The Heart of a Stranger by Sheri Whitefeather Read Free Book Online Page B

what and how it was done, but he wasn’t about to admit it. Not now. Not when he wanted her to explain how a stallion covered a mare. “You’re not embarrassed to talk about this, are you?”
    â€œOf course not. I was raised in this environment.”
    â€œThen talk,” he urged, baiting her.
    â€œFine.” Sweet and stubborn, she lifted her chin. “I’ll start with how feral horses mate, then work my way up to domestic methods.”
    He moved closer, feeling naughty as hell. They remained in the stud barn, near Raven Wing’s stall.
    Lourdes smoothed her hair again. The honey-streaked stands framed her face, fanning across her shoulders. “A stallion knows when a mare is ready to mate by the pheromones she gives off and by her flirty behavior. She’ll approach him with a submissive teeth-snapping gesture, letting him know she’s interested.”
    â€œAnd what does her mate do?” Juan prodded.
    â€œThe stallion sniffs and licks the mare’s flanks, the root of her tail and her…”
    â€œHer what?” he asked, although he knew. Shame on him.
    â€œVulva,” Lourdes provided.
    â€œHe tastes her?”
    â€œYes.” She drew an audible breath. “He savors her scent and flavor. It stimulates him.”
    Yeah, Juan thought, and understandably so.
    â€œFrom there they might groom each other, working their incisors up and down each other’s necks, withers and backs.”
    â€œGo on,” he said, picturing the image of courting she described. She was so sweet, so naive, explaining every detail to a man who already knew how a feral stallion covered his mate.
    â€œThe mare will show signs of being in full season, straddled legs, raised tail, winking vulva—”
    â€œIt winks?”
    â€œThat’s what it’s called when it opens and closes.”
    â€œReally?” He hoped his boyish reaction wasn’t giving him away. “Now that is flirty behavior.”
    â€œThis isn’t supposed to be funny, Juan.”
    â€œSorry.” He jammed his hands in his pockets. “Couldn’t help it.”
    She straightened her spine and continued. “The stallion usually approaches the mare from the side to avoid getting kicked. If she’s still cooperative, he works his way around the rear to mount and mate.”
    â€œAnd then it’s over?”
    â€œYes, within a matter of seconds. But the stallion will keep a close association with the mare until he’s ready to mate her again.”
    Smart guy, Juan thought. Lucky, too.
    â€œThe procedure isn’t nearly as natural at breeding farms. Far from it,” Lourdes said. “Once it’s decided a mare is ready to mate, she’s taken to the covering yard. She’s hobbled to prevent her from kicking the stallion. Her tail is bandaged. Often she wears a shield to protect her withers and neck in case the stallion bites.”
    Juan glanced at Raven Wing. “Does he tend to bite?”
    â€œSometimes.”
    He gave the horse a serious study. The flashy stud seemed to be listening, eavesdropping on the human conversation. “Can’t blame him for being anxious, I guess.”
    She went on. Bound and determined, it seemed, to finish this, to get past Juan’s anecdotes. “Once the stallion is led in, they’re not permitted to court. That would be too dangerous. The stallion is restrained by the handler and not allowed to mount until he’s fully erect. The studman watches the stallion, making sure he ejaculates. If he doesn’t, he’ll be encouraged to mount the mare again.”
    Dare he ask? Or should he let her off the hook?
    Oh, what the hell. “How can you tell if he ejaculated?”
    She stepped back a little. “His tail pumps when it happens.”
    For a moment, they both fell silent. Lourdes twisted the collar on her blouse, and Juan removed his hands from his pockets.
    â€œDo you ship