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"Are you saying I'm fat?"
"Hell no, woman I'm not blind. You are fit as a fiddle.”
I was slightly mollified by that.
"Well then, I will kindly ask you to mind your business. I am a grown woman, after all."
He shook his head.
"No darlin’, you're half grown."
"What the hell does that mean?"
He laughed at me like I was a puppy chasing it's own tail. It was clear he thought I was adorably harmless. That just made me madder.
I may have said an unladylike word or two. Under my breath of course.
"Such language."
He leaned back in his seat and observed me.
"You might be… physically mature,” he said, his eyes dancing down to my chest and back up again. I stiffened and glared to him. “But you have a lot of work to do up here."
He tapped my head softly. Then he brushed my hair back from my face and gripped my chin. He turned my face slightly, looking me over.
"But you've got loads of potential. In fact, I’d call you a diamond in the rough.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Gee thanks for the words of praise. Don’t be too effusive. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
He stared at me steadily as our food was served. I felt like I was in a staring contest. Or playing a game of cat and mouse.
I just wasn’t sure I was all that happy being the mouse.
“I’ll try to contain myself,” was all he said.
Chapter Five
Clint
The cicadas were humming outside while I stared at the ceiling, counting redheads. I lay flat on my bed, my arms behind my head and my ankles crossed, cowboy boots still on. I'd spent most of the night in the rocking chair on the front porch, deep in thought.
Deep crap was more like it.
Hell, I was in deeper than I’d ever been before.
I had one big mambajamba of a problem on my hands.
Phoenyx Delancey. Her attitude. Her age. Most of all, my overwhelming, come-hell-or-high-water attraction to her.
I’d never felt anything like it. Not even close.
I was like a damn stallion who scented a mare. Except I wasn't looking for a woman. I was working. I had a reputation to uphold, but that wasn’t the worst part. Her precious ass was my responsibility. I had to keep the girl safe. I couldn't go chasing her around the paddock, even if she was by far the finest filly I'd ever laid eyes on.
A pain in the ass, but a damn fine woman.
I'd noticed how she'd held her tongue at lunch. Well, kind of. As soon as I mentioned her manners, she'd clammed right up.
I smiled to myself, remembering how she'd stewed there, wearing wet jeans. Everyone knew wet jeans were uncomfortable as all get out. But I'd needed to gain the upper hand if this was going to work.
And I couldn’t help it if I liked knowing that she was thinking of me as those wet jeans pressed against her thighs. I liked it a lot.
I wanted her to remember today. Every time she felt like getting uppity, she'd remember the clammy feel of those jeans on her cute little bottom. Even just thinking about those curves made my John Thomas sit up and take notice.
She'd looked fine as hell, soaking wet or not.
It was a good thing I'd had a towel in my car.
Oh yes, I was going to tame Phoenyx Delancey and get her to the championship. Once she won that prize, I'd decide whether or not to act on my primal instincts. I just had to make it through the season without pouncing on her like a dog with a juicy steak. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was a grown man. I had discipline.
I had principles.
I also had a raging hard on with Phoenyx Delancey's name written all over it. All ten inches of it. I sighed, realizing I was just going to have to grin and bear it.
For now, I had work to do.
I was using the technique I'd read about. The sort some wild animal trainers subscribed to. I would get Phoenyx in line, no matter what it took.
Ignoring her bad behavior, reward the good.
Hell, I could think of about fifty ways I'd like to reward her.
Dang, just like that my mind was back in the gutter.
But as long as I could stick to the plan, I'd have her eating out of the palm of my hand. She'd been quiet and docile by the end of the meal, eating what I told her to, sitting up straight, thanking the waitress.
I was proud of what we'd accomplished already.
I was more ready to take her on in the arena. I couldn't let myself think of anything else past that. The way the sun shone on her hair. The way her eyes flashed when I annoyed her. The way her body moved with a feline grace that was the most naturally seductive thing I'd seen in my life…
