I sighed. I was going to have to ride her with him, and I gestured to the rock. “Go. It’ll be fine.”

He didn’t move. “I have no problem walking back.”

I gestured again, my hand flicking more impatiently. “I said go. Get on there.”

As he sighed and then climbed onto the rock, I gently pulled myself up onto her back. Motioning her forward, I lined her up in front of him.

“You’re riding her too?”

“I have to, or it’ll take two hours to get you back. We’re seven miles away.”

He gulped. “For real? Seven miles?”

I nodded, indicating behind me. “Just gently climb on.” As he did, he lined his body up behind mine, and his arms wrapped around my waist. “Don’t sneak any feels. I could react, and she might drop us both on the ground.”

I didn’t add how I doubted she’d do that. He didn’t need to know that.

He nodded, but his hand dipped under my shirt. His head dropped, and I felt his lips graze my neck as he said, “I’ll do my best.” But as we started off, his hand didn’t stay still. He had it under my pants and resting at the edge of my underwear before we’d even traveled a mile.

By the second mile, his finger was inside me, and I was leaning all the way back against him.

Somehow, the mare got us back, but I had to admit that I hadn’t done much of the steering.

He brought me to a climax, a slow and smooth and sensual one so my body was softly shaking once the chestnut stopped by the fence.

His lips skimmed the side of my neck. “Well, that was the best horse ride ever.”

I groaned. “I told you not to touch me like that.”

His grin turned cocky when I motioned for him to get off the horse. He slid down, dropping the last couple of feet to the ground. “Yeah, you totally gave me that impression when you opened your legs wider for me.”

I barked out a laugh but caught up the reins in my hand. I clicked, turning the chestnut back again. “Stand back. I have to jump her.” I signaled for her to go farther. We’d need a running start.

“What?”

I nodded to the end of the fencing. “The only opening is up ahead by the barn, but not down here. I gotta jump her to get her in there.”

He was starting to climb over the fence when I turned her back and kicked her into full gallop. She cleared the fence easily, and instead of waiting for Brody, I rode her all the way to the barn as Brody followed on foot.

I put her in the stall, watered her, and was brushing her down by the time he entered behind us. Waiting until I was done, he just stood and watched.

I’d done this act so many times, it was second nature. I’d taken care of horses when other people were in the barn with me, but it felt different this time. Maybe it was because we were intimate last night, or even the ride here, or maybe it was Brody himself. For whatever reason, as I brushed the mare down, as he stood and watched, and as we both didn’t say a word, it felt like one of the most intimate moments I’d endured.

My nerves were stretched tight, and I didn’t want to question if that was a good thing or not. I just knew that I wasn’t surprised when Brody grabbed my hand once I was done. He began to lead me toward the door. I started to go with him. My body was saying yes all over again, but I cleared the fog and dug my heels in.

We were going fast, too fast.

Right?

I asked, “What are you doing?”

“Taking you to the cabin. I have a bed there. A soft bed.”

I was torn. I wanted to, but . . .

It was becoming too much, too intense too quickly.

I pulled my hand free. “I shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

I shook my head. Tucking my hand behind my back, I began edging backward. “I just can’t. It’s a lot . . . I’m sorry.”

“But—” His expression twisted in confusion. “I want you beside me.” He stepped toward me again. “I want to hold you.”

I wanted that too. And we’d have that. But not here, not in his cabin, not so close to where I felt the world was trying to pull me back into its folds.

I reached for the door behind me. “I can’t.” I opened it and slipped outside. Before I shut it, I said quickly, “I’ll come back.”

Then I shut the door and ran back to where Shiloh was waiting for me. She had followed behind us as I hoped.

When I climbed over the fence and onto her, I looked back.

Brody was standing inside that door, watching me. I paused, but I didn’t wave. He didn’t, either, and feeling myself hardening inside, I dug my heels in. Shiloh didn’t need another signal. She tore off, and we veered back to the cliff’s edge again, both of us feeling as if we were flying moments later.

Except this time, it didn’t feel as free.

Brody

I got laid and rejected, all within twenty-four hours.

And was propositioned by my therapist.

“I thought that was against your code of ethics or something.”

She smiled coyly, cocking her head to the side and fluttering those eyelashes at me. I fought against rolling my eyes. It wasn’t the best come-on I’d witnessed. It wasn’t the worst, but it was among them.

She was stroking the horse’s lead rope as if she were wishing it was my cock, or maybe she thought it looked seductive. It didn’t.