallowed and let out a harsh breath. “Wait for the love you deserve.” His words rang in her ears. She deserved him. She wanted him. She loved him.

She took in a shuddering breath, then did a slow spin in place, looking around the kitchen and breakfast room she was standing in. She loved this house, she thought. It wasn’t some huge, expensive house like Snap and Karè’s. Poe had put most of his money into the barn and grounds, making it perfect for horses and horse lovers. He took care of his farm staff, paying them well and treating them like equals. He wasn’t afraid of rolling up his sleeves to fork horse shit or pound nails into a loose board. He spent a significant amount of time hobnobbing with the rich and famous, but she knew from first-hand experience how much he would rather stay home. He was forty-five years old and still alone, still looking for that someone he could trust to love him more than his money or his fame.

Only he wasn’t alone. She remembered back to the day she had made him go horseback riding with her. How he had a smile on his face the whole day, laughing and snapping photos of her and selfies of the two of them and God, they had been so happy that day. Disneyland, all those hole-in-the wall restaurants, stopping for ice cream at Mashti Malone’s, the quiet walks watching the sunset on the show grounds after the competition for the day had ended, lying in bed spooning him or being spooned, listening to him breathe as he slept.

She didn’t care about the money. She would even willingly give up riding if he asked her to, though she knew he wouldn’t. And because she knew this, she wasn’t going to give him up. Not without a fight.

Determined, she marched out of the kitchen and toward the stairs. She skipped up them in her bare feet, swept down the hall and to his bedroom. The door was closed, but she entered without a knock, her eyes searching the room for him. The French doors to his balcony were open, the balcony that looked down toward the barn and the main arena beyond that. She knew he sat up here a lot working on his laptop, watching the horses in their paddocks and the riders in the arena. Ben had once told her that it wasn’t until she had started working here that he had started spending more time down in the barn area. She didn’t think that was a coincidence.

She moved toward the open doors, unsurprised to see him standing on the balcony, shirtless, his hands clenching the railing as the rain fell on his bare shoulders. His face was turned upward, and as she watched a flash of lightning lit up the sky above him. Her breath caught at the utter beauty before her. Thunder rumbled in response to the lightning and Rey felt a wave of chill air blow through the door. He had to be getting cold, she thought.

“Hey!”

He spun around, startled.

“I wasn’t done talking to you!” she said, her breathing quickening from both adrenaline and desire.

He stared at her for a long moment, then he stepped slowly through the doors.

Rey turned and walked over to the dresser, then faced him again. “And close the doors,” she snapped. “I’m freezing.”

She saw the corner of his mouth curl up. “Yes, ma’am.” He did as she asked, then looked back at her, one eyebrow raised. He brought up a hand to wipe over his damp beard, and the action reminded her of other times he had done the same thing, only his beard hadn’t been wet with rainwater. She clenched her thighs together.

“I’ve told you about my ex, and what he coerced me into doing. You know that I hated it, but that I was desperate. And you know I was desperate when I accepted your offer to be your… date.” She paused. His face was in shadow, as only one dim light was on in the room, so she couldn’t read his expression, but he was focused on her completely. “And you know that even if you had asked for sex that first night, I wouldn’t have said ‘no.’ Why do you think that is? Was I really that desperate?”  

She watched his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed. “You were lonely. Maybe you had this silly idea you owed me.”

She snorted. “I hated sex,” she continued. “I didn’t like being touched. I didn’t like being penetrated. I didn’t like the smell of the men I was with or the taste of them. It made me feel vulnerable and weak and helpless. I was never lonely and I never felt that indebted to you, because I knew I worked my ass off at this barn and did my job well.” He nodded slightly in agreement. “So, why did I sleep with you?”

He cocked his head, angling it just enough for her to see the frown on his face. The confusion. “I… I don’t know.”

Rey swallowed. “Because I was in love with you, you jerk.”

He drew back, his mouth opening slightly in surprise.

“I still am.”

“Rey…”

She didn’t let him continue. “I wanted you to touch me. I wanted you inside me. I love the way you smell and taste and the sound of your laughter and your pleasure. You made me feel powerful and strong and… loved. And it didn’t matter if you really loved me or not, because I could pretend. I could pretend you did. That you would take care of me without making me feel weak. That you would protect me without making me feel helpless. That you loved showing me off not because I was attractive, but because you were proud that I had chosen you. That I would always choose you.” She paused, blinking back the tears that were once more forming in her eyes. “I don’t care about your money or your status or even your barn as wonderful and beautiful as it is.

“I just want your heart, Poe Dameron.”

He took a step toward her. “Rey, I’m too old for you…”

“That is bullshit!”

He held up a hand. “But… I pray I live long enough to see you grow old with me.

“I love you, Rey.”

Her tears fell as she laughed and lunged forward. He caught her in his arms and held her tight. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered. “Don’t ever leave me.”

“Never,” she gasped.

They stayed locked in each other’s arms for a long moment, but soon Rey was running her hands along his bare shoulders, recognizing how cold and damp his skin still was. She pulled back just enough to kiss his shoulder, then turned her head to nuzzle the beard on his cheek. His mouth found hers, and as they both began to shuffle carefully toward the bed, his fingers found the zipper on her back. Within seconds, her dress had slipped to the floor and she stepped out of it, reaching for the fly of his dress pants.

They tumbled onto the bed, laughing as they continued to remove Poe’s shoes and socks and both of their underwear. Poe quickly latched his lips onto her breast, and she let him love on her tits for a while before she pushed against him, coaxing him onto his back, then she quickly slid down his body to his rapidly growing cock.

“Rey…” he started.

“You once told me that you didn’t want me doing this until it wasn’t an obligation. Until I knew I would be taking pleasure in pleasuring you.” She grasped him firmly in her hand. “Not because I was coerced or because I felt I owed you, but because I wanted to.”

He watched her, his eyes wide as she opened her mouth.

Poe usually had a lot of stamina in bed, but that night he went embarrassingly early. He quickly made up for it, taking his time between her legs, and by the time she was begging he was ready to go once more. When Poe pulled out a condom, Rey snatched it out of his hands, looking him in the eye and giving him a naughty smirk. He smiled back.

“How keen are you on becoming a real daddy?” she asked.

“Are you sure, babygirl?”

She firmly nodded her head.  

“Well, I ain’t getting any younger,” he said with a grin, and she tossed the condom over her shoulder.  He kneeled between her thighs and slid into her wet heat. “I love you, mi corazòn.”

“And I love you, mi azùcar.”

THE END