Chapter 6
Shannon
She pulled back so his fingers slid off hers, their powerful connection fading.
Jamie was fogging her thoughts, pulling her focus away from the things that mattered.
“Nah.” She shook her head. “I’ve got it sorted.”
“I’m sure you do.” He drummed his fingers on the table, as if he needed something to do with his hands. “You seem very capable.”
Her brow furrowed. “Capable?”
“Yeah... Feisty.”
“I can look after myself, if that’s what you mean?”
Jamie’s eyes glinted with playful challenge. “Maybe you should let someone else show you what it’s like to be taken care of.”
Shannon raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you think you’re that someone, huh?”
She’d lived alone for years. That’s how things had worked since she’d moved into the loft at the Meadow Dawn stables, and she was fine with it.
But then there were moments like this one when her body betrayed her. The heat, the tension, the hunger that twisted deep inside her.
She didn’t want to acknowledge the flutters, but they were undeniable. A wave of unstoppable desire had awakened within her.
And the thought of using someone like Jamie to satisfy the ache was tempting. Despite her urges, there weren’t enough hours in the day for fun.
If Niall rode Trixie, he’d set back their training by weeks. Maybe months. The ride would turn into nothing more than a punishment for the horse because Niall couldn’t ride for shit.
Jamie’s grin widened. “I don’t think. I know .”
Shannon let out a small, breathy laugh, looking away to regain her composure.
Ignoring the glowing screen of her phone, she focused on the mammoth-sized burgers that arrived at the table.
The sight of them gave her the perfect excuse to create an invisible boundary around herself.
“It’s huge!” Shannon gasped. “I can’t wait to tuck into this bad boy.”
Jamie laughed, a quick, genuine burst of amusement. “All the girls say that.”
“You’re so full of yourself.”
He shrugged, unbothered. “It’s not my fault, if that’s what they all say. ”
“Ah, but do they mean it?” she teased, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.
He leaned in, voice low. “How about you decide for yourself?”
Her mouth quirked as she lifted the burger to her lips. “It’s okay, Jamie. I’ll take the word of the hundreds of women who’ve already seen it.”
He flashed that blistering smile, the heat from it sizzling across her skin. “I’m always happy for you to make your own assessment.”
Shannon opened her mouth and sank her teeth into the fresh brioche bun. A soft moan hummed in the back of her throat as the savoury, beefy flavours exploded in her mouth.
She chewed, savouring the bite, then licked her lips and flicked her gaze up to his.
He wasn’t eating. His back was ramrod straight and his hands rested at either side of his plate, clenched into fists.
His dark eyes seemed to shadow something darker, as if his thoughts had drifted into dangerous territory.
“Not hungry?” She dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
He cleared his throat, eyes still locked on her. “I didn’t realise I could get so turned on by watching someone eat a burger.”
Shannon’s mouth snapped shut. Her stomach fluttered, but she couldn’t let him see that.
He grinned, the cheeky dimple on his right cheek deepening. “Please…do continue. ”
She set the napkin back on her thighs, smoothing it across her lap.
“I wasn’t trying to put on a show,” she murmured, though she couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips.
He leaned forward. “Sorry, love. I asked you to lunch so we could get to know each other. Please finish your meal. I’ll keep myself in check. For now.”
He collected his burger with his long fingers, a wicked grin spreading across his face when Shannon dared to peek up.
A soft laugh bubbled in her throat. “I thought you invited me to lunch as a thank you?”
“The food’s the thank you,” he said around a mouthful. “But I want to see you again. Get to know you better…in other ways.”
His grin widened, playful yet taunting. “If you’re curious, we can get a suite for the evening.”
Shannon’s breath caught, her pulse spiking as the words sank in. She fought to steady her nerves, but the heat in his eyes had heat creeping up her neck.
The suggestion hung in the air like smoke. Warmth coiled low in her stomach, an ache of desire becoming harder to ignore.
“Bold offer,” she replied. She lifted her glass, taking a long sip. “But I don’t fall into bed with guys that easily.”
“Is that so? Well, I wouldn’t want you to fall, love. Just know once you do give in…you won’t want to stop.”
His gaze dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes.
“You know, I’m not just talking about the vanilla stuff. I’m talking about something deeper. Maybe pushing you to your limits. I can tell you’d like a man who knows what he wants. How far would you let me take you?”
His words hit like a shockwave, making Shannon’s pulse thrum faster. The edge of danger in his voice, mixed with the playful hint of something darker, stirred a primal response deep inside.
