9. Gemma
Chapter Nine
GEMMA
My body was humming with the vibration of Diego’s motorcycle when he cut the engine. I took a breath and reluctantly loosened my arms from around his waist. Tonight’s ride was different from the first one. Then, I’d been startled at Diego’s appearance and unsettled with Charlie running loose. Tonight, I knew what it felt like to be held by him and loved the feel of his muscled body against mine.
Just when I was thinking it might be nice if he spun around and had his way with me on his motorcycle, I heard the sound of hoofbeats and glanced toward the pasture to see Charlie cantering over with two other horses right behind him. There were four horses here, but the oldest one tended to linger by the paddock. Shasta was the friendliest horse of the group, but due to his age he tended to be stiff. I babied him with treats on the regular.
Diego swung his leg over, removing his helmet as he stood beside the motorcycle. I climbed off behind him and handed him the helmet, smoothing my hand over my hair. “Gorgeous night for a ride,” I commented.
It was approaching nine at night, and the sky was just now fading from light to dark. It was that magical twilight time where the stars twinkled in the silvery light of dusk and the fading colors from the sunset lingered.
Diego nodded, his eyes arcing across the pasture toward the view of the mountains and the water in the distance. “The horses are happy to see you,” he said with a slow grin when his eyes landed on mine again.
What he said was benign, but the look contained in his gaze set butterflies alight in my belly and my pulse racing as heat spun through me.
“They’re curious. Don’t worry, they’re not hungry. I fed them before you picked me up.”
“Do they stay in the pasture all night?”
I shook my head. “I need to put them in their stalls. Want to help?”
“Of course.” He tucked the spare helmet into the compartment under the seat and set his on top of the seat before falling into step beside me.
My senses were heightened, attuned to the frequency of Diego’s presence. The sound of our footsteps on the gravel was broken by an owl calling in the trees nearby. When the horses saw me heading toward the barn with Diego, they trotted over to meet us there.
Stepping through the large sliding door into the barn, the soothing scents struck me—hay, horses, and an underlying hint of leather. These were the smells of my childhood when I rode horses. My mother had ridden horses, and we had neighbors who had a farm where we rode nearby. It was a calming spot in my childhood where it always felt like I was scrambling to catch up to the brilliance of my parents and my brother.
Dyslexia was a common learning disability, but it was still confusing when nobody knew what was going on. Sadly, my parents’ high expectations for my brilliance had interfered with the school figuring out the issue sooner. Once doubt seeps into your soul, it lingers, like mold that you can’t get out of a room sometimes. I’d largely come to peace with that. I knew my parents loved me, but what happened had shaped my childhood. School is such a big part of childhood that when it’s not going well and you’re struggling, it could turn into a bundle of uncertainty and insecurity. Horses and softball were what I’d loved during those years, and only one of those loves remained unscathed.
Diego glanced around. “Nice barn.”
It was a small barn and well-maintained. There were four stalls with an aisle in between. Crossing to the other end of the barn, I opened the door to the small paddock. My elderly buddy, Shasta, walked slowly into the barn, lifting his nose to nudge me in the shoulder.
“Hey, sweetie,” I said, scratching him on the forehead. He turned his attention to Diego, curiously sniffing him and nibbling lightly on his shoulder as he passed by.
“I think that’s his version of a kiss,” I said with a laugh.
Diego didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, instantly endearing himself to me. He laughed as he greeted Shasta. Shasta had once been a speckled horse, as I knew from the photographs in the house, but he was almost all white now. He enjoyed being brushed, so I groomed him daily and took care of his mane and tail, which he flicked affectionately when he passed by. Shasta knew the routine well and walked into his stall, the closest one by the door to the paddock.
Charlie came trotting through, stopping quickly to greet Diego and appearing to recognize him. “I think he knows he’s seen me before,” Diego said with a chuckle.
“Probably. It was memorable, what with the motorcycle and all.”
After Charlie went into his stall, the other two horses followed. One was a dark bay with a star on his forehead, owned by a woman who lived down the road and came by fairly regularly. The other was a chestnut with a wide white blaze on his face. He was also owned by a neighbor nearby, although his owner didn’t stop by as often.
Once all the horses were in their stalls, Diego followed my lead without me needing to explain it, closing and latching their stall doors. We fetched some hay, and he helped me toss it into their stalls.
As we walked out, my belly shimmied with nervous anticipation. I wanted to invite him inside, but I couldn’t remember the last time I had invited anyone into a place where I lived.
Apparently, my mouth was ahead of my brain, and my question tumbled out. “Would you like to come in?”
“Of course. Don’t you remember? You promised me the perfect brownie.”
“Oh, right. Did I say the brownies were perfect?”
“Maybe not exactly, but that’s why we passed on dessert. Now, if you’ve changed your mind, I won’t insist.”
When I glanced sideways and saw his teasing smile, my belly did a few flips and butterflies spun like mad. “Oh, I insist,” I managed, feeling my cheeks heat.
