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As brought in the last horse from the field and checked that all the horses were settled down for the night she felt total exhaustion wash over her. She loved working with horses, it was her life and passion but the guy she worked for at the minute treat her like a slave and paid her little money for the work she was expected to do! On the drive home that night she decided on her day off tomorrow she would look for a new job that provided her with the money and ambition she longed for. As she walked into her dark and empty flat she threw a ready meal into the microwave and jumped into the shower to soothe her aching body from the days hard work. Once finished her meal crawled into bed and fell to sleep, enjoying the fact that she didnt have to set her alarm for the next few mornings.
awoke to the sun shining brightly through the window, as she sleepily got out of bed she decided it was a beautiful day to walk to the shops that were not too far away so she could grab the local paper and a few magazines ready for her major job search. As she was making her way back to the flat she couldnt help but try and read some of the advertisements in the magazine, she was cautious not to walk into any lamp posts and kept glancing up every now and again and as she did she noticed the dark haired man walking towards her while staring at her magazine cover. She caught his eye as he walked past and smiled gently at him, he returned her smile and casually walked on by.
Back at home scanned the adverts and one caught her eye immediately. It was only a small advert but seemed to have everything listed that she wanted, it read "Local stable girl wanted to help with full time horse care, good rate of pay to the right person, must be a confident rider, house on site provided" The last part of the advert really sounded perfect thought as she read it again. Even if the job was the same money she was getting paid now she would still save something by not paying any rent on the small flat that she tried to call home. grabbed the phone and dialled the number, she was about to hang up after a while of waiting when a woman's cheerful voice answered.
" Hello Homeville Stables how can I help You"?
took a deep breath and introduced herself and explained about the advert she had seen in the magazine
" You are the first to call " You are the first to call as the advert was only published today but the sooner you could come for an interview the better" the lady on the line replied
"That's fantastic, I can call around today or tomorrow" answered a bit more excited than she probably should have let on.
"Brilliant, my name is Donna, myself and my husband will be interviewing you. How long will it take for you to get here today?"
couldnt believe her ears and asked for the directions so she could calculate the route from her flat, once she had all the information she agreed to meet Donna an hour later at the stable yard

dashed around the flat like a mad woman collecting all her paperwork and references from her previous jobs. Once organised and dressed for the interview she jumped in her car and started following the directions to the stables, all the journey practising any questions and answers she thought may pop up in the interview.
Half an hour later she pulled up outside two large brown and black gates, as her car drove up to them they slowly started to open to reveal a large car park where she settled on a space for her car. Stepping out she straightened her clothes and took some deep breaths, nerves were now starting to hit her and she felt the papers start to shake in her hands "Get a grip" she kept repeating to herself in her head.
As turned a corner she was met by an outstanding block of stables, approximately 20 in total she quickly scanned her eyes over them, all painted white with black doors and pretty flower pots full of colour were scattered around.
"Hi you must be " jumped out of her skin hearing the voice behind her! She turned around to be met by a blond woman holding out her hand, took it and shook it gently "Im Donna, please follow me to the office and I will introduce you to ".
"Thank You" replied and followed her to the office block, upon entering she noticed again how clean and modern everything was. She was then stood facing a dark haired man who she recognised as the guy who was staring at her magazine in the street today. >BR> "Hi I'm " he said as he extended his hand to her, she gently shook it and introduced herself "Didnt I see you today on High Street?" asked as he took a seat and motioned for to do the same.
"Yes I think you did, I was looking in the magazine at your advert actually" laughed as she thought back.
"Yeah that's why I was taking so much interest in it, I was wondering if they had done a good job!" replied.
Donna then returned with a tray of tea and a few biscuits.
"Always nice to have a cup of tea, I know how nervous you must be" Donna smiled as she settled in a chair next to .
immediately felt at ease and kept her fingers and toes crossed this would go her way. and Donna started to casually interview and she talked for 20 minutes about her experience and knowledge of both horses and riding, she then showed her references and asked a few questions about the yard.
"We are mainly a show jumping yard but we also buy and sell good quality horses" answered her questions and liked more by the minute. He was secretly cursing himself for spending lots of money on a glossy advert when he may be keeping the 1st person they had interviewed! He was sure Donna liked her also.
As the interview came to an end felt positive and walked to her car with a huge grin on her face, even if she didnt get the job she was sure that her interview techniques were not as rusty as she originally thought!
Donna had told her she would call her tomorrow to let her know the outcome. On the drive home called for a takeaway as a treat to herself for doing so well.

Chapter 2: The next morning woke with a big headache from the lack of sleep she'd had due to being nervous for the phone call she about to receive today. She decided on having a PJama day so she could wait in for Donna's call. As she was cooking breakfast she received a call from her friend
"Hi Ive not spoken to you in ages, are you ok?" asked as answered with a groggy
"Hello"
"Hiya, yeah I'm fine thanks Ive just been so busy working and then spending all my time catching up on sleep and rest!" answered
"You should'nt be working so hard you know" said angry at 's boss, she also didnt like him and how he treat her friend
"I know but I'm finally doing something about it and I went for a job interview yesterday! The place and people are just perfect so Im hoping that I get it" said excited
"That's great, when will you know?" said also excited for her friend
"I'm waiting for the call today so Ive decided to stay in my PJ's" giggled
"I don't blame you! Listen I will go in case they are trying to call you but let me know" replied
"Of course I will, you will be the first to know after my parents of course" giggled
and said their goodbye's and ended their call. Her conversation with had reminded her that she'd not contacted her parents for a few days so picked up her mobile and texted her mum, since she had moved to Ireland a year ago had always kept close contact with her parents up until she got her current job but now she didnt even have time to call them every day as she'd like to.
"Hey Mum, sorry I've not been in touch, so busy with work lately that I don't even have time for myself. Went for a job interview yesterday so fingers crossed, I will let you know either way" As she pressed the send button she settled herself on the sofa to watch morning TV.

As was about the give up watching TV her mobile started ringing, she jumped from the sofa and grabbed it, looking at the screen it was a number she didn't recognise, she felt butterflies in her stomach
"Hello speaking" answered wanting to sound professional
"Hi here, I wanted to let you know that we would like you to join the Team if you are still interested?"
had to hold in her screams as she heard him speak "Yes that would be brilliant and thank you " She answered trying to stay calm
"Great, when can you come over to look at your accomodation and ride a few horses for us?" asked
"Actually I have nothing planned for today so if you are free to show me around I can start straight away" "I'm sure that will be fine, I wont be here but Donna will be. She just needs to go through a working contract with you also" explained
"That's fine, I will head over in a short while, see you soon and thank you again!" couldnt hide her excitement any longer and as soon as she had ended the call to she jumped up and down screaming, grabbing her phone again she called

"I got it!" screamed as answered the phone
"That is absolutely brilliant" congratulated her friend
"I'm going over now to look at my new accomodation!"
"Your moving in there too? Wow that's even better. Let me know if you need help moving and let me know when I can come and visit you" said excited for
"I will do and I've not got too much stuff here so a few car trips should do it really. Right Ive got to go, Speak to you soon" rushed and ended the call with
then called her mum and had a similar conversation but had to go through everything twice as she also had to tell her father the exciting news. As soon as everyone had been updated jumped into her car and headed over the Stables once again, only this time she was trying to make herself believe that this was now going to be her new home and future!!

Chapter 3:

Once again she was met by Donna's friendly face and was firstly introduced to the staff that were working that day and then given a tour around the same stable block she saw on her interview day. liked everything she saw and followed Donna to a small path that ran behind the stables to a gate in the wall that surrounded the grounds and land. As they walked through the gate noticed 3 small houses with private gardens and a cute fence surrounding them, Donna stopped at the last house and held out a set of keys to
"This one is your house" she smiled as she looked at 's shocked face
"I get a house all to myself?" stammered
"Yes, its only one bedroom but I'm sure you will make it home" Donna chirped as she followed to the front door
"Oh, before you go in, I just need to show you something" Donna said as she walked around the side of the house, followed and looked to where Donna was pointing.
"Can you see the roof top of the large house next door" nodded her head as she saw it poking over the high trees
" 's brother lives there, I will explain his situation when we go into the house but staff are not allowed through that gate over there" Donna said as she pointed to the gate at the far end of the wall
"He comes to ride the horses quite often but he likes his privacy" Donna said as they made their way back to 's new house
"No problem" said as she wondered who lived through the secret gate!

