"Turn. Alright let's try the vaults again."

Pheonyx didn't respond, though she guided her horse through the motions as I directed. Her body whipped to the ground and back into the saddle. She was stiff, with perfect form.

Too stiff.

She hadn't said a word to me all day. Or looked at me once.

I sighed, realizing I'd hurt her feelings the night before when I said that everything about her was wrong. She hadn't understood what I meant at all. And now both of us were suffering for it.

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 Pheonyx 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 Pheonyx Delancey.

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

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, Pheonyx 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.

Pheonyx 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 Pheonyx 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.

"What are you 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-"

"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 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 fanny underneath my palm. Then I lifted my hand and smacked it.

Damn, but that was satisfying.

Her sweet little tush jiggled like jello. Just a little. But it was enough to send me from rage, to lust in an instant. But I wasn't done. Not even close. I still needed to get my point across.

I slapped her ass again.

Not hard. I would never hurt the girl. But I knew she wouldn't like this.

I rested my hand on her ass and waited. I knew what was coming. Once the shock wore off, I was about to have a Texas sized temper tantrum on my hands.

Three. Two. One.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

I held her still while she thrashed on my lap. I grimaced as my dick started to get hard. The damn woman was rubbing herself all over me without realizing it!

"Let me go! How dare you spank me like a child! How-"

I took that opportunity to smack her ass again.

"Because you are behaving like a child. If you are ready to act like a young lady again, I will stop."

She kept hollerin' and so I spanked her again. And again. She kept wiggling in a way that made me want to wrassle her in the sheets. My cock could have cut glass at this point. I didn't stop though. Not until she stilled.

I rubbed her bottom a bit, trying to soothe it.

"There, there, it's alright girl. I didn't hurt you."

She hiccupped. It was the cutest damn sound I'd heard in my life.

I couldn't help but let my hands wander a bit. Now that she was in my arms, more or less, I didn't have the strength to fight. I squeezed her cheeks, hoping they weren't too sore.

"Can I sit up now, please?"

I smiled fondly at her. This was progress. She'd said please.

She pushed herself up and I caught her around the waist, settling her on my lap. I pushed her wild hair back over her shoulders and tipped her chin up. She'd been crying.

I frowned. I hadn't been rough. Why was she crying?

"Hey now babygirl, there's no need for that."

She hiccupped again, and lifted her hand to slap me. I caught it in mid-air and smiled at her.

"I'm sure you want to hit me, wildcat. But I think you know I don't deserve it."

She stared at me, her frown sliding away into something sweet and uncertain.

"Don't be nice to me, dammit. I can't stand it when you're nice to me!"

I held her firm, but she wasn't struggling to get away anymore. No, she felt soft and pliant. She felt… willing.

"You sure about that, darlin'?"

I used the back of my hand to brush her tears away. That's when it happened. We both tilted forward slightly, our eyes on each other's lips. I groaned as I pulled her hard against me, my mouth crashing down on hers.

Sweet Jesus, the woman felt right!

Her skin was living silk in my hands. I held her face so I could kiss the hell out of her. She made a sexy whimpering sound as her lips parted. I took the opportunity to taste her, slipping my tongue inside her mouth. I teased her a bit, stroking and retreating, then darting forward to tangle with her tongue again.

My hands slid down to her ass, cupping a cheek in each hand. That's how much bigger I was, how small she felt in my arms. My hands swallowed her up completely.

She wiggled a bit and I bit back a satisfied laugh. All this time wanting her, and she was as agreeable as a kitten! I should have done this to begin with.

I should have just made her mine.

I kissed her neck and then lower, unbuttoning her shirt with one hand. The top of her bra came into view and I moaned, letting my lips wander even lower. In no time her buttons were all undone and I was tugging her lacey white bra down, licking and sucking her nipples until the were tight little points.

Her hands were in my hair as she held me against her. I murmured my appreciation for her beautiful, delicious breasts as I kissed them again and again. One hand slipped lower, stroking her pussy through her jeans.

I almost lost it when she started to circle her hips against my hand. She was so passionate and natural- there was nothing coy about my wildcat. I wanted her, and she wanted me right back, and made no bones about it.

Damn if that wasn't sexy as hell!

I kissed her mouth again, turning her so she was laying flat on a bench made up of bales of hay. I covered her with my body, and fitting myself against her. I replaced my hand with my hard on.

Right… there.

Oh sweet lord, have mercy!

We rocked and rolled together, dry humping like teenagers. My cock felt like it was going to explode, or catch fire. We created that much friction where our jeans rubbed together like kindling.

Right there. I was right there. So close to getting inside her I could taste it. But we were not completely alone. Hardly anyone came back here, but there was no lock on the door.

And that just wasn't the right situation for making love to a hellcat. Especially the first time.

I moaned in frustration but didn't stop. I couldn't. I was going to take what I could get. I wanted anything and everything. But not now. Damn it all to hell, I was going to have to wait. Hours or minutes or days, the thought itself felt like an eternity in hell.

Either way, I was getting inside her tight little jeans.

Real damn soon.