Mile High (Up in the Air #2)(27)



I nearly laughed. James should talk… but I didn’t think pointing that out would help.

I stroked his hair, trying to comfort him. His hair was soft and silky, and so thick, especially for such a light color. I stroked it away from his golden kissed skin.

We stayed like that for several minutes, neither of us saying a word. Princess shifted impatiently but was otherwise cooperative. James began to stroke her neck, making soothing noises, not taking his cheek off of my thigh.

Eventually he straightened, adjusting my hands on the reigns, then studying my ‘seat’ in the saddle. He poked the spot between my shoulder blades with one finger. “Shoulders back,” he instructed.

“Perfect,” he said when I complied.

“Goddammit,” he said suddenly. “He put you on her without a helmet?” He lifted his arms up to me, almost in the stance of coaxing a child into his arms.

I leaned down to him, and he pulled me off of the horse like a rag doll.

He laughed, the moody bastard. “We’ll have to work on your dismount. Come. Let’s get you a helmet.”

We found several, in what he called a tack room. James went immediately to a black one on the wall, fitting it onto my head.

“Feel good?” he asked.

I nodded. He pulled me back out to Princess, who was trotting in circles around the corral. He made a clicking noise at her, and she came to him. She held perfectly still when she was near us, as though waiting for me to mount her.

James glanced around, his brows knitting together. “Where’s the mounting block?” he asked, looking at me.

I shrugged, wondering why he thought I should know.

“Where did you mount her?”

I grimaced, seeing where this was going.

“Right here,” I said, resigned for another of his outbursts.

His eyes narrowed. “How?”

“Pete lifted me onto her back.”

“Mother. Fucker,” he said through clenched teeth. But that was all.

He lifted me much like Pete had, but I knew what to do with my legs at that point, so he didn’t have to instruct me. I adjusted myself into my seat as they had told me. Back arched, shoulders back, toes in, heels down, thighs tensed. I kept my reigns steady but put no pressure on the horse’s mouth.

“Beautiful seat. You’re a natural. You’re going to pick this up in no time. You feel up to walking her around a bit?”

I nodded.

“You want me to lead you, or do you want to try controlling her? You’re going to need to be very light on her reigns. Shift in your saddle to show her where you want her to go. It’s all about the legwork, with the really good thoroughbreds. If you use her reigns too roughly she’s liable to buck, understand?”

The mention of bucking intimidated me, but I nodded, willing to at least try.

James unsnapped her lead rope and stepped back. He looked a little worried. It wasn’t reassuring.

“Ok, now walk her around the corral. Hug the edges.”

I did, afraid to tug at the reigns even a little, sitting forward and leaning how I wanted her to go while gripping with my thighs. She obeyed beautifully, her walk smooth and quick. There was no pain at all in my ribs as she moved, her gait was so smooth.

“Perfect, Love. Are your injuries smarting at all?”

“Not a bit. She has such a smooth walk.”

“Yes. She’s my best mare. A real prize. Do you feel up to trying to trot?”

I nodded, already wanting to move faster.

“Walk her to me.”

I did, and she obeyed perfectly. James patted her coat, then rubbed his hand up my leg, smiling. “We’re going to start with posting. This is where you will lift from the horse for one beat, then sit on the next, as she trots. Do you understand?”

I shook my head. I had not a clue.

He put a hand on my butt, the other on my hip. He pushed lightly, and I stood slightly in the stirrups at his touch.

“You’ll move with her movement, up and down like this.”

He pushed me back down.

“It’s rather like being on top when you have sex,” he said with a grin. “Just pretend you’re making love to the saddle.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I blinked at him, wondering if he was being perverted and funny, or perverted and serious.

He grinned wickedly. “That’s right. You wouldn’t know about being on top. I’ll have to let you ride me later, then I can really demonstrate what I’m trying to explain. In the meantime, move all the way forward in the saddle, and keep your feet deep in the stirrups, okay?”

I nodded, obeying carefully.

I yelped in surprise as he vaulted up behind me. Princess shied a little, taking several steps back, but he had her stilling as he commanded her to in a soothing tone. He pressed in close behind me, and I felt his obvious arousal.

I shot him an arch look over my shoulder. “Are you always hard?”

He gave a little shrug. “I can’t watch you straddle something and grind yourself against it and not get turned on. So sue me.” He gripped my hips tight, grinding against me from behind.

I glanced down at our legs. His dangled behind mine with no stirrups. He somehow made the precarious position look natural.

He slapped my ass lightly. “Pay attention,” he commanded. “Look forward and correct your seat.”

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