Entering the house was once again left speechless, although it was small the decoration was very modern and exactly how she would have done it herself. From the hallway she had entered she saw a small but compact kitchen to her left and through the door on the right was a cosy living room with a dining area behind it.
"If we can just go through the contract I will leave you to settle in" Donna said as she walked into the kitchen and sat at the small breakfast bar
"Is this place ok for you?" Donna asked since hadnt said a word since walking through the door "Perfect" was all could say as she looked out of the kitchen window to the little garden at the back
took a seat across from Donna and listened as she went through her working hours and pay, was relieved to hear she was earning the same as before but the added bonus was the beautiful little house she was now sat in
"Just one last thing" Donna said as she handed a pen to sign the papers with
"The last sheet of the forms is for you to keep, it explains the situation with 's brother. His name is and he one member of the group Westlife, have you heard of them?" Donna asked
"Yes I've heard of them being from Ireland but I wouldnt say Im a huge fan" blushed feeling as though she had let someone down by not being
"Oh that's fine, its just that you have to sign for confidentiality and legal purposes" Donna laughed at 's expression
"No problems there, I wouldnt know him if I passed him in the street!" laughed as she signed the forms
"I'm sure you will get to meet him soon, they are touring and he likes to go riding on his days off to get rid of the stress of his job" Donna informed as she stood up to leave
thanked Donna and saw her out of the house. As soon as she left took a deep breath and once again stood staring at the downstairs area of her new home. "Time to look upstairs" said to herself as she excitedly rushed upstairs. From the stairs there were just 2 doors, one to a modern bathroom and the other to her bedroom. This was again decorated just how she liked it, a king size bed took most of the room but in the corner she opened a door to reveal a small walk in wardrobe, just big enough for her to stand in. "Perfect!" she said out loud as she threw herself onto the comfy bed, a huge smile spread across her face

Chapter 4:

Three car trips later and had all of the possesions in her new house, by the 3rd time she returned to the yard it was busier with more people and horses wandering around.
"Hey " she heard a mans voice from the distance and then she saw jogging towards her "Sorry I've not been around, had horses to train and ride, I'm hoping you will be helping me soon" he rushed as he approached her
"Its no problem, Donna has sorted everything for me and I've finished moving my things into the house" smiled at him
"Hope you like everything, are you still ok to start work tomorrow or would you prefer a day to settle in?"
couldnt believe the generosity of her new boss!
" No, no I will start first thing tomorrow" smiled
"Great, see you in the morning then" answered as he walked off towards the stable block

As settled on her new sofa that night she couldnt quite believe what had happened to her over the last few days. She called and her parents to update them and also her old boss. As well as her new job she was also happy at being able to tell him that she wouldn't be at work tomorrow and to shove his job somewhere inappropriate!! Her mind then wandered to the paperwork she signed earlier, picking it up from the small coffee table in front of her she scanned the paragraphs until she came across the part for " 's famous brother"
She made a mental note to google Westlife tomorrow on the internet if she got chance to rummage through the boxes to find her laptop.
Feeling happier than she had since first moving to Ireland settled into her new bed and fell into a content and deep sleep, ready for a fresh new day at work tomorrow
Her alarm woke her suddenly and for a second she wondered where she was in a strange bed but it did'nt take long for a smile to spread across her face as she jumped out of bed ready for the new day ahead of her. Once showered she quickly made some toast for breakfast before getting dressed and heading down to the stable yard.
As she walked through the gate she could already hear the busy sound of horses and people working, she looked at her watch, it was only 7:30am but everyone seemed eager to be cleaning out the stables and riding the horses. She spotted at the other end of the yard about to take a horse out for the morning ride
"Good Morning" said cheerfully as she approached
spun around with a big grin on his face
"Morning, you are early" He said surprised as he knew wasnt due to start work until 8:30 "I'm eager to get started" informed him as she stroked the horse's soft nose
"Right then you can ride Connor here for me and I'll watch you at work if that's ok" winked at her
felt the nerves return at the thought of having to impress her boss within the first hour of her new job but as she walked into the arena with Connor she pushed the nerves aside and thought positive, "You can ride, just do what you are used to" shouted as mounted Connor and walked around the arena to get used to him
She felt how elegant and well trained Connor was under her seat and decided to put him through his paces, enjoying every minute of riding him she forgot all about watching her and when she decided to call it a day only then did she look up to see , Donna and a bunch of other people stood watching her from the side fence. A sudden blush crept upon her face as she dis-mounted and walked towards the many faces all smiling back at her
"That was fantastic!" gushed at her, Donna stood nodding her head in agreement. That's all that wanted, she wasnt too interesting in the other people as long as she got the encouragement from and Donna she knew she was on the way to fulfilling her future career with the 's
"So from now on you will be my personal assistant with the horses, anything that I dont get around to doing you can do for me and when I am riding or training you will learn even more tricks of the trade" informed her the were walking back to the stable block
"Sounds good to me" answered as she took Connor into his stable, she patted him and whispered Thanks in his ear. She found an old treat in her pocket and he took it gently from her hand
"Ive got a big delivery arriving today so if you want to see over there, she will sort you out for the rest of the day" said as he walked off towards the car park
introduced herself to and received a list of jobs and the normal working routine for the day. By 4:30 had finished all her tasks and joined in making the feeds for the horses ready for the evening
"You seem to have settled in great already" smiled at
"Yes Im really enjoying it and everyone is so friendly, unlike my old job"
"Well and wouldnt have it any other way, the first time someone is bitchy or nasty they get shown the door!" laughed
"Im glad to hear it, although Ive not met 's brother yet so I hope that I make a good impression!"
"Im sure you will meet him soon, you cant miss him" turned to a whisper and looked around to make sure she wasnt overheard
"He's bloody gorgeous!" She giggled
didnt really know how to answer that and just laughed along with , her mind working overtime as to what was so special about this guy. She again reminded herself to get the laptop out once she got back to the house tonight
5:30 soon came around and found herself saying goodbye to the other staff on the yard, followed her out of the gate and they walked towards the houses
"Do you live here too" asked as they got closer
"Yes Im in the first house and another girl called lives in the middle one, she is off on holiday this week so you will meet her when she returns" informed her nodding towards the middle house
"Well you know where I live if you want a chat or drink anytime" offered
"Thanks and you now know my address" laughed as they walked their seperate ways towards their own houses
"See you tomorrow" called as she opened her door and went into the house. She really liked and hoped she would become a gossip and drinking companion as she imagined after a while she may get a little lonely working and living in the same place
Once showered and after eating yet more toast made a mental note to go food shopping after work tomorrow. She decided to find her laptop amongst the boxes and research her new "Gorgeous" employer
turned the TV on for some background noise as she waiting for her laptop to start up, once the google screen appeared she typed in Westlife in the search box. Firstly she read about how successful the band was, she was pretty shocked at how big they actually were and how many number 1's they had under their belt. She then clicked on the images for the band, straight away a haired man with sparkling eyes caught her attention,"Well Hello " she laughed out loud to herself when she read the name at the bottom of the screen. As her eyes scanned the photos she was immediately drawn to a pair of deep eyes that seemed to burn right through her as she stared at the haired man. , she read, "Bloody Hell!" she said out loud as she now concentrated on the rest of the band and also so more handsome faces! Closing her laptop could'nt get the image of the band out of her head, they were all good looking thats for sure but for some reason stood out from the rest
"Maybe its because you know you are going to meet him soon" mumbled to herself as she made her way to the bathroom to freshen up for the night. As she watched TV later that she still could'nt stop thinking of the images she had seen of and she felt strange thinking that he was just through the secret gate that she could actually see from her house

Chapter 5:

