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That was entirely too close. I needed him to back up some. Give me my personal space.
“Thanks,” I replied, barely glancing at him, then focusing my attention on the tack room door.
He stepped closer, and I inhaled sharply. My eyes snapped back to him. One more inch, and our bodies would be touching. The sensation between my legs started up again, and I tried to tell myself to look away from him.
Don’t make eye contact.
It didn’t work. I was locked in.
His eyes dropped from mine to focus on my mouth. He’d done that last night. Less than twenty-four hours, and here we were again. Too close. It was messing with my head. Confusing me. I should push him away and tell him that. I should.
But his left hand cupped my cheek, and he tilted my head back. I didn’t breathe. The world fell away. It went silent. When he lowered his mouth to mine, my heart slammed against my chest wildly. His mouth was hot, demanding, and talented. Just like him.
His right hand gripped my hip tightly, and I swayed into him as my hands grabbed his upper arms. It all happened too quickly. Like a small taste of something forbidden yet intoxicating, and then it was snatched away. Reminding me it wasn’t safe. It wasn’t mine.
Blaise’s hands and mouth were no longer touching me. His body no longer in my personal space. His eyes met mine for a second, and then he turned and walked away. Long strides meant to escape. As if he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
I fell back against the wall and tried to regulate my breathing. That hadn’t been my first kiss. Not even close. But it was the first time a kiss had terrified me. It was the first time a kiss had owned me.
“Maddy?” Saxon’s voice called out.
I blinked and took another deep breath before turning toward him.
“Yeah?” I replied, trying to sound normal.
“You okay?” he asked as he continued in my direction.
No. I wasn’t sure I would ever be considered okay again.
“Yes,” I lied to him.
He stopped in front of me and studied my face closely. There was a frown line between his brows as he did so. “You sure?”
I nodded, wishing he would let it go. I was sure my lips were swollen and my face was flushed. They felt that way.
“Blaise just sped out of here. Didn’t seem like he was okay,” Saxon said.
I shrugged and turned away from him to walk into the tack room.
I grabbed the things I needed for Jinx, praying my regular coloring would return and my heart rate would slow down. When I got all I needed, I faced Saxon again, who stood where I’d left him. His concern had seemed to only get more intense.
“How was your lesson?” he asked me.
“Good,” I replied, not needing to lie about that.
He sighed, then ran a hand through his messy hair. “Okay, well, uh, did he say he was going to continue teaching you?”
He had. But that had been before he kissed me, then vanished.
I shrugged. “I think so.”
Saxon nodded again. “Yeah, okay, well, I gotta get back to the vet. He’s here to check on Iron War.”
I held up the brush in my hand. “I’ll be here,” I said with a smile I didn’t feel, then headed back to Jinx.
I was glad he couldn’t ask me questions. Because I had no answers.
Two days later, and Blaise hadn’t returned. Saxon didn’t mention giving me lessons, and I didn’t ask. It had given me time to get my head on straight. I’d been able to think through my reaction to Blaise and him kissing me. Sure, it still made no sense. He had made it clear he didn’t approve of me. Why he wanted to be the one to teach me how to ride was still confusing. Garrett had mentioned it at the gala, but Blaise didn’t appear to do anything his father told him. From what little I had seen and heard, their relationship wasn’t the best.
