Page 64 of Embers of You
“Hold onto her mane, right here.” I take her hand in mine and move it up to the base of Sandy’s mane to hold it there. “And this hand holds onto the saddle.” I step up behind her, our bodies almost completely flush, sliding my hands down herarms, over her sides, and settling them on her hips. I speak directly into her ear, “I’m going to lift you up and you’re going to swing your leg over. I got you.”
Sutton nods subtly, and I take that as my cue to lift her while she pulls herself up and swings her leg easily before settling in the saddle. “How do I look?”
Like mine.
“Like you were born to be in a saddle. Comfortable?”
She adjusts slightly, holding onto the horn to help keep her balance. “Yeah, please don’t make her run.”
“Trust me, Sandy wants to run just as much as you want her to, if not less.”
I pony her around the arena slowly, and I can tell she gets more and more comfortable as time goes on when Sandy doesn’t do anything crazy. After a few minutes she even asks to hold the reins. I hand them to her, staying close by as she guides Sandy around the arena herself.
“So when am I going to learn how to barrel race like you?” she jokes.
“Maybe try trotting her around before we step it up to barrels,” I tease, knowing Sandy wouldn’t trot even if she asked and that working up to barrel racing takes more than a day.
“No, I’m good with this pace for now.”
And I’m good with whatever pace she wants.
CHAPTER 31
Sutton
After ridingSandy for a little while, I don’t feel worried about her taking off underneath me anymore. I can tell how sore my thighs are going to be from squeezing so tightly and working muscles that have rarely worked. I get off the horse with Jameson’s help, the warmth of his hands burns through my clothes as he helps me down. I go to remove his hat from my head, but he stops me.
“Keep it on for now.” He winks, taking Sandy’s reins and guiding her out of the arena.
“You know, I’ve heard something before about a cowboy and his hat.” I follow him into the barn.
“Yeah? What’s that?” I hear the humor in his tone.
“You know.” I shrug.
“No, I think you need to enlighten me.” He looks back at me with a grin.
“It’s like a claiming thing or something,” I look around for the dogs, regretting saying anything.
“Or something.” Jameson chuckles while getting the saddle and everything off Sandy. He walks her over to another spot and takes the rope attached to her halter, looping it through a metal ring and then tying a knot that looks extremely elaborate.
“You really are a cowboy, aren’t you?”
“Hardly,” he breathes, humorously.
“The hat, the horses, the rope. All signs point to a classic cowboy to me.”
He looks at the rope he just tied, then up to me. “That’s nothing.”
I raise an eyebrow at him.
He moves closer, crowding me against the stall door. I look up into his eyes, the blue has darkened the same way they did when he was at my house. The day he touched me. The day I’ll never be able to forget because of how good he made me feel. And with the way he’s against me right now, my body responds immediately. My heart rate quickens and my thighs squeeze together, especially when my back hits the stall and Jameson leans toward me with his hands pressed against the wood.
“I could use some of this rope on you, make sure you couldn’t run away from me again.”
I suck in a quick breath. My bodyreallylikes the sound of that. “W-Why?” I manage to squeak out the single word. It’s the only word I’m able to say, even though the word I should be saying is, “yes.”
“I could tie you up, and leave you here for hours. Edging you for as long as I want until you don’t think you could take anymore. Then I would keep going and only let you come when I think you’re desperate enough to deserve it.”
