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He pulled the door open for her, his gaze falling to her ass and legs. Somehow, the jeans she wore today were tighter, like they were painted on, and her tanned stomach peeked out from under the dark blue tank she wore. His eyes slid up to her breasts, remembering how they felt in his hands. Then he paused at the necklace she wore. She chose jewelry every day to match her outfits, but this one never changed. A rose gold chain, with a small pendant knot surrounding a dark sapphire gem, hung from her neck, and he wondered if it was special to her, something her parents had given her.
“Ready?”
Her voice broke through his reverie, and he saw her touch the necklace again. She did that often, maybe because she was nervous or flustered. He hadn’t figured out the feeling for that signal yet.
He nodded, then hopped in the driver’s seat, taking them over to the training arena. He didn’t know how long she would be with him today, but he couldn’t make it a big deal. This is what she’d warned him about, the reason she said they couldn’t last. Did that mean this happened to her often? How many times had she left men heartbroken in her wake? This feeling couldn’t be normal. He thought briefly again about the mythological sirens, their magic luring men to their deaths at sea. But he shook his head, reminding himself that she was a normal shifter, no extra magic.
The hours flew by with her by his side, with her asking questions about why he did things, and him letting her run through some of the more docile horses’ groundwork.She disappeared after lunch, but knew she was nearby, so when he switched out horses, he found her in the pasture, sitting on the fence, feeding Ursula apples again.
He raised his eyebrow at her. Just because Ursula hadn’t gotten aggressive with her yet, didn’t mean she wouldn’t, and her constant draw to the horse stressed him.
“You ever seen her run the pasture before?”
He hadn’t. The horses usually grazed and maybe ran around a little while they waited their turn. The fresh ones usually ran along the fence, looking for a way out, or nipped at the other horses around them.
“You should watch sometime. I think you’d be surprised.”
She slid off the fence, walking towards him. “Let me do the groundwork for her. Out here in the pasture. Or a different pasture if you’re worried about the other horses.”
He shook his head. “Not without me.”
She sighed. “Send Braulio with me. I’ll do it while you work, then you don’t have to stay late.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“Give me one week with her.”
He was surprised by that. He didn’t think she’d be back next week. Figured going to Aisling now was her out to get away from him for good. But he didn’t answer.
She licked her lips nervously, still rubbing Ursula’s neck nonchalantly.“If you give me a week with her, I’ll make sure I come back. Otherwise, they will probably want me to stay in Aisling forever. That gives us one more week too.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Something about her. I like her. Come on. What’s the worst that could happen? I get hurt? I’ll heal, andI’ll be stuck here longer. You can nurse me back to health, kiss all my booboos. Besides, there’s plenty of cowboys wandering around watching me. I’m never alone, and you know it.”
“I meant, why do you want one more week with me? You told me you were one and done. You seemed in a hurry to get away.”
“A few more fucks, make some memories. Something to remember in our old age. Can’t hurt, right?”
He still didn’t like it, but he didn’t say anything, even when a smile lit up her face. “So, I take it, that’s a yes?”
She was breathtaking when she smiled like that, and fuck him, but he couldn’t say no to her.
“So, starting today?”
She grabbed his arm, her hand warm against his skin, and her thumb making small circles on the inside of his wrist. The slight movement calmed him, shutting down all his fears, almost trapping him in a trancelike state staring at her. She seemed frozen as well, until she pulled back abruptly, tugging on her necklace again and turning away.
Linking Braulio, he sent him an order to keep an eye on her. He added a rope halter to another mare before walking her back to the training pen, leaving Bailey to do what she wanted with Ursula. He didn’t like it, but it made her happy, and he trusted the other cowboys that he sent over.
Another hour flew by before the black SUV pulled up, and two of the Tuisa guards approached the fence. “She ready? Her guards are waiting at NahleCheile for her.”
He nodded out at the back pasture and went back to his horse, not following them or attempting to say goodbye. It was easier this way. No matter what she said, he didn’t think she’d be back. No need to make it harder. The guards loaded her suitcases into the SUV, then rolled around the corner to pick her up. Several minutes went by before he heard the hum of the engine.
“Nice ass, baby!” His head snapped up to see Bailey hanging out the window, two fingers in a V around her mouth wiggling her tongue.“I’d tap that!”
The guards were laughing, and even he ghosted a smile at her antics.
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