Page 41 of Wine Whiskey & Lipstick

Dillyn worked hard to slow her breathing. Even though she wanted to blame it on never being on a horse, she couldn’t. Whisper wasn’t the only reason her pulse was racing. Dillyn did her best to push those thoughts out of her head by focusing her attention on Whisper. Even though Ben was making her body tingle, sitting astride Whisper made her feel powerful. It had been a long time since Dillyn had felt that way.

Ben made sure Dillyn was settled and secured before hoisting himself up and getting on. He positioned himself behind her. Dillyn’s body melded perfectly to his as if she were always meant to be wrapped between his arms.

Ben hadn’t been this close to a woman in a while, and Dillyn felt damn good. She stirred emotions within him that should stay buried. Ben couldn’t allow himself to be attracted to her or anyone. Yet, he found his attraction to her impossible to ignore.

Ben lowered his head and placed his lips close to her ear. “Hold on tight.”

Dillyn trembled. She wasn’t sure if her reaction was due to nerves or the heat of Ben’s breath tickling the skin just behind her ear. Her mouth went dry. She didn’t trust her voice not to crack. Dillyn nodded her consent.

They left the stable at a slow trot. Once outside, Dillyn bore witness to the most amazing sunrise she’d ever seen. “Whoa,” she whispered. A blush crept up over the mountains, turning to blood orange. After a few seconds, the sky exploded into a flash of gold as the sun ascended the ridge. Rose gold tones merged with amethyst, and the blue above was sapphire clear. It was truly a remarkable sight.

Ben didn’t need to wonder about Dillyn’s reaction. He understood it all too well. He continued to speak into her ear. “Yeah. It still takes my breath away too.” He tightened his arm around her waist and spurred Whisper on. “Let’s go.”

*****

Whisper wanted to run, but she sensed her riders needed something else. They’d covered quite a bit of Ben’s property, but there were thousands of acres to go. Dillyn knew that the Cashes owned a lot of land, but she couldn’t imagine how much. There’s was no way they could cover it all in one day or three, even on a horse.

Ben was right. Thousands of dollars’ worth of therapy couldn’t touch the beauty of nature. Dillyn had calmed down considerably since their fight earlier.

Ben maneuvered Whisper to a high point on the mountain, which was more like a ledge that jutted out from the earth. There was nothing but blue skies above and ahead of them. Lush green trees crowded the enormous mountainsides. “This is my favorite spot. I always come here to think.”

Dillyn glanced around. She was in awe. “I can see why.” She leaned back into the hard wall of his chest. For the briefest of moments, Dillyn basked in how safe she felt in his arms. She could even feel the steady beat of his heart through his shirt. The second Dillyn realized what she was doing, her eyes popped open.

Ben could no longer ignore the way her body felt nestled against his. He needed to put some space between them.

“Whisper could probably use a break.” He moved to dismount and got down, then held his arms out for her.

Dillyn also worked quickly to shut down whatever feelings were trying to bubble up to the surface. She thought it best to put some distance between them too. Dillyn gave Ben a small smile, then leaned over into his waiting arms so that he could help her down. Dillyn fell into him, causing the front of her body to come crashing into his chest.

“I’ve got you.” Ben caught Dillyn and held on tight as if she were precious cargo.

Dillyn gripped his shoulders tightly to keep from falling. Once she was sure she wasn’t about to face-plant onto the grass, Dillyn looked up into Ben’s face and their eyes locked. She swallowed hard, knowing her breasts pressed against his chest.

Her nipples hardened, and her insides went from tingling to a dull throb as she slowly slid down the length of his body until her feet touched the ground. Dillyn was shocked at her reaction. She had been with Steven for fifteen years and never had this type of physical response.

Ben released Dillyn as soon as he knew she was down safely.She can’t look at me like that.His eyes darted away.

Dillyn nibbled on her lower lip. “Umm . . . thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ben backed up a few steps as he looked around at everything but her. “No problem.”

Dillyn took the tiniest moment to steal a glance at him. She couldn’t quite figure him out. Was Ben attracted to her or not? One minute she could swear maybe he was, and then the next, there would be nothing more than curiosity in his eyes. She was probably a novelty to him. If Dillyn was truly giving up on relationships, why did it matter what Ben thought? She decided to push those thoughts away and enjoy her excursion without overanalyzing everything.

The silence between them was a little awkward. Dillyn wasn’t good at idle chatter, and it appeared neither was Ben. Dillyn figured now was a good a time as any to give it a try. “You said you come here every morning?”

Ben finally felt in control enough to look at her again. “Mmhmm . . . rain or shine.”

“That’s dedication.”

“It chases away the ghosts, even if only for a little while.”

“Ghosts?”

He shrugged. “We all have them.”

Dillyn’s head tilted slightly. “You do?” She was skeptical. “What are some of yours?”

Ben wondered how much if any of his demons he wanted to share.

---