She wasn’t surprised. They’d been talking about kids at their wedding back in February.
“Does it give you the bug?” Raine teased.
Shelby’s grin answered before her words. “A little, but we’d like some time to ourselves after the wedding. Especially after how crazy everything was this past spring.”
Crazy was an understatement to describe what Bells and Dev had gone through with her psycho stalker. She reached out to squeeze her cousin’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re okay after all of that.”
“Thanks. I was lucky to have Dev—even though I didn’t want him as a bodyguard at first.”
“Good thing he was.”
“Believe me, I know.” She fiddled with her bottle cap before offering a sideways smile. “And on that note…I wanted to say, make sure you give Reyes a chance, okay?”
Her pulse skipped, because her first thought after their talk of marriage and babies was, give him a chance with what? But there was only one thing her cousin was talking about. “Dad didn’t give me much of a choice. And unfortunately, he’s right. I’m getting nowhere with Charlie right now.”
“Rey is really good with horses, Raine. And when I say really good, I mean crazy amazing.”
“Yeah, but no experience training riders at all.” Resentment bled into her voice. She couldn’t believe her dad would put her future in his hands.
“Maybe he’ll be just what you and Fire need,” Shelby said.
Raine gave her cousin a brief smile. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Except she knew, she didn’t need anything, least all him.
The next morning, Raine kept her gaze trained straight ahead as she passed the stable office on her way to Fire’s stall.
“Hey—hold up. Can you come in here for a minute?”
Reyes’ loud voice made her pulse skip a few beats before taking off like a thoroughbred from the starting gate. Having already been fighting a bit of irritating breathlessness from the thought of seeing him again this morning, she halted, closed her eyes to suck in a fortifying breath, then blew it back out again before backtracking.
She had whole month of having to see him every day, so might as well get used to it, right?
Right.
Only, one look at the man and any calming effects flew out the barn doors. Yesterday, he’d worn a thin button up over his T-shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, tanned forearms on full display. Today was already warmer than yesterday, and she got the full treat of not only sexy, muscled forearms, but defined biceps stretching the short sleeves of a dark green T-shirt.
She dragged her gaze up from his drool-worthy arms. Damn it all. With his golden-tipped, caramely hair and those long, dark lashes, he was way too attractive for her peace of mind.
When she realized he was giving her a once-over, too, her pulse stumbled again, and her nipples instantly tightened. She crossed her arms to hide the reaction. His lashes lifted at the movement, and heat infused her cheeks as their gazes connected.
“What?” she asked, the word coming out clipped and defensive.
He gestured to a straight-back chair in front of the desk. “I set up a schedule for your training. I figured we should both know what’s going on.”
He set up the schedule, because he figured. She dropped down onto the seat, arms still crossed. “Yeah. We both should.”
He flicked his gaze up to hers as he handed a sheet of paper across the desk. Raine focused on the paper, snatching it from him to scan the agenda line by line. He should’ve figured she should get a say in her own schedule.
A flick of her wrist sent the paper sliding back across the desk. “This isn’t going to work.”
His gaze narrowed as he leaned forward on his forearms. She glanced down, then forced her attention back to his face.
“What’s wrong with it?” he asked.
“For starters, you didn’t even bother to ask me what might work for me.”
“I told you yesterday, we’re doing this my way.”
“It’s my career,” she snapped.
“And it’s my job to get you back where you need to be,” he countered. “Except it’s only part of my job.”
She had to consciously unclench her jaw, though she didn’t speak. After a long moment, he sat back, the leather office chair creaking with his movements.
“What’s wrong with the schedule?” he repeated, his tone unexpectedly softer.
“The only time you’ve left for my workouts is in the middle of the day, and it’s not even enough time.”
“You’re worried about working out?” he asked with a frown.
“Yes.” She drew the word out on purpose. “If you had bothered to ask, or you know, ever worked with a professional rider, you’d know strength training and cardio is just as important as the riding.”
His frown deepened as he reached for the schedule. “You can’t fit it in before or after?”
“If I do my usual three hours in the morning, I’ll have to get up at four-thirty. If I do it after, my day won’t end until after seven o’clock. It’s a part of my job, and it needs to be part of my schedule, not something I fit in after hours.”
“Fine. I’ll move the afternoon riding session back an hour and a half. Then you can fit it in either before or after lunch.”
“I always ride in the mornings and workout in the afternoon. Then I only have to shower once.”
Shower? Did she really have to say the word shower to him? In the next moment, she imagined him standing in a cloud of steam, biceps bulging on his raised arms as hot water chased suds down the length of his long, lean body. Her cheeks burned at the alarmingly vivid image just as his gaze flicked up to hers.
Oh my God, imagine if he could read my mind!
He cleared his throat and returned his attention to the paper. “You ran the other morning,” he stated, his voice slightly rough.
“That was an exception because of being cooped up in the truck the day before. It’s not the norm.”