Next morning was again ready for an actioned packed day, she worked alongside that morning cleaning out the stables and preparing the horses for potential buyers that were scheduled to visit that same afternoon
"I looked up the band" said to as they were both grooming the horse together
"Oh yes "The Band" said, emphasing The Band part
"I didnt realise how big they were!"
"And handsome!" then whispered
laughed "Told you so"
"Yeah but think of all the air brushing they do in the photos I have been looking at on the internet. Surely they are not like that in real life" said, thinking out loud
"Sometimes they are but I've seen down here when he likes to relax with the un-shaven and less perfect image and he looks even sexier with the rugged look too!" then laughed loudly at her own remark, also laughed with her but suddenly had more images running through her head, she cursed herself for thinking and talking like this about a man she had never met and also for the fact that he was her boss!
then broke from her thoughts as he entered the stable "Nearly done you two?" He cheerily asked
"Yep I'm done on this side, are you ?" asked
"Yeah he looks great, I'm sure the potential buyers will fall in love with him" smiled stroking the Connor's silky neck that she had groomed spotless
"Well I hope so, this customer is pretty high class. One of 's friends I believe so he will be arriving with them this afternoon" said as he checked over the horse. winked at as she left the stable
"So that means you will get to meet my brother who lives the high life and has women falling at his feet!" joked
"Erm, ok that's fine, do I have to ride Connor for them?" fiddled with the horse's mane as she felt the nerves in her stomach and the sadness that her favourite horse maybe sold "Yes If you don't mind, Id rather stay on the ground and sell this fantastic horse. knows a lot about horses but I know them all on a more personal level than he does, do you know what I mean?" asked looking at for approval
"Yes, you get to know their personalities working with them everyday. I feel pretty nervous but I'm sure Connor will ride well for me"
"Don't feel nervous, you will get used to all kinds of customers visiting us quite often" said as he patted the horse in approval of and 's work. nodded her head, she didn't want to tell she was also nervous of riding in front of
As was walking away he turned back to "Oh and don't be nervous about meeting either, he's just a normal bloke and if he tries to chat you up Donna will sort him out!" he winked.
threw herself into her work for the rest of the morning to take her mind off the fast approaching time but 2:00pm soon came and heard voices from the car park as she was stood waiting for a water trough to fill up.
", take over from would you please" she heard shout from the car park. walked over and took the hose pipe from 's hand
"Good luck and relax!" She smiled at 's worried expression
"Thank You, I hope we make a good impression" looked over at Connor dozing over his stable door then walked to get her riding gear
When she re-appeared near Connor's stable heard explaining Connor's history to the customers inside the stable
"He's home bred and a super star, even here can ride him so he must be a good horse" joked, heard laughter as she put a smile on her face and stepped towards the stable door "Ahhh , good timing." said as she opened the door and entered, 's breath failed her for a second as a haired man turned to her with a gorgeous smile to back up the equally gorgeous eyes she was met with
"Let me introduce you, this is my brother and his friend "
" and this is my assistant, "
"Hey ya how you doing?" smiled holding his hand out to her "Nice to meet you" answered gently shaking his hand
"Hi" the blonde haired lady also replied but she was too busy with Connor to look up, stood there with a big smile on her face as she watched at work, he really was good at selling Connor at his very best and before she knew it, it was her turn to show the horse off. She mounted in the Arena and put Connor through some basic paces before popping over a few jumps, "Thanks , will get on him now" shouted, halted Connor, patted his neck and waited for so she could assist in getting her in the saddle
"Your new assistant is good" said to as walked away from them
"She's fantastic "
"Easy on the eye too!" smilled as he watched remove her riding hat and watched as her hair fell around her shoulders, she was laughing at something had said and couldnt help but think he may now want to spend more time down at the stables in his free time "Yeah I agree on that" looked over his shoulder to see that Donna wasnt behind him "But she's here to do a job and one that she is really good at so please dont go distracting her" looked sideways at his brother who had a cheeky grin on his face "I wouldnt dream of it! " "I know you and I mean it. Donna has already said she will kick your arse if you do" lowered his voice as was approacing them.
"He went fantastic" beamed with rosy cheeks as she stood with them to watch ride "You ride really well , I was just telling my brother here how lucky he is to have found you" looked at who met her gaze with sparkling eyes "Oh, erm, well .... Thanks" stuttered turning her attention back to as she felt her cheeks burn red. "Ignore him , he has too much testosterone running around in his body at the minute!" joked
watched throw his head back with a big laugh and thought to herself that he was more good looking in real life than on the photos she was staring at the other night. A mobile phone then started to ring, excused himself and stood back from the arena. was soon back on the ground and shaking 's hand to confirm the sale of Connor, was pleased of the news but also couldnt help but feel sad that Connor would be leaving, she had grown fond of all the horses in the short time she had worked with them but she really had a soft spot for Connor She watched as walked to her car, dressed in a casual shirt, blue faded jeans and wearing his sunglasses, she couldnt help but check him out.
"I hope you arent star stuck?!" laughed, breaking her out of her thoughts
"No I was just thinking that I'm quite sad that will be taking Connor in a few days, I hope she takes good care of him" made her excuse as to why she was staring in 's direction "Oh don't worry, she has enough money to pay for the whole army to care for him! Plus he will be replaced this week with a new project that we can prepare for customers" then walked to join and in the car park. was soon in the stable with
"How did it go?" She asked, helping with Connor
"He was fantastic and 's decided to buy him"
"Well done! How was it meeting also?" grinned cheekily
"Was fine, he actually flirted a little. Is he normally like that?"
"Yeah sometimes he jokes and flirts with the yard staff. Only the good looking ones though may I add" nudged playfully
did'nt really have an answer to that and just blushed again. As she collecting her things together she heard the sound of cars and saw in a convertable sports car followed by a black 4x4 leaving the car park. She guessed was driving the 4x4 but could'nt tell due to the blacked out windows. She was about to enter the office when she heard someone call her name "Hey, " As she turned around she saw with the car window down waving to her to go over. Smiling she casually walked near his car so she could hear him better
"You did great today and thanks for selling that horse to "
"No problem , I actually enjoyed it considering how nervous I felt"
"Well I just wanted to let you know that you did a good job. See you soon yeah?" He said as he lowered his sunglasses to look at her
looked into his eyes and felt her knees go weak "Yep see you soon" she tried to sound casual and turned away before could see her flush pink yet again
"What the hell is wrong with you, sort yourself out" mumbled to herself as she headed home that night. The day's events had tired her out and she couldnt figure out why she was feeling like this just from meeting . She had to admit that he was everything she would normally go for in a man but then again she was sure that hundreds of women out there were thinking exactly the same about , the other men of westlife and any other boy bands out there! He was famous, good looking and in a band, those three factors would make her attracted to anyone. Right?? Chapter 6:

The rest of the week passed by so quick for and she was working harder as each day passed and she felt more at ease with her working routine. Friday soon came and found herself working along side Donna, she had informed that and had gone shopping for horse rugs ready for the approaching winter months " is so generous when it comes to buying things for the horses" Donna talked as her and swept the yard "Every year he buys them new rugs and their old ones are donated to the horse and donkey sanctuary down in the village, some of them are like brand new but he insists on buying the best for these guys". smiled thinking of the rescued horses and donkeys wearing their top of the range horse rugs. "That's really great, especially for the charity" answered "He's the same with his women too, just a shame he has the miserable thing he likes to call a girlfriend at the minute" Donna scowled as she looked at .
"You may see her the odd time down here, she is unpredictable as to whether she will talk to you or not, depends what mood she is in or whether has taken her shopping that day" just listened to Donna talk about 's girlfriend, as they continued to clean the place. "I'm not quite sure why he stays with her to be honest and I'm sure she is cheating on him, Ive seen her sneaking around when he is away on tour. He must know but I think he is scared of being on his own in that huge house over there" Donna nodded towards the roof top above the trees
"Anyway you don't want to hear me moaning about my 's family" Donna put the sweeping brush away and stood admiring their hard work
"Good job well done" said also stood back, admiring the spotless stables "Lets have a break and cup of tea" Donna disappeared into the office followed and sat down in the comfy arm chair. Donna soon returned with tea and biscuits, reminding of her interview day. Twenty minutes later and Donna were still sat chatting about life in general when they heard and 's laughter echo around the yard "Peace and quiet is spoilt" Donna joked loudly as entered the office, followed by quickly glanced at him, dressed in a black jeans, white T-Shirt and baseball cap with an un-shaven stubbly face beaming with a large smile. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly looked away and concentrated on the remains of tea in her mug
"God he shops worse than a fricking woman!" huffed as he let a few large bags drop to the ground
"Ahhh shut yer face will ya! Cant let my horses freeze to death, they need new clothes!" replied as he also let a few bags fall at his feet
"I'll start to put them away" went to stand but stopped her "Sit down and finish your tea, here can do it since he wanted all the horses to have new clothes!" Everyone laughed and flopped back into the chair
"Let me rest my tired feet please Donna" motioned for Donna to stand up, he then sat down in her place and pulled her onto his knee. propped himself on the desk and took his baseball cap off
didnt hear a word Donna or said, she looked at with his messy hair, un-shaven and smiling face and she felt her stomach flip "Don't you think ?" Donna's words interrupted her "Yes I do" said, not knowing what the hell she had just answered to "Well even if you two do think I look better with the rough and natural look I dont think Louis would approve and im sure would be disgusted as he never has a hair out of place!" answered with a laugh
then realised that Donna must have commented on 's image and once again felt herself blushing
"Speaking of , I need to call him to see if he can make your party. The others are off on holiday but Im sure will come over for the weekend, will be nice to have him bouncing around my house for a few days" excused himself to make the call outside
"I forgot to mention the party to you , you're invited to our anniversary party. We will have been married 3 years" Donna lovingly looked back at who returned her smile "Thats fantastic and Id love to come" felt touched at being invited "Right guys and girls Ive got to head off to the studio for some late night recording. Im planning on having a lie in tomorrow then dropping by for a ride out, who will be joining me?" looked around, his stare lingering longer on
" will go with you" Donna piped up before anyone had chance to answer "She can take Connor on a last ride before collects him" shook his head at this "Its 's day off tomorrow and she needs to get her shopping and stuff"
"I don't want to put anyone out" interrupted "Actually, Id like to take Connor out and say goodbye if that's ok. I can do my shopping in the morning if I can find the nearest shop!" chuckled "Well if could find it in him to drag his arse out of bed why don't you show where the shops are then go riding after?" Donna smiled at "Donna, might not want to go shopping and might not want him to go with her!" screeched at his wife
"Look I dont want to cause an argument here but I don't mind either way" looked at and stood up to head home for the day
"How about we sort it out as I walked you home" suggested, leaving and Donna bickering "I'll sort these rugs out tomorrow" threw the bags into the corner of the room and followed
"They didnt even notice we'd left" laughed as she glanced at He could'nt help but smile at as she threw back her head and her long ponytail danced as she laughed
" I hope they dont go arguing at their own party! Are you going?" asked as the slowly walked towards the house
"Yes I think so, it will be the prefect opportunity to get to know everyone better" " You will certainly get to know me better if alcohol is involved" winked at her causing her insides to flip again "But you have to watch out for my friend , he's the womaniser of the band!"
"I'm sure I can handle you" suddenly felt herself flirt a little glanced sideways at and felt himself looking forward to the party even more now he knew she would be going
"Right, this is me" smiled as she stood outside her garden gate "Listen here is my mobile number, if you want to go shopping and riding tomorrow just call or text me but I dont want to be dragging you out of bed or anything" handed one of her old business cards for when she worked as a freelance rider
He looked at the card and smiled at the cartoon bucking bronco image on it. "Is that you?" he smiled as he looked up
met his eyes and smiled at his comment "I don't think would have employed me if I rode like that!" stared deep into her eyes for a few seconds before placing the card in his jean pocket and looking away, feeling his heart beat loud in his chest "Good night , I'll be in touch"
"Night , don't work too hard" she waved him goodbye and watched him walk towards his "secret" gate. Once her front door was closed behind her she took a few deep breaths and tried to steady her speeding heart rate, she felt very proud of herself for holding his gaze back there but wasnt quite sure where the surge of confidence had come from!
As sat eating yet another batch of toast and trying to watch TV she couldnt stop thinking of his gorgeous eyes burning into hers. Maybe Donna had made her confident by talking about 's miserable girlfriend and also making it obvious that she wants her and to spend some time together tomorrow or the comments that had said previously. What ever the reason felt good for having a little flirt and for receiving some attention from the more gorgeous man in Sligo! She went to bed that night with a smile spread upon her lips and hoping she would get a text the following morning
rolled over and groaned as she woke with a stiff neck, she must have fallen asleep with the TV on as it was still playing a programme to itself, she fumbled for the remote and clicked it off. Grabbing her phone from the bed side table she noticed that there was already a text message "Hey , finished in the studio earlier than planned. See you on the yard around 9ish, looking forward to it. Good night. . xxxxx"
The text had come through at 11:09pm, guessed she must have been well asleep as it didnt even wake her as it came through. She checked the clock to see she had an hour to get ready before seeing again. She hit the reply button to confirm meeting him "Hi , sorry I was asleep when you texted. Looking forward to it too! See you in an hour. xxxx" "Enough time for a shower and more toast!" said to herself as she jumped out of bed

