Page 14 of Saddle and Bound

Damn, I swear the whole world just stopped spinning. This smile, soft and shy, it’s entirely mine. It’s the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen, and hell, I can’t get enough of it. I want more. Endless more.

"I like it," she says simply.

Damn it… this is my downfall.

I should’ve known that Rosalie Thorne would be nothing but trouble.

I help her mount, trying to ignore the electric shock I feel when my hands touch her waist. Once in the saddle, Rosie looks a bit uncertain, but determined.

"Okay, princess," I say, taking Storm's reins. "Hold on tight. Let's go for a ride."

I guide Storm out of the corral and towards the fields. The sun is fully rising now, painting the sky pink and gold. Rosie looks around in wonder, and for a moment I forget to breathe. She's... beautiful.

"So," Rosie says, bringing me back to reality. "This is your big revenge? A dawn ride?"

I laugh. "Oh no, princess. This is just the beginning."

With a fluid movement, I jump into the saddle behind her. Rosie startles, surprised by my sudden closeness.

Did I already mention I’m an idiot who makes stupid decisions? Because if I haven’t, let me just put that out there again.

If she flinches, barely noticeable, my reaction isn’t anywhere near as subtle. I don’t know if she realizes it, but my heart picks up speed, my breath catches, and I forget how to inhale properly. My palms start to sweat, and when I finally manage to suck in some air, it carries the faintest hint of roses.

That scent… it’s so intoxicating, so perfectly elegant, it feels like it was made just for her.

I have to know what it is. I need to find out, so I can turn it into my own personal addiction.

But for now, all I can do is pretend I’m indifferent, like I’m a completely normal human being.

Thank God she’s got her back to me right now and can’t see my face.

Unfortunately, that means I have a perfect, breathtaking view of her ass. So damned perfect that I have to focus every ounce of willpower not to accidentally brush against her, considering how hard I am right now. Harder than stone, and there’s no saving me.

"What are you doing?" she asks, her voice a bit higher than usual.

"Teaching you how to ride," I respond, my chest pressed against her back. "Unless you're afraid of being this close to me."

I feel Rosie stiffen, then deliberately relax. "Afraid? Of you? In your dreams, cowboy."

I smile, even though she can't see me. "Good. Then, hold on tight."

With a slight kick of my heels, I urge Storm into a gallop. Rosie lets out a small cry of surprise, then starts laughing. The sound of her laughter, mixed with the noise of Storm's hooves, creates a melody that makes me wish to never stop.

As we gallop across the fields, with the dawn surrounding us and Rosie in my arms, I realize that this "revenge" might not have gone exactly as I had planned. But somehow, I can't bring myself to be sorry about it.

Chapter 8

Alex

The sun hangs high as we return to the stables, its warmth a stark contrast to the cool morning air we left behind. I steal a glance at Rosie, noticing a newfound radiance in her eyes that she's trying desperately to conceal.

"Well, princess," I say, dismounting Tempest with practiced ease, "ready to admit that horseback riding isn't the torture you imagined?"

Rosie struggles slightly as she dismounts, pointedly ignoring my offered hand. Her eyes flash with defiance as she retorts, "Don't flatter yourself, cowboy. I'd still take a good book over this equine misadventure any day."

"Is that so?" I can't help but smirk. "And here I thought I caught you smiling out there in the fields."

"Must have been a heat-induced hallucination," she quips, but I don't miss the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

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