Page 22 of Bronco
But the moment I lifted my head from that kiss, I read the fear in her eyes. She looked like a little baby bunny about to run far, far away from me.
So like a desperate, selfish man, I grasped for the first excuse I could think of. Yeah, maybe it makes me a bastard. But if all Lauren will give me is scraps, I’ll take them happily. I’ll let them be enough. They have to be. There’s no one else. Never has been. Never will be.
Lauren manages to avoid me for the rest of the day. But she finally puts in an appearance when it’s time for dinner.
She joins me and the other guys around the campfire. She’s passing her phone around, showing them the photos she’s edited.
I don’t pay any attention to the photos. The only thing I’m looking at is the expression on her face. She looks so proud of herself but also a little bit sad. I’m not sure what that’s about.
She was afraid of the intensity between us after the kiss, yet she also seems upset that I gave her an easy out. I can’t make sense of this woman.
“You’re not supposed to make sense of them,” Ridge says. He claps me on the back, and I realize I must have said the words out loud.
“Women aren’t a mystery to be solved. They’re complex enigmas to be appreciated, meditated upon, and admired, but never fully understood.”
I stare at Lauren and flip another burger without even glancing at it. Enigma is definitely the word I would use for Lauren. I could spend the rest of my life trying to understand her, and I know I’ll never even come close to scratching the surface of who she is.
“Now that you have more photos up, what’s next on the agenda?” Flint asks her.
She wipes her face on a napkin. “Well, a lot of the people bidding on the cowboys are interested in seeing more videos of the farm and everyday farm life. One of the biggest requests I keep getting is for footage from a horse ride. But I’ve never ridden a horse before. So maybe, I could get a lesson from someone here?”
I don’t even have to look at the cowboys. They know better than to volunteer for a mission like that. It would not end well for them.
After a beat of silence, I clear my throat and say, “I could do it. I could give you a lesson on riding horses.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’re much too busy running the ranch,” she answers.
She fixes her gaze on Cord and opens her mouth.
I interrupt her. “No, I don’t have much going on tomorrow. I’d be glad to do it.”
She studies me for a moment, like she’s trying to figure out what I’m not telling her. Finally, she nods. “We can do that tomorrow morning.”
I agree with her already knowing that tomorrow morning can’t come soon enough.
By the time the next day arrives, I feel like a kid who’s waited all year for Christmas. There’s a spring in my step when I go to the barn to meet with her.
“Let’s get this over with,” Lauren announces when she arrives.
She’s not wearing her usual vintage dress today. She’s wearing blue jeans that she fills out perfectly. It takes all of my self-control not to grab those firm, juicy globes. I want to know what they feel like in my hands when I’m kissing her, holding her, satisfying her.
For today’s lesson, I’ve selected Princess, one of our oldest mares. She’s gentle and sweet. She doesn’t spook easily, and I know she’ll offer plenty of good footage for Lauren.
I’ve already got Princess saddled up. I lead her out of the barn, going slow so Flint, who is standing a few yards away, can appreciate the moment on his phone.
Lauren sees where my gaze is. “Smart. I hadn’t even considered that.”
“Stand here,” I tell her, positioning her so Flint can continue recording. “Now, you’re going to put your hand here on the horn. Grip it firmly and put your foot here in the saddle. Then you just swing up.”
“Swing up,” she repeats. Her voice is filled with doubt.
“You know how to climb on a bicycle. Same concept.”
“You mean straddle it,” she says, her cheeks taking on the slightest pink hue.
I have a sudden vision of her thick thighs straddling me. Of my cock coming to rest against her center as she eases down on me.
I have to swallow and try to think about things that don’t make me rock hard.
