Chapter5
“That’s brilliant, Kelissa. Now, soft smile and turn your head slightly to look at your horse. Gorgeous. Rock your weight back slightly. There! Perfect. Warm smile, not too big. Head just to the left, stop there. And that’s it.”
The camera shutter went off hundreds of times with each passing minute, but Kelissa was focused on the job and the massive horse standing quietly beside her. When the shutter clicks finally stopped, Kelissa let out a sigh and smiled. A young man rushed in to take the reins from her hand and lead the horse away, and David was already coming toward her, his smile a mile wide.
“I knew you’d be brilliant at this,” David said, stopping in front of her, his eyes trailing over her slowly. “You should wear breeches and hunt boots more often.”
“I bought a few pairs just in case you wanted a different color.”
He looked surprised.
“Aren’t they all beige?”
“They’re different shades of beige, tan and white, but I guess if you’re just a man who doesn’t care about color then, yes, they’re all beige.”
“That’s funny because I’ve never noticed before. I’m glad you got a few pairs, because I was thinking that you might like to take lessons during the week.”
“Really?”
“Why not? You’re already here, and there’s not much to do around the mansion except wait to be discovered. The horses are here and they all seem to be fond of you. Plus, the more skills you have, the more likely you are to get jobs.”
Rich walked up to David, his face excited as he showed David the display on his camera.
“I think this one is it,” Rich said, and David nodded.
“Can you put a house on this hill back here?”
“Of course,” Rich said, mocking offense at the silly question, then he turned his attention to Kelissa. “The camera loves you. I was hoping that I could come back in a month and do a shoot with you and the horses. I have a few themes in mind, so it would be an all-day thing.”
“That sounds great,” she said. “We can do it sooner if you want.”
“Have you ridden a horse before?”
“Do pony rides at the fair count?”
Rich laughed.
“For this shoot, I’m going to need you barefoot, bareback and wearing next to nothing. I’ve had models agree to it in the past, and you can see it in their eyes when they’re scared. I need someone who’s confident with horses, so if you need a month or two to get there, that’s fine. The pay is good, and there’s a bonus if the magazines buy the entire lot, and another bonus if they want more of you. There’s more than one outfit, so it wouldn’t be all nudes. But if you’re wearing an outfit like you are now, I need you to look like you know how to carry yourself in the saddle.”
She looked at David.
“How much do riding lessons cost?”
He shook his head.
“Don’t even. If you want to take them, I’ll set it up. If you want to get good by the time Rich needs you, I would take lessons daily. You’ll be sore the first couple days, but it will be worth it in the end.”
“Won’t the horses get tired?”
Rich and David both chuckled.
“Not a chance. And I have five horses, so they can rotate. They’re all excellent horses.”
“Just when I think things can’t get better, they do. I feel like I’m living a dream.”
“You’ve been here two weeks now, and you’ve already done the shoots for the other billboards, a shoot at the beach, and modeled dresses for the Bonita Bridal,” David teased. “You should be getting used to it by now.”
“I should, but it’s all so amazing.”
“Tomorrow night is the Pegasus Foundation Ball. Are you ready?”
“Totally.”
“Good,” Rich jumped in. “I’ll see you both their tomorrow night. Have a great time.”
The stable hand returned and helped Rich load up his equipment, leaving David and Kelissa standing in front of the large barn.
“I really do want to take lessons,” she said. “I can’t wait to get on a horse.”
“You’re dressed for it now,” he said. “Why not now?”
“I’ve never been on a horse in my life.”
“So, we’ll start lessons on Monday. Don’t you want to at least get on a horse before you attempt it with the teacher on Monday?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “I think waiting until the teacher is here would be the sound thing to do.”
He laughed.
“You’d never stepped foot into the ocean before you came here, right?”
“Right,” she said, suspicious about where he was going with it.
“And you ran right in without any thought to the hundreds of dangerous animals that were lurking beneath the surface.”
“Now you’re being dramatic.”
“Not really. Have you ever looked at the water when you’re on the balcony, or just the horizon in the distance and the waves at the shoreline?”
