Horse Play (Horse Play #1) (6 page)

Pulling my bottom lip painfully between my teeth to keep from whimpering as his flannel pajama pant-clad groin pressed flush against my ass—which, remember, wasn’t covered by much fabric itself—I closed my eyes tightly. With my hands clenched together in fists as he shifted again, I had to fight with myself to stay still. There was something about him sitting behind me, though, that just felt so damn right. I suppose it could’ve been that I hadn’t had sex in months, and being this close to a good-looking,
available
man reminded me of that fact.

I felt desire roll deep in my belly, swelling and joining the heavy pulse between my legs.
Shit, it’s been so long,
I thought, suddenly enjoying the tender attention of the opposite sex—even if it wasn’t
meant
to be sexual.

Jensen sucked in a quick breath, and I wanted to imagine the look on his face to be the same one I wore as his hands lightly touched my ribs. His eyes would be hooded with lust as he fought with himself to rip my sorry excuse for a shirt from my back and ravage me on the wide leather couch, the sweat from our bodies would cause us to slide against one another …

I moaned as Jensen touched my ribs with a little more pressure, shying away from his hands. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling his hands back quickly. “Does it hurt?”

“A … a little,” I confessed shakily, my head still kind of foggy from the vivid images I had conjured up moments ago.

Jensen’s hands ghosted over my flesh, occasionally grazing it with the very tips of his fingers. “I have to touch. It might hurt, okay?”

Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth again, I nodded and waited for the blinding pain. I was pleased when he only pressed lightly, causing a very minimal sting to shoot through my chest. However, as soon as he touched my bottom rib, I sucked in a sharp breath. Seeing white, I cried out and slapped my hand down on his thigh to grip onto something.

“Okay, that’s it. Get up, let’s go find you some clothes,” Jensen said, placing his cool hands gently on my hips.

“What? Why?” I stammered. It was a stupid question; I knew what his answer would be.

Jensen helped me to my feet, keeping his hands on my waist as he pushed me gently toward my bedroom. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

I shook my head and turned around to move away from him. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, holding my left arm tightly to my side to keep the pain at bay. “I’m fine. I’ll
be
fine, I just need to relax and let it heal. I swear.”

“It’s just a precaution.” Jensen paused and looked at me with resolve. “Let’s just go and make sure you’re okay.”

“Like I said, I’m fine. I’ve fallen off my horse before. This is nothing, I swear.” It was sweet how concerned he seemed, but it was misplaced. I knew I would be okay with a little rest. “I’m tired; I think I’m going to turn in. I’ll see you in the morning?”

Jensen nodded once, still eyeing me skeptically.

“Feel free to, um, stay up and watch TV,” I offered as I continued to back away from him. Something flashed in his eyes, sending shivers through me. I had to wrap my arms around myself to try and harness it.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll turn in, too.” Jensen’s voice was low and gruff, and the sound of it spread through me, causing goose bumps to cover my body.

I turned from him with a nervous smile and walked quickly to my room. “Goodnight,” I stammered, closing my door as Jensen stood across the hall in his room smiling.

“Goodnight, Madi.”

That night, I had very pleasant dreams of Jensen Davis.

Chapter 5. Just my Luck

W
hen I woke the next morning, every muscle in my body ached. I sat up slowly, trying really hard not to cry out as I stretched. The pain wasn’t any less, but on the bright side, it wasn’t much worse either. That had to be good for something, right?

Upon exiting my room to wash up, I noticed that Jensen’s door was closed. Even though I knew it probably bordered on creepy, I placed a hand on the solid wood panel and leaned in, debating whether or not I should knock to see if he was awake. When I heard shuffling, I decided against it and continued toward the bathroom.

Once behind the closed door, I lifted my tank top to view my injuries and cringed when I saw the deep purplish-black marks. They started just under my breast and travelled down my ribcage until they disappeared beneath my shorts. Carefully, I moved the waistband of my shorts and looked down in horror when I realized that the bruise reached my upper thigh and covered half of my ass cheek. I tried to touch them gently, but even the faintest touch caused me to whimper.

