Sicilian Dreams by J. P. Kennedy Read Free Book Online Page A

Cassie ‘ you just take yourself off mister while I get these things on.’ She shooed him away with her hands. ‘Go dominate Diavolo for a moment will you.’ Clearly unused to being told what to do or teased by anybody, Marco just stood there for a second staring at her disbelievingly.
    ‘Go on shoo’ she said again laughing at him. To her surprise he turned and went back into the tack room to find the bridles and saddles.
    Cassie quickly slipped off the boots and her shorts and pulled the jodhpurs on. They fitted her like a glove. He must know women’s sizes very well she thought, and there’s only one way that happens, with plenty of experience. He doesn’t appear to be gay, so he must have had plenty of girlfriends she thought.
    Marco whistled at her when he returned, a saddle on his hip and bridles slung over his shoulder.
    ‘I like it,’ he grinned his eyes pinned on her. Rather than let him rile her more she took a bridle from him and followed him to the horse block.
    Diavolo pawed the ground again when he saw Marco and snorted.
    ‘Arrivo signore, calma, have patience,’ said Marco stopping to put down the gear and pat Diavolo on the nose.
    The horse responded by bunting Marco gently in the shoulder with his soft black muzzle and Marco chuckled, his hand running up to caress the soft hair of Diavolo’s forelock between his ears. Cassie felt moved by the bond they clearly shared and intrigued by this other, more gentle side of Marco she was witnessing.
    ‘He’s gorgeous,’ she cooed standing just behind Marco as he deftly slipped a halter over Diavolo’s head and opened the stable door to lead him.
    ‘Si, he’s a bravo boy,’ said Marco leading Diavolo over to a hitching post.
    ‘How long have you owned him?’ asked Cassie.
    ‘I think he owns me,’ said Marco laughing, ‘but I have had him since I was eighteen. He was born here and I helped to break him in with my uncle.’ Here’s my chance thought Cassie.
    ‘How old is he now?’ she said disingenuously.
    ‘He is twelve years old now’ said Marco, placing the saddle and blanket on the horses back, then reaching underneath his stomach to grasp the girth and fasten it.
    ‘So that makes you thirty?’ blurted out Cassie before she could stop herself.
    Marco finished fastening the girth and turned to look at her, his hands on his hips, his look questioning.
    ‘Si Cassandra, why do you sound surprised?’ he asked
    ‘Nothing’ she said evasively, looking down and scuffing at the concrete with the toe of her boot. Suddenly his booted feet were right in front of hers and she looked up sharply, gasping as his hands clamped around her waist.
    ‘Tell me or I will punish you’ he said with mock severity.
    Cassie hated feeling silly but silly she felt at this moment as she remembered her less than sober conversation last night with Kat and Liz about Marco. Marco’s age had been part of the discussion and she didn’t want to admit to him that they had been talking about him. Heavens above the man already had an ego the size of Mt. Everest and she didn’t want to inflate it further.
    ‘We..we..thought you were younger, much younger,’ said Cassie looking into his green eyes which were lit up now with amusement and glee.
    ‘Were you talking about me last night Cassandra,’ he asked softly his head bent down so he could look into her eyes.
    ‘A little,’ murmured Cassie. ‘ It was nothing if you want to know. We were just discussing the estate and I guess you naturally came up in conversation. Liz wanted to know that’s all, I mean I don’t care’ she added lamely.
    ‘Why don’t you care Cassandra?’ he whispered into her ear his lips brushing the soft part of her lobe. Cassie shivered involuntarily and his hands tightened about her waist.
    ‘After all, I care about you’ he whispered again this time she was sure his tongue brushed her lobe. She felt a ping of excitement in her belly, which grew and rapidly travelled everywhere