The Predator

The rays of the rising sun streaming in his bedroom window wakened Alex, who rolled over and gazed fondly at the gorgeous woman lying on her back next to him. Jennifer had come over for dinner the night before, and she wound up staying the night.

Ever since he'd stopped at her house the day before, Alex couldn't get Jennifer out of his mind. Part of him still was a bit wary, but that part of him had less and less influence the more he spent time with her. He knew he was falling for her, and was pretty sure she was falling for him. The more time he spent with her, the surer he became that this was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Jennifer had tossed and turned during the night and thrown the covers aside, exposing most of her superb body. As Alex gazed at her, he felt desire stirring inside him. He leaned over and began sucking one of her nipples. It immediately began to rise into his mouth.

Jennifer moaned softly, wakened by the insistent tingles of delight Alex's caresses ere sending into her. At first she was confused, unsure where she was, then she remembered. She'd spent the night at Alex's house. She opened her eyes, looked down, and saw that Alex was sucking her nipple. That was what was causing the wonderful sensations which wakened her. What a wonderful way to wake up!

Alex's hand roamed over Jennifer's body and he felt her move as it glided over her soft skin. He inserted it between her strong, finely formed legs and began playing with her vagina, which instantly became wet as his fingers stroked it. After toying with the silky outer lips for a while, he managed to slip a finger into her. When he did, Jennifer moaned softly and her back arched, lifting her hips off the bed.

"Gahhhhhhh!!!!" Jennifer groaned when Alex's finger slid into her. Their lovemaking the night before had been so passionate, she didn't even remember going to sleep.

Alex had a raging hard-on. He continued to caress Jennifer, bringing her to a high state of need. Unable to wait, he rolled on top of her and plunged his erection into her. God, it felt good to wake up this way! When he sank into Jennifer, fantastic sensations swept through him. What he was feeling rapidly became too intense. He couldn't think of anything but Jennifer any more.

"Ohhhhh!!! Yessssss!!! Oh, Alex!!! Alex!!! Ohhhhhhh!!!" Jennifer moaned. Her body came wildly alive as he continued to plunge into her. Her hands gripped his shoulders and her hips rocked up to meet his thrusts. Then blissful spasms began to rip through her. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Oh, Alex!!! Oh, Alex!!!" she cried. "Take me!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! Take meeeeeee!!! Now!!! Oh, now!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Oh, Alex!!! Oh, Alex!!!"

When Jennifer exploded, Alex joined her, bathing her insides with his juices. Finally spent, he collapsed on top of her. When he felt his penis soften and slip from her, he rolled onto his back next to her on the bed.

Jennifer lay there, electrified. "My word, Alex!" she exclaimed, "That was the most fantastic awakening I've ever gotten!" She sat up and looked around. "What time is it?"

Alex looked at his watch. "It's five-thirty," he said.

"Good," Jennifer replied, relaxing. "I'm having some new horses delivered this morning. They're supposed to arrive at eight and I need to be there to give the deliveryman a check. I was afraid we might have over-slept, or..." She looked at him and giggled softly. "Is it right to say we 'over-sexed'?"

"Sounds like a word that ought to be in the language, if it isn't," Alex replied, grinning. "Don't worry, honey. There's plenty of time for you to get back to your place before the horses arrive. In fact, if you like, I'll even make breakfast for you."

Jennifer reached out her hand and traced his face softly. "I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that a lot."

Jennifer arrived at her farm just as the men in the truck bringing the horses were opening the doors to get the horses out of the big van. Donna was already there, and was helping them unload the horses.

After she parked her pickup, Jennifer walked over to the horse van. One of the horses, a sturdy-looking pinto, was being led down the ramp by a young man who was probably Donna's age. Jennifer looked at him and thought he looked vaguely familiar. That puzzled her. The horses came from a farm in Virginia she was doing business with for the first time. There was no way she could have seen this young man before. Why did he look familiar, then?

"I saw an ad in a breeders magazine that said you're looking for a farm manager who understands raising and training horses," a male voice said from behind her. "Is the job still open?"

"I..." Jennifer started to say. She turned around and her mouth dropped open. "T-Tommy?" She exclaimed as she stared at the good-looking man standing there, smiling at her. "Tommy Singleton?" Without thinking, she ran to him, wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Tommy! How are you?"

"I take it you remember me," Tom asked. Smiling, he stepped back from her embrace. "I wondered if you would."

"I-I..." Jennifer stammered. She felt herself blushing furiously. "It's funny, I was just thinking about you the other day."

"Really?" Tom said, grinning. "It have anything to do with a hidden lake, did it?"

Jennifer's skin felt as if it was on fire. "I...ah...well..." she stammered. She wasn't sure how she felt, seeing Tommy again after all these years. The old memories were there, warming her, but things had changed. Alex was her man now.

"Are you still looking for a farm manager?" Tom asked.

"Are...are you interested?" Jennifer responded.

"I might be," he said, "if the deal is right. My wife and I have been talking about re-locating to this area. We both have family not far from here, and we'd like our son to be able to spend more time with his grandparents."

"Your son?" Jennifer said. "I didn't know..."

Tom shrugged and smiled. "No way you could have," he said.

"What happened?" she asked. "Why...why did you disappear after...?"

"Remember Mrs. Jarvis?" Tom asked.

