Chapter 15 #2
“And they could give you what every guy wants. The very thing you were hoping for before I showed up,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
He shook his head, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. “I didn’t want that—until you brought up the voyeur thing. That was pretty damn hot, by the way, love. Why did you leave?”
She fiddled with Trixie’s mane, avoiding his gaze. “I’m not that experienced. I guess I just…”
“I didn’t expect you to join in, Shannon.” He reached out, his fingers brushing her jacket. “And just for the record, I sent them packing straight after you left. Nothing else happened. I tried to find you, but you’d vanished by the time I got downstairs.”
His smile scorched through her, a spark of dark desire igniting. With a subtle wink, he moved away, turned the tap and held the hose away, water spraying out in icy bursts.
“Can’t believe I lost the bet.” Jamie’s palm glided over Trixie’s hindquarters.
Shannon smirked. “Yeah, well, you should know I watched a poker tutorial last night.”
He raised a brow. “A tutorial?”
“Yep. A very professional one. So now I’m not just a winner, I’m a very dangerous opponent.”
Jamie chuckled, the sound low and teasing. “That’s bold talk, love.”
“It’s just facts,” she said, flicking a smile at him. “Seems I’ve got your number.”
He moved with ease and self-assurance, rinsing the mare’s legs.
“I like your confidence. But if we’re talking takedowns…” Jamie glanced up at her, eyes glinting. “I’ve got moves you haven’t seen yet. ”
Her breath hitched, heat pricking her skin, so she changed the subject fast.
“Looks like you’ve done this before?” she asked, her brow furrowing as she watched him work with a surprising focus.
Jamie gave her a sideways glance, the corner of his mouth twitching. “I have. Horses don’t lie, unlike self-taught poker players who claim they’re not into me.”
“I’m being serious, Jamie, not everyone knows how to act around a horse.”
“Like I said, I’ve had plenty of experience. Plenty of it.” He paused, holding the hose away from Trixie, letting the water pool on the ground.
A charged silence hung between them, and Shannon sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“How do you have so much experience with horses?” she asked, her voice softer now, filling the silence with words rather than heated stares.
“I own a few,” he said, his tone vague, like he was hiding something. How many is a few ? How had she not known this already?
“Really? How many?” she asked, pressing him.
Jamie’s gaze shifted back to her, the teasing edge still there. “About that bet, love. I owe you the cash. But you owe me too.”
“Really?” Her brows drifted skyward. “How do you work that out?”
“I asked for one night. You owe me that. I’m here to deliver and cash in,” he replied, his voice deep and gritty.
He was teasing her again, pushing her buttons, just like before. Last night had been confusing, thrilling, too, and ended with a hot shower and a self-release.
The quick orgasm hadn’t been as powerful as what she’d needed, and now he was here, making her clit throb with suggestions.
“If you weren’t holding Trixie, I’d hose you down too. I’d love to see you soaked again,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Again?” she whispered, tugging at the safety strap of her helmet, suddenly trapped under his gaze.
He stood there, eyes narrowed, radiating a mix of mischief and raw desire.
“Last night, watching them blow me turned you on. I know it did. I could see it. Your reaction is what pushed me over the edge… Just you.”
Shannon swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat spreading across her skin. His gaze settled on her every breath and studied the flush creeping up her throat.
“I need to untack Trixie now,” she said, her voice a little shaky, leading Trixie towards her stable. “Would you like some lunch?”
“Is there anywhere good to eat around here?” He bolted the stable door behind her as she led Trixie inside.
She slid the saddle off and placed it on the half-door, her eyes drifting up to meet his.
“Yeah, I know a great little place, not too far from here. It’s just up those steps.”
She gestured behind him toward the stone steps that ran along the side of the stable block .
“That’s my place, in the loft above the stables. I could make you a bacon sandwich?”
She tugged off her gloves, adding, “Nothing beats a bacon butty after a ride.”
A sexy dent appeared on his cheek as he ran his fingers through his thick hair. “You got smoked bacon and thick white bread?”
“Don’t insult me.” She smirked. “Of course I do.”
The smile that flashed across his face caught her off guard. He looked genuinely delighted.
“Eating a bacon butty with you is perfect.”
Shannon tugged off her helmet, yanking out the elastic tie from her hair and running her fingers through it, relieved to be out of the shadows. Flat hat hair was the absolute worst.
She had washed her hair that morning and hoped it wasn’t plastered to her head like a shower cap now. Her forehead probably showed a bright red imprint from the helmet, too.
Wonderful.
Trixie lowered her head, allowing Shannon to slide the bridle off and release the bit from her mouth. She drew the leather straps over her shoulder and reached up to scratch the horse behind the ear.
“Good girl.”
“She’s a beauty,” Jamie said, his voice low and appreciative.
“I’ve put everything into training her.” Shannon kissed her beloved horse on the cheek. “We’re together every single day. She’s the one who takes up all my time. ”
She glanced back over her shoulder at Jamie. “The horses are the pets I told you about.”
He nodded. “Guessed as much. You still need time for yourself, though.”
Leaning into Trixie, she whispered for her ears only, “Wish me luck, girl. Think I’ll need it with this guy.”
Jamie swung the door open and stepped back, a relaxed smile on his face. His eyes gleamed with something unreadable, and he radiated an energy that made her heart skip a beat.
“I’ll carry the saddle, love.” He hoisted it over his forearm, following her into the tack room that smelled of polished leather and hoof oil.
He placed the saddle on the rack above the bronze plaque that read, ‘VENATRIX.’
“Thanks,” she said, her gaze eating up the sight of him in her territory…somewhere he seemed to fit into with ease.
Turning around, Jamie’s gaze swept over the brick walls lined with hooks and draped in riding equipment. To his left, a tall steel bucket overflowed with riding crops and schooling whips.
He stood still for a beat, the silence stretching between them, his head tilted, and his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“I’m hungry,” he said, his voice low and urgent, coated with desire.
“Me too,” she murmured, her pulse going wild.
His eyes flicked to the riding whip Harry had bought at the show the day before, its handle pristine among the used ones cluttering the old milk canister.
Without a word, he grabbed it, his fingers sliding over the supple leather with a slow, thoughtful motion.
Her lashes fluttered, the sensation of his gaze and touch making her stomach tighten.
“It’s new,” she said as his nostrils flared.
A low growl rumbled deep in his chest.
“I like this one.” He let the whip dangle in his hand, his eyes never leaving hers. “Let’s take it upstairs.”