“Will that be a problem?” he asked. He could see the hesitation in her eyes, but he couldn’t decipher the reasons she might be feeling that way. Had he made her uncomfortable with his flirting earlier? Or was she just nervous about riding altogether? Could be both reasons or neither one.
She considered his question for a while then shook her head and offered him the smile he had grown so used to seeing when they were younger. “Nope. No problem.”
Noah patted Caspian’s rump. “Good. Because we’re ready. Put your foot there.” Caspian was taller than most of the horses theyhad at the ranch, and it took a little bit of effort for Jane to get situated in the saddle before he jumped up behind her.
She sat stiffly in front of him, indicating just how little she was drawn to him at least compared to his own feelings. Noah reached around her and took the reins from her hands. He must have been going crazy because he thought for a moment he heard the softest intake of breath from her throat.
Yes, definitely crazy.
“Ready?” he murmured next to her ear.
Jane nodded, her hands tightening around the saddle horn before her.
He grinned, shifting the reins to one hand and slipping an arm around her middle. She didn’t push him away. In fact, it almost felt like she was leaning into him. The notion was thrilling, to say the least. His core tightened with a fresh wave of desire, and it took all his control not to become distracted by the situation.
Noah pushed his heels into Caspian’s flanks, and they were off. They walked out of the barn, then Caspian shot forward into an easy canter.
Jane released an exhilarated gasp, and her hands tightened over the arm he had around her waist.
“Relax,” he murmured close to her ear. “Follow his movements with your own. Feel the beat of his hooves against the earth.”
She exhaled at his words, and her hands relaxed against his arm, but she didn’t release him.
Noah let Caspian run, giving him the freedom they both desired since the sun had gone down. The rhythmic beats of Caspian’sstrong steps eased the tension that hung in the air. The longer they rode, the more relaxed Jane became.
He could almost believe that she was softening to him, feeling something more for him. But how could that be when all they were doing was taking a ride? It’d be unwise for him to hope for such things.
By the time they got back to the barn, the moon shone bright in the sky. It was the only light offered to them, but it was enough. Jane had kept quiet for the ride—it would have been difficult for them to speak, anyway, with the pace they’d kept. He wanted to talk. He wanted to ask her more about what had happened in her life between the last time he’d seen her and now. He craved her company, her friendship like nothing he’d wanted before.
Those thoughts weighed heavy on him as he pulled Caspian to a stop in the barn. Noah dismounted with ease, then reached toward Jane. Without giving it much thought, he placed his hands at her waist and lifted her to the ground. She was pressed between him and the horse at her back.
“That was amazing!” She brushed some loose hair from her face and let out a laugh. “You get to do that every day?”
He chuckled. “I do.”
Jane shook her head with another laugh. “I can’t even imagine what that could be like. What else do you get to do?”
Neither one of them had moved from their position. She peered up at him with curiosity and excitement, and he couldn’t decline her request. “We take care of the herd of cattle, mostly, but my cousin has plans for expansion. He wants to do a little bit of everything. My brother has been working on unique formulasfor animal feed. We have some fields where we grow crops for the animals, but I think they want to add some other crops, too.”
“And you? What do you focus on here?”
One side of his mouth quirked upward. He was only here because he loved his family. Did he enjoy this lifestyle more than he would living the billionaire life in a big city? Absolutely. But he wasn’t going to tell her any of that. Not yet. People acted different when they found out about his wealth. “I just like being a cowboy,” he said softly.
Her eyes lifted to meet his, shining with something that he couldn’t read. They were bright and open. It was almost like she was asking him a question. She liked that answer, that much was clear. Was she seeing something more in him?
Noah could have sworn that she leaned into him at that moment. So, he did the same. She didn’t pull away, and he hooked his finger beneath her chin, tilting it upward. Her eyes widened just before he got close enough to brush his lips to hers.
Both of her hands came up between them, and she pushed him hard enough that he took a step backward.
“Noah,” she rasped, her face flushing. “I—we can’t.”
He frowned. Hadn’t she just been giving him ‘kiss-me’ eyes? Jane hadn’t pulled away. She’d let their eyes remain locked on one another. There was no way he’d read her wrong.
She side-stepped, tossing him an apologetic smile. “I should probably get going.”
That was it? She wasn’t going to tell him why? Had she heard about his money? What was holding her back?
So many questions raced through his head, and he didn’t even get a chance to tell her he was sorry for making the assumption that she wanted him to kiss her.