Chapter 7:

It was a warm and sunny day outside, had on a yellow summer dress, sandals and her sunglasses ready for her shopping trip, she decided she would change into her riding clothes later. Walking onto the yard she heard 's voice then laughter echo around the stables. She saw him with his back to her stood with and sharing a joke that he found hilarious "Hey you two" smiled as she approached "Morning" smiled. spun around still laughing
"Wow don't you look different out of the riding gear!" he said, lowering his sun glasses and looking her up and down "Is that a good or bad thing?" laughed "Definately good" he whispered huskily in the ear as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek felt his soft lips brush her cheek and smiled shyly as she felt her cheek burn. As he pulled away took the opportunity to look up and down too. Dressed in black combat trousers, a casual grey shirt with slight chest hair showing above the V-Neck line, slight stubble and his sun glasses now perched on his head, she couldnt help but feel her stomach turn to jelly once more
"You look gorgeous " broke the tension when she saw 's blushing face "I hear is taking you shopping? Im just waiting for Jake to arrive to take me dress shopping for 's party" said as she looked at her watch
"You finally agree'd to date him then?" laughed as he remembered moaning to him about a guy called Jake who was always hounding her for a date "Yes I gave him a chance and Im glad I did, he's perfect, that is once I told him to stop calling me 20 times a day!" chirped as she saw Jake's car pull into the car park "See you later, have fun!" looked at , smiled and headed off to the car park
"Right shall we get going too?" asked placing his hand on 's lower back as they started to walk towards the car park. was just thinking what a mess her car was, she couldn't remember the last time she had cleaned it inside or out "Thought we could go in my car, you can see the sights and the route there" motioned towards the large 4x4 that saw him driving the other day
thanked him as walked around to open her door for her. He then jogged around to his side and took his position behind the steering wheel, pulling his sun glasses over his eyes he started the car and pulled out of the gates
watched the green scenery go by and felt comfortable in 's company but also felt she needed to start conversation while was concentrating on the road ahead "Your car is lovely" She looked around her at the clean and plush interior "Thanks, its a good run around and great for the jobs I need to do at the stables" glanced at her quickly before returning his gaze ahead, watched how he drove the car, all manly with his tones arms gently weaving the car through the country lanes It wasnt long before they pulled up outside a row of small shops "Welcome to Sligo" chuckled as he turned in his seat to look at
"Its lovely" replied looking out over the water on the other side of the road. They got out of the car and strolled to the small supermarket, "Im just going to head over to that clothes shop over there, see if business is doing well" pointed towards a stylish shop on the opposite side of the road. "Ok I'll get my food shopping and meet you there" started to walk into the shop ", here, take the car keys, put your shopping in the car and meet me in the shop if you like" handed her the keys, threw her a dazzling smile and headed across the road "Why do you turn to jelly when he looks at you or even smiles" said to herself as she was scanning the shelves. She noticed a few young girls hanging around the window of the shop whispering and looking out "Bet they are thinking of stealing something" thought to herself and tutted loudly as she walked past them. thought she had everything she needed for the week and struggled out of the shop with lots of bags on her arm and in her hands. Fumbling for the keys in her pocket she opened the car boot and loaded it with her bags, as she slammed the door closed the alarm started to sound through the quiet street and the car's headlights flashed in turn with the indicators
"Fuck what do I do!" screeched as she frantically looked at the key and many buttons on the pad. She tried them one by one but nothing happened, looking up she saw stood in the shop doorway laughing at her antics. "Hold the large green button for a few seconds" He shouted, did as she was told and the car went quiet
Flustered and blushing saw the girls from earlier now stood on the pavement next to her giggling, trying to ignore them she walked over to where was still standing with a grin on his face. "Don't look so flustered, I do it all the time!" He turned and entered the shop, followed him and soon forgot about the stupid car as she looked at the beautiful clothes that surrounded her. "We've got time to look around" called as he walked to the counter and continued to talk to a smart looking man in a suit. Spotting a gorgeous dress, she ran her hand down the fabric while looking at the price tag but quickly removed her hand as she saw how many digits were on the tag
"Why dont you try it on" She felt his breath on her neck and goose pimples appeared all over her body. "I think Ive got a dress at home I can wear, have you seen the price of it!" whispered so the shop keeper couldnt hear her "I own the place and when you are in my shop everything is free" his lips were so close to her ear now. She took a deep breath and turned to face him "I cant accept that but thank you" she stepped to the side and continued to stroll around the shop while trying to compose herself. "Stuart, what size dress do you reckon this beautiful lady will need?" She heard shout to the man behind the counter "OOOOooooo Id say a size 10" came the reply
silently cursed Stuart for being correct about her size as she stood and watched take a dress from the rail, walk over to the counter and help himself to a bag, "My Mam does the accounts so I'll let her know about this dress" smiled at Stuart. was gobsmacked, she couldnt believe what was happening to her as handed her the bag and placed his finger on her lips "Don't protest, I just want you to have a new dress for 's party. Now lets get going, Ive spotted some fans hanging outside the door and I dont want it to turn into a riot!" he winked sexily at her as he bid farewell to Stuart, grabbed her hand and walked to the door "Just follow my lead" he said as he stepped out to be greeted by squeals and giggles. recognised the girls from the supermarket, she smiled as they stared at her blankly
"Can we have your autograph please" a dark haired girl asked, shoving a pen and piece of paper in front of 's face "Sure" he answered as he signed a few things for them "Gotta go girls, catch you soon" he cheerily said as he continued to hold 's hand and lead her back to the car. Once inside was the first to speak "I will pay you back for the dress , thanks again" She peered into her bag to look at the gorgeous material, didnt answer her and changed the subject, telling her the history of Sligo and of his childhood as they drove back to the stables

