“Now the saddle,” he ordered.
Bianca shivered at his deep, rumbling bass. He had one of those masculine voices that tripped every feminine sensor in her, one she was sure was hardwired into women’s brains to let them know that they had come across a prime alpha—the type best suited for continuation of the species.
She hated that the sound of his voice sent her pulse thumping, and ravenous need cascading along her spine to pool in her belly.
Ignoring her moronic body and the bloody cowboy, she hoisted the saddle off the wooden stand, shocked by the difference in weight. He hadn’t lied about it being heavier. Struggling a bit, she lifted it up over Sunshine’s back, and settled it over the saddle pad.
“Good.” He helped her cinch the saddle beneath the horse’s belly and get all the straps in place. “Now, the bridle and reins are different. Instead of being connected to form one, you have two that are separated. Unlike the English way, you won’t need to use as much force with the reins to get Sunshine to proceed in the direction you want her to go. She’s been trained to turn left or right with only a light pull in either direction. Let’s get you mounted.”
He approached, bent down slightly, and laced his hands together for her foot.
“Up with you, now.”
As she laid her hands lightly on his shoulders, he pegged her with a deep stare. Everything paused between them; it felt as if time stilled, and the rest of the world faded. Her gaze dropped to his full lips shrouded by dark stubble. Ignoring the desire to discover what his mouth would feel like against hers, she placed her left foot in his joined hands.
But it felt like she was placing so much more than simply her foot there.
Their gazes connected and sizzled. His eyes followed her as she lifted up, grasped the saddle horn, and swung her leg over the saddle. Once she was seated, Maverick adjusted the stirrups, his large hand gripping her ankle until the fit was correct. His touch razored through her, and her flesh continued to burn, even after he released her.
“Now, you want to sit deeply in the saddle with your back straight. Hold the reins in your non-dominant hand; you will not need much force in signaling the direction you want to go with the reins, so keep it light. Give steering signals with your hips. Trail horses have been trained to follow your body signals. The different Western gaits that we will practice in the paddock are: walk, jog, lope, and gallop, which are similar to walk, trot, canter, and gallop in the English style of riding.”
She nodded. “Understood.”
Maverick led them out of the stall, but then allowed Bianca to steer Sunshine toward the paddock at a nice, ambling walk. Just like with her artwork, she had forgotten how much she adored riding. It was another pastime that had bitten the dust at her mother’s insistence.
Maverick opened the paddock door for them. “Take her for a nice walk around the paddock while I close the gate.”
With little prodding from Bianca, Sunshine appeared to know the drill and was only too happy to oblige. The slow walk gave Bianca’s body a chance to adjust to the saddle. The slightly deeper seat was different than what she was familiar with, but there were enough similarities, all the lessons and skills she had picked up all those years ago returned. It was like her body had the muscle memory.
“Take her up to a jog. You don’t need to post, just sit in the saddle and let her do the work. Use your legs to direct her.”
Bianca tightened her legs, giving Sunshine the signal to advance. The horse picked up the pace as they rode together around the ring.
Over the next forty-five minutes, Maverick took Bianca through the different signals to get Sunshine to increase her pace, and slow it down. He had her stop and correct her posture a few times. They were minor tweaks Bianca was certain she would nail in no time.
By the time the hour had concluded, there was a huge grin splitting her face. It really was a beautiful morning. Not that she would ever like mornings or be a morning person, but being on horseback again was worth the early wakeup call.
“All right, time to bring her in. Dismount, and lead her inside.”
Bianca followed his command. With her feet back on the ground, she gathered Sunshine’s reins and headed for the paddock exit.
Maverick held the gate open for them. “You did well. A few more sessions then, given your riding history, you will be good to go.”
“You sound surprised. Did you think I lied about my experience?”
“No, but you forget I don’t know you well. You wouldn’t be the first tourist to exaggerate your skill level and proficiency.” He shrugged and shut the gate once they had cleared it.
“After a few more lessons, I will be able to take Sunshine out for a ride?” She liked the mare, and wanted to explore the area more.
“Not alone, but yes.”
“What? Do you think I’m going to run off with her?” She shot him an angry glance.
Maverick pegged her with a glare. “No. But this isn’t Buckingham Palace or the genteel English countryside. Out here, you’ve got mountain lions, black bears, and elk to contend with—in addition to an unfamiliar terrain. It’s too dangerous for you to go it alone. Granted, if it was your own horse, we’d let you go off and fend for yourself. But Sunshine is a ranch horse, and we work to make sure our horses are protected from those dangers as much as possible. When you want a trail ride, it will have to be with at least one wrangler from the ranch.”
Bianca opened her mouth to argue her point—that she didn’t plan to go far, at least not at first, until she was more familiar with the area.
“Those aren’t my rules, princess, but ranch policy. If you want to argue your case, take it up with the owner. But I will fight you over it, because while you might be a good rider, you don’t know jack about the Rockies or the wilderness.”
Bianca realized she would have more luck moving the mountains than she would getting him to budge from his stance. She understood it, she did, but it still rankled. “Fine. When can I schedule a trail ride? I’d like to do an extended one.”
“Do two or three more lessons. Then we can get you set up for a long ride. Once we get Sunshine taken care of and your tack stowed away, we’ll put the lessons in the calendar.”
More lessons meant more time with him. More snipping and egging one another on. As much as the cowboy drove her batty at times, Bianca enjoyed verbally sparring with him. If she could just manage the undiluted need that hummed in her veins when he was near, it would go a lot smoother for her. She conceded. “Lead the way.”
She would ace those lessons if it killed her. Never again would she allow anyone to treat her like she was incompetent while holding her up to higher standards.
7
The following afternoon, Bianca strolled over to the hotel—more specifically, to the restaurant located on the first floor of the lodge, just off to the right of the lobby. As she walked through the spacious entrance, she noted all the decorative touches that created a rustic elegance. She was excited to try the restaurant for the first time, and for the chance to get to know Amber Anderson. They were meeting for a late lunch because of Amber’s schedule.
Which ended up being perfect. With the extra time, Bianca had finished setting up her new studio in the spare room.