Chapter 6

The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long, bruised shadows across the floorboards of the private tack room. It was a small, enclosed space, smelling of leather, dried hay, and the musky, salty scent of the horses that had settled in for the evening. But tonight, the air was thick with something heavier, something electric and dangerous. I was on my knees, my knees aching slightly against the worn wood, my fingers gripping the edge of the heavy oak workbench until my knuckles turned white. He stood behind me, a towering figure in his element. He had shed his dusty cowboy hat, running a hand through his thick hair, but his presence was just as dominant as it had been all afternoon. The rustic farmhouse loomed outside the window, silhouetted against the dying light, but inside this room, it was just the two of us. He had pulled me here under the pretense of showing me how to properly groom the stallion, but we both knew what was really happening. The promise hung in the air, unspoken but undeniable. "Look at you, baby girl," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in my chest. "So pretty on