Chapter 8:

helped her to the house with her many bags, she thanked him as he placed them down in the hallway "I'll get changed and meet you back at stables in 10 minutes" said as she made her way upstairs to get changed "I'll go and get the horses ready" called as he left the house. As he walked the path towards the gate his mind was occupied by thoughts of and how easy he found her company, not to mention how naturally beautiful he thought she was. He did'nt notice walking towards him
"Hi , deep in thought?!" looked up quickly and met 's gaze, "Oh yeah Hiya, was just planning my day ahead" stopped walking and shoved his hands in his pockets "I hear that I have a new neighbour?" looked towards 's house "Yeah she's a nice girl, hard worker too so you will get on fine" shuffled his feet and played with the pebbles under his boots
"Anyway Im off for my lunch, see you on the yard yeah?" asked making her way towards her house "See ya" carried on walking and his thoughts of returned along with a smile upon his face
He was met by at Connor's stable door, the horse was ready and waiting for them "Thought I'd save you a job, have you two had a good shopping trip?" grinned at " Yeah managed to get a dress for your party. Who am I riding by the way?" glanced around looking at the many stables
"Thought you could take Leo, he needs a change of scenery" nodded in approval and went to the office to collect his riding hat. Walking back onto the yard he spotted chatting to , as he neared them he heard mention something about her wage slip but couldnt quite catch what they were talking of as they soon changed the subject "Are you ready?" unbolted Connor's door and led him out, Shane found Leo and walked him in front of Connor. "We'll head out the back way and over the valley" mounted his horse and waiting while did the same. They headed behind the stable block and onto a field as far as the eye could see. Settling into the saddle felt herself totally relax and glanced across at , she watched him moving in time with the horse, her eyes lowered to look at his muscly chest through his shirt, down to his soft hands gently holding the reins "Do you like what you see?" then glanced sideways at her with a sexy smile upon his lips
"Yes I was just thinking that Leo had never looked so good, will be so pleased" felt proud at her quick response. She heard Shane chuckle to himself and caught his gaze as he looked at her "Do you want to have a gallop across this field?" suggested and looked ahead to try and distract herself "Go for it" answered as he set off in front of her. soon caught up with him and rode alongside, slowing down they carried on riding at a steady pace and rode the length of the valley. thought the scenery was breath taking and decided she would try and ride out here more often on her days off
"We'd better head back, Leo's not as fit as Connor" patted his horse's neck and turn to head home, followed and urged Connor alongside Leo again "Tell me about your life then , you must do some pretty interesting stuff being in Ireland's most biggest band!" smiled at her and held her gaze for a while, stared deep into his eyes and waited for him to start

The ride home flew by for as she listened to tell her the story of how Westlife started out and the funny tales along the way, she also felt that she got to know the other guys a little as talked about their personalities and told stories about them. Walking back on the yard they both shared laughter as told another funny story, was walking out of a stable when she heard 's laugh and waited for him to come into sight. She noticed the new girl strolling next to him and decided to introduce herself, she waited until the horses had been taken from them and followed them into the office
took off her hat and shook her hair "I bet I look like Ive been rolling around in the hay!" ran a hand through her messy hair. looked over "Dont give me ideas" he winked at her and watched how she blushed, he thought she looked more beautiful now that she had messy hair and flushed cheeks "You look gorgeous, all natural and smelling of horses!" chuckled "Hiya Im " they were interuppted and was met by a blond girl, she looked the same age as herself
"Nice to meet you, Im your new neighbour and work mate" thought it was best to introduce herself too, she was about to ask if they would be working together when bounded through the door with lots of shopping bags
"Hi , did you have a good holiday?" She asked noticing stood next to "Great thanks, back to reality and the same old shit now though" shot a dirty look, smiled at and left the office
"Charming!" laughed as looked at and with wide eyes "Are you heading home? Ill help you with those bags" changed the subject and took the bags from 's hands and the three of them strolled back towards the house
"Thanks , see you both later" dashed inside her house to try on her new clothes she had bought that day. "I'll walk you home" smiled as he took his position next to and walked next to her
"Ive had a great time today , thanks so much for showing me the shops and some of Sligo's beautiful scenery" She stopped outside her garden gate
"My pleasure and I cant remember when I enjoyed a day like I did today" moved his gaze from his feet to 's eyes
She was already staring at him and he smiled softly as he tried to figure out what she may have been thinking, he moved forward and place a gentle kiss on her cheek, holding it there for a little longer than he should have, "See you soon hopefully" he whispered next to her ear and turned to walk towards his own house "You will" answered him and without waiting for a response she opened the door entered her cosy little house.
had just stepped out of the shower when she heard her phone announce that she had a new text, opening the message she read "Thanks again for today, you've made me feel alive again and it takes someone special to do that. Hope you sleep well, all my love, " A huge grin spread across 's face and she thought she would wait a while before replying. She didnt want to seem too eager as she knew had a girlfriend but at the same time she also knew that he wasnt happy according to Donna's comments. She would have to think carefully about her reply to this text
Later that night made her way down to the stables when she knew everyone would have left for the day, seeing Connor dozing at the back of the stable smiled "Have we worn you out with today's ride?" she spoke softly and entered the stable, she put her arms around his neck and felt a few tears roll down her cheeks as this would be last time she would see him. " will collect you in the morning and you will have a fantastic home" she kissed the horse's nose, left the stable and walked back home with blurred teary eyes

Chapter 9:

She was sure she heard a knock on her door as turned down the TV volume, walking up to the door she peeked through the glass and saw stood waiting
"Please help me , I cannot decide on a dress!" entered the house, bringing her shopping bags with her
"Course I will, lets head upstairs" followed to her bedroom and began trying on each dress
"How much did you buy!" laughed as she looked at the clothes scattered around her once tidy bedroom
"I couldnt decide so I bought everything..... Well Jake did!" sniggered. chose which dress she thought would be suitable for the party
"Ive got one of my own to try, would you mind telling me what you think?" pulled her dress out of the bag and tried it on, it fitted her perfect and she couldnt help but smile as she looked in the mirror
"Wow!! That is stunning" said as she stood open mouthed at "Where did you buy that?" was touching the fabric
"Well....erm..... actually took me to his shop and bought it for me" winced as the words left her mouth. looked up at her with a conerned look on her face
"Just be careful with him , I dont want to upset you as I know you had a great day with him yesterday but he's done all of this before" sat on the bed
"What do you mean? " felt her stomach flip at what was about to tell her "Well you know he already has a girlfriend, " nodded her head and pleaded with her eyes for to continue
"He's also had a thing going with in the past too, behind s back" sighed as she looked at
" next door?" pointed through her bedroom window "Yes, they had a small fling about 6 months ago but ended it suddenly and moved onto someone else, or thats what thinks he did"
"God he really is a womaniser!" smiled trying not to show what a fool she felt for starting to feel something for
"Are you ok about it?" stood up and started collecting her bags and clothes "Yeah sure, I mean Im only having fun, flirting a bit and now I know what he's like he wont be getting a piece of me!" and laughed together
"Well I will see you at work on Monday and thanks for the help, we will both look stunning next weekend at the party!" hugged as she left
Slumping down on the sofa felt herself feeling angry at the herself for being drawn in by 's charms and gorgeous looks. It seemed obvious now she that she thought about it, how cold had been around and how forward had been flirting when had only met him a handful of times
"Well he's a quick mover but I will put a stop to that" said to herself as she deleted the text from her phone, she now decided that she wouldnt reply to it at all

A long lie in was needed on a Sunday morning and took her time in getting dressed, she had cornflakes for breakfast which was a fantastic change to toast! She even planned on making herself a meal today since her cupboards were bursting
She spent the morning rummaging through her DVD collection in the boxes she kept forgetting to unpack. Once she had a good collection she settled down on the sofa ready for a lazy day. Halfway through her 3rd film she heard her mobile bleep, she opened the text and saw another text from appear
"Hi, hope I didnt scare you off with my text last night? Ive found myself making dinner for one and wondered if you would like to join me before I share with with the dog! xxxxx" couldnt help but laugh at the last part. Why did he have to act the way he did and have such a reputable past, she was sure he would be her perfect man if only he could change his ways, she thought to herself as she pressed reply
"Hi you havent scared me off, thanks for the invite but Im having a day to myself with a handful of DVD's. See you soon. xxxx" She then decided she would ignore anymore texts if he replied to that, she didnt want to get in too deep and decided to try and push her feelings to one side. Lets just hope you can keep it together next time you see his sexy arse stroll onto the stable yard, thought as she got back to watching the film
sat staring at the reply he had just received, he was pretty shocked that he had been turned down. This had never happened to him and he tried to search in his mind as to whether or not he had said or done something to upset her. He couldnt think of anything and only hoped that she hadnt been chatting to . To him she was a silly mistake, just like the rest of the women he had ever been with this past year or so, being with drove him to do these stupid things as he couldnt stand to be around her nowadays, he knew she was only with him for his money and fame, he hated her for it but couldnt bring himself to end it at the thought of rattling around his huge house on his own
on the other hand was something different, he felt at total ease with her yesterday and as though he could talk to her forever. If only she didnt find out about his past and stupid antics, he had planned on finishing with and seriously making a go of it with , thats was the reason he sent her that text last night. He meant what he said, she was something special and he wanted to get to know her more
He decided to leave in peace for today, after all he needed to plan how he was going to approach things with her when it came to explaining and his past. Dialling 's number he decided to organise next weekend for the party

Chapter 10:

