Hello my faithful readers! Sorry again it took me so long…it just took me awhile to figure out exactly where I wanted to go with this. I think I have some sort of an idea, so hopefully I can update a little sooner. Anyway, hope you enjoy this one. It's a Dallas/Nora chapter….sorry no Ava and Dameon this time, but I've got plenty of good scenes of them coming up! Thanks for all your support! Means the world!
~HM
Chapter 5
Dallas stood in the middle of the corral as he observed the girl that had been imbedded in his brain for the last three days, slowly bring Holly, the sweet and gentle bay mare, into a slow trot. As much as he would rather study the way her eyes lit up when Holly's pace quickened, or the way her long auburn hair danced gracefully with the wind, he tired to focus himself on being professional.
"Keep your back a little straighter," he called out as he turned slowly in a circle so he could follow her. "You're a little hunched over. That's it," he added in encouragement when she straightened in the saddle. "Better…keep your hand that's holding the reins down more closer to her neck…you'll be able to control her more."
"Like this?" she asked as she lowered her reins.
"Perfect…and really try to match his rhythm. Trotting can be bouncy, so it can be difficult."
He was right. Her butt bounced so high, she caught air and that couldn't be right. So she tried her best to match Holly's rhythm and eventually found a pace that made her butt not go quite as high.
"There you go," Dallas said with a grin. "Now slow her back down to a walk…slightly pull the reins back…nice and easy…and lean back in the saddle a bit."
"Woah, Holly," she said softly as she pulled back on the reins as gently as she could and the mare responded almost right away and slowed down to a walk. "I did it!" Nora exclaimed with excitement.
Dallas couldn't help but be charmed by the look of pure pleasure on her face. And what an attractive face it was, he thought as an unwelcoming flutter spread through his belly. Don't go there, Cosgrove. Don't go there. "Good job, Nora. Now, walk her over to me."
Just as she was taught, she pulled the neck reins over towards Dallas and Holly turned in response and walked right over to him. "That was a good first lesson," he said as he gave Holly a pat on her flank while he looked up at Nora. "A natural…just like I thought you'd be."
Merlin, he was adorable. A woman could seriously get lost in those eyes, and his smile? Like the one he was giving her now…sent her heart racing and her knees wobbly. It was a good thing she was on a horse, or she'd probably faint in his arms. Hmmm…that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"What?" Dallas asked suddenly.
Nora blinked. "What?"
"You're looking at me funny…do I have something on my face?"
Oh yeah…a pair of irresistible eyes, a killer smile and a set of lips that just begged to be kiss. "No, sorry," she said, blushing slightly. "I guess I just spaced out for a second."
He chuckled. "Well, if you're back with me here on earth…you can go ahead and dismount."
"Right…sorry."
Dallas bit back a smile as he held the reins while she swung herself carefully off the horse. She had one foot down and was about to give another `job well done' when she suddenly yelped and started to fall backwards. Dallas had never moved so fast in his life. He let go of the reins and rushed behind her just in time for her to fall in his arms before she could tumble into the ground.
"Woah, easy," he said as he wrapped his arms securely around her waist while she got her footing. "Are you all right?" he asked with concern.
Nora shivered at the feel of his warm breath brushing her ear and also couldn't help but notice how strong his arms felt wrapped securely around her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she finally said, a little embarrassed at the situation. She turned around to face him and his hands stayed securely at her hips. "My foot caught the stirrup."
He looked down at her feet. "It's those sneakers…probably not the best shoes to ride in…don't you have any boots?" he asked looking back up at her with a teasing smile, but it faltered when he realized how close she was to him.
"Not any pairs I'm willing to ruin," she murmured as she found herself getting lost in those eyes.
Too close. She was too close to him. Their mouths were only inches a part…he could practically feel the heat pouring out from her body. Merlin knew he wanted to yank her close…wanted to see how she felt pressed firmly against him. Would she fit? He swallowed…hard. Yes…he believed she would. And did she have to smell so ridiculously good? She practically made his mouth water.
She thought he was going to kiss her….he was so close, it wouldn't have take much for him to close the distance. It would be so easy. She saw his eyes flicker to her lips, and then she did the same. He then shifted closer…didn't he? Yes, she was sure of it. He was going to kiss her. Thank Merlin…it had been too long since she had been good and kissed. Her eyes fluttered close and as she leaned in towards him…she found herself suddenly being pushed back by strong hands on her hips. Her eyes flew open, wide-eyed, and stared up at Dallas with confusion. "Dallas?"
"We should probably unsaddle Holly…let her cool down." Let us all cool down. He had almost gave into temptation…he had almost kissed her in the middle of broad daylight, not giving a damn on who saw us. Almost.
The feeling of rejection and disappointment swarmed through her. She really thought he was going to kiss her. Stupid…her own damn fault. "Sure," she said as she took another step back. "Lead the way."
He saw the hurt come and go so quickly in her eyes, he almost missed it. He hated himself for hurting her, but it was for her own good if he stayed away. Far, far away. The big question was though, would he be strong enough to stay away? Not likely. "This way," he said as he led Holly through the gate of the corral and into the entrance of the stables, stopping in front of the tack room that held all his supplies.
Nora had followed close behind him, trying to forget what almost happened. Was it just her imagination? she asked herself as Dallas loosened the cinch of the saddle. No…it couldn't have been. He definitely was about to kiss her. But why did he pull away? She watched him easily take off the saddle as if it weighed next to nothing and couldn't help but admire the way his muscles ripped under his red cotton shirt. He was definitely a catch…but it wasn't just his drop dead gorgeous looks that attracted her to him, although that was a definite bonus. She felt drawn to him…since the first moment they met.