The place I was renting was a small, ranch-style home. We went in through the front door, which was in the center of the rectangular-shaped structure and had a small curved porch. It opened into the living room. To one side was an archway that led into the kitchen and dining room area, and the other archway on the other end led into a hallway with three bedrooms and a bathroom. Like everywhere in Alaska, or so it seemed, the house had a view through the trees with a glimpse of the mountains to the side.
Diego glanced around. “Nice place.”
“I love it,” I said. “It came furnished and everything.”
I kicked off my shoes by the door, and he followed suit. “Follow me.” I gestured as I began to cross through the archway to the kitchen. “I’ll get that brownie for you.”
Chocolate was one of my favorite things, and I made incredible brownies, if I did say so myself. They were decadent with melted dark chocolate in the center. Heated, with vanilla ice cream, it was about the best simple dessert in the universe as far as I was concerned.
Diego followed me in, taking in the kitchen. It had counters lining three walls with a small oval table by the windows in what served as a casual dining area.
“Have a seat,” I called over my shoulder. “Do you want anything to drink with dessert?”
“Just water will do.”
I quickly sliced two brownies and heated them in the microwave. Only moments later, I was sitting across from Diego, watching as he took a bite and let out a rough moan. The sound vibrated through me. It seemed everything he did spoke to my hormones. They sent up a little cheer of approval.
“Damn. That’s fucking amazing,” he said flatly. “It really is the best brownie I’ve ever had.”
I didn’t know why I was blushing over brownies, but here I was.
“I’m glad to hear it. I’m sure Delia has desserts just as good as this. Everything else there is five-star quality.”
Diego took another bite. “Agreed that everything she makes is excellent, but I’m not sure she can beat this brownie. With the ice cream, it might be the food version of God.”
I laughed and took a bite.
“So, what did you think of the plane ride?” he asked a few moments later after he set his spoon down and pushed his empty bowl away.
“It was awesome. I’ve never been in a small plane like that. I kind of can’t believe that’s your job.”
He grinned. “Sometimes I can’t believe it either. I’ve been flying for years. That’s why I went into the Air Force. I wanted to fly planes. I didn’t know I’d luck into a job like this after I got out of the military.”
“I bet you guys love it.”
“We do. I have a job I love, and I get to work with people who are family to me. Can’t really beat it. I’m a happy man.”
A fierce sense of longing pierced me. That feeling, what he described, was what I wanted—feeling like I had my place in the world and I had my own little tribe. That was something I felt like I’d been searching for forever.
Restless, I stood to put our bowls in the sink. I felt him stand and cross over into the kitchen behind me. His presence was potent, all raw, primal, and easy masculinity. It wasn’t overpowering, but so complete.
Turning, I found him leaning against the counter, one hand curled on the edge and the other hooked in a pocket. There was nothing left to do just now, and anxiety spun inside me.
“Come’ere,” he murmured, his voice gruff.
Since apparently I did whatever Diego asked, I crossed the kitchen to stop in front of him. He reached a hand out, catching one of mine and reeling me closer to him. The heat emanating from him buffeted my body, and desire flickered to life, sending flames licking through me.
“I’m going to kiss you again,” he said slowly and with purpose, each word like a drop of liquid fire spinning into the need building inside me.
I licked my lips, and tried to take a breath. “Okay,” I whispered.
Then, his hand was sliding around my waist and pulling me flush against him. I felt his breath like a soft breeze on my skin as he dipped his head and dusted a kiss on my neck right behind my ear, sending a hot shiver through me. He made his way to my mouth at a leisurely pace, pressing hot, open kisses on the underside of my jaw. He dropped kisses at each corner of my mouth before he finally, finally , fit his mouth over mine.
That couldn’t have taken more than a few seconds, and yet the moment was so fraught with tension and need that by the time his tongue swept into my mouth, I was near frantic. I moaned shamelessly into our kiss, my tongue greedy against his. He growled in response, his hand sliding down to cup my bottom. I felt the hard, hot press of his arousal at the apex of my thighs. I wanted all of him. Now.
He devoured my mouth with masterful strokes, easing back only to nip at my lips and dive back in. I was greedy, one hand mapping his chest and the other stealing under his shirt. My God, he was all muscle. His skin was warm to the touch and felt alive as I stroked my palm across it.
He muttered something, tearing his lips free and taking in a ragged breath. I gulped lungfuls of air as my heartbeat thundered and blood rushed through my ears.
His eyes swept over my face. We were quiet, just staring at each other. The moment felt sharply intimate. I’d never felt such the center of anyone’s focus. This moment was all there was.
His palm slid away from where he’d been caressing the curve of my bottom. I instantly missed his touch, but then, he lifted his hand, his fingers trailing over my skin along the edge of my blouse. His light touch was a blaze of fire. He paused when his fingertip landed at the center, above the top button.
“Please,” I heard myself say, barely even recognizing the throaty, almost pleading quality to my voice. I wasn’t a girl who lost herself to passion. This was almost like witnessing a stranger inhabiting a part of myself I’d never known.
Because, apparently, Diego could read my mind, he flicked that top button open and worked his way down—one tantalizing button at a time.