Page 50 of Boundaries

After collecting some tack for Tiny from the equipment storage area, between them, Mason and Nixon expertly saddled him. I watched from my position by the gate. Mason’s hands were sure and strong as they stroked Tiny’s flanks, whispering in his ear and I wondered how it would feel to have those hands on me again.

I closed my eyes at the memory. My body needed to experience that feeling again, and soon.

Shaking off the thought, my ears pricked up as Nixon started asking questions about previous owners.

I didn’t have all the data; it was probably in Mr Lonsdale’s file on Tiny and so I could only answer certain things.

As Nixon concentrated on adjusting Tiny’s bridle, Mason and I stood side by side, watching his movements thoughtfully.

“Where’s Jenna?” I shouted over to Nixon.

He glanced at me with a guarded expression. What? I could make small talk when I wanted to.

“She’s got a job interview at a shop in the village,” he responded. I felt annoyed that he knew more about her whereabouts than me.

He met me halfway, but his small talk was shit and loaded to fuck.

“So, how’s the boyfriend,” my brother-in-law drawled, the amusement in his tone slight but it was still there.

“Gay as the day is long, I heard,” Mason put in quietly beside me.

Huffing out a breath, I shot him a sideways look. My eyes dripping with ice.

“Very funny. Yes, it turns out I don’t have the correct appendage. Alex is gay, so, what,” I replied.

Nixon twisted his head and shot me another look.

“He probably wasn’t before he met you,” he mocked. I hadn’t been interfering with him and Jenna this time around and so the fucker should have been noble and drawn a line in the sand but no, he still had to be a twat to me. And to think we were supposed to be family now. Whatever!

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re so cold, you probably turn any man over to the dark side of the force.”

The dark side of the force, was he trying to be homophobic to get a rise out of me. Probably, I knew he wasn’t like that as one of Nixon’s closest friends was gay.

“I’m not cold thank you very much,” I defended myself. The guy had no mercy even when I was on good-girl behaviour.

“OK, if not cold. How about uptight? Don’t you ever let go?”

“Oh, she lets go sometimes don’t you, Amy,” Mason cut in with a suggestive look. At that split second, I didn’t know what he was referring to. Part of me thought he meant that night at his house. Was he trying to suggest that we’d slept together to his brother?

I decided to call his bluff, “And when was that Mason,” I shot out.

My creased brow was bashed away as he enlightened me. Me and his fucking brother who stood only yards away, within hearing distance!

“Let’s just say I had my fingers inside you at the time.” He twisted his head to fire at Nixon. “She went up like a bonfire.”

BOOM. I almost died on the spot.

My mouth dropped open so wide that I was surprised my tonsils didn’t roll out.

Nixon gave a hoot of laughter and stoked Tiny’s neck. I had never been so embarrassed in all my life. And in front of Nixon, the one boy I hated more than any other in the world. A man who now had a huge smile on his face as he watched the show with a glint in his eye.

My temper skyrocketed and I turned on Mason and slapped him across the face, it was much harder than it had been at the beach and my arms flailed as I tried to get another one in but he subdued me. I didn’t make it easy for him.

“Fucking wildcat, calm the fuck down,” Mason grunted as I tried to claw at his face.

Swearing at him under my breath, I heard Nixon say, “You need to get a leash on that one.” That comment knocked my fury up into the next gear.

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