Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Against the Billionaire's Will (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Love Against Odds Book 3) Read Online Free Page A
loved them. Horses, I mean.” He leaned forward and patted Annabelle.
“Yeah. He was a good man,” Brindle said softly.
His gaze locked with hers as emotion filled his throat. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried but in this moment his eyes burned. Oh, he loved his grandfather very much, but emotion was a sign of weakness. He’d been taught at an early age to push anything sad or intrusive away. He blinked once. Twice. The feeling was gone almost as quickly as it had come.
“Yes, he was,” he said, sitting back up.
“Hold on, I’ll saddle Sebastian and ride with you. There’s a great spot up in the hills with a big pond. It’s breathtaking.”
Alone with Brindle in the middle of nowhere? He wasn’t sure if he could handle it. But instead he said, “All right.”
He watched her bustle around, gaining more appreciation for her by the minute, until she disappeared outside and led the stud in. She made quick work out of securing his saddle, and within no time she mounted herself.
“Are you ready to see one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever lay your eyes on?”
When she smiled, he was quite sure he already had.
“Lead the way.”
* * * * *
Brindle had been mentally kicking herself all the way to the pond. It was only the second day the man was here, and they were already going to be alone at an intimate location. Sure, she could tell herself it was part of giving him the complete tour of the ranch, but she knew better. Him acquiring knowledge of a small area on the land that had nothing to do with the horses or their breeding wasn’t relevant to anything remotely related to business. So why even bring it up?
You know why . She sighed, knowing full well she did. She was attracted to Dawson, and some part deep down had a need to gain his approval even on something as personal as her pond.
Her favorite spot was an area she could escape to when life got to be too rough. Or a place to go when she needed alone time for less dramatic reasons. It was easy to get swept away in the peaceful serenity of the landscape. Sometimes she just needed a recharge, and it was her place to do just that. Whatever she needed, the pond seemed to pull the answers or the strength right from her.
“This is remarkable,” he said trotting up next to her as they neared their destination.
She hummed in response, as she looked across the horizon. She’d been leading the way up the trail and had been grateful for the time to collect herself. She felt more prepared now, but she needed to learn from this and figure out a way to keep herself from blurting out suggestions like this again.
They came to a spot next to a bending tree, adjacent to the pond. They dismounted and tied the horses before strolling toward the sloping edge of the water.
“How did you find this?”
“Google Maps,” she said, displaying false seriousness, but couldn’t stop from cracking a smile.
“You have no poker face,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching, although she knew he was allowing her to see his reaction.
“I think you were born with one.”
He laughed at that. “It’s never a good thing to show your hand before you’re ready.”
“I’m horrible at cards—”
“Because you have tells—”
“Stop,” she said with a chuckle. “I was going to say, I’m horrible at them because I don’t know how to shuffle.”
“What?” he asked, looking genuinely shocked. “How did you go your whole life without picking up that skill? Everybody can shuffle.”
“Not me. I don’t even own a deck. I do play solitaire on my tablet, though.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Figured you’d say that,” she said and rolled her eyes before sitting on the grass. He took a seat next to her, so she distracted herself by pulling out a weed and twisting it around in her hands.
“When did you decide to work with horses?” he asked as he reached out and copied her actions, pulling a piece of grass and twining it
“Yeah. He was a good man,” Brindle said softly.
His gaze locked with hers as emotion filled his throat. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried but in this moment his eyes burned. Oh, he loved his grandfather very much, but emotion was a sign of weakness. He’d been taught at an early age to push anything sad or intrusive away. He blinked once. Twice. The feeling was gone almost as quickly as it had come.
“Yes, he was,” he said, sitting back up.
“Hold on, I’ll saddle Sebastian and ride with you. There’s a great spot up in the hills with a big pond. It’s breathtaking.”
Alone with Brindle in the middle of nowhere? He wasn’t sure if he could handle it. But instead he said, “All right.”
He watched her bustle around, gaining more appreciation for her by the minute, until she disappeared outside and led the stud in. She made quick work out of securing his saddle, and within no time she mounted herself.
“Are you ready to see one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever lay your eyes on?”
When she smiled, he was quite sure he already had.
“Lead the way.”
* * * * *
Brindle had been mentally kicking herself all the way to the pond. It was only the second day the man was here, and they were already going to be alone at an intimate location. Sure, she could tell herself it was part of giving him the complete tour of the ranch, but she knew better. Him acquiring knowledge of a small area on the land that had nothing to do with the horses or their breeding wasn’t relevant to anything remotely related to business. So why even bring it up?
You know why . She sighed, knowing full well she did. She was attracted to Dawson, and some part deep down had a need to gain his approval even on something as personal as her pond.
Her favorite spot was an area she could escape to when life got to be too rough. Or a place to go when she needed alone time for less dramatic reasons. It was easy to get swept away in the peaceful serenity of the landscape. Sometimes she just needed a recharge, and it was her place to do just that. Whatever she needed, the pond seemed to pull the answers or the strength right from her.
“This is remarkable,” he said trotting up next to her as they neared their destination.
She hummed in response, as she looked across the horizon. She’d been leading the way up the trail and had been grateful for the time to collect herself. She felt more prepared now, but she needed to learn from this and figure out a way to keep herself from blurting out suggestions like this again.
They came to a spot next to a bending tree, adjacent to the pond. They dismounted and tied the horses before strolling toward the sloping edge of the water.
“How did you find this?”
“Google Maps,” she said, displaying false seriousness, but couldn’t stop from cracking a smile.
“You have no poker face,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching, although she knew he was allowing her to see his reaction.
“I think you were born with one.”
He laughed at that. “It’s never a good thing to show your hand before you’re ready.”
“I’m horrible at cards—”
“Because you have tells—”
“Stop,” she said with a chuckle. “I was going to say, I’m horrible at them because I don’t know how to shuffle.”
“What?” he asked, looking genuinely shocked. “How did you go your whole life without picking up that skill? Everybody can shuffle.”
“Not me. I don’t even own a deck. I do play solitaire on my tablet, though.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Figured you’d say that,” she said and rolled her eyes before sitting on the grass. He took a seat next to her, so she distracted herself by pulling out a weed and twisting it around in her hands.
“When did you decide to work with horses?” he asked as he reached out and copied her actions, pulling a piece of grass and twining it
Readers choose
Niall Ferguson
Niki Savage
Kristi Avalon
Elisa Adams
Jesse Browner
Susan Grant
Georgia Cates
J.R. Gray
Nevaeh Winters
Lynn Kurland