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)
I shook my head. “I love the trot ups.” It was true. It was where I found my footing. Where my feet hit the show’s ground and centered me. “It puts me in competition mode.”
Trot ups were inspections, where the horses registered in the Grand Prix were led around an area for the judges to ensure they were fit to compete.
A commotion suddenly came from my right, hushed whispers from the staff in our section of the stable yard and beyond. When I turned, my gaze slammed into Jasper Knighton’s. The minute our eyes met, fire suffused my body.
Jasper’s attention was solely on me, even though he spoke to a man dressed in traditional Qatari clothes. Jasper nodded his head, giving the illusion that he was listening to whatever the man said, but his chocolate-brown eyes were locked on me. His jaw was clenched, and he was staring at me like he was ready to fuck propriety, throw me down on the stable floor, and fuck me to oblivion.
This was more intense than yesterday in the plane. Right now, he looked unhinged. I didn’t think this man could get any more good looking. I was wrong.
My breathing stuttered, and I broke away from his focus, busying myself by ducking into Huxley’s stall and checking him over again. Hiding behind my horse, I leaned on the stall’s wall and tried to cool down.
What the hell was that? Why was Jasper staring at me like that?
Then I stilled. There was no way . . . I blinked and peered through the metal sides of the stall. Jasper was still there. He was facing the man now, but every now and then, his gaze would drift to this stall, brows pulled down as he searched for me. I pushed myself back against the wooden wall some more and felt lightheaded.
The shower.
The shower where I’d come, screaming his name. There was no way he’d heard me, right? Surely the walls were thick enough that it would be soundproof. Yeah. I was thinking too much of it. Maybe he’d been recalling our little run-in on the plane. Yeah, that was it . . .
Then the blood drained from my face. The window. I’d left the window open in my hotel bathroom . . . where I’d screamed as I’d come . . . screaming Jasper’s name.
No, I told myself. He couldn’t have heard anything. I was sure.
I did a good job convincing myself of my lie and left Huxley’s stall. The minute I came out, I felt Jasper watching me again. I didn’t turn to look, because if I did, I might have to really entertain the possibility that Jasper heard me getting myself off in the shower, to the thoughts of him pounding into me.
Nope. I wouldn’t go there.
“Jasper Knighton,” I heard someone say, a tone of mockery in his voice.
I tried not to turn around, but when Jasper said, “McGowen,” in a tight tone, I couldn’t help myself. Jake McGowen stood on the other side of the gate that separated our horses from the next stable block.
Jake was tall and blond with blue eyes. He was conventionally good looking, but the fact was, he had nothing on Jasper. That stood for the competition too. A huge deal was always made of the rivalry between them, but Jake wasn’t a fraction of the rider Jasper was, and when they were on the circuit, competing in teams or in the Olympics, Jasper dominated on Henry.
Jasper crossed his arms over his chest. Everything in his stance screamed “back the fuck off.” That didn’t deter Jake. “I didn’t see your name on the rider’s list,” Jake said.
“Because it’s not,” Jasper said. His voice was cold and brutal, like an arctic blast. Hatred for this man pulsed off him in icy waves. Jake smiled wide, and I had the sudden urge to walk over and punch him in the face.
“Shame,” McGowen said. “I have a mare this year who is going to eat this competition up.”
Jasper laughed sardonically and said, “This mare . . . is she pumped full of PEDs, or is she natural?”
Jake’s cocky smile fell off his face. “That’s low, even for you,” he snapped.
Jake moved to walk away but then caught me watching the heated exchange. “Hallie Oakley!” he said, his toned laced with excitement. “Welcome to the tour. It’s about time you joined the big leagues. I’ve been keeping an eye on you in the Unders.”
Jasper blocked me from Jake’s view and said, “Don’t fucking harass my riders.” I’d never heard Jasper be so unkind, so unfeeling as I did in that moment.
I peeked around Jasper’s broad body to see Jake’s hands held up, but the cocky smirk on his face was back in place. “I wasn’t aware saying hello was harassment.” Jake found me again, and he said, “Nice to finally meet you, Hallie. We’ll speak more when your jailer isn’t around.”