Mile High (Up in the Air #2)(24)

“Are they too small?” I asked.

“No. This is what they’re supposed to do, until you break them in. They will fit like a glove soon enough.” He worked them to my waist as he spoke. He kissed my belly, running soft fingers over the fading bruises along my torso. He did that so often, it was becoming a sort of ritual.

He slipped thick soft black socks onto my feet, kissing my arches. Next, he worked on stiff dark brown ankle-length boots that matched his own. “These will take breaking in as well. The leather’s been softened, so it shouldn’t be too rough,” he explained.

He worked dark brown leather half-chaps onto my legs next. He named all of the clothing as he dressed me. The chaps hooked just under my heels, fastening to my legs with heavy velcro. It allowed him to size them to my long, thin calves perfectly. “I got you some full chaps as well, but this is the best gear for learning.”

He moved to my top half next, managing to slip me into a snug sports bra without making me sit up. It zipped in the front, and he sucked on each breast thoroughly before zipping it up with a look of regret. It was only then that he sat me up, slipping a skin tight white V-neck shirt over my head, pulling each of my arms through gently.

I laughed at him. “We match again, you weirdo.”

He grinned back at me. “I find that I like that. I can’t say that this will be the last time, either.” He pulled me to my feet, straightening my shirt as he did so.

“You realize that I can dress myself, don’t you?”

He just smiled, content. “If you don’t mind my eccentricity, I prefer to do this.”

I gave him my little shrug. I hadn’t known pampering like this before, and I found myself unexpectedly relishing the experience. “It makes me feel special. I find that I love it. I find that I love everything you do to me.”

He cupped my face, his eyes fiercely tender. I had to force myself to meet that searing gaze. “You are special. You’re the most special person in the world to me. I don’t known how to make you see and feel that.”

I was speechless. He kept saying the most disarming things to me, things I had never prepared myself to hear.

My stomach growled loudly, interrupting the too intense moment.

He kissed my forehead, taking my hand. “Let’s feed you, poor thing. I’ve been negligent.”

He led me swiftly to the kitchen, where an attractive black-haired woman was busily preparing a meal that smelled divine. She beamed at James but greeted me more cooly, while remaining wholly professional. “I’ve prepared slow cooked three-bean chicken chili, Sir. I could also prepare sandwiches, or anything else that you’d prefer for lunch.”

“We’ll take sandwiches, and fresh vegetables from the garden. We will eat in the formal dinning room for lunch, and have the chili for dinner, Sara,” he said without asking me, leading me into the daunting dinning room.

“Why not use the smaller dinning room for just the two of us?” I asked.

“This room is more private,” he said with a shrug.

He pulled me onto his lap for a long kiss. It was a sweet, affectionate kiss, but it left me hot all the same.

I felt his hands in my hair, and it was a drugging moment before I realized he was braiding it. I pulled back with reluctance. He just moved his mouth to my neck, braiding all the while. He’d barely finished that task before he was spreading sunblock on my arms, keeping me on his lap the entire time. I hadn’t even seen the little bottle on the table, he’d had my attention so completely glued to him.

He set me onto my own chair only when Sara was carrying a large tray into the room. It held several Turkey sandwiches on dark wheat buns, with some sort of white cheese that I couldn’t have named, and loaded with vegetables. They were delicious, the vegetables tasting fresh from the garden. Each sandwich was smeared with a spicy hummus. She brought out a large dish of fresh, raw vegetables as well, with a serving of hummus for dipping.

I ate heartily. I’d gone too long between meals. “I’m going to lose some weight hanging out with you. I try to eat healthy normally, but not surprisingly, you take healthy eating to the next level. You don’t even know the meaning of the term ‘half-assed’.”

He gave me his censorious look. “You don’t need to lose weight.”

I gave a little shrug and went back to eating. Easy for Mr. No Body Fat to say, I thought.

James finished eating before I did. “Do you mind if I make some calls?” he asked politely.

I shook my head that I didn’t mind, knowing he was skipping out on a lot of work just to be there.

I finished eating, and waited for maybe five minutes while he made call after call, working on his laptop as he did so.

“Do you mind if I go look at the horses while you work?”

He nodded, waving me off absentmindedly.

“Take your time,” I told him as I left. I had a general idea where the stables were, so I headed that way.

I nearly got lost just trying to leave the palatial house, but finally found a door that led out of a room adjacent to the kitchen. I’d walked in a circle just to get there. It was easier to take a direct route to the stables after I got outside, since the buildings housing the horses were so huge that I couldn’t possibly miss them.

I walked inside the wide opening into the shaded stalls, looking into each one. Many of the stalls were empty. I stopped at the first stall that wasn’t. It held a beautiful chestnut who came when I clicked to it softly. It let me pet it, sniffing around for snacks. I hadn’t thought to bring any, hadn’t known where any were.