Page 43 of Knight Life In Vegas

I stored away every word she said in my memory. “You know how to ride?”

“I do.”

“Do you want to take Eclipse for a spin?” It was technically an insurance nightmare, but if it would put a smile on her face, I would take the risk.

“I’m allowed to do that?”

I shrugged. “Boss is cool with it.”

She looked at me shrewdly. “Is the boss you?”

“Guilty as charged. Do you wanna ride or not?”

Charlotte chewed her plump bottom lip. I wanted to tilt her chin up and claim that mouth for myself, but she was already on edge and I didn’t want to spook her.

“I’d love to. I haven’t ridden in years.”

I navigated Eclipse to the edge of the arena and stepped off, helping her properly into the saddle before I adjusted the stirrups. “How’s that feel, duchess?”

Charlotte shifted carefully, testing the stirrups and reins. “Perfect.”

She made a clicking sound, and squeezed Eclipse with her heels, the horse setting off into a tidy trot. Watching her was a fucking treat. She posted beautifully and surged Eclipse into a canter, the biggest, most beautiful smile on her face. My pack, her children, and her companion all froze, watching our equestrian goddess loop the arena with a grace that made my chest ache. I knew how good it felt to be on the back of a horse, to have all of that power at your beck and call. I couldn’t imagine going years without it.

“Mommy, why doyouget to ride the horse?” the littlest of the two boys yelled. Dylan had him perched on Applesauce, but the horse was kept still by Dylan’s steady hand on the reins.

I helplessly watched Charlotte, consuming every detail: the tensing of her thighs, the strands of golden hair slipping from their confines, the bounce of her chest as Eclipse ate up the distance beneath his hooves. My whole body tightened with desire. Dylan was slack-jawed, and Eduardo had fire in his gaze.

Charlotte’s companion, Beau, stood as far away from the horses as he could manage while still being near her children. He flinched every time one of the horses flipped their tail or shifted. Apparently he wasn’t as much of a fan of them as Charlotte was. That was a point on our side then. He had the benefit of a family connection, but her joy on the back of Eclipse lit up the arena like a beacon, and it didn’t seem as though he’d be able to give her that.

When she finally slowed, drawing Eclipse up next to me, she was flushed pink, all the burnt edges of her scent vanished. She stroked his flank, cooing at him. “What a gorgeous boy. You’re so beautiful.”

I knew she wasn’t saying it to me, but it hit me all the same. Eclipse turned to nuzzle her leg.

“Someone’s his new favorite. You didn’t even have to bribe him with treats.”

“Can I anyway?”

“You can if you’re not going to run away from us. I’m not the only one who wants a chance to talk to you.”

All the excitement on her face melted away, like she had forgotten the reality of scent matches for those brief moments when it was just her and Eclipse. “Are they mad at me?”

“I told you no one was mad.”

She swallowed hard. “That doesn’t mean anything. I spent over twenty years with someone who would say they weren’t mad when his actions clearly spoke otherwise.”

“We’re not like that,” I assured her. “You get pretty good at communication when you’re in a pack, and we don’t dick around. If someone has something to say, they say it.”

“I don’t know how to believe that.”

I set my palm on the back of her calf, the heat of her skin an inferno through the fabric. “Listen, I get that you’re scared, and you have every right to be, but you’re never going to believe itunless you give us a chance to prove it. If you don’t want to talk to them today, you don’t have to, but please, at least give us a way to reach out. I can’t go through the thought of never seeing you again.”

Charlotte fussed with Eclipse’s mane for a moment before answering. “Okay. I won’t run away this time, but I can’t give any more than that.”

Halle-fucking-lujah. If that was all she could give us, then I would take it gratefully and start making a plan to prove to her she never needed to be afraid again.

Holy shit. She looked so fucking hot riding Eclipse like she owned the place. I hadn’t expected her to know how to ride. It dashed my hopes of getting to teach her, but this was better. I couldn’t stop staring at her.

Applesauce shoved her nose into my face.

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