Page 83 of She Belongs to Me

I pulled my hand away, several questions running through my mind even if I didn’t want to ruin the evening. There was so much at stake, so many concerns we both had. And the guilt really was eating him alive. Was it true there’d been no one else in his life? I had no way of knowing and I suspected the subject was off limits.

He continued driving for what seemed like a long time, well over a half hour. I already had my head back in the seat, doing my best to grab even a remote hint of light from under the blindfold, but he’d tied it too tightly.

When he started to slow down, I gripped the steering wheel. He was chuckling beside me, acting as if this was all just a game. At some point, he and I would need to sit down and have a long discussion about the future, but I knew that also wasn’t now.

He stopped the engine and sighed, not moving or attempting to remove the blindfold.

“What are we waiting for?” I asked, although the sound was rather demanding.

“Patience isn’t one of your virtues, is it?”

“No, it is not, just like it’s not with you either. Can I take this off now?”

“Not yet. Do not touch or I seriously will spank that butt of yours so hard you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

His threats were laced with additional lust. He couldn’t deny it.

“Okay. But you better hurry.” My demand was falling on deaf ears and I knew it.

He finally opened the door a few seconds later, not telling me I could get out. I guess he was providing the whole date treatment by being a gentleman.

I was right, the handsome hunk helping me from the car. He took my arm at first, but quickly shifted his arm around my waist.

“I’m not running anywhere,” I told him.

“I never know what to expect with you. Let’s face it. You could be an escape artist.”

He was trying so hard to be light. Maybe we both were. Was this supposed to be so complicated? Terrifying?

“You overestimate my abilities,” I told him, the sound more like I was cooing.

“No, I’ve learned not to underestimate them. Period. We’re almost there.”

I heard nothing at first, the quiet far too eerie. Why weren’t there any traffic noises? Where the hell had he taken me? We were definitely off his property. Maybe a park of some kind. That wasn’t like him either.

A dozen more steps and I heard something. What was it? I couldn’t tell.

He took a deep breath. “Have you figured it out?”

“Not yet.”

Why was he laughing at me?

Another sound immediately pushed me into stopping. I craned my neck. Horses. I heard horses whinnying. “We’re at the corral. Aren’t we?”

“Possibly.”

He went through all that to hide that we were going to go riding? I wasn’t certain how to react, but I was so touched I was floored. I had nothing to say immediately. That said something.

The more we walked the louder the horses became and when I was certain he’d opened the gate, he still refused to remove the blindfold. I felt the brush of horses and their sounds put a huge smile on my face. But he kept walking.

Now I was so excited I could barely contain the bubbling feeling inside. With all his generosity, his money spent to keep me warm, safe and dry, he could have no idea this simple ride meant more than anything else ever could. Because he’d broken down his barriers to allow it to happen, making the celebration special. I almost couldn’t breathe.

He guided me about another hundred feet then stopped both of us. Now he placed his hands on my shoulders. “Before I remove your blindfold, I did want to apologize, but don’t let it go to your head.”

“That’s right. You’re never wrong.”

He swatted me on the butt. “Careful, little girl. I am sorry for how I reacted. I wasn’t happy to see another man pay attention to you.”

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