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Reed parked in front of a large stable then turned to her with a serious expression. “We haven’t. I hope you believe that, Lily.”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.” Since John first introduced them, she’d never heard a rumor about the women Reed went out with, and their private parties weren’t public knowledge. None of the brothers were known for going from one woman to another as easily as changing clothes.
Lily gazed at the acres of grassland spreading as far as she could see, the faint outline of mountains along the blue skyline, and smattering of pines and aspens native to the state. “It’s beautiful out here, Reed.”
“Come on. Apollo and I will show you more.”
“Apollo?” she asked, getting out of the truck.
He placed a hand on her lower back, his fingers brushing her skin where her short, button-up crop top left an inch of waist bare. The saddled, tethered stallion he led her toward distracted her from the warm tingles his innocent touch wrought.
“I got him as a young colt. He’s eight now, and the best mount I’ve owned.” Reed placed her hand on the horse’s brown-spotted white neck, and the stallion turned to give her a friendly shoulder nudge. “And he loves the girls.”
Lily chuckled, enjoying the ripple of muscle and his sleek coat against her palm as she stroked Apollo. “He’s sweet, and big.” It was a stretch to scratch behind his twitching ear.
“Big enough to carry both of us. I’ll give you a boost up then mount behind you. Grab the pommel as you swing your leg over.”
Lifting her foot onto his cupped hands, she took a deep breath and swung astride the saddle with Reed’s upward push, the height disorienting her for a second before the stunning view left her speechless. She did remember to hold on tight as he settled behind her, the press of his wide chest against her back and thick arm coming around her waist distracting her from the sweeping vista of wide-open rangeland backed by the far-off mountain’s hazy silhouette.
Reed pulled the reins to the left, his bulging biceps brushing the side of her breast as he steered Apollo around the corral. He must have mistook her shudder for unease instead of physical awareness because he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
I’m beginning to believe you had me the moment I saw you dressed as Don Juan.Maybe the attraction had always been there but she’d been too blinded by love for John at first and then more concerned for her cheating husband’s feelings than her own to see it. Lily sighed, relaxing against Reed, admitting it wouldn’t have mattered. She wasn’t ready before now, and her chest still constricted when she thought of opening herself to the ups and downs and possible pain of a relationship.
“What’s going through your head, Lily?”
Swaying with the slow walk lulled her into answering without thinking. “Life’s funny circles, and how mine brought me to you.” She paused then added with honesty, “And questioning whether I can handle you, and what you want.”
“I will never hurt you, at least not deliberately. Today, all you have to handle is a good time, starting with a run. Hold on tight. Ready?”
Once again, Reed proved he could put Lily’s mind at ease with just a few words. “Ready,” she replied, unsure if she meant for a faster gait or him.
Chapter Nine
Reed nudged Apollo’ssides with his booted heels, the signal the stallion had been eagerly awaiting. He squeezed Lily’s waist as they took off, his steed’s hooves pounding into the ground, mane and tail flying, legs eating up the ground. Lily’s exuberant laugh reached his ears and he bent forward, pressing them both lower so they weren’t straining against the wind, her nails digging into his forearm. He couldn’t detect any fear as Apollo took them over acres of grassy terrain, the trees blurring as they whizzed by them until the ranch’s largest lake came into view. Spreading over one hundred and fifty acres, the blue water shimmered under the sun, reflections of the tree-covered mountain slopes undulating on the surface. Spotting a group of white-tailed deer enjoying a drink, Reed slowed Apollo from a gallop to a canter.
Once he reined to a halt, he could hear Lily’s heavy breathing, feel her muscles quivering. “Is it safe to say you enjoyed that ride?”
