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“I’m the best,” he said, and then a slight smirk touched the corner of his lips.
I fought against staring at those lips. Fantasizing about Blaise Hughes’s mouth was never going to be a good idea.
I placed a hand on my hip and turned slightly toward Saxon but kept my eyes on Blaise. “Saxon can teach me just fine. I don’t need the best. It’s not like I plan on becoming a jockey.”
“No,” was Blaise’s immediate response. The almost-teasing glint in his eyes vanished, and there was a warning there now.
“He’s right,” Saxon said quickly before I could respond. “Blaise is a great teacher. You’ll learn quicker from him.”
It was the tone in Saxon’s voice that kept me from refusing to allow Blaise to take over my lessons. He was nervous and clearly didn’t want me to argue with Blaise.Why? Was he afraid that Blaise would take Empire away?Blaise was his best friend’s older brother. That was all.
“I’ve changed my mind,” I told Blaise, deciding I’d handle this if Saxon couldn’t. “I don’t want to ride.”
Blaise looked past me toward Saxon. “You can go,” he told him.
I turned toward Saxon to tell him that I would start my stable chores, but Saxon nodded his head at Blaise, then walked away without one glance in my direction. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I glared at his back as he retreated. He was leaving me alone to handle this. I didn’t want his help either. I’d get Trev to teach me. He’d stand up to his brother.
“You can’t get on the back of a horse in that mood. He’ll feel it,” Blaise told me.
I didn’t look at him. I moved my gaze to Sunshine. She was so gentle that I doubted she cared what my mood was. Not that I had agreed to let him teach me anything.
“Let’s go,” he ordered.
My eyes snapped to him then. “Go where?”
“To get you on a horse,” he drawled slowly, as if I had difficulty understanding the English language.
I pointed at Sunshine. “This is the horse Saxon was going to use to teach me how to ride.”
Blaise held my gaze. “And I’m not Saxon.”
That was something I had not needed clarified. I was very aware of who he was.
Blaise started walking away from me, and I knew he expected me to follow him. I didn’t want to do anything he told me to do. Well, a part of me didn’t. The largest, most important part. There was a small, insignificant part that wasn’t ready to stop this—whatever it was—with Blaise just yet. I needed to work on that part of myself. It was struggling to make good choices.
“Madeline, don’t make me force you,” Blaise said without looking back at me.
Gritting my teeth, I slowly followed him. Perhaps that small, insignificant part of me was slightly bigger than I’d realized. I should be stalking right back up to the house and locking myself away in my bedroom.
Blaise stopped in front of a stall. I knew that stall.
I shook my head. “I can’t ride Jinx,” I told him.
I loved Jinx. He was sweet and loved carrots. He was also a great listener. However, he was a thoroughbred. He wasn’t an old mare.
“You can,” Blaise replied.
I pointed back toward Sunshine. “That’s who I agreed to ride.”
Blaise sighed, as if I were being a stubborn child and he was growing weary. “That wouldn’t be riding a horse. That would be lounging on one.”
Placing my hands on my hips, I straightened my back and glared at him. “Saxon didn’t think so.”
Blaise patted the side of Jinx’s neck. “Do I look like Sax to you, Madeline?” he asked me as he slowly shifted his gaze from Jinx to meet mine.
I inhaled sharply, then rolled my eyes. That was a stupid response.
“Do that one more time, and I’ll put you over my lap and spank your ass,” Blaise said. His voice was deeper and had a dangerous edge to it.
