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Moments pass when I feel Riggs softly grabbing my elbow and pulling me closer to him.
“Let’s get you on the back of her,” he whispers, burying his lips into my hair and then planting a feather like kiss on my cheek. I pull on my fingers to try and keep myself from getting anxious again. I look at the stirrup and then at the seat of the saddle.
I could do this.
I knew I could do this.
I justhadto do it.
Fumbling about for a moment as I reach for the reins I then drop my hand again, my eyes focusing on the stirrups. Inhaling deeply, I look over my shoulder at my growing audience.
“Hey, Dinks, eyes on me,” Riggs’ husky voice pulls my attention and my hazel eyes settle on him. “Focus on me, ignore everyone else. It’s just you and me,” he gives a slow but soft nod.
I nod back at him, then look back up at the reins. My eyes close and I ignore everything else around me.
Look how far you have come.
Look how much you have grown since being back home.
You’ve got this Aspen.
You can do this.
Letting my eyes flutter open, I reach up with my left hand and grab hold of the reins. Riggs is standing at my side and I ignore the way my heart is racing in my chest like a wild mustang who is stabled up and kept from running free. I turn to give Riggs one last look and he winks, lifting his hat off his head.
I pause for a moment, anxiety and panic swarming me.
“I can’t.” I shake my head, my voice barely audible.
Riggs’ eyes darken for a moment and he closes the gap with two steps, his eyes penetrating mine.
“You can, and you will,” his tone is curt and low and it makes my skin pebble. “Remember when you said you couldn’t come four times in one night?” he rasps and my cheeks turn crimson, my insides heat and the apex between my thighs burns. “Well, you surpassed that didn’t you my little pillow princess,” he slowly licks his bottom lip as if reliving the moment. “Get on the horse,” he nods towards Tay and my eyes follow his.
“I can do it.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I can,” I say a little louder and before I can even let fear get the best of me, I tighten my grip on the reins and slip the toe of my cowboy boot into the stirrup. Just as I go to pull myself up, Riggs moves close behind me and confusion masks my face until I realise. I have a dress on and we have an audience. Riggs moves his hat to where the back of my dress sits, midway down my thighs, so as I swing my leg over the back of Tay, he covers me from prying eyes with his hat until my ass is on the saddle.
I freeze, my face turned to look at Riggs and he beams with pride, his arm lifting as he places his hat back on his head.
“That’s my girl,” he gives Tay a pat on the neck and then lowers his lips, brushing them against my bare thigh. “You did it baby, I’m so damn proud of you.”
And without realising, tears are rolling down my cheeks.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
ASPEN
Sitting in the front of Riggs’ truck, my feet are pressed against the dash as Harlow and Austin sit in the back, soft country songs surrounding us and we’re all sitting in comfortable silence. We had been away for the weekend at one of the horse shows and my god it felt so good to be back in the environment. My heart leaped as I watched the riders and their horses combat the show jumping course, each and every single one of them excelled and I watched in awe, but I also had a sickening jealousy that the dream I once had was no more. What made me even more sick to my stomach was that it was my fault. I could have climbed back on the horse once I was healed and worked my confidence back, but instead I sunk into the shadows and focused on literature and moving out of Lovelock Bay and into New York. I sigh, that part of my life feels like a lifetime ago when in reality, it was only a few years. I have done a full circle and I am back home where I have never felt more myself.
I watch as Riggs looks in the rearview mirror at Austin and Harlow who are turned and facing each other, their voices quiet as it seems they share a private moment between themselves. I face Riggs and let out a little sigh just as Riggs’ hand skims across the center of his truck and rests on my thigh for just a moment. I missed him this weekend and I know that sounds silly because I have been with him, but having to share a room with Harlow wasn’t what I wanted. I give him a flirtatious smirk as his fingers drag off my jeans and land back on the steering wheel. My thoughts wander back to Saturday night when I snuck out of the hotel room whilst Harlow was sleeping.
It had just passedone a.m. and me and Riggs had been texting each other. I was desperate to see him, to have his hands on me, his lips on mine and I knew I needed to go to him. I snuck out of our room and tiptoed across to his and Austin’s. We agreed I would give one gentle knock on the solid red hotel room door. Lifting my hand, I do just that and the waiting is the worse part. What if Austin opens the door and sees me, what the hell would I say? I am dressed in a cream trench coat and nothing underneath but a pair of black lacy panties.
I hear the lock slide across the hotel door and relief swarms me when I see Riggs standing there, his curly hair messy and a wide grin on his face.
He says nothing, but looks over his shoulder to make sure we’re clear before he wraps his fingers around my wrist and pulls me into the hotel room. Closing the door quietly, he pushes me against it and I grin up at him, my heart racing. My hands are in his hair, locking through his soft curls as his large, hard, calloused hands cup my face.
