Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I heard one of the jockeys call out Blaise’s name, and I didn’t look back to see if he stopped or not. I continued on, not needing any direction on how to do the next few steps. Hopefully, Blaise would get busy and leave without my having to speak to him. He had said something about teaching me to trot in my next lesson, but he hadn’t said when that would be.
While I got Jinx settled in his stall, I praised him for being such a good boy. I liked riding. There was something about it that made me feel centered. Even while the rest of my life was unsure, I had felt as if all was right when I was up there on his back.
I wondered if my mother had felt that way. Was that why she had loved to ride?
Patting Jinx’s side, I stepped around him and out of the stall to go get his brush. He deserved some pampering after all that. I was almost to the tack room when Blaise walked into the stables. His eyes swung from Jinx’s stall to me. I waited to see what he had to say in hopes that he’d say it and leave.
I shifted my feet when he didn’t speak, feeling nervous under his quiet stare. He started walking toward me, and I forced myself not to watch him. It was hard. Unfortunately for females, he was nice to look at.
“You did good,” he said to me before stopping only inches from me.
That was entirely too close. I needed him to back up some. Give me my personal space.
“Thanks,” I replied, barely glancing at him, then focusing my attention on the tack room door.
He stepped closer, and I inhaled sharply. My eyes snapped back to him. One more inch, and our bodies would be touching. The sensation between my legs started up again, and I tried to tell myself to look away from him.
Don’t make eye contact.
It didn’t work. I was locked in.
His eyes dropped from mine to focus on my mouth. He’d done that last night. Less than twenty-four hours, and here we were again. Too close. It was messing with my head. Confusing me. I should push him away and tell him that. I should.
But his left hand cupped my cheek, and he tilted my head back. I didn’t breathe. The world fell away. It went silent. When he lowered his mouth to mine, my heart slammed against my chest wildly. His mouth was hot, demanding, and talented. Just like him.
His right hand gripped my hip tightly, and I swayed into him as my hands grabbed his upper arms. It all happened too quickly. Like a small taste of something forbidden yet intoxicating, and then it was snatched away. Reminding me it wasn’t safe. It wasn’t mine.
Blaise’s hands and mouth were no longer touching me. His body no longer in my personal space. His eyes met mine for a second, and then he turned and walked away. Long strides meant to escape. As if he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
I fell back against the wall and tried to regulate my breathing. That hadn’t been my first kiss. Not even close. But it was the first time a kiss had terrified me. It was the first time a kiss had owned me.
“Maddy?” Saxon’s voice called out.
I blinked and took another deep breath before turning toward him.
“Yeah?” I replied, trying to sound normal.
“You okay?” he asked as he continued in my direction.
No. I wasn’t sure I would ever be considered okay again.
“Yes,” I lied to him.
He stopped in front of me and studied my face closely. There was a frown line between his brows as he did so. “You sure?”
I nodded, wishing he would let it go. I was sure my lips were swollen and my face was flushed. They felt that way.
“Blaise just sped out of here. Didn’t seem like he was okay,” Saxon said.
I shrugged and turned away from him to walk into the tack room.
I grabbed the things I needed for Jinx, praying my regular coloring would return and my heart rate would slow down. When I got all I needed, I faced Saxon again, who stood where I’d left him. His concern had seemed to only get more intense.
“How was your lesson?” he asked me.
“Good,” I replied, not needing to lie about that.
He sighed, then ran a hand through his messy hair. “Okay, well, uh, did he say he was going to continue teaching you?”
He had. But that had been before he kissed me, then vanished.
I shrugged. “I think so.”
Saxon nodded again. “Yeah, okay, well, I gotta get back to the vet. He’s here to check on Iron War.”
I held up the brush in my hand. “I’ll be here,” I said with a smile I didn’t feel, then headed back to Jinx.