Mile High (Up in the Air #2)(35)

His eyes were so panicked and vulnerable that, unwillingly, I felt my own fill suddenly with tears. It was hard to believe I’d gone years without crying before I met James. But the things he made me feel had opened a floodgate, and the damned thing wouldn’t close.

I continued, wanting to get it all out. “I felt so guilty, for all of these years, for dishonoring her memory, for helping her killer run free, but inside I was such a scared child that I just couldn’t go back to the police. After he killed her, they just took his word at face value, never even interviewing me in a separate room from him, and I knew that he would kill me if I told. I was absolutely certain that not even the police could stop him. Even years later, when I hadn’t had contact with him at all, I tried to go to the police, but just got cold feet every time.”

I brushed his hair out of his stricken face with a soft touch, wanting to comfort the things I saw in his eyes so clearly. It was such a reflection of my own torment. His soul was a mirror of my own. Perhaps his insane claim that we were made for each other wasn’t so very far off the mark. I had known him for such a short time, but sometimes I felt I could read him so perfectly, so naturally, that it astounded me.

“You can’t bear the burden of protecting me from my father,” I told him gently. “No one can. And you couldn’t have known that he would seek me out to threaten me to stay silent, because you didn’t know about my mother, of course. But you are responsible for helping me to find the strength to finally tell the truth. Thank you for that.”

It nearly broke me when one lone tear rolled down his cheek. “It just keeps hitting me, over and over again, that I really did come close to losing you forever. I can’t bear the thought.” His voice was a rough whisper. “And he’s still out there, loose, so you’re essentially in as much, if not more, danger than ever. I’m glad you got to finally tell the truth, but it still terrifies me what that truth might mean for you.”

I traced the tear down his cheek, catching it right at his perfect jaw. He didn’t seem bothered by the tear. He was so much braver than I with his feelings, I knew, but he still managed to surprise me with his depths.

I tried to put myself in his shoes briefly. If his uncle was still alive, and capable of hurting him, even killing him, but just lay in wait for the right opportunity…It would make me insane. But could James feel for me what I felt for him? I just couldn’t picture it, even though he obviously felt at least something.

Neither of us seemed capable of working after both of our emotional outbursts.

We ate dinner in silence. It was a spicy chicken chili. I ate quickly, polishing off the comfort food without tasting it properly.

We went to bed early, James mentioning that we needed to rise early to get a proper ride in, beating the worst heat of the day.

I got ready for bed with little comment. I felt as though I hadn’t slept for days as I lay on his exquisitely comfortable bed and closed my eyes. I sighed in contentment when I felt James wrapping himself around me.

I swiftly drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

James woke me up with a light kiss on the forehead. I blinked awake, surprised to find him already dressed in clean riding clothes and leaning over me. He began to dress me without a word.

My riding clothes were much different this time. My tight pants were made up of a thin black material, not much thicker than tights, and reached just past my knees. I took note of the fact that he didn’t bother with putting any panties on me.

He worked snug, thigh-high black chaps onto each of my legs slowly. I touched the soft suede material, running my fingers over it.

He was arranging the chaps over my riding boots when he spoke. “The full chaps are normally worn with jeans. I’ll pack a pair, for the ride back.”

I digested his words, my mind going to dark, sensual places with it.

He pulled me to my feet, dragging my thin shift over my head in one smooth motion. He ran his tongue over his teeth as he studied my naked torso.

I had to stifle the urge to cover my bare br**sts. Clearly, I was not as comfortable with casual nudity as Mr. Beautiful.

He zipped me into a thick sports bra, pulling a tight, thin shirt over my head.

He braided my hair, keeping his hands, disappointingly, to himself. I was still turned on at his every motion.

I closed my eyes as he spread sunblock over my face very carefully. The man thought of everything.

He slapped my ass, hard, when he finished. “Let’s go for a ride, Love,” he told me with a wicked smile, taking my hand.

The horses were saddled and ready when we got to the stables. It was the first time I got to see James’s stallion.

He introduced me to Devil by handing me an apple, and a warning. “Careful, he bites.”

I fed the huge beast carefully, admiring his exceptional coat. I ran my fingers over his blue-black mane. His coat was a blueish gray color, so dark it shone in the sunlight like blue fire. His fur got much darker at his face, nose and feet, almost black-tipped. He seemed like a stallion out of a fairy tail, his coat too astonishingly colored to be real.

“He’s amazing,” I told James, running my hands along his smooth neck. Another horse butted my back from behind. I laughed when I saw that it was Princess.

“She’s jealous.” James wore an indulgent smile as he ran a hand along Princess’s neck.

I had thought she was an exceptionally tall horse, but she was almost short compared to Demon. I patted her, as well.