The next week at work concentrated on helping as much as she could and actually started to forget about for a little while. She hadnt seen or heard from him so had decided that he obviously wasnt that bothered about seeing her. After work on Friday the staff and were gathered in the office trying to plan taxi's and sorting out the invites for the party that night, had arranged to go with but would return home by herself as was staying at Jake's house "You could jump in with " suggested as he over heard and "Erm Yeah we'll see what happens" stuttered as she couldnt think of a quick enough excuse
Everyone then headed their seperate ways to get ready for the night ahead. was ready on time, she looked at herself in the long mirror and ran her hands over her dress, she really did love this dress and was pleased she had organised with for him to take so much out of her wage each month to pay for it, she didnt want to owe any money. Her long hair shined and she had spent time in perfecting her make up, applying some lip gloss she heard knocking downstairs and rushed to meet , grabbing her purse from the bed
"Look at you two!" Jake wholf whistled as and made their way to the taxi that he was waiting in for them
"Thank You" they both giggled together. "Have you heard anything from " asked as they were on their way to the party, "No, not a thing" had updated on how she felt and let her know about the text she had sent back, declining 's invite to dinner "He's probably had his ego crushed a little, I dont think he is used to women saying no to him" laughed. smiled in reply and aplied some more lip gloss, she decided to show what he was missing tonight and took a deep breath as the car halted outside the club that had booked
Walking in felt a little lost as and Jake headed straight to the dance floor, she walked to the bar and ordered a glass of wine. As she was waiting for the bartender she spotted Donna and waved, Donna rushed over and hugged her
"You look stunning! Thanks for coming" Donna was slurring her words already, laughed at this and took her drink from the bar
" is looking pretty damn fine tonight may I tell you!" Donna winked at who laughed again
"Are you trying to set us up?" asked as she sipped her wine "Noooooooooo..............actually Yes!" Donne hiccupped with a big grin on her face "He is taken, you told me so yourself" then saw the familiar figure of with his back to her, talking to
"Pah forget her, he hates her! I told you why he's with her. You'd make a perfect couple! Plus he has already told that he'd finish her for you at the drop of a hat!" Donna was talking quite loud now due to the alcohol
"I'll think about it. Fancy a dance?" changed the subject as fresh thoughts now ran through her head.. Was Donna just saying that because she was drunk or was it true? She wondered as she entered the dance floor with Donna
"Hey, , is looking stunning tonight" nodded his head towards the dance floor. turned to look, he hadnt even realised she had arrived yet, he stood watching dance and laugh with Donna
"Your being watched" heard whisper from over her shoulder.
Looking over Donna's shoulder she saw , his eyes firmly fixed on her. Looking him up and down he took her breath away, wearing black suit trousers a white shirt with a black waist coat over the top with a few top buttons open on his shirt showing his chest hair and his tie hung loosly around his neck. His hair was done to perfection and his eyes held hers as she made eye contact with him, he smiled as he noticed her looking him up and down. He had also done the same as he saw how the dress fitted her curves perfectly.
She saw him say something to before headed around the side of the dance floor, Donna then shouted in her ear about loving the song that was playing at that moment and laughed with her, she was pleased Donna was enjoying her party
felt two hands go to her waist and was about to spin around to dance with when she heard his voice next to her ear
"Can I talk to you please" his voice and accent sounded so husky and sexy since she hadnt heard him for over a week. saw Donna giving her and the thumbs up and couldn’t help but chuckle as she turned to face
"What can I get you to drink?" He placed his hand on her lower back and guided her to the bar, felt her skin burn where his hand was and caught the smell of his aftershave as she walked ahead of him, she knew this would happen, he was driving her crazy by just being near her! "White wine please" She watched as he also ordered himself a pint of guiness and paid the barman. "Shall we sit over here" he walked to a sofa at the back of the room where it was a little more private. sat next to him and ran her fingers through her hair "You look absolutely amazing tonight" turned to her so she knew that she had his full attention
"Thanks, so do you" blushed again "Listen, I hope I didn’t push you away with my texts but it was true what I said about you being special" smiled a gorgeous smile at her but felt quite angry at the thought that he was trying to use a chat up line that he had probably used many times before! "No you didnt push me away because there was nothing to really push away was there?" now stopped smiling and looked at her with a confused expression "You see, I know what happened between you and " ‘s face fell, he was hoping she wouldnt find out about that
"I also know about you cheating on quite regular so its pretty obvious that Im just another number to add to your "Special Lady" list" said in a calm manner "Listen " said in a serious voice now "You couldnt class me and as a couple, she cheats on me regular and I make silly mistakes because of that. Its no excuse I know that but I cant lie or change the things that Ive done and have been doing. I will honestly tell you that I do think there is something special about you, I'd like to get to know you more if you would just let me and I promise you that I can change my ways" 's eyes stared right into her soul, she wanted to kiss him right there but held back in doing so, she was going to be strong "I will prove it to you" he carried on staring deep into her eyes
"We will see what happens then" She kissed him on the cheek and got up to join back on the dance floor.
sat for a while, feeling totally deflated. She was definately more special than anyone he had met and what he was feeling in the pit of his stomach was more powerful than he had ever experienced. Lost in his thoughts he didnt see had arrived and felt someone jump into the seat next to him
"!! We're at a party not a fecking funeral" He joked putting his arm around 's shoulders, shaking him playfully. broke into a smile and patted on the back "Just thinking of shit to do with " "Ahhh forget her mate, she not worth having a headache over" stood up, "Come on then, introduce me to the hotties that Ive spotted on the dance floor" pointed his bottle of beer towards and
"Im sure would kick your arse hearing you talk like that" stood up and started to walk towards the dance floor with "Nah she know's I only look and dont touch" winked at

nudged as she saw and laughing as they entered the dance floor "'s brought one of his stunning friends along" she shouted over the music looked to see them walking towards her, 's friend was definately good looking, dressed perfectly with hair and sparkling eyes
"Hey " hugged him and then hugged " this is , this is " did the introductions seeing as just stood behind sipping his drink, she could sense a slight tension between the two "Nice to meet you" kissed her cheek and hugged her "How do you know ? Ive not met you before have I?" asked in 's ear due to the loud music "No Im the new girl on the yard, Im 's assistant" "Ahhhhh Ive heard about you from " then quickly glanced at , thinking he had dropped him in it
"Have you? What did he say?" pushed for an anwser "Oh erm just that had a beautiful new assistant and that you were fantastic with the erm... Horses!" looked proud of himself. chuckled, she liked already and guessed he was going to be fun to be around at the party tonight "Drink for anyone?" shouted, looking at them all in turn "Yeah me, I will come with you" took 's arm and left the dance floor. had drank his and placed the empty glass on the nearest table
"Come on then , show me your moves" decided to lighten the mood after her speech to him earlier. also decided to forget earlier, although he had taken on board every word she had said and made a secret promise that he would prove to that he could change his ways as he knew that the feelings he was experiencing now would only grow stronger. He placed his hands on her waist as they moved to the music and enjoyed just being close to her

Chapter 11:

Later in the night the group were sat around a table sharing stories and jokes, found out a little bit more about as she relaxed and chatted about her life back in the UK, it was obvious to him that she missed her family and her friend . He also noticed how much seemed to like her, he sat across from them just watching for a while, he saw how whispered in her ear and they laughed together, catching 's eye he received a wink of approval but the laughs soon stopped as saw a familiar figure stood next to the table
"! What you doing here?" shouted, cringed at 's obvious dislike in the tone of his voice "Hi everyone, I'm not staying, just need to ask something" She squeezed next to him and everyone went quiet around the table, an obvious atmosphere creating.. looked around at everyone, keeping her eyes on a little longer as though wondering who the new girl was. She shrugged her shoulders and turn to , placing her hand on his thigh "I thought you was away at a modelling shoot tonight?" was quite irritated that she had muscled her way into the party "I am babes, just wanted to tell you that me and the girls will be staying in Dublin tonight but I've not got enough money to book into the Hilton where everyone else is staying, I dont want to be left out" She batted her eyelashes as she spoke. couldn’t believe the nerve of this woman,especially in front of everyone! She waited to see how would respond He ran his hand through his hair and dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out a thick batch of notes he shoved them into 's hand and stood up "That should keep you going for a while, now if you dont mind sweetheart" He helped her up and guided her away from the table. watched kiss him full on the lips and couldnt help but feel a jealous pang shoot through her, she looked away and noticed frown and shake his head as he took a drink
"Are you insane?" shouted over the table as took his seat again "I know, dont lecture me " took a huge gulp of his beer, everyone had started to make their own conversations again so took the opportunity to speak his mind "You've just paid for a room at the Hilton hotel so she can shag some bloke tonight like she always does on her nights out" "Well it saves me shagging her so Id say its money well spent!" made a joke out of it and couldnt help but laugh "Seriously though , that is the last bit of money she is getting from me so lets hope she doesnt blow it all tonight. When she returns home tomorrow her bags will be packed and I will end it with her" smiled at then looked at "Really? Bloody hell ! Thats the first time Ive heard you say that seriously!" took a large gulp from his beer "Yeah, well I am being serious" said with a stern look on his face and quickly glanced at , staring deep into her eyes, she smiled shyly and look down at her hands. She hoped he was being serious and if he could prove to her that he could change then she would give him a chance.
As it got late and people started to leave the party, was now feeling quite drunk and joined on the dancefloor, , Jake and had gone to the bar for one last drink before it closed. was also quite merry and the two girls danced and sang, laughing at eachother every now and again. could smell him before she felt two hands snake around her waist from behind, she pushed her body back into him and moved to the music, doing her best sexy dance moves!
moved his head into her shoulder and took in the scent of her hair, he wanted her so badly and couldnt help but pull her into him as they danced "You're driving me crazy" he whispered into her ear as he placed a small kiss on her neck. She could feel how much he wanted her and giggled as she danced into him more "Please dont move from that position for the next 5 minutes or everyone will point and laugh at my trouser area!" laughed in her ear.
As a slow song came on to sound the end of the night turned around and put her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent, neither spoke a word until the song ended and the lights came on
"How are you getting home?" looked at her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. shrugged her shoulders "Taxi I think, is staying out tonight" "They have already left" informed her, she looked around the club to see that it was nearly empty "Come on, lets go home" wrapped his arm around her waist as they left the club

