Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
We might need to get a new jockey. That would be easier than asking Thatcher about his connection to her. King was gonna be upset over it since he was so pumped this one was working out so well. But King could deal with Thatcher if he wanted to. He seemed to not fear him more than the rest of us.
She waved then, and I looked to see JB, one of our best stable hands, walking from the stables with one of the new thoroughbreds we were currently boarding. “There he is. I’m sorry about that,” she said to me. “I need to go. That was who I was looking for.”
We both stood there as she ran over to JB, who was grinning at her like a fucking idiot. That was a nightmare just waiting to happen. If I was right and Thatcher had any kind of thing for the sweet little jockey, JB’s days might be numbered.
“You need to talk to your dad,” I told Sebastian.
“No shit,” he muttered. “Preferably before Thatcher kills JB.”
“You don’t think he’s got a … thing for her? I mean, she’s a minister’s daughter, and she’s … nice and good and shit.”
Sebastian shook his head, still looking like he’d walked into the twilight zone. “I fucking hope not. For Capri’s sake.”
“And JB’s,” I added as they laughed, walking side by side out to the corral.
“That too,” he agreed.
When he started in the direction of his house, I stood there, wondering how the hell this was gonna play out until my own problems came back to me. At least for a moment, I’d forgotten her.
• Fifteen •
“Save yourself. I’m vile.”
Briar
Slowing the treadmill until I was no longer running, I reached for my water bottle and took a sip. I was slightly out of breath, but then I’d run harder the past few days and longer than I normally did. Glancing over at the kickboxing class happening in one of the other rooms in the gym, I wondered if I needed to try that. The more I exerted myself, the less energy I had to stew over Storm freaking Kingston.
Turning off the treadmill, I grabbed my towel and stepped off, drying the sweat from my face. I needed to get back up to our apartment and get a shower. Dovie and I had plans for dinner and a movie. One of the books she loved had just been released in the theaters, and she was pumped about it. We were going to go have some Thai, then head over for the late viewing. Having all these things so close to our apartment complex was nice. As was this gym, which came with the amenities.
“Excuse me,” a deep voice said.
I dropped the towel from my face to find an attractive guy, about thirty maybe, with deep brown eyes, smiling down at me. He was tall. I liked tall. NO! I was off men. No more. They always led to me and Dovie running.
“Hello,” I said, trying to be polite when I should just bolt.
“You’re new here,” he pointed out.
I nodded. “Yep.”
His grin grew, and he looked a little shy, which I highly doubted. He was easy on the eyes with a nice body and clean-cut-looking, and I noticed two other women in the room watching us. He had a fan club, it would seem.
“I’m Ajani Michel. I live on the fourth floor,” he said, holding out his hand.
I slipped mine into his and immediately thought about how much smaller his hand was than Storm’s.
Not going there, Briar! Who cares how large that asshole’s hand is or how it feels? UGH! Snap out of it.
“Briar Landry,” I replied, leaving out that I lived on the second floor. Not his business. I didn’t trust men. For good reason.
“There’s no ring,” he said as he glanced down at my hand, and I slipped it free.
I shook my head, giving him a tight smile. “Not made that mistake yet,” I quipped. And I never would.
He chuckled. “Spoken like a man.”
I shrugged. “Or a smart woman.”
He laughed again. “Aside from your aversion to marriage, how do you feel about dinner? With me?”
And there it was. I had known it was coming. The interest was in his eyes.
“As nice as that sounds, I am currently off men and women. Dating in general.”
He let out a deep sigh. “Damn. Bad experience?”
“You could say that,” I replied.
He tilted his head to the side. “What about something less date-like? How do you feel about baseball?”
I licked my lips. “I feel like it’s a good thing to watch when you want to go to sleep.”
Another laugh.
Yes, I am a riot. Just laugh and continue to push this.
“Noted. No baseball. How about music? Concerts?”
He wasn’t going to let this go, and I needed to get upstairs. My night was booked.