Phoenix Rising

I'd never lifted such a fine bit of precious cargo before, even wiggling around the way she was. She slapped at me, kicking and screaming. I ignored her and kept going.

I had a point to make.

And a wildcat to put in her place.

Her head whipped up as she realized where I was going. She started pounding on my back, wailing like a banshee.

"Don't you dare!"

I didn't falter as I slid her down off my shoulder and into my arms. I smiled down at her. Then I carefully lowered her. Right into the horse trough.

"Eeeeeeee!"

She squealed as she sank to the bottom. It had constantly running water, filtered too. So it was clean.

And cold. Real cold. Frigid really. I put another toothpick in my mouth, and stared down at her.

"Now then."

I lifted my foot up, resting my boot on the edge of the trough. I ignored the fact that her tight clothes were even tighter when wet. Or the way her wet, auburn hair somehow looked like rubies against the pearly translucence of her creamy skin.

I ignored the fact that she looked like she wanted to kill me.

I ignored how she looked even more stunning than usual with that crazy look in her eyes.

Most of all, I ignored the fact that my dick was hard enough to hammer nails.

"How bout some grub?"

Chapter Four

Phoenyx

"I wanted to go home and change first. This is ridiculous. I'm sitting here in wet jeans!"

The insufferable man calmly sipped his coffee and perused the menu as if I hadn't just spoken. As if I wasn't even here!

As if my jeans weren’t riding up in my tush in the most uncomfortable way!

I was so distracted I'd forgotten to order a drink. The waitress came back. I noticed she was being overly friendly to my new trainer. In fact, she was staring at Clint like she was starving and he was a steak.

I made a little harumphing sound as he smiled at her cooly but politely. So he was capable of manners, after all, I thought as I glared at him. He was being perfectly nice to her, but to me he acted like a caveman!

"What will the lady be having?" she said with an unfriendly glance in my direction.

"I'll have a coke.”

Clint interrupted immediately.

“She’ll have sparkling water with lemon.”

I glared at him but kept ordering. I didn't want to argue in front of the waitress. My mama didn't raise me to be rude to servers, that was certain.

Even if the saucy bitch was giving me the side eye.

He said nothing about my choice of a burger with steamed broccoli. But when I tried to order a milkshake he shook his head and simply said 'no.'

I was stewing as he placed his order, biting my tongue until the waitress sauntered off with an exaggerated wiggle in her hips. She wasn’t being very subtle, I thought with a weird twinge of annoyance. I was about to roll my eyes when I noticed that Clint wasn't looking at her obvious display of feminine wiles.

And even I had to admit the waitress was very pretty.

But he hadn’t seemed to notice. He was just sitting there calmly, looking at me with his eyebrows raised over suspiciously guileless blue eyes.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Come on, wildcat. Out with it."

I grit my teeth.

"Out with what?"

He smiled as if I'd said something funny and shook his head.

"You are practically giving off steam you are so angry. Spit it out. It's not good for a rider to hold on to emotions. The animal can sense it.”

"I never take my emotions into the ring."

He leaned back and nodded.

"Okay, then. That's real good. I guess we can skip that lesson."

"We can skip all of them for all I care!"

I started to stand but he gripped my arm.

"Sit down. We have to give this a shot, wildcat. JJ went to a lot of trouble to hire me. I signed a contract and everything."

"He's paying you? With my money?"

Clint was having a grand old time. He smothered a laugh as the waitress came back, setting down my sparkling water with lemon. She asked him again if he wanted 'anything else.'

This time I did roll my eyes.

Clint barely glanced at her, telling her that he was fine just as he was. He did ask her to turn down the AC. He smiled at me lazily, which made my heart do a little flip flop.

"My companion is a bit damp."

I waited until the waitress was gone. I couldn't help but check to see if he looked at her bottom. He'd looked at mine enough times in the half day I'd known him!

But, oddly enough, he didn't even look at her bottom. Not once.

"What makes you think you have a right to dictate what I can eat?"

"You're an athlete. I'm your trainer. End of story."

I stared at him, my mouth opened and shutting as I tried to think of what to say.