Chapter Seventeen
Hallie
Madrid, Spain
One month later
“Girls’ night!” Sage hollered the minute I opened the hotel door.
I whooped when I saw she was holding a bottle of champagne. “Come in!” I said, and Sage stepped forward but slapped her hand over her eyes. “What the hell are you doing?” I asked in confusion when she smacked her shoulder on the doorframe.
I shut the door as she said, “Just making sure I wasn’t walking into a sexfest and a naked boss in your bed.” Sage lowered her hand. “Actually, on second thought . . .”
I pushed Sage and then dragged her into the living area of the hotel suite. As always, Knighton had put us up in the most insane five-star hotel. At this rate, I’d never be able to stay in normal accommodations again.
“You’re such an idiot,” I said, and Sage waggled her eyebrows.
“Mr. Bite-on-This-Bit not back yet?” she asked.
I held back my laugh. Sage just loved the details of our first night in the trailer.
“No, he gets here later tonight,” I said.
Jasper had been back at Golden Oaks for five days now.
He’d had meetings and returned home to check on things.
We could have gone too, as we had a few days before the next competition, but Sage and I had decided to come to Spain early and have some downtime relaxing in the sun.
Leon was here looking at some horses, and Atticus was around too, though we hadn’t seen much of him.
Sage bopped my nose. “You’ve caught the sun, Hals,” she said. “Your freckles have popped out on your nose and cheeks.” Today, we had lain in the sun by the hotel pool for hours. After the nonstop craziness of the tour, it felt heavenly. Next up was a night on the town.
Sage popped the champagne and I grabbed two glasses. She filled them to the top. “To kicking the rest of this tour’s ass!” Sage said, and I burst out laughing.
“Sage! Shut up! You’ll jinx us!”
“Fuck off! No, I won’t, we’ve got this.” She clinked my glass with hers.
Shaking my head, I drank too. Sage pulled out her phone and checked her email.
“Your lover boy came through for us and booked a VIP table at the best club in town.” Sage winked.
“It’s freakin’ great having friends in high places. ”
“It is . . .” I said, cautiously, waiting for whatever joke she would add next.
“And certain low places,” she added, licking her lips salaciously.
“There it is,” I said dryly. Sage sat on the bed and laughed, finishing her champagne in one go.
“You might wanna go easy on that, lady,” I said as Sage poured herself another.
Her hand froze and she stopped her pour. “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea,” I said, in disbelief that I would ever say such a thing, and held out my glass. “I think I’ve been spending too much time around Leon.”
“There’s no trainer here tonight, Hals. We’re free! And we have two whole days to recover from our hangovers. We’re golden,” Sage said, and we sank the bottle in ten minutes.
When the front desk called to tell us our car had arrived, I wobbled getting to my feet.
“Whoa,” I said as I steadied myself on the coffee table, and Sage laughed at me like I was a world-class comedian.
We were in that glorious place between being absolutely trashed and sober, and thinking about my life—my career, doing it alongside my best friend and, of course, Jasper—everything felt pretty damn perfect.
I stumbled to the mirror and smoothed my hand down my black-halter-top mini dress and my black cowboy boots with the pink accents.
“You look fucking hot!” Sage said and smacked my ass.
She was dressed in a strapless bright-red jumpsuit that made her blond hair look impossibly bright.
Besides fancy dinners, I couldn’t remember the last time we had dressed this way.
Horse girls got used to grass stains on our riding gear and mud on our faces.
“You look awesome too,” I said, and grabbing our purses, Sage linked arms with me as we jumped on the elevator. We stumbled through the foyer, and the doorman helped us into the back seat of our car.
As soon as the car pulled away, a text lit up my phone.
Jasper: On flight now. Will be there soon. Get that pussy ready. I have a pair of handcuffs with your name on them.
“Fucking hell,” Sage said, and I looked up from my phone to see her reading the message.
“Nosy much!” I said, and pulled my phone away while trying to stop my body from igniting in flames at just the thought of Jasper tying me up. It was something we did often, and I had zero complaints.
Sage fanned herself with her hand. “Hallie, what kind of freak have you unleashed in Mr. Prim and Proper, and how do I find a clone?”
I laughed, and Sage busied herself with grabbing another bottle of champagne that had been provided for us by the car company. As she poured our glasses, I replied to the text.
Me: I’ll be ready and waiting.
