Her Secret Texas Valentine by Helen Lacey

Author:Helen Lacey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-11-09T20:49:35+00:00

Chapter Nine

Jake tried very hard to concentrate on what he was doing for the following few hours, but it was damned difficult when everything that came out of Valene’s mouth was flirtation and pure seduction. She had him at her mercy and he was pretty sure she knew it.

And he didn’t mind one iota.

The air between them sizzled, fired up by the knowledge of how the day would end.

Once they were at the ranch, he took Valene straight to the stables and introduced her to her ride, an old chestnut mare called Agnes whom he trusted implicitly. Then he spent an agonizing twenty minutes standing behind her, explaining how to hold the reins, mount and keep her seat in the saddle. She was an excellent student, asking questions, not assuming she knew anything, and was clearly eager to get it right. But she was so close that every time she moved her hip would collide with his, which sent his libido skyrocketing like the space shuttle.

He’d given most of the ranch hands the day off and was pleased that they were making themselves scarce, except for Ricky, who made it his business to properly introduce himself to Valene and looked a little smitten. Not that Jake blamed the young man, since Valene was incredibly beautiful.

He led her into the small corral by the stables and got her to mount the horse, tucked her feet into the stirrups and, once she was holding the reins correctly, led her around the yard for a while until he believed she was confident enough to handle the mare out in the open. He quickly tacked up his gelding, attached a couple of saddlebags and checked over Valene one more time, which included making sure she wore a safety helmet. He clipped a long rein from her horse to his, then they headed off down toward the creek.

It was a picture-perfect day, cool, but the sun shone brightly and the sky was a vivid blue. She looked good in the saddle, too, he noticed, like she was born to ride. Her hips moved to the rhythm of Agnes’s amble and she held the reins softly. She had a strong and well-balanced seat, and like with everything she did, she had purpose in her actions.

“Is that tether necessary?” she asked and pointed to the long rein connecting the two horses.

“Yep,” Jake said and tipped his Stetson a fraction. “I’ll take it off next time.”

“How much trouble could I possibly get into?”

“Enough,” he replied and motioned to the rocks and trees surrounding them. “I trust Agnes completely, but horses sometimes spook and I don’t want you falling off and hitting your head on anything.”

“I’ve got a tough head,” she said and laughed, tapping the helmet.

“I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

As he said the words, Jake experienced a sharp pain in the center of his chest. Since his marriage had ended, he hadn’t allowed himself to feel much of anything—not joy or humor or passion.

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