Page 12 of Mafia Heiress
“Are you going to explain?” I ask, hands folded in front of me.
“Fire is…well, she’s fire one minute and the next she’s ice. She’s all about what works for her and not others. She just needs the right rider. I honestly think you’ll do great together. We’ll work on it.”
I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes. Here I thought this was a kind gesture, something to help him win, but it seems like Fire has been dumped on me.
“She’s not mean or anything. You can definitely handle her, she’s stubborn is all,” Marcy says, grabbing a halter and lead off the hook near her stall and opening it up.
Fire turns and eyes Marcy as if she’s a speck on her hoof. Her head throws back when she approaches and I can’t help but laugh at the amount of time it takes her to get a halter on Fire.
Marcello stands back and lets me take the lead once Fire is on cross-ties. She eyes me up and down, same as I do to her. She’s pretty. Her chestnut coat glimmering in the low light. Her mane is the color of burnt sienna, giving her an odd two tone look. She’s got a white blaze down her nose and two socks to match.
I put my hand out and she doesn’t even flinch. In fact she looks like she’s taking my measure and seeing what I’ll do before she reacts. I rub along her nose and cup her cheek.
We’re eye-to-eye and I see myself inside her darkness, waiting for a chance to become friends. I pull out a peppermint and her nostrils flare. For the first time she breaks eye contact and nudges me with her nose.
I offer her the peppermint, palm up and she nibbles at it daintily. Smiling, I take out another one. By this time I feel the connection snap between us and I lean in to smell her coat.
She’s a short girl, only about fourteen hands, but it’s perfect for me. If I fall, the distance won’t be so long.
“You and me are gonna be attached at the hip,” I say, stroking her one last time before I turn back to Marcello. “Before we ride I’d like to get her in a paddock and join-up.”
He raised his eyebrows at me and smirks. “Didn’t think you’d know what that is, principessa.”
“Very funny. I did ride as a girl, you know. It wasn’t that long ago.”
“Are you sure?”
I hit him again, but he walks off leaving me with Fire and Marcy. The teen looks like she wants to say something really bad. “Go ahead.”
“What?” she asks, cheeks turning bright pink.
“You want to say or ask something. Go ahead.”
She fiddles with her fingers and pets Fire on her flank a few times before opening her mouth.
“Are you and Marcello a couple?”
I see the embarrassment there. The thought that she shouldn’t be asking, but has no control not to ask. I believe she has a crush on our FBI agent.
“We aren’t an official couple, but we are dating in a way.”
No need to lead the girl on. There is almost a twenty year difference between them. Marcello isn’t that guy, especially after he gave me his lawful speech. Something like that would definitely be breaking the rules.
“Oh. Yeah I can see that.” She ducks behind Fire again and goes into what looks like a tack room. Fire and I are finally alone.
I give her a rub all over, getting to know every inch of her. She’s everything I could have asked for. Her strong muscles ripple underneath my hand, her back sloped enough to hold me securely.
When I get back to her head, she gives me the perfect princess look. It’s like Fire was made for me. And I don’t think I could change her name. It’s as if she’s got the burning desire to rise to the top, just like me.
“Ready?” Marcello asks from behind me. I spin, taking the larger lead from him and clipping it to Fire’s harness. I snap off the cross ties and lead her out of the barn. She walks next to me, head bowed and comfortable in my grasp.
Marcello opens up a practice ring and we walk in before he closes the gate behind him. “I’m gonna stand in here with you. I’ll be at your back the whole time.”
“I’m not afraid of her if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Never said you were, but it would make me feel better.”
He touches the top of my arm and gives it a squeeze. I can feel the heat from his body, close to mine, and it’s doing all kinds of delicious things to me. I lean into him a little and he begins to massage my arm.
