Chapter 12
Dominic
The day after River dropped Dominic’s smart mobile phone off at the farmhouse, Rayna did as she’d promised Dominic and showed him around the acreage of land and all it had to offer.
There was a small but pretty garden on the left side of the house bordered by bushes of pink, white, and blue flowers and a wooden gate.
Beyond the garden, gravel paths led off in different directions, heading towards the Griffins’ house, to the stables, and around to where a silver “car” was parked.
A car turned out to be an alien mode of transport that Dominic didn’t quite trust, but he was intrigued enough to poke around when Rayna said she’d be driving them to places in it.
It wasn’t until she opened the so-called “bonnet,” though, and pointed out the different parts surrounding the “engine” that he became convinced she was as capable with the car as she claimed to be.
After that, they went past the Griffins’ house to the small river, the bright sun above making the clear water glisten invitingly. It seemed deep enough for a swim, though Rayna said he’d need “swimming trunks” first, as doing so naked wasn’t an option.
While they didn’t cross the wooden bridge that led to the other bank and the forest spread across it, from closer, the trees looked much bigger but had an enchanting beauty to them.
Eventually, they made their way into the paddock that housed the stables and inside the wooden structure.
Four stalls lined either side of the central aisle, dustings of hay scattered on the floor in front of some of them. The back of the space opened out and had a small workbench, with shovels and reins hanging from the wall. Dominic caught glimpses of shelves in the corner too.
Rayna introduced him to the horses—a mare called Petal, a white gelding by the name Cloud, and Captain, a brown three-year-old colt. The other mare and stallion, Beauty and Beast, weren’t, however, in their allocated stalls.
“Beast is my horse,” Rayna said, sashaying towards the back of the stables. “Well…not really, but kind of.”
“What do you mean?” he replied, scratching Cloud’s chin absently.
“The Griffins bought him when I was fifteen. He was about six then, maybe five, and George and I used to spend a lot of time here with Benedict—the Griffins’ youngest son—so Beast and I got really attached to each other.
” She disappeared around the side where the shelves were.
“The Griffins have always looked after him, but I’ve been paying for some of his care and coming down to see him and ride him whenever I can.
So, I don’t own him, but he’s still mine. ”
Rustles of movement whispered through her explanation, but Dominic could still clearly hear the affection for the horse in her voice.
“Are you an accomplished rider?” he then asked as Cloud nuzzled his empty palm.
“I’d hope so. Uncle Declan has had me, George, and Benedict on horseback since we were five.”
His brows lifted in question as she appeared in the aisle with a carrot in one hand and her other fist closed around something he couldn’t quite make out. “Uncle Declan?”
“Oh. Yeah. I’ve known him since I was little, and he’s V’s cousin, so I’ve always called him uncle.”
Dominic nodded slowly as he searched her face. She was rather elusive about how this Victor was related to her, turning his jealousy into a determination to find out what she was hiding from him. But if she called Declan Griffin uncle, then was Victor also an uncle to her?
She sauntered past him with a beckoning call, oblivious to his need to know every detail about her. He patted Cloud one last time, then headed after her.
Beast turned out to be…well, a beast as his name would suggest.
The horse was grazing in the corner of the paddock beyond the stable building with Beauty, but even from a distance, Dominic could tell the animal was about seventeen hands high.
His calves were black as if he’d been stomping in a field of coal, just like his tamed mane and half-plaited tail. But his brushed fur faded into a grey that grew paler and paler, leaving his snout an almost snowy grey in colour.
Like a mountain.
Beast was built like a mountain and coloured like one too.
He wasn’t at all sleek like the racehorses Dominic bred and reared, but he wasn’t inferior either. In fact, Dominic was in awe of how large, magnificent, and powerful the creature was.
Standing by the fence, Rayna called out to her horse, and while Beauty, the pale brown mare, completely ignored her, Beast turned his head to look.
She lifted onto her toes and waved her carrot-filled hand above her head.
He circled around to face her, his snout lifting with either intrigue or ruthless judgement, but he stayed exactly where he was.
She slumped back down with a fluttering giggle. “Oh no. My baby’s upset with me.”
Dominic’s lips parted in disbelief. “Your ‘baby’ is by no means a baby, sweetheart. He’s a damned magnificent beast.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
He looked down to see her beaming proudly. It shot right through his heart, leaving behind a searing imprint that sizzled in a kiss her, kiss her, kiss her rhythm.
“It does appear he doesn’t wish to come greet you, though,” he heard himself say thickly as he curled his hands around the fence to stop from hauling her into his arms.
“So it seems.” She turned her attention back to the horse. “You don’t happen to know how to whistle loudly, do you?”
Looking at the moody horse, Dominic pinched his thumb and index finger together, slipped them under his tongue, and blew a loud call.
Beast ruffled his head before pushing into a trot, and damn all of Neves…
If the woman of his dreams was standing next to him, then the horse of his dreams was coming towards them, moving with heavy, unquestionable power. And his dream horse went straight to his dream woman, greeting her with excited flicks of his head.
“Beast,” Rayna squealed and laughed with her head thrown back as the animal nudged his grey and pink nose against her neck, but met the palms of her hands instead.
She acquiesced to his plea for long overdue affection, patting and stroking his neck and snout, whispering the softest words of affection that Dominic might have been slightly envious of.
When Beast settled, she rewarded him with a carrot and three heavy kisses on the bridge of his nose. Kisses that Dominic was so painfully jealous of. Yet he didn’t want the beautiful scene to end either. He didn’t want to stop watching.
