“Ummm. It appears to be a chilly night.” Reese scratched at his cheek. He glanced back at Jayce to see her watching him expectantly.
He felt ridiculous.
She urged him on with a gentle wave of her hand.
Reese turned back to the horse. “Why don’t you wear this?”
The horse snorted and took a step away from him, pawing the ground.
“This isn’t working,” Reese growled immediately.
“Yes, it is,” Jayce answered in a soft, coaxing voice. “You’re doing fine. Try again.”
Reese looked at the horse. “We wouldn’t want you to catch your death, now would we?”
There was thick sarcasm in his voice. “Now just stay put and we’ll have this on you in a---” He took a step closer.
The animal whinnied and reared slightly. Reese stubbornly refused to move as the horse pranced closer to him.
“Not this time,” he warned. “I won’t tolerate your temperament. I know you don’t much like me, and I could care even less for you. But it’s for Jayce. Just stay still a moment longer and let me put this on you.” He took a step closer, mumbling so only he and the horse could hear, “You wretched beast.”
The warhorse swung his snout forward and hit Reese hard in the stomach. The air exploded out of his lungs and he fell backward onto his backside. Reese looked up to see the horse’s sharp hooves pawing the air above him, kicking wildly just above his head.
Chapter Fifteen
Satan’s hooves slashed the air. But then the beast was gone, and in the animal’s place was the apparition Reese had seen on the fence. He lay still for a moment, a stunned grogginess clouding his thoughts. The vision was standing very close to the horse. Then he realized this seraph was Jayce! The thought of her in the demon’s pen sent tremors of terror racing through Reese’s body. His mind cleared instantly, and he lunged forward, pulling her against his chest, rolling away from the monster. When his momentum stopped, Reese lifted his head to find Satan at the other side of the pen.
“I guess you’re all right,” Jayce murmured.
His gaze was drawn to her. She was trapped beneath him, and Reese became instantly aware of the press of her breasts against his chest. Desire flared in his veins. He scowled, angry that any woman could arouse his passion so completely and uncontrollably quick. “I told you to stay out of the pen,” he growled after catching his breath.
“You were in trouble,” she replied. “I---”
“I didn’t need your help,” he answered. Reese pushed himself from the ground and held a hand out to her.
Jayce sat up. Reese could see the same agony etched over her features as he had seen on the field of honor. She ignored his hand and stood, dusting her palms on her dress.
“Looks like your horse will have to go cold tonight,” Reese said.
Jayce headed for the fence. “No he won’t,” she answered.
Confused, Reese glanced toward Satan. The blanket was draped over his back. Astonished, Reese turned back to Jayce to see her climbing over the fence.
“You dropped the blanket when he shoved you,” she said. She eased her feet to the ground and headed toward the castle, leaving Reese standing alone in Satan’s pen.
“I don’t believe this,” Reese muttered, absently rubbing his sore stomach.
*****
Unable to sleep that night because of deep blue eyes hovering in his mind and red parted lips that called to him and spoke his name, Reese went to the study to bury his mind in work, to try to exorcise his demons.
He stood and strode to the window to gaze out at the chilly evening sky. The sun had fled beneath the invading blackness, and the evening was peppered with small glistening stars. Reese felt an anxiousness stir his soul. Tendrils of cold blew in from the open window to wrap icy fingers around his strong form.
Suddenly, the door swung open on softly creaking hinges and he turned to see the woman who haunted his dreams enter the room. Jayce paused in the middle of the open doorway,
He felt ridiculous.
She urged him on with a gentle wave of her hand.
Reese turned back to the horse. “Why don’t you wear this?”
The horse snorted and took a step away from him, pawing the ground.
“This isn’t working,” Reese growled immediately.
“Yes, it is,” Jayce answered in a soft, coaxing voice. “You’re doing fine. Try again.”
Reese looked at the horse. “We wouldn’t want you to catch your death, now would we?”
There was thick sarcasm in his voice. “Now just stay put and we’ll have this on you in a---” He took a step closer.
The animal whinnied and reared slightly. Reese stubbornly refused to move as the horse pranced closer to him.
“Not this time,” he warned. “I won’t tolerate your temperament. I know you don’t much like me, and I could care even less for you. But it’s for Jayce. Just stay still a moment longer and let me put this on you.” He took a step closer, mumbling so only he and the horse could hear, “You wretched beast.”
The warhorse swung his snout forward and hit Reese hard in the stomach. The air exploded out of his lungs and he fell backward onto his backside. Reese looked up to see the horse’s sharp hooves pawing the air above him, kicking wildly just above his head.
Chapter Fifteen
Satan’s hooves slashed the air. But then the beast was gone, and in the animal’s place was the apparition Reese had seen on the fence. He lay still for a moment, a stunned grogginess clouding his thoughts. The vision was standing very close to the horse. Then he realized this seraph was Jayce! The thought of her in the demon’s pen sent tremors of terror racing through Reese’s body. His mind cleared instantly, and he lunged forward, pulling her against his chest, rolling away from the monster. When his momentum stopped, Reese lifted his head to find Satan at the other side of the pen.
“I guess you’re all right,” Jayce murmured.
His gaze was drawn to her. She was trapped beneath him, and Reese became instantly aware of the press of her breasts against his chest. Desire flared in his veins. He scowled, angry that any woman could arouse his passion so completely and uncontrollably quick. “I told you to stay out of the pen,” he growled after catching his breath.
“You were in trouble,” she replied. “I---”
“I didn’t need your help,” he answered. Reese pushed himself from the ground and held a hand out to her.
Jayce sat up. Reese could see the same agony etched over her features as he had seen on the field of honor. She ignored his hand and stood, dusting her palms on her dress.
“Looks like your horse will have to go cold tonight,” Reese said.
Jayce headed for the fence. “No he won’t,” she answered.
Confused, Reese glanced toward Satan. The blanket was draped over his back. Astonished, Reese turned back to Jayce to see her climbing over the fence.
“You dropped the blanket when he shoved you,” she said. She eased her feet to the ground and headed toward the castle, leaving Reese standing alone in Satan’s pen.
“I don’t believe this,” Reese muttered, absently rubbing his sore stomach.
*****
Unable to sleep that night because of deep blue eyes hovering in his mind and red parted lips that called to him and spoke his name, Reese went to the study to bury his mind in work, to try to exorcise his demons.
He stood and strode to the window to gaze out at the chilly evening sky. The sun had fled beneath the invading blackness, and the evening was peppered with small glistening stars. Reese felt an anxiousness stir his soul. Tendrils of cold blew in from the open window to wrap icy fingers around his strong form.
Suddenly, the door swung open on softly creaking hinges and he turned to see the woman who haunted his dreams enter the room. Jayce paused in the middle of the open doorway,
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