Sliding into the seat next to , felt tired and really drunk, she just wanted her bed. She heard give the driver directions and rested her head on his shoulder He placed his arm around her and she felt him kiss the top of her head, she felt so comfortable and quickly dozed off. As they pulled up outside 's house he gently shook and laughed as she woke with a start "We're home babe" he softly said as he handed the driver the money and opened the door for to get out "I dont feel too good " groaned as she propped herself against the large iron gate she found herself stood in front of. "Do you want to stay at mine? I mean I can keep an eye on you if you dont feel well" shook her head "I just want my own bed"
tapped in the code on the gate keypad and guided down his long gravel driveway, "Where are we?" suddenly looked around her at the large landscaped garden and pretty garden lights guiding their way down to a huge and beautiful house "We were dropped off at the front of my house, I'll take you around the back and we can get to your place through my garden gate" held her tightly, his arm around her waist as they stumbled in the dark
Approaching the house stood staring with her mouth wide open "Its beautiful" looked at her and followed her stare to his house that was now lit up by soft security lighting and the lights inside
"Thank You, are you sure you dont want to come in?" "Maybe another time when I am sober" squeezed his side and they carried on walking around the house and past what thought was 's garage but there were far too many doors for her to count with being intoxicated. Through blurry vision from the alcohol could now see what was on the other side of the "Secret Gate" She guessed the big patch of darkness was the garden as far her eyes could make out in the dark but the garden lights showed a large pool area and patio. guided her behind some high trees and down a narrow path, "This part is like a secret garden" giggled as she tripped and grabed the back of 's jacket, he quickly took her hand and carried on walking in front of her "It is and this is my secret gate" he again typed in a code on the pad to open the gate
"After you" stood aside and let walk through first, she now recognised everything and saw her little house looking dark and lonely "Will you be ok on your own" shoved his hands into his pockets as they stood in her doorway "I'll be fine, thanks for walking me home. Im sure my head will be sore in the morning!" smiled as she looked as the handsome man in front of her. In her heart she wanted to kiss him passionately and take him upstairs to make love to him all night but her head was the sensible one and she leaned forward to kiss his cheek "Good night, thanks for a great party" felt ready to explode as he felt her soft kiss on his face, he knew he had to respect her wishes but right now he wanted to scoop her up and rush her upstairs to show her just how special she was to him. He took a deep breath "Good night, you know where I am if you need anything" he then turned and walked back towards his house

Chapter 12:

Next morning felt awful, feeling sick with a big headache called for a day on the sofa with painkillers and soft music. She dragged her duvet from the bed and headed downstairs, she noticed how cold the weather was turning now the winter was creeping up. Settling on the sofa with the radio on in the background she thought long and hard about , how had he managed to capture her heart in such little time, she wondered as she began to doze Was that a knock on the door that woke her or just a dream? She lay there for a while listening, there it was again. "Bet its " said out loud as she wrapped the cover around her and waddled to the door like a penguin!
She didnt even look through the glass but threw the door open to see stood on her doorstep, he didnt look too good either but found his rough and ready look irresistable "Morning" he said as he took off his sunglasses, "Can I join you in that duvet?" a gorgeous smile appeared on his lips as he looked her up and down "God I havent even brushed my hair!" was horrified and quickly looked in the mirror that was on the wall "Christ you look like shit!" she cursed herself, running her fingers through her messy hair and rubbing her eyes free from last night's mascara "Thought I would come and make you a nice cup of coffee" was already inside and heading towards the kitchen. threw herself back on the sofa, she thought about running back upstairs to grab a brush and some perfume but didnt think her head could take anymore sudden movements this morning
"Just milk, no sugar please" she shouted as loud as she could without her brain wanting to explode. Five minutes later appeared with two mugs and placed them on the coffee table "You found everything in the kitchen then?" looked as he took a seat on the sofa at her feet "Yeah, I designed this little beauty" looked around the room proudly "Hope you like it" " I love it, the decoration is my taste too" took her mug from the table "I did that too, all the lads came down for the weekend and we kinda had a beer and painting party!" shuffled himself comfortable on the sofa, grabbing the end of the duvet and tucking his legs under
"You're up early" looked at the clock, it was only 9am and she knew usually liked to stay in bed as long as possible, had called him the laziest person living and said he would never trust to do the morning feed time of the horses "I had to get out of the way while packed her things and threw my belongings around the house! I'll see the damage when I get back up there" didn’t answer "Anyway, I also came to tell you that we're away for a while as of tomorrow, it will be a few weeks before I can call and make you a coffee again" he sexily winked at her "I wanted to ask if we could keep in touch by text or phone? I meant what I said about getting to know you better"
smiled "Yeah there's no harm in that, as long as I don’t get any drunken naked photo's from you!" threw his head back and laughed "It depends how drunk gets, he's the bad influence on me you know but I will let know of your request, he is the sensible one that tries to keep everyone sober"
stood and streched, showing part of his stomach as he did so, bit her bottom lip as she looked at his toned skin, she could just imagine kissing that area "Id better get back and phone the insurance company about the damage may have done, its a good job I have my garage key here in my pocket or there would have been trouble!" he tapped the pocket over his bum, causing to also stare at that pert and round area walked him to the door, she didnt bring her duvet with her this time and stood in her bright pink pjamas. "Have a good trip" she looked down at herself and smiled at what must be thinking at the sight in front of him
" Thanks, don’t work too hard and I'll be in touch once we get to Dublin" moved forward and hugged her goodbye, kissing her cheek softly

The next week at work flew by for and she spent the weekend finally unpacking her boxes and placing photos and personal belongings around the house. had texted her a few times but it was obvious to her that they were mega busy. Not seeing him was easier then thought it would be and she felt herself not thinking of him as much, she knew once she did see him her body would turn into a wobbly mess again. The farrier was due to be at the yard most of the following week due to the amount of horses that needed new shoes and their feet trimming, also had a bunch of young horses he needed looking at that he kept in a field further down the lane near to his parents house. He had put in charge of the farrier's visit and handed her a cheque ready for the end result. was waiting around for him and saw a young good looking man enter the yard with a box full of tools "Hi Im Dan, your new farrier" shook his hand and introduced herself then went to collect the first horse for him to start on
"This one is quite nervous" she informed him as she stood stroking the horse's head "Its ok, I have a gentle approach with them" Dan took his position in front of the nervous horse and began stroking and talking softly. thought this guy was quite cute and smiled at his kindness Throughout his daily visits joked and made Dan feel more comfortable about being new to the job, on his last day she was making him a drink when her phone began to ring
"Hey babe how ye doing?" 's voice sounded impatient as answered her mobile "Great thanks, hows work going? Ive not heard from you in a few days" waited for the kettle to boil "Ye fine, is there a new farrier there? Ive just had a chat with " "Yes he's here and doing a great job" "Just as long as he is, Im picky about who I have out to my horses" snapped "No he's a lovely bloke and has handled the nervous ones perfect" was annoyed by his tone "Ok, gotta go" Before could answer had hung up
She stomped out of the office with Dan's drink and put on a fake smile. "Im all done here" he said as he took the drink from "Just what I needed" he smiled as took the horse from him
In the office wrote out the cheque and handed it to Dan, "Listen, erm..... I may be sounding a little forward here but would you like to come for a drink with me one night?" Dan shyly asked while playing with the cheque in his hands. thought a while, had really pissed her off earlier and she hadnt heard from him much lateley. Why should she have to put her life on hold why he decided to change his ways
"Yes that would be nice" organised to meet him at a bar she had seen near the shop that had taken her to, at least she knew the way there "See you in a few days then" Dan left his number and carried on with her work for the rest of the day. Just as she was walking through her garden gate she saw come out of 's secret gate
"Hey!" He shouted to her and jogged over "Ive just been checking the house for . The new farrier is great, he called in at the field and was brilliant with the youngsters!" beamed "Yeh he did a good job here, he asked me on a date too!" blushed "Really! Well at least you know you have one thing in common with the horses!" They chatted for a while longer then parted ways and headed into the house. She decided to catch up with tonight and spent an hour on the phone, confirmed what had been thinking all along, that would be her perfect man but for now she shouldn’t hang around waiting for him and to have a good time on her date.
She also called her mum and chatted at length about her new job and house, her mum had informed her that they were saving up to visit her in Ireland. was ecstatic at this news and her mum had said that they were planning on travelling over for 's birthday, that was months away and a long time to wait but made herself think positive and was happy that they could visit at all
Just as was about to get into bed she received a text from "Hey babe, sorry about earlier, Im really stressed at the minute with work and cant wait to get home. Hope you are waiting for me? I will call you tomorrow night"
wondered if she should tell about her date, maybe it would give him the kick up the arse he needed after the way he spoke to her earlier that morning. She wasn’t mad about it anymore but she knew he shouldn’t have snapped at her like that
"Hi I'm going out tomorrow night so wont be able to answer my phone but I will text you when I get back home" sat back and waited for the response "Are you and going anywhere nice?" "I actually have a date, will only be a quick drink though since I dont really know the guy" bit her bottom lip as she pressed send, she didnt want to hurt but didn’t want to sneak around or lie either
"A date huh? Who's the lucky guy?" "The the farrier who I met this week, seems a nice guy but don’t worry, Im still waiting for you" thought she would try and lighten the mood by letting him know she would wait, no matter what she was telling herself she knew deep down that she would wait forever for this man "Well I don’t really know what to say. Have a good time I guess. We're home in 2 days so I will come round for a chat if thats ok?" "Cant wait to see you" now felt a pang of guilt but decided she would do something nice for his home coming

