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He watches me as I dismount and take Diamond Mine back to his stall. As I remove the saddle and pad from Diamond Mine, who’s owned by Dane’s parents, Jasper says, “I’ll be in the truck.”
That woman put him in a foul mood, and the ride back to the hotel is silent until a text message comes from Dane.
“I said no fucking distractions.”
“We’re in the truck, not doing anything, and you can’t tell me what to do when we’re not training.”
“That’s the thing, Elizabeth, for a month, you're mine… to train. You will get up when I say, you will eat, sleep, and train… when I say. Got it.”
“Yes, but I can talk to whoever I want when I’m not eating, sleeping, or training. I pay you.”
That’s not true; my sponsors pay him. I think. I’m not sure how it all works. All I know is when I win, I get sixty percent of the prize money, and the owner of the horse gets a percentage too. However, I don’t know whether the sponsors pay the horse trainer, or he gets part of the disbursement. I should know how the money works on the Grand Prix circuit.
He pulls to the valet, and I jump out.
“I expect you at breakfast at six tomorrow.”
It’s going to be a long month with this asshole.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
DANE
Waiting on Lettie sucks. I thought I was overbooked, but Lettie has zero time for me. This trainer, Jasper keeps her on a tight schedule and when she gets back to the hotel, she barely has time to talk to me.
Last night, she fell asleep while we were video calling. She had her phone propped up against a pillow, and all I could see was her beautiful face squished up against her arm. When she yawns, her hand covers her mouth. “Sorry. Anything fun happen today?”
It catches me off guard, and now I have to tell her, and it’s going to sound like I was hiding it. “Not fun, but I showed Daisy some places around campus.”
Her head lifts slightly off the pillow. “Oh. What places?”
“The cookie place you love and The Stable.”
“Why did you take her to your suite?”
“She wanted to see it. You know how people are about wanting to see the inside of the men’s basketball lodge. I don’t know why they don’t give tours and charge an entry fee. It could fund the soccer team,” I pull a Lettie and ramble on.
“You really are clueless. She’s making a play for you when I’m out of town.” She can’t even argue with me because she’s operating on half-capacity.
I lower my voice, “Baby, you’re the only one I’m interested in. What can I say to assure you?”
“Talk dirty to me. No, don't. I’m too tired to get myself off. Can you sing to me?”
“Just don’t hold it against me later.”
“I love your voice.”
As I listen to her pillow rustle around, I pull up the lyrics to her current favorite song. It’s been less than a week since we’ve seen each other, and yet I feel the drain it’s taking on us. Since we just started dating, we should be talking at all hours of the day and night, holding hands walking to class, eating lunch in the quad under the early fall sun and having sex every day. Instead, we message a few lines a day and talk at night on the phone, sometimes when we’re both too tired to flirt.
I press my back against the headboard and when I sing in a low whisper, she hums in appreciation and damn, if that one sound doesn’t make my heart swell. In this moment, it feels like we’re together even though there’s a thousand miles between us. I sing until I hear soft purrs, and I know she’s fallen asleep. When Lettie is extra tired, she always snores at first. But wanting her to know I’ll always be there when she needs me, I continue to whisper songs until the snoring stops, but I stay on the phone.
Waking up at my usual five a.m., the phone is still connected, but my girl is still dreaming, hopefully about me. I shoot off our morning text.
Me: I’m not hanging up until you do. Let’s see who breaks first.
I’m an hour into my workout when I hear the ding of a notification through my Air Pods.
Lettie: Always up for a challenge. Thanks for last night. If you ever need a career change, you should consider Sleep Singer. People have made millions off of apps of rain sounds.