The attraction and longing he felt towards Rayna intensified tenfold, overflowing his chest and trickling to the tips of his fingers. It wasn’t the same as the aching tenderness and protectiveness he felt when he’d lain by her side that first night, but it was, and it was more.
It was admiration and amazement at the way she adored Beast, and complete enamour with her enchanting laugh and smile, so acute that his pulse was carving “her,” “mine,” “need,” and “perfect” right under his skin with every passing second.
Gosh, was she the one for him? Was she his? There was no other explanation as to—
“What are you doing to that horse, young lady?”
The abrupt interruption of a man’s weather-worn voice and the deep bark of a dog drained all delight and warmth from Dominic’s being. An ice-cold need to protect filled his veins instead, and he flew around, shielding Rayna with his whole body.
A big, black and white dog of a breed Dominic didn’t recognise, with brown cheeks and paws, plodded ahead of an older man wearing a wide-rimmed, dented hat.
Tall and well-built despite the evidence of weight around his stomach, the man had pale brown eyes set under straight brows, a thick nose that looked like it’d been broken before, and his jaw was covered in a light brown, trimmed beard peppered with hints of grey.
“Do not come closer,” Dominic snarled in a tone that promised pain.
The older man stopped in his steps, his worn brown boots crunching against the gravel path, and the dog stilled too, his tail dropping.
The man pulled out his hands from his trousers pockets, the brawn on his hairy arms obvious where the sleeves of his checkered shirt were rolled up, but his expression remained calm and stoic.
Dominic felt Rayna’s hands grip his arm and shake him as she tried to move out from the protective circle he’d enclosed her in against his back. “Bloody woods, Dominic, that’s Uncle Declan. Calm down.”
Wait, Uncle—oh…
Why the bloody woods had the man decided to sound so threatening for?
Dominic’s arm went slack around her, and she pushed out to stand beside him. “Hi, Uncle Declan,” she said with a smile and waved a dismissive hand at Dominic. “Sorry, just ignore him. He thinks he’s the saviour of the world.”
Dominic glared sideways down at the smirking little witch, while Declan Griffin grinned. “Is that so?” the older man said.
“My mistake for wanting to make sure a certain, trying woman remains unharmed, even after she refuses to accept that a man can and should protect her,” Dominic answered.
Rayna rolled her eyes like the audacious little nymph she was, then bent at the knees and fussed at the dog. “Hiya, Boris. Come here. Come on.”
The dog, Boris, shook his derriere and bounded for Rayna. He snaked around her legs with a whipping tail as she patted and praised him. And damn all of Neves, envy weaved through Dominic’s chest all over again.
“It’s very generous of you to worry for our Rayna, my lord,” Declan Griffin said, making his way over to them. “Though if anyone needs protecting, it is likely me from her.”
Rayna’s head flew up. “What?”
Declan’s chest shook with a soft chuckle. She stepped into his open arm and hugged him while Boris tried to squeeze between their legs.
“How are you, child?”
“Good, thanks. Was just showing Dominic around the stables. How are you?”
The older man narrowed his eyes at her closed fist with knowing amusement. “I’m sure that’s all you were doing.” Rayna grinned sheepishly and slid her hand behind her thigh. “And I’ve been well. My lovely Win would never allow me to be anything less than that.”
He then angled towards Dominic and lifted his dented hat in greeting. “Declan Griffin. It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Lord Norland.”
Boris rotated away from Rayna and inspected Dominic’s legs with curious sniffs as Dominic shook Declan’s offered hand.
“Likewise, Mr Griffin. And please call me Dominic,” he said and dropped an accusing glance on Rayna. “I have been stripped of my title as of recent.”
“Ah, I see,” Declan Griffin said, grinning. “Well, Boris and I apologise for startling you.” He looked to Rayna as she gently scratched Beast’s snout. “It’s just that this madam here has a tendency to sneak Beast an extra carrot or handful of grapes whenever my back is turned.”
The madam in question flashed a guilty, childlike grin at her uncle as Dominic stroked Boris’s head. “Only sometimes. And I grabbed these so I could introduce Beast to Dominic, so I’m not really the one giving Beast anything.”
Declan shook his head slowly like a father who was trying to stay mad but was failing awfully.
“Here.” Rayna held her closed fist out to Dominic, and he let her drop half a dozen grapes onto his palm. “Grapes are his favourite.”
An animal of his heart, Dominic thought. Grapes were his favourite too.
Beast buried his nose in Rayna’s empty palm, searching for the sweet treats she no longer held, as Boris nosed the back of Dominic’s hand, hoping they were for him.
“No, Beast,” she said and gently pushed the horse’s face away. “Go to Dominic. He’s got your grapes.”
With a few more words of encouragement, Beast plodded closer to Dominic and inspected his offering. The horse hoovered up four grapes before allowing Dominic to rub his nose.
“Hello, you wondrous creature,” he whispered to the horse.
“I was told you rear your own horses, Dominic,” Declan Griffin then said.
“I do. Jackel Thoroughbreds for racing. But I am intrigued to know more about Beast. He is a Cheronclyde, correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct. A powerhouse of a draft horse, but modern machinery means Beast here gets to frolic around to his heart’s content mostly.”
“As he should,” Rayna mumbled with Boris sitting between her legs.
Declan nodded towards the stable building. “I was about to bring both Beauty and Beast back in for a brush down, so why don’t you follow me, and we can keep the conversation going? And if you’re up for riding while you’re here, Dominic, we can get you better acquainted with the horses too.”
Dominic smiled at the older man. “I would greatly appreciate that, thank you.”