Page 39 of Lily In The Valley
She didn’t answer right away. I could feel her weighing how honest she wanted to be with me this morning. “So, you think you know me?” she finally asked.
“Yep,” I said without hesitation. “Including how uncomfortable it makes you knowing I’m right every time.”
She shifted, and I caught her gaze as she turned over.
Damn.
Golden light slid across her face, dancing in the curve of her cheekbones, the arch of her brow, the fullness of her lips. Her eyes were hazy and guarded but not closed off. Cautious. Like she was peeking through a crack in the door, deciding if it was worth stepping all the way in.
“I am comfortable,” she muttered, climbing over me and straddling my hips. I caught the flicker in her eyes. Her stare lingered too long on my chest before blinking it away. “Just not delusional.”
She was lying. I knew she wanted to stay like this, too. She was just too scared to admit it. I almost told her so. Instead, I pulled her close to my chest, inhaled behind her ear, smoothed my hand down her back, then smacked her ass with aPOW! She screamed and rolled off me. I stood before she had a chance to retaliate.
“Fuck, Khalil. That hurt,” she whined.
“Come on,” I said, tossing her a lazy grin as I stretched and walked to the bathroom. “We going horseback riding at ten.”
Her groan into the pillow was loud and dramatic. “You’re evil. I thought this trip was supposed to be a break.”
“It is,” I said, stepping back to where she lay tangled with the covers on the bed. I bent down and kissed her forehead, taking my time with it. “And that includes making sure you don’t havetime to work that big ass” I paused, grinning at the way she scowled back at me, “beautiful brain of yours. And then later, I’m going to lay that ass out like communion again.”
I flicked her nose and smacked her ass once again for good measure as I walked off, just to hear her half-heartedly spew a series of curses behind my name.
“And don’t you bring Jesus into this!” she shouted from the bed.
I just chuckled, the sound echoing in the bathroom, knowing full well He already knew.
The sky hada sharp blue hue desert mornings were famous for; so clear it almost looked fake. The wind was light but inconsistent, tugging at my sleeves like it couldn’t make up its mind. A stillness that didn’t sit right hovered in the air.
We walked along the path toward the stables, shoes crunching in the reddish sand. The red rock cliffs towered in the distance like quiet gods, and even the birds seemed to keep their songs low. When we reached the horses, she stopped short, her whole body stiffening.
“I’m just saying,” she hissed, adjusting her helmet like it was armor, her eyes locked in the black mare in front of her. “This horse does not fuck with me.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing but couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face. I was already on Leo, a laid-back chestnut who matched my energy too well. He didn’t spook, didn’t strain. Just stood there chewing the air and blinking like he had all the time in the world. My kind of dude.
“Come on, Dr. Reid,” I said, nodding toward her horse. “She just blinked.” I meant to soothe her nerves, but she whipped herhead toward me with that fire I loved a little too much. “Come back to me, Lily-girl.” She stood firm, standing off with the animal in front of her. “You want to switch?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I will not be outdone by a horse named Juniper. So, you can stop staring at me with your pretty-boy smile.”
I let the smirk bloom slow, giving her all teeth. “You think I’m pretty?”
“Boy, I will push you off that damn saddle.”
The guide stepped in to help her mount. I glared when his hand got too close to her lower back. He fixed that immediately. His partner gave us the standard safety rundown I barely heard. I focused on Kelly–the way her jaw clenched, the way her hands gripped the reins like the mare was a wild bull instead of a glorified house pet with hooves. Still, she got up there. Proud and slightly terrified. And I loved her for it.
The guide said something about terrain, maybe made a joke. I couldn’t lie, I laughed, but mostly to keep her from noticing the way the wind shifted again, sudden and strange. The brush swayed sideways, not forward. A gust cut through the valley like it had secrets.
We started riding. The horses moved slow, trailing each other along the dusty red trail, winding through sun-warmed brush and jagged hills. I let Leo lead a bit, glancing back every so often to check on Kelly. Her posture was tight at first, rigid like her body hadn’t decided whether to trust the animal. But after a few minutes, I saw her shoulders loosen. Her head tilted back slightly as she looked to the sky. She was breathing again.
I exhaled, too.
“This isn’t too bad,” she said behind me. “I could see how one would think this is peaceful.”
“Stop expecting chaos, pretty girl,” I called over my shoulder.
