Page 58 of Enticed
“There’s my girl,” I crooned as she came into sight. The sound she let out was a mix of a snort and something that sounded like a groan of irritation. Sometimes she acted just like Jasmine, and that thought brought a smile to my face.
I refilled her water and tossed her some alfalfa hay. “You did good today,” I said, scratching her withers. She stretched her neck out and released a soft nicker. After that, she was more receptive to my presence. I stayed and talked to her for a while, calming us both as I brushed her. When I was done, I secured the latch on her stall door and stopped at the hand washing station next to the exit. The unmistakable sound of a diesel engine approached as I rinsed the soap from my hands, and I turned just as a truck pulled up. The person in the passenger seat leaned over and hugged the driver. My heart sank when I saw that it was Jasmine. Then I realized they were alone, and I nearly doubled over as pain speared through the center of my chest.
The door opened and she hopped out, waving a final goodbye to Elliot before heading in my direction. She didn’t notice me at first as she stared at the ground in front of her. When she finally lifted her gaze, her step faltered.
“Gabe,” she breathed, her eyes widening in shock. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on Juniper.” I motioned in the direction of Elliot’s truck as it drove away. “Why’d he drop you off here instead of the trailer?” I asked, my voice laced with suspicion.
“Because I asked him to,” she snarked, crossing her arms over her chest and leveling her glare on me. “I need to take care of my horse.”
“She’s all set for the night,” I said as she made to step around me. I glanced down at her and saw her chewing on her lip in contemplation. “She’s been fed, watered, brushed, and had her withers scratched.” Her features softened, but she didn’t look at me. “You’re more than welcome to look in on her. I’ll wait here so I can walk you back to the trailer.”
“I don’t need a chaperone. I’ll be fine.” There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d let her walk through this sea of trailers and campers by herself in the dark. Rodeo folks were generally good people, but there were bad eggs in every group, and there were predators everywhere. I kept that thought to myself. She already thought I was too overprotective.
“Nonetheless, I’ll be here when you’re done.”
She rolled her eyes and proceeded to Juniper’s stall, returning a few minutes later. “Let’s go,” she said, stomping past me. The moment we stepped outside, I felt it. Tiny raindrops misted my skin.
“We better hurry,” I said. Right on cue, a loud crack of thunder reverberated through the air. She breezed past me, and I fell into step beside her. A long, tense silence stretched between us. It was killing me not knowing what she did or where exactlyshe’d been. For all I knew, they may not have spent any time at the bar and fell straight into Elliot’s bed.
“Did you have fun?” I gritted out as our trailer came into view.
“Had a blast,” she snipped, her tone flat and dispassionate. The rain picked up, turning from a steady drizzle to a light shower that would have us soaked through if we didn’t get inside soon.
“Did you—” I began, but cut myself off to swallow the bile rising in my throat at the question I was about to ask. I didn’t want the answer, but I had to know. “Did you sleep with him?” She whirled on me, and hurt and disbelief flashed in her eyes, but she schooled her expression and straightened her spine.
“I’m not answering that,” she said resolutely, her nostrils flaring as her features twisted. A wave of agony slammed into me, and my stomach knotted with despair. She whipped back around and continued toward the trailer. I stumbled after her, feeling like my legs were made of lead and I was walking through Jell-O.
“Please, tell me you didn’t,” I croaked out as she reached the back end of the trailer. She drew up short at the desperate plea in my voice.
Releasing a humorless laugh, she turned to face me, her expression incredulous. “You don’t get to act all jealous when you did nothing to stop me from going with him, when you continually refuse to choose me.” Her voice was laced with fury, but her eyes brimmed with tears.
“Jasmine.” My voice cracked as I took a step closer. The sky opened up and the rain poured down her stricken face, mixing with her tears and soaking her hair and clothes. It was a fitting backdrop for the tumultuous feelings churning in my gut.
“I deserve better. I deserve someone who truly wants me,” she declared, tapping her closed fist to her chest.
“Iwant you,” I proclaimed, my words choked as emotion swelled in my throat.
“Not enough to do anything about it. Not enough to take a risk and see where this leads,” she declared, her anguished expression morphing into that fiery determination that I loved and admired, even when it was directed at me.
“If we choose to be together, it could send our entire lives up in flames. It would hurt the people we love. Would you really be okay with that?” I thought of Woody and how this would crush him, how it would destroy our friendship and devastate their family.
She studied me for a long moment, contemplating my question. When she spoke again, her gaze was steely, but her voice was eerily calm.
“If we don’t, and you let me go, I’m eventually going to move on. I’m going to dance with other men, kiss them, laugh with them, fall asleep in their arms. Areyouokay withthat?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The thought of someone else getting to love her, of having to watch her fall in love with another man caused an ache in my chest that knocked the wind from my lungs. If I let her walk away, I’d lose her for good, and one day I’d have to stand by and watch her find happiness with someone else. But acting on my feelings meant potentially sacrificing my friendship with her dad, my career, and the life I’d been trying to rebuild in Poplar Ridge. It all boiled down to what I was willing to risk losing.
And it wasn’t her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
JASMINE
My breath caught, and my pulse thundered against my ribs at the steely resolve in Gabe’s eyes. His rough palm slid against my cheek as his body pressed into me.
Then he slammed his lips down on mine. A needy whimper slipped out as his kiss consumed me. All I could hear was the steady pounding in my ears. All I could smell was the rain on his skin mixed with the bergamot and leather of his soap. All I could feel was his hands at my waist and tangled in my hair and his body pressed against mine. And his taste…