“I haven’t looked at the water, no.”
“You’ll have to try it sometime, especially when the birds are especially active. There are sharks everywhere.”
“This is still different. I’m not riding a shark.”
“Debatable.”
She laughed.
“You’re a hot mess,” she teased him.
“I’ll ride with you.”
“Won’t that hurt the horse?”
“Not Scout. He’s a tank and he moves like a slug. You’ll love him.”
“I don’t know how to steer.”
“All you have to do is hold onto me.”
She was still considering her answer when David motioned to the stable hand and the young man nodded. He returned with a large, brown horse in a bridle and nothing else. David swung up onto the horse’s back lightly, then reached held his hand out for Kelissa.
“Use my foot like a stirrup and hop on,” he said, grabbing her arm and flexing his ankle.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Just try,” he said.
She did as she was told, but as soon as she pushed off the ground with her right foot, he used her momentum to swing her up behind him with little effort on her part. She settled in against him, Scout’s ample hips cradling her from behind. She wrapped her arms around his waist even though she felt secure and nestled against him.
David gave a gentle squeeze and Scout moved forward, easing into a smooth walk that instantly set her fears to rest.
“This is nice,” she said.
“You’ll be an expert in no time,” he assured her. “You’re athletic and built for riding. I think Beth is going to enjoy teaching you.”
“Will she come every day?”
“Yes. She’ll have to work you into her schedule, so you’ll probably be out here early in the mornings, but she’ll take good care of you. She’s an excellent teacher.”
“Will I be able to ride through the winter?”
“Are you serious? This is San Diego. You can hit the beach through most of the winter. There might be a day here and there that it rains too much, but for the most part, you can ride year-round.”
“This place is starting to grow on me.”
“This place or San Diego?”
“Both. I know I’ve only been here two weeks, but I feel like this has always been home.”
“I’m sure the weather helps,” he chuckled.
“It’s not just the weather and the mansion, or the beach house and the Jaguar. It’s you.”
“That’s nice to hear. I was starting to wonder if I could measure up to all the things you listed.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m enjoying being here with you.”
She wanted to say more, but she was afraid it was too soon. When they moved into the mansion in Bonita, he’d give Kelissa her own suite as he’d promised. They still spent most of their afternoons together, and the sex was mind-blowing, but David was in the middle of what he called his peak season. That was good for business, but he was going to bed an hour or two after dinner, then waking up at five to beat rush hour and meeting his busiest clients before his normal business hours. She saw him on the weekends and for dinner each night, but not as much as she would’ve liked to.
She chuckled to herself, then realized she’d been lost in thought.
“What’s so funny?” David asked.
“It’s not funny. I was just thinking about the last week and how busy you’ve been.”
“It will calm down mid-December. There are a lot of people that are trying to get into a new home by Christmas; some by Thanksgiving. Some of my clients are buying houses as Christmas presents for newly married adult children, and others are buying homes for aging parents with newly found wealth. Everyone has a unique story, but the reasons are basically the same. I know you’re lonely during the day, but there’s been a lot of interest in booking you, and soon you’ll be busy with your own projects and you won’t even notice I’m not around.”
His voice was light, and Kelissa knew that he was completely unworried about that eventuality. He was confident in himself and their friendship, and there was something about his confidence that made her want him even more. Her crush was turning into full-fledged lust, and she wasn’t sure if she should broach the subject. David had been keeping their relationship friendly and casual, taking her to bed when she initiated it and backing off when she was focused on her Instagram account. He hadn’t told her that he loved her, and she wasn’t going to force the issue. They had a good thing going.
If he didn’t return her feelings as strongly, that was her fault for falling for him when she knew what the arrangement was meant to be. They were friends with benefits, and occasional lovers, but most of all, they were business partners. It was working great the way it was, and Kelissa wasn’t going to mess with a good thing.
Her legs dangled at Scout’s side, her arms looser around David’s waist with each step. She listened intently as David pointed out the features of the seven-acre property, and the two gates in the back that led to the trail system that was shared by many of the properties throughout Bonita.
