Page 14 of The Music in Me

“Beautiful,” Leon whispered as he stared at me, and I felt a flutter in my chest. “Come on,” he said, taking my hand and leading me out of the room. “Your surprise is waiting for you in front of the house. Although I’m not sure it’s much of a surprise anymore.”

“It will be to me,” I said, following him out of the house. “Why am I wearing a riding outfit when you don’t have a horse?”

“Because you’re going to be riding one,” he replied as he pushed the door open. I did a double take when I saw the horse standing in the yard, tied to a post.

I raced toward the horse and stopped a few feet away. “It’s real,” I exclaimed, scarcely believing my eyes. “It’s a real horse, Leon. You got me a real horse.”

“Rented,” he explained as he moved closer, glad to see my reaction to his surprise. “There’s a horse farm not too far from here.”

“First the balloon, and now these? Looks like you have a theme going on.”

“I guess I do. You’re my princess after all,” he said, patting my cheeks tenderly. “Come, let me introduce you to the horse. His name is Chip and he used to be a racehorse. Now, he takes pretty women on scenic rides around the horse farm.”

“Hi, Chip,” I said as we moved closer. I held my hand out, waiting until the horse sniffed my nose before petting it by the neck.

I had gone horse riding a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I even considered owning a horse once, but living in the city and having a crazy traveling schedule made it hard to realize that dream. Still, I loved spending time with them. They were beautiful, magnificent creatures, and Chip was no different. He stood tall and proud, coat shimmering in the afternoon sunlight as I stroked its mane. It was hard to miss the similarities between the beast in front of me and the man who stood behind me, especially with that regal tilt of his head that bordered on arrogance.

“Here, give him this.” Leon handed me an apple, and I fed it to the horse, giggling when he took it from my palm and whinnied in appreciation.

“You should have gotten two horses,” I said to Leon as we took the horse for a walk around the cabin. “That way, we can ride at the same time instead of waiting turns.”

“We’ll be riding at the same time, Kira,” he said.

“Or, you could call the farm back and ask for a second horse,” I suggested.

“And who’s going to make sure you are safe and don’t fall off this one?”

“I can ride a horse without falling,” I huffed.

“I’m sure you think you can. But Daddy’s got to make sure his little girl doesn’t get injured on this ride.” He grinned when I stopped mid stride in shock. “Don’t worry. Chip has no problem carrying both our weights. I already checked with the manager.”

I wasn’t worried about Chip. I was worried about me. It was hard enough walking right next to me and trying to ignore the low heat of arousal that struck me with every step and every sound of his voice. I was sure riding on the same horse with him would kill me.

“Scared?” he teased, and I smirked at him.

“Of what?”

“That’s my girl,” he said.

He held my hand and helped me mount the horse, making sure I was comfortable before jumping behind me. His thighs bracketed my legs, and I felt his chest press against my back. He nudged the horse forward and kept an easy grip on the reins as Chip trotted around the yard.

“Relax,” Leon whispered in my ears after a few minutes. “You’ll sprain your neck if you keep holding yourself stiff like that.”

I took a deep breath and allowed myself to relax a little. It meant leaning back until I was resting against his body.

“All the way back, Kira,” he said, and I gave in, leaning back until the top half of my body was cocooned between his arms. “Now, tell me that doesn’t feel much better.”

It did, and I grinned as he nudged the horse faster. A wave of exhilaration washed over me as we raced around the yard, lifting my spirits higher with each stride. The wind whipped through my hair, carrying with it the scent of the forest and grass around us. It was like my soul was being unburdened, and I stretched my hands out and threw back my head, laughing freely as I let go of every worry and care I’d brought with me.

But amid the thrill of the ride, it was the sense of safety I felt in Leon’s arms that gave me the reassurance to let go and kept me grounded, even as he took me for the ride of my life. The power of the animal between my legs was no match for the raw masculinity I felt in the arms around me.

He pushed the horse faster and faster, slowing down around the corners and kicking the pace up a notch on the straight stretch. Chip seemed exhilarated by the challenge, and his hooves pounded against the ground as he sent Leon and me flying across the yard. I loved every moment of it and I was grinning maniacally when Leon finally brought the horse back to a trot.

“That was the best ride of my life,” I exclaimed, clapping excitedly and pressing my cheeks against his arms. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I felt his chest vibrate and turned around, not surprised to see him looking pleased. One thing was clear to me now. Leon liked it when I called him Daddy, and I liked it when he treated me like his little princess.

“Keep doing that, and I’ll give you the best ride of your life tonight,” he drawled in a voice that immediately made my core quiver with arousal.

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