He nodded and shrugged at the same time. “Regardless, I have a specific reason for morning and afternoon sessions,”
“And as I just told you, I have a specific reason for getting all the riding done in the morning.”
His mouth pressed into a grim line before he set the paper down, leaned his forearms on the desk again, and linked his fingers together over the top of it. “Then let’s compromise.”
“There’s nothing to compromise.”
“Sure there is. We’ll do my schedule Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and yours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.”
Though she knew it was childish, the thought of giving in even partially irked her to no end. Back home, Charlie never had a problem following the schedule she set up. Same with every other trainer she’d had, because they worked for her, not the other way around.
Except Reyes didn’t work for her or her dad, and clearly, he wasn’t about to be bossed around.
He blew out a breath that sounded as frustrated as she felt. “We’ve got twenty-nine days to go here, Raine. It’ll go a lot faster if we work together.”
The words were an unexpected slap in the face. He was already counting down the days.
She couldn’t blame him. She wanted time to pass faster, too. Yet, hearing him voice the desire outright made her chest tighten with resentment—and another emotion she refused to acknowledge.
“Unless your plan is to purposely sabotage this whole thing,” he added. “Seeing as you only stayed to watch me fail.”
She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t really mean that.”
“Good. Because that would be really stupid on your part.”
Completely annoyed at the inference, she shoved to her feet and reached for the paper and pen near his forearm. Her fingers brushed against his warm skin for a brief second, and she jerked back from the contact at the same time he moved his arm. Ignoring the hot, electric tingles spreading through her body, she leaned over to write down her version of the sche
dule for the days he’d designated at hers.
“There. All set.” She slapped the pen down and straightened. “And today is Thursday, just so you know.”
“I’m well aware of what day it is.”
“Good. Then I’ll meet you in the arena in fifteen.”
She turned to leave, quick strides carrying her to the door.
“Raine.”
His tone was firm, yet it also held an unexpected plea that had her pausing in the doorway.
“I was a squad leader in the Army. My orders were followed without question. That’s how we got things done.”
“Yeah, well, I am not one of your soldiers,” she snipped.
“No, you most definitely are not,” he muttered.
A quick twist caught him jerking his gaze up from her ass. She was surprised by a slight tinge of pink in his cheeks as he straightened in the chair.
“Anyway,” he said quickly. “I apologize for not talking to you about the schedule first. It won’t happen again.”
She nodded and left, because she didn’t know what to say when he went and said something nice. After telling her yesterday they’d be doing things his way, the apology was right up there with the luggage.
7
Reyes crossed the lawn toward the guest house later Thursday evening. He’d debated this move for most of the afternoon, but thinking back over Raine’s morning riding session, he knew he needed to get through to her sooner than later.
Halfway through the session, he’d put her on Taz. Or tried to. She’d gotten pissed off and left early—because she knew if she got up on his horse and still didn’t make it over the jump, he’d know for sure it was her who kept refusing, not Diamond Fire. He already knew for sure, and none of her blustery, logical excuses changed his mind.
Coming up on the side of the house, he angled toward the front until a splash from the back patio made him pause. Doing his best to block the immediate memory of a little red bikini, he switched direction. Landscape lighting lit the way around back, where the in-ground pool glowed an inviting Caribbean blue in the dark night.
Clad in a black one-piece, Raine’s slim form cut sinuously through the water, her movements sure and swift as she swam from one end of the pool to the other. He watched for a moment, wondering if a nighttime swim was part of her daily workout, or if she was driven by something else. A need to be completely exhausted just so she could catch a few hours of sleep before the dreams woke her up?
Stop projecting.
He moved to the edge of the pool, lining up with her before taking a knee to swish his hand in the water to get her attention.
Her fingers brushed against his when she reached for the wall. She simultaneously jerked to the side and shoved away, the move sending a wave rolling across the pool. Surfacing with a sputter, she ripped off her swim goggles and glared up at him.
“Damn it, Reyes, you scared the hell out of me!”
He pushed back into a squat. “I wasn’t sure how long it would take for you to realize I was here, and I didn’t want to be all creepy by just standing and watching.”
“Yeah, well, you failed.”
When he grinned at her disgruntled tone, her glare intensified.
She swiped a hand across her face, brushing aside the wet strands of hair that had escaped her long braid. “What do you want?”
“To talk.”
She huffed and rolled her eyes. “If this is about earlier, I’ll make up the time tomorrow.”
“It’s not about earlier.”
“Then what could you possibly want to talk about?”
“Your accident.”
Her head jerked up. Panic flashed a second before her expression shuttered, and she averted her gaze with a shake of her head. “Nope.”
“I’m not leaving until we talk, Raine.”
“Gonna be a long night for you then.”
Before he could say anything more, she put the goggles back on and swirled around to resume swimming. Reyes blew out a loud sigh as he rose from his squat. Raine reached the far end, executed a rapid turn underwater, and swam back toward him. At his end of the pool, she flipped and started another lap without slowing down.
