Hunted Love Box Set: Big Game, Bounty, Captured by Aden Lowe Read Free Book Online Page B

horses' hides glistened with sweat. Jakob's horses had settled a little, no longer snorting and prancing, but still very animated with their heads up and necks arched. Even though they sweated, they showed no signs of slowing down, surprisingly. She might need to reassess her opinion of the breed, because they were certainly holding up better than she'd expected.
    No matter what she might want to think of Jakob, she had to admit, he and that horse of his were a striking pair. Big and broad shouldered, Jakob sat low and back in the saddle with the loose-jointed ease of one born to it. Ajax, head up and eyes rolling, gave the impression of allowing Jakob only scant control, while responding to the slightest command. He was slightly taller than her horses, but his way of going made him seem far larger, looming over them.
    Kate sighed. If only that drunk driver hadn't hit their car, her life would have been vastly different. Experience told her to get that thought out of her head, immediately. It could lead only to places best left closed up. A quick glance around at the landmarks reminded her of their location.
    Sunny responded easily to her urge for a quicker pace, and they quickly moved around the rest of the stock and up beside Ajax and Jakob. "There's a stock tank about a half mile away. We should stop and let them drink and rest a bit for midday. It's the last reliable water until this evening."
    The grin he gave her did something funny to her stomach, despite her determination not to be drawn into the fascination of him. "Sounds good to me. One step closer to you admitting my horses are better suited for this work and getting to have dinner with you and listen to Metallica."
    Kate forcibly contained the little thrill that wanted to send her pulse rate skyward. "Not at all. Just being practical. It's hot, and all the animals need water. Stopping at the tank will conserve what we're carrying for later when they need it."
    They rode on in silence, veering slightly from their planned route in order to reach the tank. The horses smelled the fresh water and quickened their pace in eagerness. The tops of the willow trees that had taken root next to the tank came into view, and soon, the tank itself, and the solar powered pump that kept it filled from the well.
    "The dogs will drink first, then the horses can have a small drink. We'll stop long enough to let them cool down a bit and have another drink."
    Kate had to admire the precision of the operation. The dogs reacted to a whistled command and drank until another signal sent them to lie under the willows to rest, and the horses moved forward for a small drink.
    Sunny and Kate's other horses had their drink when Jakob led his animals over to the willows. Kate monitored their intake carefully, as too much water could result in a crippling illness or death for a hot horse, and moved them away to cool off. Handfuls of grass rubbed some of the sweat off their hides and relieved some of the heat.
    Finished tending her horses' needs, Kate dropped reins to allow them to rest, and went to sit on the ground not far away. Jakob bent over his dogs, one by one, inspecting footpads and toenails for injury, and slipped each a small treat before moving to the next.
    Finally, he came and dropped down beside Kate and rolled onto his back. "It's been a minute since I put more than an hour at a time in the saddle. I almost forgot how painful it can be after a while."
    His groan of misery drew a smile from Kate even if she would have preferred to be annoyed with him. "It is unique, for certain."
    "The closest I've come to it since leaving home is a few endless hours crossing rough so-called plains in the back of a beat-up old pickup."
    "What were you doing?"
    Her question immediately changed his face from smiling and almost relaxed to tense and closed-off. "I was working for a defense contractor at the time. The Taliban decided they really wanted to ask me some questions I preferred not to