The Love Ranch (BWWM Romance) by Violet Jackson Read Free Book Online

tricks,” he offered, smiling once more to reveal tobacco-stained teeth. “I’m Rick by the way,” he offered airily.
    Tiana’s face froze in anger as she glared down at the pervert. He was not talking about riding a horse at all, she thought as her skin crawled.
    “And I’m someone who’s gonna maul you right down if you don’t take your hands off my damn horse!” she spat between gritted teeth.
    His grin evaporated and then with deliberate slow motions, he removed his hands from her horse.
    Tiana grabbed the reins, tightened her knees and spurred the horse into a gallop as she had seen people do in the movies and winced as the seemingly docile animal turned into a powerful beast beneath her. The horse’s hooves pounded the ground beneath her and she shut her eyes in fright as the trees sped past in a dizzying rush.
    “I swear I’m going to kill that cowboy once I set my eyes on him,” she muttered.
    As if on cue, she spotted a horse on a ridge a short distance away and even from the distance, she could make out the arrogant set of the rider’s shoulders which told her that was Christian.
    “Hey,” she yelled, trying to get his attention as she waved frantically. The horse chose that moment to pick up on her fear and neighed wildly, before rising on its hind legs.
    Sheer survival instinct made her tighten her grip on the reins and clamp her knees tighter around it as she fought to stay on the animal. She saw Christian shout something to her but she was too preoccupied to hear what he said. The horse began to gallop wildly in his direction, bucking every second to throw her off. Tiana held on for a few more precious moments before the wild momentum of her steed’s movements tossed her right over the head of the horse to land in a heap atop of a blessedly soft pile of hay lying close to the path.
    Tiana gasped, trying to catch her breath as thundering hooves announced Christian’s arrival. He was positively breathing fire from his nose as he bore down on her.
    “Are you alright?” he screamed, leaping off his horse and kneeling down beside her almost in the same fluid motion.
    Tiana grinned, inordinately pleased with the concerned expression on her face.
    He cradled her head gently as he said, “Where does it hurt, sweetheart?”
    “My pride?” she said cheekily.
    “Huh?”
    “I’m perfectly fine. It’s just my pride that’s bruised. Where’s Jamal?” she asked, voicing her most urgent concern.
    “Over there, picking flowers for you,” Christian told her, waving vaguely in the direction of a sweeping slope of vibrant wildflowers.
    Tears of relief sprang into her eyes as she made out the tiny, wiry figure moving from one spot to the other.
    “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked earnestly, eyeing the tears in her big brown eyes.
    Tiana looked over at him; at least the panic was beginning to fade at last. “I’m perfectly fine. If you’ll just let me up, I’ll prove it.”
    He finally released her and leaned back and she gratefully sat up.
    “Now we’ve established that you’re fine, would you care to tell me what the hell you were thinking when you took off alone on horseback for the first time in your life?”
    Tiana blinked, amazed at his abrupt change of mood as he glared down at her where seconds before he had been all concern.
    “What makes you think I can’t ride?” she bluffed.
    “The way you sit a horse is a dead giveaway. Now what possessed you to come tearing up here?”
    “What possessed me?” she sputtered furiously, rising to her feet with less grace than she would have liked. “You took Jamal riding without asking me! How dare you? What, in all of creation, could you have been thinking of?” she yelled.
    “I didn’t set out to take him riding, Tiana, he asked to come,” he told her evenly rising to his feet to tower above her.
    Tiana was not impressed by that explanation. Why would he take Jamal riding without letting her know? Her mind had gone a million