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“Thanks, Uncle Gavin,” he says.
I give him a wink, then count to three before we drop the hammer down on the platform. The bell dings, signaling we won.
Steven cheers and takes the stuffed monkey the attendant hands him, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. Georgia takes his hand, and the two practically skip over to the next booth.
I can’t remember the last time I was that happy, that carefree, though not for lack of trying on my sister’s part.
She’s always trying to get me to take a vacation. She doesn’t understand that my work is fulfilling. I find doing other things to be exponentially boring. Georgia thinks I’m crazy. She’s constantly urging me to date or find someone to spend my life with. I love my sister, but I only agreed to come visit if she promised not to try to set me up with anyone while I was here.
I know she just wants me to be happy, which is why I tolerate her matchmaking schemes. She’s my older sister, and ever since our mom passed, she’s been trying to look after me more.
Georgia seems to think I’m too busy or not interested, but that’s not entirely true. Sure, I’m a workaholic who can definitely lose track of time when I’m in the middle of a project. But I would make room in my life for the right person. I just haven’t found her yet.
No one I’ve met or interacted with has ever seemed worth it. That makes me sound awful, but I’m a realist. I don’t want to half-ass a relationship and risk my company if the woman in question doesn’t have staying potential. Harsh, but that’s the way it is. I’ve yet to find that spark, that irresistiblesomethingthat seems to make men stupid around the women they love.
I want the real thing, and I won’t settle for anything less.
“Want to go see the show?” Georgia asks Steven.
He nods enthusiastically and grabs my hand. I smile as I let him drag me over to the big tent. It looks like the show has already started as we duck inside the tent, and I try to get into it as we listen to the crowd cheering.
“Up next, we have the amazing Pia and her horse, Penny!” the announcer cheers over the loudspeaker. I glance up at the sound of thundering hooves just in time to see a copper-colored horse gallop past.
A tiny blonde woman runs along the side of the horse, and I watch, completely mesmerized as she reaches up and swings herself onto the back of the animal.
She waves to the crowd, a wide smile on her beautiful face before she leaps nimbly to her feet on the back of the galloping horse. My chest grows tight, my heart lurching in my chest the longer I stare at her. Sweat beads my upper lip and forehead, and my hands are shaking.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Long blonde hair floats behind the ethereal trick rider, her graceful movements hypnotizing me. I can’t look away. Everything about this woman has me on edge, all sorts of unfamiliar, ludicrous thoughts and feelings bubbling up from somewhere deep inside.
Perfect. Gorgeous. Goddess. Wife. Mother of my children. Mine, mine, mine.
She’s incredible, her lithe little body moving like a dancer as she balances and moves on top of her horse. My woman is young, no more than twenty or so, and that makes me all the more protective of her.
Swallowing thickly, I try to get myself under control. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and open them again. Of course, they land right on my girl, tracking her every movement.
My gaze slides down her body, pausing to appreciate the lean muscles in her arms and legs, her delicate little feet, and the swell of her breasts. She’s so much more than beautiful, she’s… precious. Can’t say I’ve ever thought that about another human being, but there it is.
I want to taste her ruby-red lips, swallow down her cries of pleasure as I drag my tongue down her body, and make her mine in every goddamn way. I also want to wrap my little trick rider up in a blanket and massage her aching muscles while she sips hot chocolate. I have the insane urge to draw her a bath and wash every inch of her before tucking her into bed and crawling in next to her.
My new obsession goes around the circle once more, and our eyes meet for one perfect second. Brilliant blue eyes hit me square in the chest, ripping me apart and replacing my soul with hers. It’s mine now, and I plan to treasure it, as well as my trick rider, forever.
The beauty blinks a few times, her cheeks glowing bright pink. It’s probably from the routine she just finished, but I secretly hope she’s blushing for me. She’s blushing because she knows this is the beginning of everything.
Wasn’t I just saying that no one ever sparked my interest? No one seemed worth risking my career and company for?
Yeah, well, fuck that.
I’ve found my new purpose for breathing, and it has nothing to do with investments or building a financial empire.
I can feel the intensity of this moment deep in my gut, and I suck in a sharp breath.
“Are you okay?” Georgia asks.
I can’t tear my gaze away from my girl as she canters around the arena.
“I’m… perfect,” I tell her.
