Page 24 of Billionaire Unbroken - Asher
Those gestures probably meant more to me than he’d ever know.
They also lowered my defenses, and that wasn’t something I shouldeverallow.
Asher was my boss.
I needed this job, and lusting after the person who provided my living was freaking dangerous.
My heart tripped when Asher shot me a small grin.
I’d actually never seen him smile, and it was devastatingly attractive.
My hands shook just a little as I reached out to stroke the pretty mare.
“Do you need a hand up?” Asher asked as I took the reins.
I shook my head adamantly.
If Asher didn’t like to be touched, he probably didn’t like body contact of any kind.
“I’m probably rusty,” I said lightly. “But I was taught by one of the best riders in Texas. I’ll manage. What’s her name?”
I sprang into the saddle without a lot of fuss. The mare was the perfect size for me, muscular and stout, and probably not much over fourteen hands.
In comparison, the paint looked dainty beside Asher’s big-boned quarter horse.
“Sadie,” he answered as he mounted his horse. “Not a name I gave her. I took her on as an adult because her owner died. It was supposed to be temporary, but she got attached to Atlas, and I ended up keeping her. She was probably lonely in her old place. She’s too small for me, but I can usually find someone to exercise her.”
I looked at the large quarter horse that Asher was riding, thinking that Atlas was probably the perfect name for the big bay.
“Who rides her now?” I asked curiously as I nudged Sadie into a walk beside Atlas.
“My barn manager. I have someone who works part-time, but his main responsibilities are to help with the thoroughbreds. Luckily, he’s smaller than me and doesn’t mind taking Sadie out when she needs exercise.”
I took a deep breath as I surveyed my surroundings.
Technically, Crystal Fork was in the plains, but it was such a clear day that it was easy to see some of the distant mountain ranges.
The temperature was perfect for me.
It was warm enough not to need a jacket, but cool enough to be comfortable.
“I don’t think we’re going to see a lot more weather like this,” Asher mentioned casually.
He was right. It was actually unseasonably warm today.
“I know,” I said wistfully. “This will be my first fall and winter in Montana. It probably won’t be easy for a Texan.”
Asher shrugged. “It’s not horrible. Yeah, we get a lot of snow sometimes, but it doesn’t accumulate much. The Chinook warm winds will blow in and thaw us out occasionally. The subzerodays suck, but at least we don’t have several feet of snow that hangs around all winter.”
I shuddered. “I have no idea what subzero feels like. We got occasional freezes in Texas, but not very often.”
“It’s cold,” he said in an amused voice. “Colder than a Texan can imagine. You’ll need the right clothes and it’s survivable. You’ll also need to learn to drive in the snow.”
I wasn’t about to tell him that I was already preparing for the cold by haunting thrift stores and looking for reasonable winter clothing.
“Trial by fire,” I joked. “I don’t think I can really practice winter driving. I lived in Houston where we got heavy rain and occasional freezes. I think I can handle it. It’s not like the roads are incredibly busy here in Montana.”
My drive from Billings to Crystal Fork was stress-free, with no traffic once I left Billings.