"Of course," Jennifer said. "She was our housekeeper for years."

"Well, she told your folks we'd gone off into the hills together," Tom explained. He shook his head and smiled wryly. "Your father was not at all pleased when he heard that. He came to our house and made it very clear to me that I was no longer welcome on his farm, and that if he ever saw me within a hundred miles of this place, he'd have me arrested."

"Damn him!" Jennifer said. "Daddy loved me, but there was a lot he didn't understand." She looked at Tom. "I'm so sorry, Tommy," she said. "I-I never knew, and nobody would ever tell me anything."

Tom smiled. "I know you didn't have anything to do with it," he said. "You know, it's funny how things work out. Your father made it clear to my parents that their lives wouldn't be too happy if I stayed around. He had a lot of clout, and I guess he could have made things rough for them. So they sent me to Virginia, to live with an uncle and aunt."

"Oh, Tom," Jennifer said. "I..."

"Hey, come on, Jennifer, don't look so glum," he said. "The story has a happy ending. My uncle and aunt lived just down the road from a farm owned by Merle Spizer. Merle and my uncle played poker every Friday night, and Uncle Bob got Merle to give me a job."

"Merle Spizer!" Jennifer exclaimed. "He was one of the most respected breeders and trainers in the country! And...and you worked for him?"

"Yup, he sure was," Tom said. "And I did. When he died a couple of years ago, his son, Merle, Jr., took over the operation. By then, I was assistant farm manager. I still am. Thing is, Merle, Jr., wants to sell out to a syndicate. I like working in a family operation, but I'm not sure I'd be very happy with a corporation as my boss. I started a horse transport business on the side. When one of my clients said he needed to have some horses delivered up here, I figured I'd do the delivery in person, so I could see if the farm manager's job I saw the ad for was still open." He smiled. "So...you going to hire me to manage your farm, or what?"

"Why don't you stay for lunch and we'll talk about it?" Jennifer said.

"Dad, the horses are all in the barn," the young man who'd come with Tom said.

"Is this your son?" Jennifer asked.

Tom nodded. "Jennifer McGregor, meet my son, Tom Singleton, Jr."

"Pleased to meet you, Tom," Jennifer said. She looked at Tom, Sr., and smiled. "It's Jennifer McIntyre now," she told him.

Tom, Sr. grinned. "So you did marry Jonathan McIntyre," he said.

"I divorced him, too," Jennifer told him.

"Sorry to hear that," Tom, Sr., said.

"It was for the best," Jennifer said. "You worked here long enough and you saw Jonathan when he came around. You probably have an idea what kind of person he was, don't you?"

Her old friend smiled and nodded. "The words self-centered, spoiled, rich asshole come to mind," he said.

"An excellent description of my ex-husband," Jennifer said, laughing. "Actually, one of the best, most succinct, descriptions of him I've heard. Come on, Tom," she said, "let's go up to my office and finish up the paperwork on the horses you just brought. We'll see just how bad you want to be my farm manager."

"We'll see how bad you want me to be," Tom said, grinning.

Tom, his son, Jennifer, and Donna ate lunch together. Then, while Donna showed Tom, Jr., around the farm, Jennifer and Tom, Sr., negotiated. As it turned out, reaching agreement didn't take them very long.

Tom had to give his current employer a month's notice, but then he'd take over the responsibility of managing Jennifer's farm. He and his family would be living in the farm manager's house on the property. Donna would stay on, and Tom, Jr., would work on the farm when he wasn't going to school.

Donna and Jennifer stood next to the barn, watching the horse van roll down the road.

"So you hired Mr. Singleton to manage the farm?" Donna asked.

"Yes," Jennifer said. "I know he's an excellent worker, and if he worked with Merle Spizer, he knows horses. The farm is getting to be too much, more than I want to deal with. There are other things I need time for." She smiled. Now that she'd met Alex, she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could.

"Tom, Jr., seems like a nice kid," Donna said. "I kinda like him."

Jennifer looked at Donna. "You know, Donna," she said, "I told you your job here is yours as long as you want it. In fact, I've been thinking. I don't see why you have to spend your money on that apartment in town when I've got ten bedrooms in the house. Why don't you just move in here? I plan to be gone a lot more than I have been, and I'd feel a lot better if someone was in the house."

Donna's eyes widened. "Do you really mean that, Mrs. McIntyre?" she asked.

Jennifer nodded. "Of course I mean it," she said. "I'd love having you around."

At first, Donna was excited. Then she remembered Mel. What would he do if she moved out here? What if he came out and bothered her here? Or brought men out here? What if Mrs. McIntyre found out what he'd been making her do? Ort worse yet, what if he came out and did something to hurt her? "I-I guess I ought to think about that," the slim girl said. "I-I mean, I got friends in town and all, and..."

"Any time you want, you can move out here, Donna," Jennifer said. "But you don't have to if you don't want to." She was puzzled by the sudden change in the girl's demeanor. When she invited the girl to move into the house Donna had looked thrilled, then something happened and her mood changed.

"Donna, is something wrong?" Jennifer asked. "If there is, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you."

"I-I'm OK, Mrs. McIntyre," Donna said. "I-I'll think about moving out here and let you know, OK?"

"Sure," Jennifer said. She watched the girl walk toward the barn then she turned and went back into the house. She wanted to call Alex and tell him the good news.