The way she attacked the water confirmed she was doing her damnedest to out swim her demons. Problem was, his mind was starting to wander off task. Instead of considering how to get her to open up about the accident, he was thinking about his hands gliding over her pale skin instead of the water.
Or better yet, his lips.
You’re here to train her, not maul her.
Right. Stay on task.
Except she was right. If he waited for her to give in, he’d probably end up sleeping out here in one of the deck chairs.
Fuck that.
Reaching up behind his head, he grabbed a fistful of T-shirt to drag it over his head. He bent to pull off one boot, then the other, then stripped off his jeans and socks. When he was down to his boxer briefs, he dove into the water and swam after her. The temperature was warm enough to not be a shock, but cool enough to be refreshing.
Raine did that underwater somersault turn, saw him, and jackknifed to the surface. He rose up from his dive a few feet from her. She’d pulled off the goggles again and was already yelling.
“—kidding me right now? What the hell?”
He treaded water while reaching with both hands to rake his dripping hair off his forehead. “I told you we need to talk, and I don’t have all night to wait you out.”
“That’s your problem, not mine.”
Her words were full of bravado, but her expression had a frantic edge as she moved to swim away.
Reyes lunged to catch her arm. Combined momentum made their bodies collide under the water. Shock widened her eyes, and a gasp parted her lips at the same time a molten wave of awareness flooded his veins. Heart thudding hard, he released her and eased back a couple feet. She was already feeling threatened, last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him physically.
But she remained facing him instead of rushing to get away again. A glimpse of her pink tongue swiping across her glistening lips had him biting back a low groan.
Raising his gaze to the spiked lashes framing her luminous hazel eyes, he forced his brain to stop thinking with his dick. “Do you even want to compete anymore?”
Surprise flashed across her face a second before her forehead furrowed while she averted her gaze. “Of course I do. I just don’t understand why you want to make me talk about what happened. I’ve been trying to forget it.”
“That’s why. You need to face it, not forget it.” When she gave a wild shake of her head, he leaned to the side and scissored his legs to move back into her line of vision. “Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”
“You saw the tape, but you weren’t there.”
“I’m talking in general. We all have our demons to fight.”
Her angry gaze speared into his. “Oh really? And what’s your demon?”
“I don’t like the dark.” The words slipped out without thought, and his breath seized in his throat as she gaped at him in surprise.
What the fuck? Where had that come from?
“Why don’t you like the dark?”
His heart beat thunderously loud in his ears. “This isn’t about me.”
She tilted her head. “Not so fun when the tables are turned, is it?”
Definitely not. Time to turn them back. “You said Diamonds don’t back down. It’s time to face this head on.”
Annoyance narrowed her gaze. “Is that supposed to be a dare or something?”
He arched his brows and shrugged. “If that’s what it takes.”
She gave a slow shake of her head, then twisted around to swim toward the deepest, darkest corner of the pool. Her movements were slow and measured instead of a frantic escape. Reyes followed, keeping a good two feet between them when she folded her arms on the edge and stared into the privacy hedges along the back side of the patio.
After
a moment of silence, she said softly, “How about we compromise?”
Her soft, almost empathetic tone made his gut clench with foreboding. He hadn’t turned the tables far enough. Resting one arm on the brick rim, he warily studied her shadowed profile. “There’s nothing to compromise.”
She turned her head to meet his gaze. “Tell me why you don’t like the dark, and I’ll tell you about the accident.”
Fuck.
He’d given her a hand grenade, and she’d just pulled the pin.
8
Raine saw the hunted look in Reyes’ eyes and knew exactly how he felt. What she hadn’t expected though, was the guilt that squeezed her chest when she watched his silent struggle with her negotiation.
It was only fair, and yet she had to bite her tongue to keep from telling him to forget it. She also had to lock each hand around the opposite wrist to keep from turning to him, from reaching out to touch his arm, his chest, or from wrapping her arms around his neck as she plastered her mouth and body to his. Bet he’d forget about talking then.
But as much as she wanted that, she also didn’t. Because while the man could rile her up like no one else, little glimpses of decency, kindness, and compassion beneath his rough exterior had her dying to learn more about that guy.
Like why he was afraid of the dark.
He hadn’t quite admitted that, but she could read between the lines. Same as he could apparently read between all of hers.
So she waited, her gaze memorizing the details of his face as he wrestled with his demons. Prominent eyebrows, high cheekbones, somewhat square jaw. She’d never been attracted to a guy with facial hair before, but his was neatly trimmed and a hell of a lot sexier than she ever would’ve expected.
Her attention snagged on a thin, pale scar along the edge of his whiskers on the right side of his chin. Illuminated by the underwater pool lights, it stood out in stark contrast to the darker tone of his skin.
That right there. She wanted to know how he got it, and when?
Did he have more scars? Where?
She wanted to draw along the white line with her fingertip. Lean forward and trace it with the tip of her tongue.
Don't Dare a Diamond (Must Love Diamonds Book 5) Page 5