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“He’s so soft.”
I’d spent hours brushing him and I knew exactly how silken the texture of his black coat was. It still wasn’t as soft as the skin of the woman standing next to me. She was so close her scent mingled with that of the horses.
Vince cleared his throat and jerked me out of my thoughts. I took the second horse's reins and nodded to him. He disappeared back into the stables.
“This is Scoundrel.”
She laughed when the roan bumped her—nudging her pockets—looking for treats. “Yeah, we know each other well,” she patted his neck while he lipped at a loose strand of hair. It was forever falling out of her braid.
“It’s good you’re friends.” I watched in amusement, as the horse went back to molesting her for the treats he was so sure were hidden in her pockets. She’d obviously snuck more than a few to the animal while she was working here. It didn’t surprise me. Scoundrel was aptly named and he always won over the ladies.
“Because I’m going to get to ride him today?” She asked, shoving his nose away before he knocked her off balance.
“Because he’s yours.”
She froze. The only thing that moved were those gorgeous eyes as they widened in shock. “Mine?”
“Yes.” I handed her the reins and chuckled when she just stood there with them limply in her hands as I mounted Diavolo. “Do you need a step to mount?”
That shook her out of her reverie. “No, I’ve got it.”
I watched as her jeans stretched tight over her delectable ass as she swung up onto the horse. I was impressed. The gelding was tall, only slightly shorter than my own stallion. Despite her height, it still took strength to haul herself on top of him. Her height and strength were huge pluses for me. I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to treat her like a delicate object that could be broken. I’d left more than a few marks on her skin from my hands and teeth. She didn’t seem to mind and I liked seeing them there.
The horses started walking and I led us toward one of my favorite riding trails. That was the main reason I’d bought this property. There were plenty of places to ride where you wouldn’t have to load up and drive.
Chapter 30
Havoc
The horses were walking down a trail, hooves crunching through the fallen leaves. The sunlight was filtering through the trees and a cool breeze had a loose piece of hair dancing across my face.
I was thrilled to be out of the house. The idea that the horse underneath me was mine—a gift—made me equally happy and confused.
Sneaking a glance over at the man riding next to me, I tried to work through my feelings. The panty-drenching lust, I understood. Nico was gorgeous...and ripped. Who wouldn’t be attracted to that? Add in the power he had and his controlling nature and I was pretty sure most women would jump into his bed.
I even understood why a part of me was growing attached to him. He’d let me kill Ted. Despite our agreement of working together on the list, he’d let me take the lead there. It’d been a balm to another fractured piece of my soul.
This...I didn’t get. He was being nice to me. Giving me things. Spending time with me. I figured things would go back to normal after Ted. Normal, since he brought me to live with him had been him working non-stop, leaving me stuck lounging around the house. I hated it. I didn’t want to be confined inside the house, and strangely, I didn’t want there to be distance between us. Sharing my body with him was quickly becoming not enough for me. I’d agreed to his terms, though, and Nico did things his way. So, why was he changing it now?
Tony had done nice things for me. He’d treated me with respect, and love, and did everything he could just to win a smile from me every day.
Was that why I was having a hard time accepting kindness from Nico? If it was, it wasn’t really fair to him. He was trying, I could see that. I just didn’t know how to respond to it. How was I supposed to accept friendship and kindness from him, when it felt like if I did it was a betrayal?
I sighed. All of this might’ve been a little easier to figure out if I’d been ready to move on and find another relationship. I doubt I would’ve ever done so on my own, but that was beside the point. Having that choice made for me was making this so much harder.
“What’s wrong?” Nico was watching me closely.
I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts. I wasn’t ready to discuss this with him.
“Havoc.” His voice held a warning.
It irked me that he always wanted to exert so much control over everything I did. We’d have to work on that. For now, I thought of something to tell him.
“Why did you let me kill him?” It was better to talk about things I could handle. Plus, I’d been wanting to know the answer.
He glanced over at me and shifted in the saddle. “It’s part of our deal.”
“Working together was our deal.”
