Chompin' at the Bit (Horse Play #2) (32 page)

I looked over at Jensen. His eyes were wide as he took in everything—and we weren’t even inside the grounds yet. I navigated the parking lot until I finally found a spot, and Jensen was out of the car before I even had it in park.

“Whoa, tiger! Take it easy!” I said as he took me by the hand and led me through the lot. “We’ve got plenty of time to get there.”

Jensen slowed slightly, falling into step with me before apologizing. “Sorry. I just wanted to get good seats.”

I snickered. “You think I don’t have good seats?”

His head snapped toward me. “You’ve got pre-assigned seating?” 

“I may have a few connections,” I said flippantly with a little shrug as we walked through the main entrance and onto the grounds. There were thousands of people walking around, horses being led by their riders—some I recognized as my past competitors and others as newbies to the ring.

“Holy shit!” Jensen exclaimed, his grip on my hand tightening and stopping me in my tracks. “Is that Ian Miller?”

Sure enough, Ian Miller was about twenty feet away. He hadn’t competed in years. I still remembered the first time I had seen him compete live. It was back when I was five years old. My grandfather had taken me to Spruce Meadows for the very first time, and it was the year that Ian’s mount of ten years, Big Ben, was being retired. The best part, though? As we were making our way through the crowd, I accidentally bumped into him. I was so flustered and my apology probably wasn’t even understandable as I mumbled and shuffled my feet while looking at the pebbles I was kicking.

He knelt down before me, the reins to Big Ben’s bridle still in his hands as the large gelding stood next to him. He held his free hand out so I could see it and introduced himself as though I didn’t know who he was, and I finally looked up at him. He asked if I rode, and I, very enthusiastically, told him yes. Then he inquired as to whether or not I was having a good time—which I was.

Every trip to the Meadows never measured up to that one, and while I had seen him ride a few times in the years I had gone to the competitions, I never got the opportunity to talk to him again. Which was okay, because I was sure to be just as awkward as I was twenty-one years ago.

“Sure is,” I said to Jensen. “He’s super nice too.”

“You’ve
met
him?”

I shrugged. “Only once; when I was five.” Encouraging Jensen forward, we made our way past Ian and the crowd that had gathered around him to go and find our seats.

I pulled Jensen down to my left, and he placed his right hand on the top of my knee before sliding it slightly in—just slightly. Sipping our coffee, we waited for the competition to start when a few girls behind us started whispering and giggling.

“No, I don’t think that’s her,”
one said.

“Oh, it’s totally her! I’d recognize her anywhere … No! You ask her! I’m not going to!” 

Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder, and I turned around to see two bright-eyed young women in their twenties staring at me. They both looked as though they were holding back squeals of excitement as I looked between them, waiting for one of them to speak. Jensen turned with me, smiling almost proudly as he watched the three of us.

“I’m sorry,” the blond on the left said. “But, are you Madison Landry?”

“I sure am.”

“I knew it!” the brunette exclaimed. “We’re big fans”

When they seemed to be having their own private conversation again, I looked at Jensen, wondering if we should turn around. Maybe all they wanted was confirmation that I was who they thought I was.

Then, the blond one spoke again. “Do you think we could have your autograph? Maybe a picture?”

Smiling, I nodded. “Of course.” They both reached for their bags and started rifling through it for a pen before they grabbed their programs and held them out to me. “Who am I making them out to?”

“I’m Ellie, and this is my best friend, Sarah,” the blond said as I started making out the first program to her.

“So,” Sarah said softly as I started on hers. “Do you think you’ll compete next year? I mean we heard that Halley’s Comet was out of commission for the season due to an injury? Will you both be back? Or will you come back with another mount next season?”

“Um,” I said as I signed my name and handed her the program back. “She’s actually doing much better. I’d like to come back with Halley, but it’ll depend on her training over the next few months.”

“So, you won’t come back without her?” Ellie interjected as I joined them and Jensen took our picture with her phone.

Honestly, it wasn’t really something I’d ever considered. There were several riders who would compete with a few different mounts—essentially competing against themselves as well as others—but it wasn’t something I ever did. “I don’t know, to be honest,” I confessed, the idea suddenly sounding appealing. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was having just signed my first two autographs of the season. Whatever it was, I realized that I missed it all. I longed to be in that arena, taking those jumps, feeling the wind on my face, and the adrenaline rushing through my veins as we raced against the clock for the prize.

The girls thanked me before letting Jensen and I turn back around before the competition started. With a sigh as I thought more about rejoining the circuit next season, I lay my head on his shoulder and looped my arm through his as his hand reclaimed its spot on my knee. He must have picked up on what I was thinking because he gave my leg a squeeze and kissed the top of my head.

“I want to come back,” I confessed before he could voice his own thoughts. “To compete.” He didn’t move. “You said you’d support my decision,” I reminded him quietly, tightening my grip on his arm, afraid he’d pull away.

“And I do,” he said softly. “Baby, I want you to be happy, and I know that all of this”—he gestured around us with his free hand—“makes you happy. But maybe we shouldn’t make any decisions until we have a handle on our current dilemma.”

How had I completely forgotten about that? The last few days, it seemed like it was all I could focus on, even when we first arrived in Calgary. But getting caught up in the atmosphere of the sport I loved so much allowed me to momentarily forget. If I turned out to be pregnant, I’d have to put my career on hold for
another
year or so. “You’re right,” I whispered, turning my attention to the ring just as the first rider was announced.

“Madi—”

I nodded toward the ring. “It’s starting. You’re right. I’ll drop it until we know.” And that was the end of the conversation. I knew I was acting a little childish, which was why I was giving myself a time-out before I said something I would regret. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand what he was trying to say—I did—it just wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Hence the childish behavior.

