Page 17 of Lassoed Love

She does as I suggest, manoeuvring herself easily between the two panels of timber, walking cautiously up to Blue.

Seizing the opportunity, I hop off the horse with a muffled thud as my boots hit the ground. Buddy, my loyal companion, sits on the grass, wagging his tail happily. Isla notices Buddy and can't help but exclaim, “Oh my goodness, you’re so cute! Boy or girl?” she asks whilst patting buddy, who has now jumped up onto her thighs, resting his paws there, tongue hanging out of his mouth.Bastard.

“Boy. Name's Buddy,” I reply with a smirk, realising that even a dog can't escape her charm.

Isla coos at Buddy, “Aren’t you just the cutest, Buddy!” while ruffling up his fur and giving him a scratch on his head.

As she does this, I can’t help but notice what she is wearing. Jesus. She’s got on the tightest black shorts, showing off her curvaceous figure—wide hips, long legs, thick but muscular thighs, a round ass which looks to be more than a handful. The t-shirt she’s wearing showcases the silhouette of her ample breasts. I shouldn’t be looking.Why am I looking?

She’s all womanly now, filled out in just the right places, and I can’t help but appreciate that, as a man.Look away, you perv.I admonish myself internally, subtly readjusting the semi I am now rocking under my jeans. Clearing my throat to shake off these thoughts, I catch Buddy’s attention, which prompts him to jump down from Isla’s legs.

Isla then looks up to Blue, raising her hand slowly towards his face. Blue, ever the friendly horse, bends towards her hand, allowing Isla to pet him.

“You’re gorgeous, aren’t you?” she says to Blue. “What’s his name?” she asks.

I reply, “Blue.”

And she scoffs. “How original.”

“Hey,” I warn, and point to her. “Watch it; Blue picked out the name, not me,” I say, holding up my hands in a mock surrender.

“You’re an idiot,” she stifles her laugh, but a slight giggle comes out, and for someoddreason, I immediately want her to do it again.

Somehow sensing her unvoiced question, I ask, “Wanna ride him?”

She hesitates, “Oh, no, no, I don’t want to impose,” almost as if finally realising where she actually is and who she’s talking to. She retreats backward.

“You’re not imposing, plus he loves a ride,” I say quickly, and as if on cue, Blue neighs.Yeah, you and me both, buddy. God knows it’s been a while—fuck.

She looks at me quickly, her eyes moving up and down very subtly,but I catch it.

“So do you wanna?” he asks again. For a second, I forget what he is asking and my heart races.The horse, he’s asking about the horse, you idiot.

“Oh, um, y-yeah, sure. I mean, with the horse. Riding. Blue,” I stammer, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

I shift awkwardly on the spot, trying to conceal the fact that my clothes are sticking to me from all the sweat. I grab my t-shirt and fan it outwards to loosen up the fabric a little and air it out. Why did I choose black in this scorching heat? I catch Xavier’s amused gaze as it lingers on me for a moment, and I feel that familiar heat creeping up my neck again, probably painting my face an even deeper shade of red than before. I avert my eyes, focusing on the path ahead, hoping the blush will subside.

“Righto, then. Let’s get you up there,” he says, walking over to Blue and gesturing for me to follow.

I cautiously approach the horse, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. I turn to Xavier, “I haven’t been on a horse in years,” I confess,reaching out to pet Blue's neck.

Xavier smirks. “Don’t worry, Blue here is a gentleman. You’ll be fine.” His signature teasing tone returns.

Xavier starts to position himself behind me, and on instinct, I pivot abruptly to face him. “This is weird, right?... It’s weird? I mean… We’re not even friends,” I blurt out, the words tumbling out of my mouth too fast.

Fuckkkk, I am nervous. Why am I so nervous?Oh, grow a pair, Isla. I mentally provide myself with a pep talk.It's no use. Who am I kidding?

He looks down at me, his mouth turning upwards. “Why would it be weird?” he says casually, a smirk playing on his lips. “I teach people how to ride all the time, no big deal,” he says matter-of-factly. This prompts my mind to involuntarily drift to the thought of him ‘teaching’ someone how to ride... and I’m not talking about a horse.NO, no. Stop.

“We can be acquaintances, right?” he adds, his tone almost teasing. Acquaintances?Acquaintances?That’s a stretch, considering our complicated history.Does this dickhead not remember anything?

I don’t really know what to call this dynamic … dysfunctional? Weird? I had avoided him and his friends like the plague, any chance I could get in high school, and here I am now, seven years later, on his property, engaged in a somewhat decent conversation while riding his horse.Whaaat?

I lift my gaze to meet him, momentarily realising how close he actually is to me. I can practically feel his breath fanning across myface. “It’s one horse ride, Isla. Turn,” he retorts, his tone low and gravelly. The way he accentuates my name rolling his tongue on the ‘la’ sends a shiver straight down my spine.Well, fuck me sideways. That voice… he’d always had a deep voice, but now—oh, just kill me now.

I turn back around, mentally scolding myself for the weird mix of nerves and attraction.Get it together, Isla.

As I turn to face the horse, Xavier’s hands encircle my waist with a confident grip. “I’m going to lift you up, okay?” he asks, gauging my permission. I simply nod, unable to form words as his hands tighten around me. At the touch of his hands on my waist, I freeze, voicing my concern.

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