Page 34 of Valentine Nook
“I’m not sure.”
I’m trying not to be rude, but I’m also staring at the door Lando disappeared through because where the fuck is he?
From the corner of my eye, I notice the second girl tilting her head as she stares at me, but I’m too focused on the pub entrance to feel the weight of it.
“You seem so familiar,” she says eventually. “Did I see you at the polo last weekend?”
I shake my head. “Nope, not me.”
She’s about to ask something else when the pair of them turn around, and a little way down the street is a small group of girls calling and gesturing them over. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Thanks for letting us say hi to your horse.” Girl one smiles. “Bye.”
“He’s not mine,” I mutter and follow it up with a “see youaround” out of habit just in case she remembers where she knows me from.
Because having the gossip sites say I was super nice is always more preferable than being called a miserable bitch.
I figure Thunder would go back to standing still, but the tiny attention he just received seems to have piqued his need for more. He nudges me hard in the ribs, running his soft velvety lips all over my shirt pocket.
“Dude, this is clean. Don’t eat it.” I step back before his teeth make contact with my skin, but I’m talking to half a ton of horse, and of course, he follows me, nibbling at the soft cotton. “What are you after?”
Pushing his face away, which is harder than it sounds, I reach into my pocket to find a tin of breath mints from the plane ride over. Huh, maybe this shirt wasn’t clean.
“Is this what you want?”
Given he tries to eat them before I open it, I’d say so.
Maybe he’s expecting something different because when I tip the tiny white pellets into my hand, he stops what he’s doing and stares at them, disappointed.
“Sorry, pal, it’s all I got.” I hold my hand out.
His hot breath blows over my palm, and he leaves a trail of saliva as he licks the mints up and crunches down.
“What are you doing to my horse?”
Spinning around, I find Lando sauntering across the street, all thick thighs and broad shoulders, with the same amusement as before sparkling in his eyes. There’s an insolence to it, giving me the feeling he’s laughingatme, notwithme.
I snap the tin shut. “Nothing.”
As he steps between us, the scent of wood and amber dances through the air. Holyshit,it’s all I can do not to run my nose along his collar. Because Lando smellsgood.Better than he has any right to.
Cupping his hand around Thunder’s nose, he pushes hisfingers up into his long, thick black mane. Thunder is more interested in the mints or my shirt, it seems.
“He likes you.”
“He likes the mints.”
“True, but he wouldn’t be rubbing his nose over you if he was only after mints.”
My cheeks warm under his gaze, and I step away, only for Thunder to crane forward for further investigation of my shirt, causing Lando to raise a thick brow at me. His point is proven, and it’s followed by a twitch in his cheeks suppressing a smile.
“Buddy, I don’t have anything else for you,” I tell Thunder as he moves on to sniffing my hair.
I take another step back. My shirt might now be covered in horse slobber, but I draw the line at my freshly washed hair. Then I realize there’s no reason for me to still be standing here, holding the reins and staring at Lando while he laughs loudly.
I should be on my way to get a coffee and a donut. Yet I’m not because I’m watching Lando’s hands stroke Thunder’s silky neck and wondering what else he can do with them.
My moment of insanity is broken when Eddie reappears carrying a large box, followed by the Labrador ambling behind him who promptly lies down between Thunder’s legs.
