Chapter Forty Seduction
Chapter Forty
Seduction
T
he music shifts from twangy country to a heavy bass remix, the kind that hits low and pulls at your hips. String lights flicker overhead, stretching in lines across the barnyard, casting everything in a soft amber glow as dusk deepens into night.
Arina catches my eye, her grin matching mine, and without saying a word we both drift toward the music.
King follows close, his hand already sliding around her waist, while Cairo slips up behind me, his palm finding my hip like it’s meant to be there.
Saint lingers a step back, drink in hand, his gaze never straying far.
The four of us blend into the crowd, bodies moving with the rhythm. I let my arms lift, feeling the pulse of the song move through me, my body swaying with Cairo pressed against my back.
Arina’s glowing, her hat tipped low as she spins into King, his grip firm on her waist. Their laughter carries, drawing whistles from the people nearby.
I have no idea where she learned to dance like that.
She’s matching his moves perfectly, like they’ve been practicing in secret or something.
I’m just relieved Cairo isn’t out here trying to toss me around—I’ve got two left feet on a good day.
Maybe that’s why Saint stayed seated, he probably can’t dance either.
As if thinking about him summoned him, he steps off the fence, moving toward me with a unhurried confidence that makes my pulse trip.
His caramel eyes look richer, almost molten under the amber glow.
And within seconds, he’s at my side. “Don’t get too lost in the music, baby,” he murmurs, his breath ghosting over my ear.
“I like watching you…” His lips hover at the curve of my neck, close enough to make me shiver.
“…but I like having you more.”
My lips part, the weight of his words lingering even as I turn back into the rhythm with Cairo. His heavy hands loose on my hips as we move to the beat. I laugh, letting him spin me once, boots scuffing against the dirt as the beat carries us.
But when I turn, Saint’s eyes catch mine again.
My smile holds, but my pulse jumps—a deep flutter spreading everywhere as his words replay in my head.
He’s closing the distance again, the crowd shifting instinctively around him.
His hand slips into mine, easing me from Cairo’s grip, guiding me through the bodies until the lights and music fall away.
We stop near a fence farther away, lining where the horses graze, silhouettes cutting against the streaks of the sunset.
Saint leans against the wooden rail, his drink hanging from one hand.
The pink and orange colors hit his chest through the open straps of his overalls, the muscles under his tattoos flexing with every breath.
My eyes trace the sweat-slick line of his chest, following the dip of muscle until it disappears into his jeans, making me remember what else he’s hiding under there. When I finally drag my gaze back up, his smirk is waiting for me—cocky and knowing, fully aware of every second I spent staring.
“Can’t help yourself, huh?” he says, his deep voice sending a slow rush of heat from my cheeks straight between my legs.
I shrug, lips curling. “You wore that on purpose.”
He chuckles. “Maybe I did.” His thumb traces the inside of my wrist, sending sparks racing through me. “Didn’t think I’d ever get you away from him.”
I tilt my head, lips curving. “Took you long enough—for a second I thought you’d never come get me.”
He grins, lifting his glass and taking a slow sip—eyes locked on mine like he’s already peeling me open.
“Oh, so you want me to chase you?” he says, voice lazy, yet confident.
“You should’ve just said that, pretty. But I’ll warn you now…
” His smile sharpens. “You better be ready for when I catch you—because I will catch you.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. But let’s not pretend you don’t already know,” I say, pressing my back to the fence, the rough wood biting lightly into my skin as I hold his gaze.
His grin tilts wickedly. “We’ll see about that,” he murmurs. His gaze drags down my body and back up again. “Because watching you ride that bull earlier…” His tongue flicks across his teeth. “Let’s just say it stirred up a few things.”
My brows lift, pretending to play it cool, even as heat creeps up my neck. “Mmm… is that so?”
“The way your ass bounced every time it threw you around…” His tongue sweeps across his bottom lip, biting it gently, eyes darkening with lust. “Had me remembering how those thighs felt wrapped around me. And how long you’ll hold on before you beg me to stop next time.”
The words hit deep, straight to the pulse beating between my legs. I can’t stop the smile tugging at my lips. “I think you know, I’ll only be begging to come—not begging you to stop,” I say, grabbing his cup from his hand taking a sip.
