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)
Hallie blinked, and momentarily stopped dancing, only for Jake fucking McGowen to sidle up beside her and place his hands on her hips. Hallie spun, looking suddenly so small on that dance floor, but she smiled at Jake and, tearing her gaze from me, began dancing with him.
Fury, thick and strong, overcame me. “Get off me,” I said to Camille. When she didn’t, I wrenched her arm from around my neck with force. “I told you to get the fuck off me!” I said loudly and pushed her back. People stopped talking around us and stared our way.
“Prick,” Camille said in her heavy accent, and strutted away from me.
I ran my hand down my face. What the fuck was I doing here? When I saw the head of the FEI approaching me and Douglas McNulty, from an Edinburgh-based stud coming up from my right, I just needed to get the hell out of here.
I glanced to the dance floor again, and Hallie was still there, Jake holding her hand and spinning her around. She was laughing. The sight was breathtaking. Hallie rarely laughed around me. I was a cold fucker to her, and more often than not, I was either pushing her away or blowing hot and cold. I fought the need to storm over there and let my fist fly at McGowen’s face. But I wouldn’t. This was Hallie’s big chance, the start of her high-flying career. One I knew she would excel at. I couldn’t thrust her into the rumor mill, especially with the likes of Alexis and Camille here witnessing it. They’d make Hallie’s life on tour hell.
Plus, I was fucked up. My life was fucked up. And I couldn’t stand in her way, though as I headed for the exit, I fought every urge within me to turn back. As I burst into the thick humidity outside, I walked toward the Knighton Equestrian stock trailer. I just needed some fucking space.
As I threw the door open, I went inside and started kicking piles of saddle pads out of my way. When I’d exhausted myself, I crouched down and put my hands on my head.
Then the door opened behind me.
Chapter Thirteen
Hallie
Seeing Camille Dubois hanging all over Jasper brought a streak of jealousy to my heart so strong it was staggering. “Bitch,” Sage hissed as we stopped dancing to see the redheaded beauty wrap her arm around Jasper’s neck and whisper something into his ear.
“I’ll tear her hair off her head,” Sage said, meaning every word. She made to walk over to Camille, but I grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
“We’re not together,” I said, and the worst part of that was it was true. I had no claim on Jasper. He’d made it clear there would be nothing between us. He was free to sleep with whoever he wanted.
Camille Dubois had a reputation. Even in the Under-25s, we’d heard of her more than adventurous sex life. It surprised me that Jasper and she were close. I had never met Alexis Hobbs. But one of the newer riders from Belgium, Sofia, warned me about her. Alexis had spent last year’s tour trying to find any dirt she could on Sofia, only backing off when there was none to be had.
But the way Camille touched Jasper spoke of intimacy which, frankly, made me sick. So when Jake sidled up to me, I decided to drop my pain and dance instead. But as he spun me around, I caught sight of Jasper watching me with as much jealousy in his gaze as I knew I had in mine.
Shaking his head in frustration, he turned and fled, and without thinking, I followed him. Lifting my golden dress off the floor, I kicked off my heels, knowing Sage would grab them, and ran to find him, only to see a dark figure storming out the door and past the barn toward the business center where I knew Jasper was having lots of meetings this week.
I saw him enter the Knighton Equestrian trailer, and checking the coast was clear, I ran up the steps, opened the door, and slipped inside. The door slammed behind me, instantly locking me in. The first thing I saw was piles of saddle pads strewn around the room, then in the back, Jasper, crouched down low with his messy dark hair tumbling over his fingers as he buried his head in his hands.
Hearing my entrance, he snapped his attention my way and immediately got to his feet. His face was hard, and I knew I was back with the cold Jasper who had chastised me in the barn—the one intent on pushing me away.
Were we really back there?
“Why are you here?” he said, between gritted teeth. His hands were balled into fists at his sides and, even from across the large trailer, I could see they were shaking.