Second Nature (His Chance 2)

I rested my elbows on the top of the fence and watched Gabriel as he had a completely adorable one-sided conversation with the horses. He’d always seemed so sophisticated and cosmopolitan, but he was perfectly at home in this setting, too. It showed me there was a lot more to learn about the man I’d thought about every day for the last four years. It was kind of like having an all-time favorite album, then discovering a bunch of new songs beyond the part you’d always listened to.

He glanced at me over his shoulder, and then he grinned and said, “You have the sweetest expression on your face right now. What are you thinking about?”

“How much I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

“You already know me, Riley. In fact, you probably know me better than anyone.”

I climbed through the fence and went to stand right in front of him. “I do. But there’s still so much more to discover, and that’s incredibly exciting.”

His gaze met mine, and there it was again, that feeling of anticipation hovering between us. My heart started to race. Even though I knew I shouldn’t rush it, I wanted to kiss him more than anything, so I took a chance.

When my lips brushed his, he pulled back with a question in his eyes. I started to worry I’d moved too fast and totally blown it. But then he took my face between his palms and kissed me, and it was passionate and urgent and absolutely everything.

He seemed to surprise himself, because he stepped back after a few moments and mumbled, “What are we doing?”

“Something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.”

“You have?” When I nodded, he said, “I never thought of you like this.”

“But there’s a mutual attraction here. I know there is.”

“You’re right, but it’s confusing,” he said. “Back then, you were almost like a little brother to me.”

“I’m not that broken nineteen-year-old anymore.”

“No, you’re really not. But you’re still a lot younger than me, and—”

I interrupted him by saying, “You’re only six years older, and really, what difference does it make? You know I had to grow up fast, so I’m not some typical twenty-three-year-old.” I moved closer to him, and I was so happy when he closed the gap and put his arms around me.

“You’re right, but there are still a million reasons why this probably won’t work.”

I slipped my hands around his waist and nuzzled his cheek. “But just imagine if it does.”

At that point, Linus got tired of being ignored and leaned against us. We both laughed as we almost lost our balance, and Gabriel told the horse, “Message received, buddy. I’ll go get the grooming kit so I can brush you.” To me, he added, “The horses always seem to enjoy that.”

He started to leave the corral, but I caught his hand and he turned to look at me. “Just give me a chance, Gabriel. That’s all I ask.”

I held my breath while he searched my face for a long moment. There was vulnerability in his eyes, which made me want to hold him and never let go. Finally, he said, “Okay, but we have to take this slowly.”

“I can do that.” Maybe.

He smiled at me, and then he climbed through the fence and went into the stable. When he was out of sight, I broke into a little dance, which made both horses turn and stare at me. I whispered to them, “Did you hear that? He’s giving me a chance.”

We spent a couple of hours at the equestrian center, keeping our conversation light and upbeat while we brushed several of the horses. After that, we decided we both needed a shower, so he went to his room and I went to mine. We’d agreed to meet in the lobby in half an hour, but it only took me about ten minutes to shower and change, so I was very early when I went downstairs.

I found Will, Lorenzo, Phoenix, and Beck lounging in front of a stone fireplace, along with Will’s fluffy gray cat, who’d made herself comfortable on Beck’s lap. The guys were drinking beer and engaged in an animated conversation, and Phoenix’s laptop sat forgotten on the coffee table. When they saw me, Will called, “Get over here, Riley, and tell us everything!”

I sat beside Phoenix on one of the stylish orange couches and said, “Okay, but first congratulations again, you two. I can’t believe you spontaneously got engaged last night!”

Will and Lorenzo were curled up together on the couch across from mine, and they exchanged lovesick grins as Will said, “Thanks. I can’t quite believe it myself.”

I asked, “Have you talked about the wedding?”

“A little. We both agreed we want to get married here at the ranch, since it’s where we met. Beck and his husband had their gorgeous wedding here last November, and it was this perfect balance of elegant, but still fun and relaxed. That’s what we’re shooting for,” Lorenzo said, as he lovingly brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen into his fiancé’s eyes.