Read Online Before You Go (YA Romance) by Ella James - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ella James
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“Sorry,” and, more softly, added, “Gamma here is a Peruvian Paso. They’re known for their smooth gait. Lean back against me and you can close your eyes. I’m not sure if you noticed, but your sunglasses are broken.”
She hadn’t, and she wondered what else she had missed.
“I’d lend you mine,” he was saying, “but they’re back at the barn. I left as soon as I saw you took Apollo.” He cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“It’s not really your fault. At least not all of it.”
She felt him shake his head. “I should have given you the tour. Apollo’s not trained. I guess you figured that much out.”
“He’s not?”
His chest rumbled with a sort-of laugh. “I can’t believe you got a bridle on him. Did you take off bareback?”
“Bareback?” She laughed, then winced, trying to speak without moving her head. “No way. I fell off the saddle.” Her trainer back in Napa would be shocked.
“And you don’t remember what happened.”
“Yeah.” That was embarrassing, too. It seemed that everything was. She’d gotten all upset, rushed off on a horse she couldn’t ride, and ended up flat on her back with a bump on the head. He must think I’m an idiot.
But he didn’t act like it. His arm around her tightened, and he said, “He’s a hellion.”
“So he’s Thirteen and not Eleven?”
When Logan laughed, his chest vibrating pleasantly against her back. “Apollo Thirteen. Yeah, pretty much.” She let him take even more of her weight. “I spend a couple of hours with him every morning; he’s kicked me real good a few times. I’ve got a bruise on my thigh the size of Texas.”
Margo wished he hadn’t mentioned anything about bruises; the thought made her head throb. “ Ow .” She hadn’t meant to say anything, but the pain was intense. It made her eyes water, and again she felt a wave of exhaustion. She leaned back against Logan, feeling his chin brush her hair.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she squeaked.
A few minutes later, that nothing was not nothing . She’d started to sweat, and then she’d started to shiver, while the back of her throat got hot and slick, and she started to feel sick…like the way that she felt if she used her iPad in the car.
“You should stop.” She tried her hardest to keep her voice steady and loud. She didn’t want to lean on him. Literally or figuratively.
“You feel sick?”
“Yes,” she exhaled. Then, “Stop now .”
She was already pulling her feet out of the stirrups and leaning forward, but his grip on her tightened.
“Hold on,” he said, as blood rushed in her ears. “Sit real still for just a second and listen to me.” She slumped, while the pasture out front tilted and slowly spun.
“That’s good.” As he murmured, he slid his arm around her waist, bringing her back to his chest and leaning up slightly, so her head came to rest in the crook of his big, warm arm. With his left hand curled around her waist and his right one clutching the reins, he nuzzled her hair with his chin; the motion was almost imperceptible, but it tickled her, and that sensation distracted Margo from the typhoon in her stomach.
“You’re not gonna get sick.”
There was strength in his voice. Margo loved it as much as she hated it.
“You’re shivering,” he murmured. “Are you cold?”
She nodded painfully, wishing she could scoot away from him.
Instead, the arm around her waist came up across her chest. “Just relax. I won’t let you fall.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” His voice was a rumble in her ear. “Shut your eyes, okay?”
She did. Closing her eyes, she let her whole sore tired body relax.
“That’s good. I’ve got you. In just a second, you’re going to open your eyes. Do that now. Open your eyes and look down at Gamma’s back. That way the sun won’t hurt as much. It’s important to keep your eyes open, okay Margo?”
“Why?” The word sounded raspy and weird.
“Because,” he said. “You’re going to
She hadn’t, and she wondered what else she had missed.
“I’d lend you mine,” he was saying, “but they’re back at the barn. I left as soon as I saw you took Apollo.” He cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“It’s not really your fault. At least not all of it.”
She felt him shake his head. “I should have given you the tour. Apollo’s not trained. I guess you figured that much out.”
“He’s not?”
His chest rumbled with a sort-of laugh. “I can’t believe you got a bridle on him. Did you take off bareback?”
“Bareback?” She laughed, then winced, trying to speak without moving her head. “No way. I fell off the saddle.” Her trainer back in Napa would be shocked.
“And you don’t remember what happened.”
“Yeah.” That was embarrassing, too. It seemed that everything was. She’d gotten all upset, rushed off on a horse she couldn’t ride, and ended up flat on her back with a bump on the head. He must think I’m an idiot.
But he didn’t act like it. His arm around her tightened, and he said, “He’s a hellion.”
“So he’s Thirteen and not Eleven?”
When Logan laughed, his chest vibrating pleasantly against her back. “Apollo Thirteen. Yeah, pretty much.” She let him take even more of her weight. “I spend a couple of hours with him every morning; he’s kicked me real good a few times. I’ve got a bruise on my thigh the size of Texas.”
Margo wished he hadn’t mentioned anything about bruises; the thought made her head throb. “ Ow .” She hadn’t meant to say anything, but the pain was intense. It made her eyes water, and again she felt a wave of exhaustion. She leaned back against Logan, feeling his chin brush her hair.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she squeaked.
A few minutes later, that nothing was not nothing . She’d started to sweat, and then she’d started to shiver, while the back of her throat got hot and slick, and she started to feel sick…like the way that she felt if she used her iPad in the car.
“You should stop.” She tried her hardest to keep her voice steady and loud. She didn’t want to lean on him. Literally or figuratively.
“You feel sick?”
“Yes,” she exhaled. Then, “Stop now .”
She was already pulling her feet out of the stirrups and leaning forward, but his grip on her tightened.
“Hold on,” he said, as blood rushed in her ears. “Sit real still for just a second and listen to me.” She slumped, while the pasture out front tilted and slowly spun.
“That’s good.” As he murmured, he slid his arm around her waist, bringing her back to his chest and leaning up slightly, so her head came to rest in the crook of his big, warm arm. With his left hand curled around her waist and his right one clutching the reins, he nuzzled her hair with his chin; the motion was almost imperceptible, but it tickled her, and that sensation distracted Margo from the typhoon in her stomach.
“You’re not gonna get sick.”
There was strength in his voice. Margo loved it as much as she hated it.
“You’re shivering,” he murmured. “Are you cold?”
She nodded painfully, wishing she could scoot away from him.
Instead, the arm around her waist came up across her chest. “Just relax. I won’t let you fall.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” His voice was a rumble in her ear. “Shut your eyes, okay?”
She did. Closing her eyes, she let her whole sore tired body relax.
“That’s good. I’ve got you. In just a second, you’re going to open your eyes. Do that now. Open your eyes and look down at Gamma’s back. That way the sun won’t hurt as much. It’s important to keep your eyes open, okay Margo?”
“Why?” The word sounded raspy and weird.
“Because,” he said. “You’re going to
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