Phoenix Rising

My words had come out wrong, but I meant it. She was too desirable. Too perfect. I couldn't stand to be around her.

Of course, I was starting to realize I couldn't stand to not be around her either.

When she'd run out on me last night, I'd felt like a prime jackass. A lonely jackass who went home and spent the night staring into the bottle.

All because apparently, I'd forgotten how to talk to a woman.

I don't know what had made Phoenyx decide to start flirting with me. She had some bee in her bonnet about getting the upper hand most likely. But now that she'd stopped teasing and joking around with me, I was miserable.

More than miserable.

I was downright downtrodden.

Especially when I saw the way she was talking to Luke Garret. He was one of the top dressage riders in the country and he happened to be training here as well this week.

I knew him. Didn't like him to begin with. He was rude to the staff at events and too easy with the ladies. With his phony smile and poufy hair, he seemed to charm everyone. Even Phoenyx Delancey.

Because of that alone, I really, really didn't like him.

I was jealous as all heck and there was no two ways about it.

He kept stopping by, right when she was taking a break. Smiling at her. And dammit, she was smiling back.

She wouldn't even look at me and she was smiling at the smarmy sonofabitch. Not just smiling either. No, Phoenyx was sparkling.

What a difference from the way her eyes seemed to scoot right past me like I didn't exist.

I waited for her to finish her water before I snapped at her that it was time to get back to work. We both had a lot to win, or lose, depending on her performance this weekend. It was her first competition under my watch and I wanted her to do well.

Phoenyx didn't even acknowledge me. She just walked over to Apollo and hopped on without a care in the world. I had a flashback to a decade ago.

Another girl I had known didn't check her straps. A young girl. Sweet and proud as punch to be in her first competition.

And she'd paid for it with her life.

I was over the fence and across the paddock before I knew what was happening. I knew her straps were fine. I'd checked them not an hour before. But all I could see was that other girl lying in the dirt.

Only this time she had red hair.

Fear and rage were battling inside me as I pulled Phoenyx down and dragged her to the gate. I didn't stop until we were alone in the coolness of the stables. I set her down and rested my boot on a bale of hay, trying to get a hold of myself before I did something reckless.

Scratch that. More reckless. Every damn thing I did around the girl was risky.

"What do you think you are doing, Clint!”

Well, she was looking at me now. But I was too angry to notice how pink her cheeks were. Or how hurt her eyes looked when she looked at me.

She could have gotten injured out there. Or worse.

"Did you check your straps?"

She stared at me, a frown on her face.

"What?"

"Did. You. Check. Your. Straps."

"Of course. I always check them."

I grabbed her arm. She stared up at me. Not worried at all. Just annoyed. While I had the fear of God running through my veins.

Well, that was about to change.

"Not this time you didn't. Were you too busy making a spectacle of yourself with that fake cowboy?"

"Luke? No, I—“ she protested, looking altogether guilty. The mischievous, pleased look that crossed her pretty face was too much for me. I knew I was about to do something beyond foolish but I didn’t much care.

"Stop talking."

I didn't want to hear another word. I couldn't listen to her talk about him. I just wanted to get through to her so that she never, ever put herself in harm's way again. That nonsense with Luke was the last straw.

I snapped.

Her eyes widened as I sat on the bale of hay and hauled her over my lap.

Face down.

I rested my hand on her perfect little behind, using my other hand to hold her down in case she started bucking. But she didn’t. I could tell that she still didn't grasp what was about to happen. I struggled for control before I began, making sure I didn't use too much force.

I took exactly one minute to savor the feel of her perfect fanny underneath my palm. My body was thrumming with fire and ice. But I had enough control not to do something unforgivable. Like hurt her. I grimaced at the feeling of her perky body laying so submissively on my Johnson, then I lifted my hand and smacked it.