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Chapter Ten
Splendor Orchard Farm, Bunkie, Louisiana...
Aria sat tall in the saddle as the chestnut stallion beneath her bucked and kicked, trying to unseat his rider. She moved with the horse, rising, and falling with each jump, keeping her balance, and sticking to the saddle like glue.
“You’ll have to do better than that, Thunder,” she cooed. “I survived two very powerful Dominants last weekend. You, little horsey, are childlike compared to them.”
The farmhands gathered around the corral, whooping and hollering encouragement as Aria rode out the horse’s tantrum.
“That’s it, girl, stick on him!” yelled one of the men.
Aria just grinned, filled with exhilaration, as Thunder continued to fight. She kept her hands light on the reins, not restricting the horse’s head too much as he tossed it angrily.
“Easy boy, easy,” she murmured to him as he crow-hopped across the arena, kicking up plumes of dust that glittered in the morning sunlight. Finally, Thunder slowed, his nostrils flaring as he blew hard, and his sides heaved with exertion. Aria gently stroked his sweaty neck.
“There now, that’s better,” she said soothingly as she nudged the stallion into an easy trot around the perimeter of the corral. The key to success was to keep him moving before he could think about another outburst.
Gradually, Thunder’s head lowered, and his trot smoothed out. He released a deep sigh as the will to fight left his body. Aria smiled and loosened the reins, giving the horse his head.
“Good boy,” she praised. The horse tossed his mane and flicked an ear back toward her, as if finally listening.
The farmhands whooped again as Aria walked the now-docile stallion around on a loose rein. Grinning at their cheers, she flushed at the success. The thrill of matching wills with the powerful animal thrummed in her veins. She might be a Mafiosi, but first and foremost, this was what she had always loved... living on the land, loving, and caring for animals.
An unexpected shudder rippled through her from head to toe as she experienced the sensation of being touched. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed Kevin and Keith leaning on the fence among the farmhands, watching her intently. Even from across the arena, Kevin’s golden gaze was the one that seemed to pierce right through her. An unwanted tremor unfurled through her body.
She quickly looked away as she busied herself with dismounting from Thunder, but she could still feel his eyes on her, probing her. It unsettled her because it felt like he had the knack to see past her defenses into the deep recesses of her mind that no one was allowed to breach. Her hands shook slightly as she began removing the saddle and forced herself to focus on the task. He was the only man who had managed to break through the icy resolve that she had firmly encased around her heart and soul.
Conflicting emotions warred within her. On the one hand, she hated the effect Kevin had on her—the way he made her feel weak and pliable, like putty in his hands. She had vowed never to let a man have that kind of power over her.
Yet, on the other hand... ever since their scene at Club Rogue, she yearned for his touch, his kiss. Craved the darkness and intensity she knew lay beneath his controlled exterior. He called to a secret part of her soul she had tried to bury long ago. What made it worse was she craved the comforting contrast Keith offered.
For fuck’s sake, woman! Get a grip. You’re not here for sex games or, worse, falling in love. She was startled at the thought. Where the hell did that come from?
Aria steeled herself as Kevin and Keith began walking their horses over, their boot heels crunching on the sandy arena floor. She could do this. She would not lose herself again. Straightening her spine, she turned to face them, her expression schooled into casual indifference.
“Morning, boys,” she greeted breezily, ignoring the warning flash in Kevin’s eyes. She suspected he didn’t like being called a boy. Suppressing the giggle bubbling up inside her was difficult, but she managed to curb it into a bright smile. “Enjoy the show?”
Kevin’s gaze remained inscrutable as he studied her. “You ride well, Ms. Aria Harper,” he surprised her by responding in an even calm voice.
Aria cringed as she realized how he could’ve come to know who she was. Clearly, they had come upon the team installing the gate at the border fence. She lifted her chin. It was bound to happen, but she had hoped it would’ve been after they had finished. At a guess, she suspected they’d found them before that happened.
“I wasn’t born into this life, but I’ve learned a thing or two over the years.”
She met Kevin’s eyes unflinchingly, willing her inner turmoil not to show. The war inside her raged on, but outwardly, she was composed. She would not let these men get to her, no matter their skills in domination. She had her own power, and it was time they recognized that.
“Hmm... I’m curious. Exactly what world were you born into, Ms. Harper,” Kevin countered with a raised eyebrow. His arms were slung lazily across his chest. She didn’t know which one posed the biggest threat... him or his stallion, who, like his owner, stared at her unblinkingly. She suspected that should she reach out to stroke his nose, he might just nip off a finger.
“Good morning to you, too,” she said to Keith, choosing to ignore Kevin’s question. Having a serious one-on-one on who she was definitely wasn’t on her agenda for the day. That their unexpected appearance ruffled her feathers didn’t sit well with her. She liked to be prepared, but it was her own mistake. They were her neighbors; she’d found that out the first day she’d set foot on the farm and had known they could pitch up at any time.