Chapter 13:

didn’t spend too much time getting ready for her date, she knew who her heart belonged to but wondered if she would make a new friend on Dan, she didnt know anyone in Sligo and he was her age so would maybe know the best places to eat and drink
The date went well, although found him quite hard to have a flowing conversation with. Unless they talked about horses or his job, she found that they didnt have that much in common. Dan said he would call her as she left the bar, she hoped that he would but knew that she wouldn’t be too bothered by it if he didn’t
On the day that was due home it was 's day off, driving to the only shops she knew of her mind was working overtime to what she would cook that night to welcome home. Browsing the shelves she decided on steak with mashed potato and bought everything she would need

entered his house and breathed a huge sigh of relief, he loved the smell of home and he felt tired after the long journey from Dublin. He was still in a foul mood from 's news of her date the night before. He decided to shower then tackle the situation. As he entered the bathroom and turned the shower on he thought it strange that nothing happened, dashing downstairs half naked he checked the fuse box, it all seemed normal. He tested a light switch and nothing happened either. "For Fucks Sake!" He shouted as he picked up his mobile and dialled 's number, this latest event had fuelled his already bad mood
"Hey mate, are you home?" answered "Yeh I am and what a joke it is! I’ve got no electricity, cant have a shower, I smell like a piece of cheese from being sat in a van for 5 hours with the lads and Im supposed to see who, by the way has been out on a date with the new "good at his bloody job" farrier!" ranted "Hey calm down!" shouted in response. "I want you to call this guy and tell him he doesn’t mix business with pleasure on my stable yard if he wants to keep his job" started putting his clothes back on. "Ok ok I'll sort it, just chill out and I will call around tomorrow" hung up

left the house and headed down to 's he hadn’t even bought her anything with the mad rush home. He quickly grabbed some flowers from his garden and hurridly opened the gate, he couldn’t wait to see her, he also wanted to casually ask about the date she had been on heard the knock on her door, she turned down the cooker, checked herself in the mirror. Casual but not too dressy, she liked what she saw and flung the door open
"Hey babe" sighed, looked at his un shaven face, crumpled clothes and messy hair "You ok?" she stepped aside to let him past. He walked up and embraced her, kissing her cheek. "These are for you" he handed her the flowers
"Its been such a long day and Ive got home to no electric, thats why I look and smell like an old sock" laughed as she put the flowers in a vase on her kitchen windowsill "Why dont you go upstairs and shower, you know where everything is since you designed the place" joked and checked on the boiling potatos "Then you will sit down and eat the meal I am cooking you to welcome you home"
"Just seeing you has lifted a weight from my shoulders" was holding back from kissing as she sat across from him at the breakfast bar looking into his eyes He saw her blush again and knew there was some sort of spark left between them, he had visions of her being madly in love with her new date and not wanting to know him "I'll take a shower then we can have a catch up" left the room and left sat with her thoughts Should she make a move tonight? Flirt more or maybe kiss him? By god she wanted to and had done for a long time now! She had missed him so much while he had been away and now he was here again her heart felt like it would pound out of her chest
After 20 minutes of hard thinking heard a stir behind her and heard clear his throat "Erm...... sorry babe but Ive got no clean clothes to change into" She spun around in the chair to see stood in her kitchen doorway. With just a towel around his waist, wet hair and droplets of water running down his toned hairy chest she sat staring for what felt like an eternity "Dont look at me like that" said huskily as he walked towards her "Im sorry I cant help it" whispered, trying to catch her breath
He stood close and in front of her now, she looked up into his deep eyes "Well ...... do something about it then" reached forward and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, his palm brushing her cheek and sending fireworks through her body. turned her face and kissed his hand softly, he held her cheek and stared into her eyes, trying to read from them whether he should kiss her or not
"Woah Fuck !" shouted as the pan on the cooker caught his eye over her shoulder. fell from the stool in fright and ran to the cooker, turning it off she wafted the air with the towel "Shit, the water had boiled out!" She cursed as she looked at the wrinkly and sad looking potatoes in the pan
"Im sure they will taste fine" wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder while they both looked at the mess in the pan. started to laugh and turned to face him, "Do you want to lend my gown?" "I might just have dinner like this actually!" strutted around the kitchen with his hands on his hips. laughed loudly and walked upstairs to get her gown, they had come so close to kissing back there "Stupid fecking cooker" she cursed under breath while looking around for the gown "In fact, No, Stupid fecking potatoes!!" she cursed again "It wasnt their fault" she heard and didn’t realise he had followed her and was now stood in the doorway. "Sorry, I just wanted to cook you a nice meal" stood, feeling sorry for herself "Hey, come on it will be fine. If you had burnt the place down then that would be a different matter as I would been running around Sligo in this mini towel!" made laugh and he pulled her close for a hug
She buried her head into his neck and felt his strong chest through her top, it was now or never she thought and lifted her head back up to look into his eyes. All she saw was lust in his dark eyes and she knew that he was thinking the same thoughts as her. She longed for him more since he had respected her wishes and not even tried to hold her hand lateley, he had definitely took a step back and was waiting for her but she couldn’t hold back from him any longer Softly she kissed his lips but he didn’t respond ", babe, I thought you wanted to wait?" He whispered slightly breathless from 's kiss "Plus you have a new boyfriend from what Ive heard" he held her stare as she smiled "I have no new boyfriend, he was too boring for my liking. Plus I was waiting for you all along" stared in her eyes for a few seconds longer and could see the same lust and longing that he felt. He crashed his lips down onto hers and kissed her with more passion than he had ever felt in his life, his hand crept behind her head and into her hair, the other down to her bottom as he pulled her as close to him as possible ran her hands down his bare back, holding him as tight as she possible could. She needed this man so badly and put her all into the kiss, teasing him with her tongue as they played a sweet game. She ran a hand down his chest, his stomach then to the top of the towel, gently grabbed her hand and moved it back up his chest, smiling into the kiss "What's wrong?" asked breathless against his lips "Im going to make you wait for that" smiled back and kissed her again before he broke away, breathing deeply with a large smile across his face
" Not fair!" pouted and pretended to be hurt "Plus I cant perform on an empty stomach!" winked and ran a hand through his wet hair. Laughing straightened her clothes and threw the gown at "Meet you downstairs at the dinner table" She playfully tapped his bum through the towel as she walked past. As she prepared the steak and the few potato's she had managed to save she felt the butterflies in her stomach and knew she had done the right thing in kissing him, she smiled at the thought of him stopping her when she went to take off his towel. It will be nice to wait, frustrating but it be will more special when it does happen she told herself, placing the plates on the table just as walked into the room
She giggled slightly as her gown was short for him, his hairy legs poked out of the bottom and he still had his socks on "I might use this for my next stage outfit" threw a dazzling smile. She laughed as she took her seat at the table "This is gorgeous babe!" he said as he was halfway through his meal "Yeah its not as bad as I thought it would end up!" gushed, quickly looking to up see enjoying his food
They spent the rest of the night cuddled on the sofa watching a film, it was getting pretty late, noticed the clock on the wall and slowly removed his arm from around "Id better be heading back home, you'll be late for work tomorrow" he stood up and looked at himself in 's gown "Think I will run back to the house!" he smiled at her and walked towards the door. stood watching him put his boots on, she was a little disappointed he wasn’t staying the night, especially after the kiss they shared earlier "I'll drop this back round tomorrow, we have a few concerts out of town again the day after but we'll be home soon and we have one planned in Sligo, I'd love for you to come and watch" wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes expectantly. She did the same, holding him close and nodded her head "Id love to" he leaned in and kissed her soft and long. Breaking apart he left his forehead resting on 's "Goodnight babe, sweet dreams" he then kissed her forehead and turned to leave "Goodnight" called to him as she closed the door. Smiling to herself she turned the TV off and went straight to bed
was walking from the yard to her house when she spotted a figure near to 's house, she knew going to check on the sick horse at this time on her own was a mistake. She grabbed her phone quickly from her coat pocket, ready to call for help but she noticed how slow the figure moved in the dark, it looked like they were wearing some sort of cape or long coat! "This is weird" she thought and moved slower towards house, hiding behind a bush, she saw the figure heading towards the gate and then going through it. suddenly realised who the figure was and giggled to herself at sneaking out of 's place!
She turned and went back to her own house, she would catch up on the gossip with at work tomorrow