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Alexander let her hands go and cupped her face. “Listen to me. I don’t know why you think I’m out of your league. If it’s because of the money, well, that’s a by-product of what I do. What I’m good at. What good is it if I can’t share it with someone?”
Claire stared at him. “I don’t want to get hurt, and I don’t want to lose this job,” she whispered. She felt vulnerable, and she believed in speaking the truth. She saw the look of realization cross his face, and his green eyes dropped for a moment. “You do have a reputation, Alexander.”
“I know. I’m well aware of what people say about me and my past relationships.” He met her gaze again. “I won’t hurt you, Claire. That I can promise you.”
She laid her fingers over his lips. “Don’t make me a promise you may not be able to keep. Let’s just have an understanding and try not to hurt each other.”
Alexander nodded in agreement. “Fair enough.” he kissed her slowly, not ending it until he had taken her breath away. He leaned his forehead against hers. “Why don’t we go watch those videos of the races and just relax,” he suggested.
Claire nodded. She pulled her socks and boots on, and together, they left the barn’s loft and made their way to her little cottage. The sun had disappeared behind some clouds, and she could hear thunder in the distance. “Are we supposed to get more storms tonight?” she pondered aloud. She looked at the weather app on her phone, her brow furrowing. “Apparently, we are.” She chewed her lower lip for a moment. “Go ahead and get the videotapes in. I need to run to my office for a moment.” She quickly left the cottage, hurrying back to the barn and her office. She grabbed another videotape, and when she exited her office, she found the foreman. “Tony, we are supposed to get storms tonight, and it looks like they are starting to move in. Get the pasture horses in the other and make sure these guys are secure before closing up the barn. I don’t want to take the chance with these guys.”
“You got it, Miss Reynolds.” Tony turned to walk to the other end of the barn, calling for a few of the other hands to help him round up the horses.
Once she was satisfied the horses were taken care of, she made her way back to her cottage. Her brain was still spinning from Alexander’s words. She spun around and returned to her office, closing the door behind her as she dialed her cell phone.
“Hey girl, what’s going on?”
“I need a serious reality check, Ging. I’m trying to figure out if I’m in over my head.” Claire sat on the corner of her desk, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Over your head…how?“ Ginger was Claire’s best friend, another horse lover and rodeo queen. They’d known each other since college, and when things pressed in on them, they knew the other had their back. “Wait…what did you do?”
Claire winced. “I fucked my boss.”
“You bumped uglies with Alexander Blackwood?“ Ginger stated from the other end of the phone.
“Yup. Three times now.”
The phone went silent for a moment before Ginger let out a long, low whistle. “Okay, before the obvious recriminations about fucking your boss ensue, I have to ask. Is he any good in bed?”
Claire let out a small whimper. “The man is amazing in bed. So the sex life part of this relationship is not an issue.”
“Then what is? What makes you think you’re in over your head?”
“It’s Alexander Blackwood. The man is a virtual enigma. He has a reputation, and he is seriously out of my league. He’s a billionaire who admitted to me today that he has been seducing me and wants me in his life.” Claire chuckled. “It sounds so stupid.”
Ginger took a deep breath on the other end of the phone. “Okay. First off, just because he’s a billionaire doesn’t make him out of your league. It’s just money, and obviously, he sees something in you that he likes. A lot.“ She paused. “I know you love this job, and other than the time you spent working for Jonas, it’s the best thing to come your way. Everything I’ve ever heard about him leads me to believe he’s serious about you. He’s not the type to pursue a woman.”
“And that’s what worries me.” Claire watched as the wind started picking up.
“Girl, enjoy yourself for a change. If things get awkward, then tell him. Just be careful and see what happens. Take the billionaire title out of the equation. He’s just another horse lover who has a thing for you. That’s how you have to look at it.”
Ginger was right. When she removed the money and his billionaire status, he was just another guy. “Thank you. I knew you’d help me see it clearer.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Call me after the gala this weekend. I want to hear all the ugly details.”
Claire chuckled. “I will. Love you, chick. Talk later.“ She hung up the phone, grabbed the tape, and left her office. She made it back to the cottage right before the storm let loose. Alexander was waiting at the door and pulled it shut behind her just as the clouds unleashed the rain.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
Claire gazed up at him and smiled softly. Ginger was right. Alexander was, first and foremost, a very virile man who was very interested in her. “Yeah,” she said, leaning up to kiss him.
“Good.” He took the videotape she handed him and settled on the couch in front of the television. Sitting on the coffee table were two cups of pour-over coffee and cookies. “You had enough time to make pour-over coffee?” she laughed.
He knelt at the VCR, popping in the tape before joining her on the couch. “It doesn’t take that long.” He hit play, and they began to watch the video of the races. She gazed at him, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, his gaze intent. “I have never seen Player’s gait that smooth,” he breathed. “I thought I was imagining it at the race, but…” He shook his head, glancing back at him. “How did you do that? How did you get him like this?”
Claire shook her head. “I just worked with him and Johnson. Johnson is a good jockey with a gentle hand on the reins. When I put him with Player, it was like they clicked.” She blushed at his praise. She had only done what she thought was right. She sipped at her coffee and jumped at a loud clap of thunder overhead. The lights flickered and went out, effectively ending their review of the races. The wind had picked up even more, and the rain hit the windows hard. “Well, so much for that.”
Alexander leaned back on the couch, stretching his left arm behind her and pulling her closer to him. He nuzzled the top of her head. “I think Mother Nature had other ideas.”
