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She dropped Nassau’s plate in Zhair’s lap and maneuvered her Jeep through the neighborhood after sliding her sunglasses onto her face.
“Well, not today. There’s a reason horses listen and respect you, and it’s because you put in the work with them.”Distracted, she wondered if Nas knew Axel was going to let her stay, whether he was expecting her, or if he thought he wouldn’t see her again.
“Shit. Do you always drive like this? I might lose my life today. No wonder Nas drove you every morning.”
“Dramatic. Nobody’s died on my watch…yet.”
He held onto the roll bar for dear life with one hand, and his hat with the other. It was getting kinda chilly for mid-November, even for south Texas. Maybe she should have Zhair put her top up for her, since he wanted to complain so much.
She pulled up to the training pen, parking near the table he had set up for her last week, but he was nowhere in sight. Butterflies filled her stomach suddenly, and every worry from their families filled her head. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have stayed in Aisling and cut it off now.Nervous, she thought maybe she should ease into the day, let Zhair give him the update. She knew she was being a chickenshit, but she didn’t care at that moment.
She watched Zhair hop out and make his way inside without hesitation. But when he turned back to see why she hadn’t moved, she waved him on. “I’m coming. Go take him his food, and I’m going to find Braulio and see what I can help with.”
“Uh-uh. Not out of my sight. You’re coming with me, even to the shitter.”
She sighed hard. “You’re serious? You’re like seventeen, and I could beat you in a fight. How exactly are you supposed to be my protection from a psycho alpha stalker?”
He glanced back at her before opening the stable door. “First. Unlike you, I don’t have a death wish with my father. No matter how ridiculous, I’m supposed to stick with you at all times. And secondly, I’m nineteen. A grown man. And there’s no way you could take me in a fight.”
They walked down the corridor, passing up several other hands working with the dozens of horses on this side of the barn.
“You know, people keep assuming shit about me. But you know what assuming gets you.” She cocked an eyebrow at him, but he wasn’t bothered by her.
“Besides, pretty sure my job isn’t really to protect you. It’s making sure you and Nas don’t get all hot and heavy again and forget the world is spinning around you.”
He grinned back at her before stopping at the tack room door. She glared at him, and as he went in, Braulio rounded the corner, clearly happy to see her.
“Thought you weren’t coming back.”
“You guys can’t get rid of me that easily. Besides, Ursula needs me, and I promised her one more week.”
He walked away laughing and shaking his head. She stepped into the tack room in time to see Zhair slap Nassau on the ass from behind, and Nas push him hard against the wall of saddle blankets.
“Hey, man. I’m bringing you breakfast, and thought you needed a little loving. Heard you had a rough night.”
Nas only snatched the rolled-up tacos from his hand and scowled at him, his back to her, so she stepped behind himquietly, running her hand along his inner thigh and causing him to jump.
“You just didn’t do it right, Z. He likes a softer hand.”
Nas twisted, grabbing her wrist and stepping away from her. His eyes swept her up and down like he was checking she was real, and she caught the relief in his eyes before he hardened his face.
“You need to go back to Aisling.”
“You’re not getting out of our deal that easy.”
His gaze flicked over to Zhair and back. He thought she was talking about their agreement for one week together. “What deal?”
She pulled her hand from his. “Ursula? You promised I could hang out with her. Help with her training while you work.”
He frowned and turned back to the tack he’d been preparing. “That’s not a good idea. She’s too dangerous.”
“Ummm. Not for me. You promised. Besides, I got the green light from Axel, right Z?”
Zhair had hopped up on the table and was swinging his legs. “She sure did. Sent me to be her assistant while you worked. We got this.”
“No.”
His dismissal immediately annoyed the shit out of her. “Well, I wasn’t asking your permission.” She began grabbing all of Ursula’s gear, pushing it into Zhair’s arms. But he didn’t turn, just kept working silently.