“From the trails, you can access most of the other horse properties, so if you want to attend one of Beth’s group lessons, you can take one of the mellow horses like Scout or Oakley, and ride the trail to her farm.”
“What about Galahad?”
“I wouldn’t suggest you take him out alone, even when you’re a more accomplished equestrian.”
“Why not? He seemed calm at the photo shoot.”
“That’s because Galahad likes to have his picture taken. He can be a pill, and he doesn’t always listen. He’s fine in the arena with Beth there to guide you, but I wouldn’t ride him alone.”
“He seems so harmless.”
“He’s got a personality,” David teased. “We’re almost back around to the house. I’m glad I was able to shuffle some of my clients so I could be here for this today. You’re a very talented model, and I can’t wait to see the first billboard go up next month.”
“I’m excited. I hope it’s somewhere easy to get to so I can take a selfie in front of it for my followers.”
“Things are going to start happening fast. I hope you won’t forget the little people.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re not one of the little people and you never were. You were my first real supporter on Instagram, and you’ve gone above and beyond anything I could have expected to make my dreams come true. I don’t even know why you care so much about my career, but I am so grateful, and nothing can change that.”
“I guess I saw something in you, and I was drawn to you. It wasn’t just your beauty, but something more. You have this magnetism that grabs people through the phone and makes them take notice. Your pictures today are the same. Your presence demands that people take notice, and I cannot wait for the ball tomorrow. Everyone is going to love you.”
“I hope you like the dress I picked out.”
“You could wear a paper sack and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the room. Don’t do that,” he laughed. “But I’m just saying that you could.”
He went stiff for a second and Scout jolted to a stop as if he was completely in tune with David. Kelissa leaned to the side to look at whatever the two were focused on, expecting it to be a mountain lion or something equally terrifying. But all she saw was a black Camaro at the gate, and a man leaning against the driver’s side door staring off in their direction.
“Do you know that man?” she asked.
“I do,” he said, turning Scout back toward the stable. “I’m going to leave you with Manuel and Scout. Have him show you how to brush him and clean his feet. Beth doesn’t have much tolerance for people who can’t groom their own horse, so you should learn that now.”
“What about after that?”
“Go to the house. I’ll meet you there when I’m through.”
Manuel was already out of the barn, walking up to Scout and taking the reins. David put his leg over Scout’s neck, dismounting without disturbing Kelissa. Scout didn’t flinch, so steady and unflappable that Kelissa decided then and there that she would take her first lesson on Scout.
She let Manuel help her dismount, but she was watching David walk down the hill and go straight for a walk-thru gate to the side of the larger gate.
“Do you know that man?” she asked Manuel.
“I don’t pay attention to the people that come and go unless I’m expecting the vet or the farrier. I take care of the horses, and that’s all I’m paid to do.”
The way he talked about his role on the property tugged at her subconscious, but she couldn’t pinpoint what made her uncomfortable about it. It was almost as if he was saying that he purposely ignored things that were happening around him so he wasn’t involved. But why would he say that?
“Do you live on the property?”
“I live in the apartment above the barn.”
“There’s an apartment?”
“Yes. It’s three bedrooms and very nice. I live there with my wife and our two sons.”
“How is it possible I didn’t know that?”
“You’ve only been here a short time and you can’t see much of the house from here. She leaves before you wake up to take them to school and you’re usually gone when she brings them home.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Three years. Maybe four.”
“All that time and you say you’ve never seen that man before?”
“I didn’t say I’ve never seen him. I said I am paid to take care of the horses and anything else is none of my business.”
Kelissa turned to look at Manuel, but he was already bent over, cleaning out Scout’s hooves without bothering to show her how. She shrugged, looking back to the gate, but the car was gone and so was David.
Manuel’s words played over and over again in her head. Now she was even more curious about the mystery man, and she was starting the think that David was keeping something big from her.
She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she’d learned long ago not to ignore it. Something was going on, and she was going to find out what it was before she got caught up. She was here to live out a lifelong dream, not get swept up in someone else’s mistakes. David was going to tell her what was going on, or he was going to have a fight on his hands. She didn’t like being lied to, and something was definitely going on.