I see the moment he raises his arm and I know what is coming, but I prefer he uses that thing on me than on the horse. I am fully prepared to feel its sting, but then a black blur engulfs my vision and blocks Lord Roderick from my view.
What just happened?
I take a step back so I can see clearer, and I am faced with the slender muscular back of a tall man dressed in a black suit. They are blocking Lord Roderick from me, and I realise they just stopped him using his whip on me too.
But who would be out here at this time of day to be able to do that in the first place?
As I struggle with my confusion and shock, my hearing comes back, and I hear what is being said.
“How dare you even think of using a whip on a person! Have you no shame?!”
The man in front of me is yelling at Lord Roderick, but the firmness of his tone tells me he is used to talking to people like this.
“Who are you to speak to me like that?! I am
I know that when they find out who he is they are going to be shocked but, first I need to make sure Misty is okay. I slowly enter the stall and attempt to calm her down. “Shhh, Misty. Easy girl, it’s me, Rayne.” As I try to calm her with my voice, I see Lance remove a pocketknife from his boot and slowly approach her with it held low by his leg. The last thing I want him to do is spook her, so I keep talking, hoping to keep her attention on me. Suddenly she sees how close he is and feeling threatened, she tries to fight her bonds to get away from us. “Shhh, easy girl. I’m not here to harm you.” I hear a softness in his voice as he speaks to her, and I find myself drawn in. He extends his free hand out to her palm up as he continues to slowly approach, always keeping his voice low and calm. She is still breathing hard and eventually he is close enough to touch her neck. Laying his hand gently on her skin he slowly strokes the tense muscles there hopin
When she faces me, her expression is severe, and her biting tone cuts through me as do her words. But her voice rolls over my senses like warm honey and my skin prickles with goosebumps. I freeze like a statue in response, and I feel an electric current shoot through me as I lock eyes with her, I cannot look away. I have never been able to forget those eyes, they are burned in my memories forever, but I never thought we would see each other again, let alone meeting like this today. Those warm chestnut brown irises with that golden hue that pin me in place with their beauty and their odd way of making me feel like all my secrets are laid bare. Even though she is glaring at me I cannot deny that she is beautiful. There is a symmetry to her features that I find incredibly attractive, and it wasn’t there all those years ago. I fight back the urges that are building in me unbidden, she clearly isn’t my type, too headstrong and I won’t be put through another situat
I demonstrate what I mean by turning my back to the stall as I’m speaking to him, effectively ignoring the mare while still being aware of what she is doing. She inspects the stall all the while hearing me speak and eventually, I feel a tugging on my hair at the nape of my neck and a slight nudge to my left shoulder. Slowly I lift my left hand and she hesitates a moment before pressing her soft grey nose into my palm and allowing me to scratch it gently. Matt watches wide-eyed; she huffs out a breath but stays close. I turn slowly to face her and incline my head to her slightly, she copies me then moves away from the gate. “Okay Matt, what I am trying to do is gain her trust while she is in her own space, I want her to let me in and she has just done that.” “So, what happens now, Sir?” “I’m going back into the stall and if she lets me, I will brush her before I let her settle in for the afternoon.” “Surely you will still need to be cautious ri
My anger dulls a little as I walk away and focus on work. I saw a myriad of emotions flash through his dark brown eyes, anyone else would miss them as it is very subtle, and he hides behind his anger very well. But I see it all, surprise, desire, pain, bitterness and finally, anger takes prominence. It’s the flash of pain that shocks me most and I find myself wondering how deep that goes. He was such a nice, albeit awkward boy when we were growing up, he had a sweetness that he rarely revealed to the adults. But when he was around the horses, I noticed that they instantly responded positively to his presence. What happened to you Lance, to change you so much? I take a moment to recall his physical appearance, and I must admit he is fit. He has bulked out a bit but not too much, he always had a slim build, perfect for horse riding. His clothes hug his muscles nicely and his trousers hang on his hips in just the right way. His gorgeous dark ebo
I can tell my flippant attitude is annoying him and if I’m honest with myself, that was my intention. I frown in response to his raised voice. “I am sorry Sir, but I could not accompany them. After arranging and helping to get the cabinets out of the office it became obvious that I would not be able to perform well in my new job if the office remained in such a state. So, I had to remain behind to clean up.” “Cleaning can be done at any time Rayne! The contents of these cabinets are incredibly sensitive and vital to the running of the business! How could you be so nonchalant and allow them out of your sight?! They are your responsibility to keep safe!” My anger peaks, if he is so worried about that then he should not have ordered them moved in the first place. “Well now that they are in your office, they are your responsibility and frankly I’m glad! I wouldn’t want the added pressure with everything else I now have to deal with anyway!” After
How dare she speak to me in that way?! I throw a paperweight across the room, and it hits the opposite wall leaving a dent. Why is everyone being so disrespectful?! I pick up an ornament and throw that as well, all I can think of is the way she spoke to me and my rage keeps growing, which is why I have been trashing my office for the last few hours. “I’m here.” I hear from below my window and for a moment I think they are speaking to me. I walk over to my window, and I see Rayne has come out of the front doors and is walking over to three of the workers I met earlier. They climb into a car, and all seem to be heading somewhere to have a good time and my blood boils. How dare she go out with a group of men! Shocked by the direction my thoughts are going I turn away from the scene and take some files from one of the cabinets she sent over. Sitting down at my desk I begin reading and recording ev
As that thought occurs to me, I grab a set of birthing gloves and making sure everything is sterile I move behind her. Gently I insert my hand through the opening and into her womb.I can feel the foal and unfortunately, my instinct was correct, it is sideways in there, so I begin feeling along its body searching for the head and front legs.Misty begins kicking out in discomfort, Rayne remains by her head, but a couple of the ranch hands join us to keep her legs away from me while I work.Finally, I find the head and then the shoulder and once I have one front leg in my grip, I begin adjusting the direction the foal is facing. Once I have it facing the exit, I find the other leg to ensure it is also pointing forward and can come out smoothly.“Okay, I have the foal turned so it should be able to come out okay now. You. What’s your name?”I point to the guy from last night.“Tim sir.”“Very good, Ti
Once again, we find ourselves in a shouting match, I genuinely came out to thank him for such a good job. How did it come to this again? For a brief moment when I hugged him, I felt like I was a teenager again, except for the way my body reacted to his. I felt warm and tingly being pressed against him, but his reaction was the opposite of my own. The way he stiffened at my touch sent a sharp jolt through me as though I had been stabbed. I never expected that he would dislike my touch so much, nevertheless, I decided to respect his personal space and create some distance. Seeing him relax instantly, further drives the knife into my heart but I hide it from him. I can’t hold back my anger when he begins to berate the staff for not knowing what to do. “Because you fired Tobias!” He freezes for a moment before finally responding to my outburst. “What?” That one word is his only response, and it infuriates me further.