She leaned back, swallowing hard.
“I’m not your typical type, Jamie,” she said, her voice a little shakier than she’d like. “I’m not up for being tamed.”
Jamie smirked. “Oh, I don’t want to tame you. I love that you’re wild. I just want to see how much you’re willing to give…and how much you can take.”
Her lips quirked into a half-smile. “I’m curious…is offering yourself up on the first date your usual move, or is that just how you like to break the ice?”
Jamie’s eyes sparkled with amusement, his smirk widening. He leaned back in his seat, tapping his fingers on the table.
“First date, huh?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m flattered you’ve already thought about our next one. You think I’m forward, but I’ve found that getting straight to the point has its perks. I don’t like wasting time, especially when I know what I want.”
His gaze wandered from her lips to her eyes and lower, the unspoken challenge still hanging in the air. “But I’m happy to take it slow with you.”
He gave her a wolfish grin, one that seemed to reach across the table and coil itself around her insides. “Your face is so pretty, especially when you blush.”
She broke eye contact, looking anywhere other than at him, her cheeks flushing hotter than ever.
“Shannon…” He tilted his head to catch her eye while chewing. “How about dinner sometime? Just us. No games. No expectations.”
“Oh, really?” She raised an eyebrow and popped a few skinny fries into her mouth. “Sure you could handle that? Sounds like a lot of self-control for a guy like you.”
“I’m serious,” he said, his eyes steady and intent on her.
Her heartbeat quickened as a warning bell rang in her mind. The idea of seeing him again was tempting, but the echo of her past darkened her thoughts.
“Look, I meant what I said, Jamie. My schedule is full.”
A knowing smile tugged at his lips. “I’m tight on free time myself, love, but everyone needs to let off steam, right? We deserve to have fun.”
“I have fun,” she fibbed.
Niall’s trigger-happy temper flashed through her mind.
Mistakes were lessons not to be repeated by fools. Niall had been one of those mistakes, and she had a sinking sense that Jamie could be an even bigger one.
“Tell me what, or who, takes up your spare time? Who do you have fun with?” Jamie bit into his burger, unaware of the storm brewing inside her .
There was no way she’d admit to this mega-hot guy that she rode horses.
At school, the city kids had thought she was a strange, out-of-place weirdo. They poked fun at her, inventing silly horsey names to taunt her in the corridors.
None of them understood the drive and focus that burned in her belly.
Horseback riding wasn’t just a hobby. Training a horse from a wild, unruly animal into a well-behaved, first-place rosette winner was a thrill.
And to top it all off, she’d used horses she didn’t even own.
She shrugged. “I just help a friend with his pets.”
Jamie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Pets?”
“Yeah,” she replied, her voice light, hoping he wouldn’t press it further. “And you? What takes up all of your time, Jamie?”
“My businesses. I dabble here and there, working pretty much twenty-four-seven.” He sighed, leaning back in his seat. “I’m in property with my brother, Marcus. It’s pretty full-on, so I have to make time for the fun stuff, or I’d lose my mind. I also have a few businesses of my own.”
Shannon took a slow sip of her drink, glancing at him over the rim. “And your dad, does he always walk off?”
For a split second, his expression flickered, the charm fading as a shadow crossed his features.
The playful ease he’d worn slipped away, leaving something raw behind.
“I have to deal with it every damn day,” he muttered, pushing his plate aside. “Sometimes, I just need to get away from him. Remember the man he used to be.”
He scrubbed a hand through his hair and sighed. “He hasn’t changed that much, but he forgets…gets confused and angry sometimes.”
Shannon dipped a fry into ketchup, taking a moment to chew as she gathered her thoughts. “It must be tough.”
“It’s life, love. You gotta ride the highs because the lows are fucking brutal.” He half-smiled, folding his arms across his chest, eyes steady on hers.
Her silly heart fluttered, leaping up to her ribs, desperate for a closer look at the raw honesty in his eyes.
The urge to lunge across the table, to press her nose against his neck and inhale every last drop of his intoxicating cologne, hit her out of nowhere.
But just as quickly, the repeated glow of her mobile phone screen caught her attention again.
She swiped away Niall’s latest rant without reading it, the frustration already settling in her chest.
Glancing at her plate, the half-eaten burger and fries remaining were an afterthought now.
She sighed and her leg jiggled beneath the table as her slow-burning temper made her antsy.
“I’m finished. Thanks for the food,” she said, pushing the plate aside. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll use the ladies before I head out. It’s a long bus ride home.”