Read Online Breathless (Meadowlarks) by Ashley Christine - Free Book Online Page A

the bridle around Jax's head, I took them nervously and looked at her with my eyebrow raised. “I don't know about this.” I scrunched my nose.
    “You'll be fine! I promise.” She pat ted my shoulder and walked around Jax's left side to help me up. “Just get up and see how calm he is.”
    I exhale d and looked at Jax; he was freaking huge. They expected me to ride him and not be worried. “Why can't I ride one of those smaller ones?” I asked, pointing to the white horse that was standing next to Blaine.
    “Trust me,” Addison said softly.
    Alex walk ed up and took my hand. He was leading a big horse of his own, not as big as Jax but it left a huge shadow. “Let's go, baby.”
    “Don't rush a good thing, Alex,” I said, stalling.
    Finally, after I took a few more seconds to size up the horse, I realize I was not going to convince them to let me pick a different one. I reached up and grabbed the saddle horn, put my leg in the stirrup and pulled myself up onto Jax's back.
    He didn’t move, it was amazing, and I instantly felt relieved.
    “See, told ya.” Addison grinned .
    “Let's do this, Cole.” I said, pretending to have some balls.
    I really hate d being wrong, but this time it was worth it. Jax was the perfect horse for me to ride today, he kept a steady pace and I felt at ease with him. It was hard to concentrate some of the time though, Alex would ride on his horse in front of me and all I could stare at was him. He looked so freaking hot on that animal I had to shift in my saddle a few times. I think that man will make my thighs clench until the day I die.
    He turn ed to smile at me and I melted in his eyes, they were full of promise and hope, and so much love.
    “Damn, you look so sexy right now,” Alex said when I caught up to him. “I’m jealous of Jax.”
    “Alex!” Addison gape d at her brother.
    “What? Like Blaine's so innocent,” he snort ed.
    Blaine shrug ged and smiled. “What can I say? Nothin' sexier than a hot woman riding a horse.”
    “Dude, I can think of a few things...” Alex trail ed off, smiling deviously to himself.
    “For a moment I was thinking you were turning into a nice country boy,” Addison said, shaking her head at her brother.
    “Oh, Addy, country boys aren't always nice,” Blaine said in a deeply seductive voice. “You know that.”
    “Okay, en ough of the dirty talk while I’m trying to concentrate on not falling off this horse,” I said, laughing.
    Alex laugh ed. “Baby, you can multitask really well, don't you remember that time—”
    “Alex!” I hiss ed. I swear sometimes he loves to see me all riled up.
     
    ***
    My body was going to hate me after making it endure a two hour horseback ride. When we got back to the farm, I slowly slid off Jax's back and when my feet touched the ground it felt like thousands of tiny shards of glass were impaling me. Oh man, that was painful. I was walking like I had ridden a barrel or something, knees wide and I must look like a complete idiot.
    “ Awe, Ry. You okay babe?” Addison giggled and rubbed my back when I leaned down and put my hands on my knees.
    “I'm good. But, I'm gonna need a long soak in the tub after this!”
    She laughed and took Jax's reigns from my hands. “I'll take him. You want to see how the kids are doing?”
    “Gladly.”
    “There's mommy, Scar!” Sadee said to Scarlett, who was sitting on a blanket on the front yard, eating apple slices. “How was the ride, Riley?”
    “Oh, girl... it was good. I am crazy sore though,” I said, smiling. I plopped down on the blanket and fell back to sprawl out on the ground.
    S carlett sat closer to me and offered me a half-eaten apple, I took it and popped it in my mouth. “Thanks, baby.”
    “Riley, there was someone here looking for you about half an hour ago,” Sadee said.
    I turn ed my face to look at her. “Who?”
    “I don't know, he didn't say. He just asked if Riley Harrison was here and I said yes, but you were out on a