Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Grady’s hand flexed at his side. The urge to pull her over his knee right there in the barn was almost overwhelming. She had no idea what she did to him, pushing every single one of his Daddy buttons without even trying.
“I’ll take the black one and be back before you know it.”
“I don’t think so, darlin’.” He leaned in, voice dropping to that low, gravelly tone he knew affected her. “You’ll stay on the ranch where I can keep an eye on you. Understood?”
For a second, she looked like she might argue. Then her shoulders softened, and that vulnerable, eager-to-please Little side he didn’t get to see very often peeked through. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, the words barely audible.
He clenched his jaw, fighting the overwhelming need to kiss her senseless and remind her exactly who she belonged to.
Two months, he reminded himself. You’ve got two more months to convince her to stay.
“I think you need to pay attention to your attitude, young lady,” Grady said. “I understand you’re excited about this. And I understand that you think Rose is capable. But you need to give me time to think this through without coming up with sassy solutions that are going to get your butt busted.”
When she didn’t argue back, he raised an eyebrow, considering her suggestion. “Do you even know how to ride?”
“Well, not exactly,” Sage admitted, a little sheepishly. Then that bright, trouble-making grin lit up her face again. “Don’t guess you know of a handsome cowboy Daddy who could teach me? If I’m going to be living on a ranch, I should learn.”
She sashayed the few steps it took to reach him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her soft body against his. “There has to be a big, strong cowboy around here somewhere who could, you know… show me the ropes?”
She rubbed against him like a cat against a scratching post. The Daddy in him roared to life so fast it nearly knocked the wind out of him. He could think of plenty of ropes he’d like to show her, and exactly how he’d use them to keep her right where he wanted her.
She knew exactly what she was doing to him. He fought to keep things on track. “Have you even been on a horse before?”
“Nope,” she whispered into his ear. “But I’m a quick learner.”
He just bet she was.
Grady took a slow breath, weighing his options. Part of him—the cautious, wounded part—wanted to shut this down immediately. The other part, the Daddy part that refused to stay quiet anymore, knew she was right. It wasn’t safe for her to live on a ranch without knowing how to ride and handle horses. He leaned away from her and looked into her eyes.
“All right,” he said finally, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I know just the right guy to ‘show you the ropes’.”
Her pupils dilated, and he watched with dark satisfaction as the double meaning landed. She bit her lip, that vulnerable little spark flashing in her eyes alongside the mischief.
“But you have to follow every instruction,” he added sternly. “No arguments. No shortcuts. No climbing on anything you shouldn’t. You do what I say, when I say it. Understood?”
Sage’s breath caught, and for a moment the playful mask slipped. She looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes, soft, eager, and so damn vulnerable it made his chest ache. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, then almost as an afterthought, added, “We are talking about learning how to ride, aren’t we?”
Grady smiled. “Of course we are, what did you think we were talking about?”
“Oh, nothing, I mean riding, I mean… uh—”
“That’s what I thought, babygirl.” Turning away, he grabbed a bridle from the wall.
He pointed to the third stall. “We’ll use Daisy. She’s the gentlest mare in the barn.”
Sage followed him over, her steps light and eager. Grady kept his face stern, trying to keep his focus away from those tight jeans.
“First lesson,” he said, voice steady and low. “You respect the horse. Keep your movements slow and calm. She’ll know if you’re afraid and might take advantage of you.” Daisy wouldn’t, but Sage didn’t need to know that yet.
He walked her through how to approach a horse, then guided her while she put the bridle on Daisy. He had to admit she was a good student.
Sage listened carefully to every instruction as they finished each step. At one point, her fingers brushed his as she took the leather straps. The brief contact sent a jolt straight through him. Even with their agreement, he wanted to proceed carefully with her.
Next, he walked her through saddling. Grady felt the familiar structure of rules creating boundaries. Rules kept things safe. Rules kept feelings in check—or at least that’s what he kept telling himself.
Next, he showed Sage how to check the girth, how to mount safely, and how to hold the reins. She was a natural—light in the saddle, quick to listen, and clearly enjoying herself. Every time she called him “Daddy” while asking a question, the word fed something deep and hungry inside him.