I don’t know where all this confidence is coming from. Maybe it’s because I’ve already been put on display in front of half the party, or maybe it’s my third drink talking. Either way, I’m not mad at the results.
He chuckles, eyes narrowing in excitement.
“I like the Jainey with a few drinks in her, maybe I need to get you tipsy more often.” He takes a step closer to me taking the drink out of my hand mid-drink.
“I bet that pussy getters wetter too huh? I just want to rip those shorts off of you right now and let everyone know this pussy is mine.”
I tilt my head, letting the smirk linger. “And what makes you think I wouldn’t like that?”
His eyes darken, the shift so sharp it steals the breath from my chest. “I don’t care if you would like that—it’ll never happen as long as I’m alive.”
“Okay, Daddy,” I tease, even though my pulse skips. “You’re very protective for a girl you just met.”
He huffs out a low laugh. “For now… I don’t plan on you being just a girl… despite you pretending you only want to have fun.” His gaze drags over me. “When certain things—or certain people—show up in your life, you realize they’re there either to teach you something… or because they matter.”
He leans in, voice dropping to something that feels too real. “And you, Jainey? You’re no lesson. I see that clear as day. Even though you try to hide behind that cute little attitude…” His fingers tap my chin, lifting it. “It’s all a front, sweetheart. I see right through you.”
The horses shift nearby, their hooves scraping softly against the dirt, as if they can feel the charge buzzing between us. “Come on,” he says, voice lower now. “Let’s ride. Before I forget we’re in public and you actually get your wish.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “It’s been years since I’ve been on a horse.”
“All the more reason,” he says, finishing his drink in one smooth motion before setting it aside. His fingers find mine again. “You just road a mechanical bull, and you’re telling me you’re afraid of a horse. “Come on, pretty. I’ll make sure you don’t fall on that sexy ass of yours.”
My heart skips, but I still roll my eyes, smiling. “I said it’s been years… not that I’m scared. But if I break my neck, that’s on you.”
He laughs, the sound low and rich, tugging me toward the gate. “Good to know you think I’d ever let that happen, pretty.”
Leading us through the gate, Saint’s hand stays intertwined with mine until we approach a horse.
I slide my foot into the stirrup, gripping the saddle horn as I swing myself up.
For a second, muscle memory takes over—the weight of the reins, the shift of the horse beneath me—it all comes back faster than I expect.
It’s similar to the bull but very much alive.
But I don’t tell him that.
Saint mounts like its second nature, overalls hugging his body like they were tailored just for him. He glances over, lips twitching into a grin. “Well, well,” he drawls, guiding his horse closer. “You look like a pro. Part of me didn’t think you’d be able to get up there yourself.”
I smirk, nudging my horse forward a little. “Some things you don’t forget how to ride.”
His grin deepens, his gaze dragging down my body before finding my eyes again. “Yeah,” he says, voice dipping low. “Some things you don’t forget.”
He gives his horse a light kick, and it shoots forward with a snort and a burst of speed. “Think you can keep up, pretty?” he calls, his smug grin audible in his voice.
I laugh, heels digging in as my horse surges after him. “Try me!”
The world blurs around us as we race across the open field, the ground trembling beneath the gallop of hooves.
The wind whips through my curls, stinging my cheeks as laugh from somewhere deep and free.
The ranch behind us fades—music, chatter, lights—all replaced by the rush of air, the pulse in my veins, and Saint’s silhouette just ahead of me under the amber sky.
He slows near a tall oak at the far edge of the property, its branches stretching wide like an umbrella against the fading sky. I pull up beside him, both of us breathless and grinning, the horses huffing and pawing at the dirt beneath us.
“Not bad,” he says, leaning forward on his saddle, that cocky grin flashing in the low light. “Didn’t think you’d actually give me a run for my money.”
I laugh, pushing my hair back from my face. “Guess you don’t know me that well.”
It’s quieter out here—peaceful in a way that feels almost like the fairytale I used to dream about, before stupid boys stomped it into the dirt. Makes me think… if the right person ever does come along, am I even capable of letting them in? Or did I let too many wrong ones break me?
We sit under the tree, the last of the sunset bleeding pinks and shades of oranges and gold across the horizon.
Just me, Saint, and the steady rhythm of our horses breathing in sync.
When I glance at him, he’s already looking at me—his soft caramel eyes, unreadable, but full of that same heat that never really goes away when we’re together.