I posed for a selfie, making sure it was a full body shot showing my short dress and boots, and fired it off. Only seconds later, Jasper texted back.
Jasper: Angel . . . fuck . . . you look incredible.
I smiled when he added:
Jasper: It’s a good job I’m not out with you tonight. I would murder anyone that even turned their head your way.
Me: That shouldn’t make me hot, but my nipples just got hard.
Jasper: Stop, or I’ll be hiding my hard-on from the flight crew.
I clenched my thighs together and fought back a moan.
Jasper: Have a good night and behave. I’ll be waiting for you later.
“You done?” Sage asked, and thrust a glass of champagne under my nose.
I flopped back on the seat behind me. “That man has me under his thumb.”
“And frequently wrapped around his dick, if the moans coming from your suites are any indication.”
Panic suddenly rushed through me. I snapped my head to Sage.
She burst out laughing. “I’m joking!” she said and cackled some more.
“I swear, I haven’t heard a thing.” She shrugged.
“When you told me y’all’s relationship was staying a secret, I didn’t believe y’all could do it.
But it seems you have.” Sage clinked her glass with mine. “Kudos.”
I smiled, but my heart stuttered a beat in disappointment. Nothing had changed for us, but the letters were still coming for Jasper. Thankfully, there’d been no new incidents of late; the amount Jasper was spending on security must have been eye watering.
No one had found anything out about us, which was good. But sometimes, in my dreams for the future, I wish we were able to be open. The number of times I’d had to still my hand as I went to push his hair from his face or simply kiss him before I jumped in a competition.
But I’d rather have Jasper this way than not at all.
“Hals, we’re here.” Sage’s voice broke me from my melancholy, and I looked outside to see a massive club with a line of people waiting to get in. It wrapped around the block. Thank God for VIP tickets.
Sage took my hand when we exited the car, and she showed the email to the doorman. Our security followed behind us, but far enough away to not be our shadows.
Electronic dance music slammed into our ears as soon as we walked down the hall that led to the VIP section. The minute we arrived in the lounge, we were assigned a table and bottles of every liquor imaginable were laid out for us, along with every kind of mixer and, of course, champagne.
My eyes brightened when they landed on my favorite tequila. “LALO!” I shouted over the heavy rhythmic beat and poured a shot for me and Sage.
“You can take the girl outta Texas . . .” she said and winked as we picked up a lime segment each and sprinkled salt on our hands.
“To handcuffs!” Sage toasted and I stopped myself from smacking her.
I rolled my eyes and knocked back the tequila. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to remember all things Texas. Until Sage grabbed my hand and said, “Dance floor, now! This girl needs her pussy pounded, and I’m done with DIY.”
“I did not need that visual, Sage,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Says the cowgirl who’s saddle sore from too much cock,” she retorted. I swear, I was going to wire her jaw shut. But I couldn’t disagree with what she was saying. Jasper was insatiable. Again, no complaints from my corner.
“Ladies,” a voice interrupted. Atticus stood before us, dressed in his signature all-black. His dark hair was stylishly tousled, and I wondered whether God had sent the Knighton men to womankind as an apology for the many douchebags they had to endure daily.
I went to say hello when I caught his smirk. Great. He’d heard my loudmouth friend. “Zinc oxide is good for saddle sores, Hals. I’m sure I know someone who could rub it on for you.” Atticus checked his watch. “I think he lands in an hour.” Then the bastard winked.
“Thanks for the advice, Atticus,” I said dryly.
He nodded, then his attention dropped to Sage.
She was looking at the dance floor over his shoulder.
She’d gone from arguing with him at the drop of a hat to seeming completely indifferent to his presence.
Anything Atticus said that once would have triggered Sage’s usual fire now just slid off her like Teflon.
He was good at hiding his disappointment, but the slight sagging of his shoulders and his fake happy-go-lucky grin were a dead giveaway.
Sage pulled on my arm. “We’re going to dance,” I said. “You coming?” I flinched when Sage dug her nails into my hand.
“No, but thank you,” he said, and pushed past us to the lounge.
Sage watched him go from the corner of her eye but then dragged me through the crowd until we reached the center of the dance floor.
Green laser lights flickered over the massive room and a crowd of bodies moved around us to the beat.
I smiled and let the alcohol and music carry me away.
Lost to the freedom, I felt like I didn’t open my eyes until Sage’s mouth met my ear. “I need a drink!”