Sitting there in silence as we watched rider after rider complete the course, I felt my mood lighten again as my rationality started to return. Ultimately, he was right. Why get my hopes up when in two weeks’ time I could have them crushed just as quickly? “I’m sorry,” I whispered, turning to see him deep in thought as he watched Eric Lamaze start the course.

“Me too,” Jensen replied, moving his hand from my knee and holding my hand.

I let a small smile form. “Let’s just go back to not worrying about it?” I posed it as a question instead of a statement, giving him the option to go back to how things had been the last two days. Was it healthy to not talk about it? Probably not, but the way I saw it, we didn’t know if there was anything
to
talk about.

With a smile, Jensen nodded and kissed my temple. “I never stopped worrying,” he confessed, pressing his forehead to the side of my head and squeezing my hand. “And the only reason I worry about it is because, deep down, I know you miss this. And if we did fuck up, you’ll be putting it on hold. Because of me.”

“Us,” I corrected him, unable to let him take sole responsibility. “Because of us.”

“We’ve only been together a little over a month, and I don’t want you to resent me if things don’t work out …
ideally
for us.”

“I would never resent you, Jensen,” I assured him before tilting my head up and kissing him softly. For the moment, everything between us was the way it should have been.

“Where did you want to eat?” Jensen asked when we got into the car after the competition ended for the day.

I thought about it for a minute after turning the car on. I wasn’t as familiar with which restaurants were vegetarian friendly, so I knew I’d have to just pick one and hope. “I don’t know,” I replied. “Honestly, I’m still pretty wiped. I wouldn’t mind going back to the hotel and ordering in.”

Jensen nodded. “Sounds good to me. You drive us back, and I’ll pay,” he told me with a smile and a wink.

Traffic was a bit of a nightmare, but we finally reached the hotel and entered our room. Seeing the huge, luxurious king-sized bed in the room made the muscles in my body ache from exhaustion, but I was still starving.

“Why don’t you go change, and I’ll order room service?” Jensen suggested, unpacking my laptop.

My eyebrows pulled together briefly. “What do you want to do on the computer?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Well, I’m going to look up a list of restaurants for dinner tomorrow night. I want to take you somewhere special.”

“Okay, but nowhere too fancy. I didn’t bring anything super dressy. I’ve got some nice tops and dress pants, but that’s about it for dinner apparel,” I said, pulling out of his arms to grab my pajamas from my suitcase. 

After agreeing, Jensen hooked up the laptop while I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed into my shorts and Star Trek tee. When I emerged from the bathroom, I found Jensen at the desk, scrolling through Google or some other search engine. 

I stopped to wrap my arms around him, resting my chin on his shoulder before kissing his cheek. “Did you order dinner?” 

He nodded. “You bet. They had a veggie burger and fries option. I hope that’s okay?”

“Sounds good. How long until it gets here?” I asked, sliding my hands down his chest and kissing his neck. He smelled incredible, and I was feeling needy again.

“About half an hour,” he told me.

Smiling, I reached forward and closed the laptop. “I wonder what we can do to pass the time?”

Chapter 28. Fairy-Tale Date Night

N
o one could blame me for allowing my eyes to slowly wander over Jensen’s body when he climbed out of bed and stretched. The black flannel pants he wore hung low on his hips. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip as I stared at his naked upper body, muscled and toned from years of taking care of himself. The muscles in his arm flexed beneath the vibrant tattoo on his right arm, and I sighed audibly.

“What are you looking at, creep?” Jensen teased with a chuckle after spotting me eye-fucking him.

There was no use denying it; I’d been caught, and I really didn’t mind getting caught ogling him. He was hot, and he knew it. “I was looking at my sexy, half-naked boyfriend.”

Jensen let his arms fall back to his sides, a devious grin suddenly starting to form on his face before he rushed around the bed and pounced on me, forcing me onto my back. His scruffy jaw tickled the bare skin of my neck as he nuzzled it, and I broke out into a fit of giggles as I struggled against him futilely.

“It’s no use,” he murmured against my neck, his warm breath causing goose bumps to arise all over my body as I tried to break free.

His scruff was soon joined by his soft lips as he planted deliberate kisses below my ear, along my jaw, and down my throat before he tugged at the neckline of my T-shirt to expose the swells of my breasts to him. He groaned in dissatisfaction when he was unsuccessful, and I stopped struggling, instead, running my fingers through his hair to gain his attention.

“If you want to make it to the grounds on time, you’re going to have to get ready. It’s a full day, and if you figured out where you’re taking me for dinner tonight, then we’ll need to make the most of our time. There’ll be time for this later, baby,” I assured him as I continued to stroke his soft hair.

Narrowing his eyes accusingly, he propped himself above me. “Et tu, Madison? What’s with all the cock-blockage?”

I giggled. “Hey, if you want to miss out on an epic day of awesomeness to fondle my boobs, that’s fine, too.”

While I expected him to say that was definitely what he wanted to do, I was happy when he pushed himself to his feet and offered me his hand to help me up. “Shower with me?”

I arched an eyebrow at him skeptically. “Only if by ‘shower with me’ you actually
mean
‘shower with me.’”

His eyebrows pulled together and his mouth hung open, seeming taken aback by what I had said. “Madison Landry,” he chastised, “I am
appalled
that you would even consider I implied otherwise. I’m not an animal.”

Laughing, I dragged him behind me to the bathroom, where we showered and nothing more …

Kind of.

After a quick coffee run, we were on our way to the Meadows. We had made it about thirty feet inside the grounds when Jensen stopped us suddenly. “Oh! Did you grab the camera?”