Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Fuck. Me.
Hallie waited for me to speak, as still as night. Her cheeks were flushed, whether from jogging, the cold, or my presence. “If a barn door is shut, you don’t go in there,” I said, rigidly.
“Yes, sir,” Hallie said again, with that same rebellious inflection to her voice, and fuck, she had no idea what that kind of attitude did to me. It made me want to break her.
I kept my shit together and said, “We’re going to forget all about last night, okay? Forget that you saw me being so unprofessional, and I’ll forgive your blatant intrusion into my family’s private property.”
Hallie inhaled slowly, though I caught a hint of fire flare in her tropical sea eyes. “Yes, sir,” she said again.
With nowhere else to take this conversation, I nodded again in acceptance.
As her eyes boldly met mine for several strained seconds, I knew I needed to leave. I needed to turn around and leave this woman alone. But the way she stared at me, unabashed even through my censure, had me rooted to the spot. I found myself wanting her to push me, to let out whatever ire had built within her. To try my patience. It’d been such a long time since I’d had a worthy adversary. Someone who awoke something inside of me. Something I thought was long dead.
“If that’s all, sir,” Hallie said in a falsely sweet tone, breaking the heavy silence between us, “I’ll get myself home.”
Hallie took off back toward the row of rider cottages nearest our house. I could have done without knowing she was sleeping only yards away from my own rooms. But I watched her go until she opened her front door and disappeared inside, but not before glaring my way.
I blew out a long breath, getting my shit together, then took off in a steady jog back to the house. As soon as I entered through the back door, I went straight to my study. I was in there all of five minutes before I logged on to my computer and brought up the CCTV cameras from the barn last night. And I watched exactly what had happened. I watched Hallie go to see Huxley, just as she’d said. And I couldn’t help but smirk as I watched her stand at the closed door to our family section of the barn and check the coast was clear before she boldly looked inside.
Didn’t know it was private, my arse. Little Miss Southern Belle knew exactly what she was doing. Then I watched, fascinated, as she stared at Lord Henry. My heart beat faster, just seeing how taken she was with my stallion. But more than that, I stopped breathing at how Henry let her fuss and fawn over him. Henry was a beautiful horse, but like the prince he knew he was, he could be particular with who he let close to him. But he’d let Hallie love on him instantly, like she’d known him for years.
Seconds later, I groaned when I saw my drunken self stumble into the barn, clutching a bottle of whisky, and Hallie hid away in Dahlia’s old stall. Until I heard her trying to leave. Until she helped me lean against the wall. And until she held my hand and sat with me as I cried. And how she blanketed me with her robe, and then fell asleep beside me, her head laying on my chest.
It was over an hour that I sat in my study just watching us both sleep on that floor—a fool plagued with demons and the angel who selflessly stayed by his side.
Slamming the laptop shut, my head fell into my hands. I was stupid, letting Hallie see me that way. And it wouldn’t happen again—couldn’t. No matter how beautiful she was, or how her spark of rebellion had ignited something within my dormant heart, it couldn’t happen again.
I had no time to obsess over tropical eyes and long dark hair. Or how good a small hand felt in mine.
I had only one job these days: to find my father’s killer and protect my family.
And that was fucking that.
Chapter Six
Hallie
A few days later
“Shit!” I hissed as the pole fell to the ground with a dull thud. I closed my eyes as Huxley cantered around the track, letting the familiar rhythm of his steady motion calm me down. I inhaled through my nose and out through my mouth, but nothing helped. All I could see in my mind’s eye was Jasper, skin slick with sweat as he caught his breath from his run. All I could feel were his dark eyes burning into mine as I sassed a “Yes, sir.” Heat had flared within them as he’d tried to read whether I was being insolent or not. I held my attitude back just enough to keep some respect, but all I could think of was what if I had been defiant? Something told me that Jasper Knighton wanted to be pushed.