As much as it pained me to admit it, Jensen was right. I should have gone to the doctor. Unfortunately there was no time for that today. There was far too much to do around the ranch before Jeff left for school in the fall. Telling myself over and over again that I would be okay, I replaced my shirt and brushed my teeth before exiting the bathroom.

The smell of coffee hit me hard when I stepped into the hall and back to my room to get dressed. Seeing Jensen’s open door and his bed made caused those damn butterflies to wake up and flutter wildly in my stomach. It was a feeling I hadn’t had in quite some time, and I rolled my eyes at myself because of the promise I made when I threw Dane out.

After I pulled on my jeans and a T-shirt, I made my bed and followed the heavenly smell all the way to the source. From his position in my chair at the table, Jensen’s stunning blue eyes rose from yesterday’s paper, and he offered me a wide smile. “Good morning, sunshine,” he greeted.

“Hey,” I responded in a raspy voice as I opened the cupboard to find a mug. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a rock.”

With a laugh, I shook my head, standing on the tips of my toes and reaching for a cup. “I never understood that saying.” I had just grabbed my cup when suddenly I felt Jensen’s presence next to me. The cup slipped from my grip, and Jensen caught it before it hit the rustic wood countertop and broke.

“Thanks,” I breathed, turning to face him. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks, and I dropped my face, nervously tucking my hair behind my ears.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just, you were reaching, and I saw your bruise. Would you mind … ?”

I nodded as his words trailed off, and I brought my eyes back to his. They were a soft shade of blue with little flecks of gray and green, and they drew me in. His breath was fresh, which led me to believe he had been up before I stopped outside his door to listen in.
Okay, okay: spy.

Completely lost in his gaze, I slowly backed up until the small of my back hit the kitchen island. I lifted my shirt so he could see, but his eyes didn’t leave mine for the longest time. I wondered what he was thinking. I knew what
I
was thinking, and let’s be honest, it wasn’t entirely innocent. No, it involved pulling Jensen to me until he had me pinned against the refrigerator. His hands would grasp at my heated flesh as he kissed me with so much passion it left us both breathless. Finally, they would glide down my body; I could practically feel them as they roamed across my neck, over the swells of my breasts, trailed over my stomach and then between my legs …

Pulling my lip between my teeth, I closed my eyes and tried to calm my unsteady breathing before he realized just how turned on I was … over nothing. I mentally chastised myself for such lurid thoughts.

I was pulled from any lustful feelings I was having when Jensen’s chilled hands touched my ribs, and I recoiled instantly, slamming my right hip into the wooden island counter.

“Madi …” he whispered, dragging out my name when he spoke, his tone smooth like silk against my skin.

I yanked my shirt down and then avoided the area all together as I turned from him and focused on pouring my coffee. “I know what you’re going to say, Jensen. And I’m fine. There’s no time for a trip to the doctor right now.”

With a sigh of defeat, Jensen backed up toward the table, holding his hands up before him in surrender as he sat back down. “Okay. Okay,” he relented. “Just, promise me one thing?” I nodded as I turned to join him at the table. “Be careful. Don’t do anything reckless today.”

“Ugh,” I grunted. “I’m a klutz one day. I fall off my horse—for the first time in years, I might add—and you’ve got me pegged as a walking accident. Fantastic.”

Jensen’s eyes softened and his forehead wrinkled with … worry? “Just be careful. I don’t like the looks of it.”

“What are you, a doctor now?” I scoffed, sipping my coffee slowly.

“No. But, my mother is, and I’ve seen this sort of thing before. Please, just—”

“Fine.” I groaned in exasperation, rolling my eyes. “I’ll be careful.”

Jensen relaxed, standing once again. “We’ve got a bit of time, you hungry?”

“Uh … yeah. Sure.”

As Jensen passed by me for the fridge, my eyes landed on his backside, and I found myself ogling … again. I really was pathetic. Though, I couldn’t really help that it was so fine. This was really his fault. If he didn’t do—well, whatever it was he did to make it look like that—then I wouldn’t even be in this predicament.

