Page 20 of Forgiveness
“At the bar tonight, before you came in, I confronted him after I’d overhead him talking smack about women—barrel racers in general. I should’ve kept my big mouth shut and ignored him, but I didn’t. I guess he didn’t like the talking to in front of his friends because after you left, he—” She cut off and swallowed, closing her eyes again.
This time Flux only hesitated for a fraction of an instant before he took her hand and squeezed gently, a silent signal that he was there. She squeezed him back and that small touch jerked through his system, spreading a soothing warmth he wasn’t expecting to feel ever again.
“You’ve got this, Duchess. What happened when I left the stable?”
“He confronted me. Accused me of trying to make him jealous with you so that he’d come back to me. He said I started the rumors that are going around about him. And he, he …”
“Did he fuckin’ lay a hand on you?”
“No. It was close, but I got away from him.”
Flux let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding and squeezed her hand again. He was willing to do whatever it took to get her mind off of what had happened tonight with the added bonus of making himself feel less helpless than he had in months, maybe even years. She had come to him, not her girlfriends, not her coach, not Charlie—him. That was something he couldn’t take lightly—and something he never would’ve anticipated from another woman again. That type of raw trust. Even now, her small, calloused hand squeezed back on his own, still slightly trembling as she turned to face him for the first time.
“Thank you for trusting me, Duchess.”
Silence stretched between them as their gazes locked together. And then Maggie launched herself at him and tackled him to the bed, her lips exploring his, way faster than he could process the motion.