I pulled my knees to my chest and continued sipping my coffee while I watched him. My imagination started to run away with me again as I wondered what his ass looked like naked. Would it be just as tan as the rest of his body? Toned? Yeah, probably.

“So, you’ve got eggs and bread,” Jensen said, standing quickly—catching me staring at him with googly eyes. I knew he caught me too, because that damn cocky smirk played at the corners of his mouth, and I was blushing fiercely. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything. “I could make closed Denver sandwiches?”

“Yeah,” I croaked, still terribly embarrassed. “That sounds great.”

Jensen grabbed what he needed from the fridge before closing it and walking over to the counter by the stove so he could begin prepping breakfast. I picked up the paper, even though I had already read it, and kept my eyes trained on the small black font. I couldn’t find it in myself to absorb the words before me, instead my mind kept focusing on the sight of Jensen’s chiseled chest, and how great his jeans fit.

“Here you go,” Jensen announced, sliding my plate in front of me. Had I really been thinking about him so long that he’d had time to prepare a meal? I hope he hadn’t been trying to start up a conversation.

I set the paper down beside me and eyed the toasted sandwich. It looked amazing. The fluffy omelet had an assortment of vegetables in it with shredded cheddar stuffed inside. How it looked was no comparison to how it tasted. They were only eggs, but I had never tasted anything so incredible.

“This is really good. Thank you,” I said after swallowing my first bite.

“It was my pleasure.”

“Where did you learn to cook like this?”

Jensen’s eyebrows furrowed, and he averted his eyes. “I recently worked in a kitchen for a few weeks before we … parted ways. I picked up a few things.”

The way he skirted how he left his last job gave me pause. I wanted to inquire further, but figured it was none of my business.

By the time we finished our breakfast, it was almost six, and I knew we’d have to get to the barn to turn the horses out and clean their stalls. After doing our dishes—I washed while Jensen stood beside me and dried—we put our shoes on.

“Don’t forget to tie those,” Jensen teased. “You did promise to be careful today, after all.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. Next to my foot was an old work glove, so I picked it up and tossed it at his head. “Shut up.”

Jensen’s eyes narrowed. “If you weren’t already injured, you’d be so dead, Landry.”

“You don’t think I could take you?” I inquired, to which Jensen’s jaw gaped open. It was then that I realized how he took my playful threat. Instead of showing my embarrassment, I winked. It was time to make him squirm for once.

As we sat there, bantering back and forth playfully, I let all of my preconceived notions about Jensen slip away. It was nice to let go of the animosity I felt toward him yesterday, having caught a glimpse of how genuine he was. Maybe his attitude yesterday was due to nerves or was a way of protecting himself, while I suspected mine was due to my past blinding me and turning me into this jaded person who saw everyone as the enemy.

Jensen and I walked to the barn, and when we arrived, Jeff, Tom, and my dad were already busy leading a few of the horses out.

“Good mornin’, kids. Sleep well?” Dad asked as he passed by with Oscar. I reached out and ran my hand down my first horse’s back as I continued past him.

“Like rocks,” Jensen snickered, elbowing my arm as he passed by and headed to Ransom’s stall.

I shook my head and laughed, which caused Dad’s eyes to brighten at seeing Jensen and me getting along. “I see you’ve made nice?”

“For now,” I joked, opening Halley’s stall. I grabbed her halter and slipped inside to find her waiting for me. “Good morning, girl.” She huffed softly, pushing her head into the open halter. “We’ll go for a ride later, okay?”

I led Halley out of her stall and toward her paddock. I gave her a kiss on her muzzle before releasing her and watched her trot off toward the trough in the far corner. When I exited the pen, locking it behind me, I saw Jensen walking my way with Ransom. Watching him interact with one of the more ornery horses we owned was fascinating. I was able to bond with Ransom, but he still pulled the strings some days, making my job tough. But the way Jensen was able to catch him with no trouble the day before, and how he was able to walk calmly next to him, whispering to him as he stroked the length of his face was … well, it was mind-blowing.