Although she felt a little uneasy around him because she was so attracted to him, she also knew she could be herself with him and that was a big deal for her. She didn't want to spend the rest of her trip with strictly a guest-employee type relationship. She wanted more. Much, much more. She would be an idiot if she gave up on him that easily. And she was no idiot.
After putting up the saddle in it's proper place and hanging up the saddle blanket so it could dry, Dallas turned and headed out only to find Nora standing in front of him, blocking the exit. Her arms were folded across her chest, her chin was sticking stubbornly out at him and she was giving him a glare that made him want to squirm like an idiot. "Nora…what…"
"Why did you pull away?"
Dallas blinked. "What?"
"You were about to kiss me…out there in the corral."
"Nora…"
"And don't deny it," she said as she waggled a finger at him. "That'll just piss me off."
Dallas sighed as he ran his fingers through his windblown hair. He would have to lie to her…maybe even hurt her. It was the only way from stopping himself from making another huge mistake. Just because Nora was the first girl that had tempted him in a long time, she wasn't the first one. She wasn't the first guest either. Years ago, another guest had stayed at Magical Mountain to the entire summer. Dallas had been just a kid, just shy of eighteen when he met her. Since thinking about her made him angry, he pushed her out of his mind and thought about the one and only good thing that came out of that debacle and he calmed down immediately.
"Look Nora," he finally said, trying to make his voice sound bored and disinterested. "You're a nice girl…and very pretty, and I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression, but…I just don't think of you that way. Besides…it's against the rules for me to get involved with a guest." At least that part was true…even though he's broken it once, doesn't mean he should break it again. "Now…if you'd like to continued these lessons, of course I'd be happy to help…but if it's too weird for you…I understand." He then gave her a few little pats on the head as if she were a child, before casually scooting around her.
He grabbed a brush on the way out and focused on brushing Holly so he wouldn't have to look at her. He was expecting her to storm out of the room, maybe even hear a sob as she flew by. He dreaded it, but mentally prepared himself for it. But it never came. Instead, he saw her leaning against the frame of the door from the corner of his eye, watching him coolly. What the hell was wrong with her? He was insensitive and downright cruel to her…yet here she was…just standing there watching him. Just keep brushing, Cosgrove.
"I have to admit," she finally said. "You're good…I even almost believed you for a moment…but you're not fooling anyone, Cosgrove.
Damn her. "You're awfully full of herself, aren't you?"
Nora laughed as she pushed herself away. "Wow, you're really pulling out all the stops to make me go away. The question is…why?"
"I told you why, Nora…and even if I did want to start something with you…it's against the rules. I'll get fired." He finally looked at her. "Or does that even matter to you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Of course that matters…and if you were honest with me and told me it was the only reason you pulled away…I would have respected that."
He sighed. "Fine…that's the only reason," he said in a monotone voice. "I want you, but can't have you…it's a cruel world, blah, blah, blah. Now will you go away?"
"Ugh, you're such a…" She gave him an angry shove that made Holly jolt. "Coward!"
Stunned at first, Dallas could only stare as she started to stalk off. Then he realized what she just threw at him and anger immediately took the place of stunned. "I am not a coward," he said as he chased her down and spun her around so suddenly she fell into his chest. He grabbed her arms and pushed her away but still had her arms captive. "Just leave it alone…this can't happen between us…it just can't, okay?"
"I just want you to be honest with me, Dallas…I know I'm not imagining what I saw in your eyes." Her eyes and voice softened as she tried to step closer, but he held her back. "You're taking the easy way out by being cruel to me, instead of just stating the truth."
Dallas bowed his head in defeat and then slowly slid his hands away from her, before turning his back to her for a moment. "The truth? That's what you want?"
"Yes."
He took one deep breath before turning around to face her. "Since the first moment I saw you…I've wanted you more than I've ever wanted anyone. Which, of course, is ridiculous since I only spent a short time with you and I told myself time and time again to get you out of my head."
"Dallas…"
"No, let me finish," he said holding up a hand when she reached for him. "I had almost convinced myself that I could do this…teach you and keep in professional, but…as soon as I saw you walking around the bend towards the stables…I knew I was in trouble. Yes, Nora…I wanted to kiss you…I still want to kiss you…touch you…but I can't…I just can't make that mistake again."
Nora sighed. "Dallas…I understand that…wait, what?" Her eyes widened when she realized what he said. "Again?"
"I got myself involved with a girl…five summers ago. I don't want to get into it, but she was a guest here….she stayed with her family here all summer."
"She hurt you."
He knew that was more of a statement then a question. "She hurt me," he repeated. "I was young…stupid. I had just moved up here after school and it was my first summer on the job."
"Was she your first love?"
"Only," he corrected. "I haven't loved another woman since. Nora…you tempt me to break the rules again…you don't know how much and I'm just still starting to really get to know who you are…and that's only making it worse."
"I won't hurt you."
He gave her a wobbly smile. "I'm sure you wouldn't mean to."
She wanted to argue with him on that, but knew it would be pointless, so instead she took a chance and walked over to him. She was pleasantly surprised when he didn't take a step back in retreat, so she took it as a sign and reached up to gently touch the side of his rough, stubble cheek. "Dallas."
He closed his eyes at her touch, knowing his wall was about to crumble around him. "Nora, please…don't." He opened them again and looked into her eyes, pleading. "It wouldn't work, anyway…you're leaving in a few weeks."
"What's wrong with living in the moment?" she asked as she now touched his other cheek with her other hand.
He reached up and gripped her wrists…but didn't pull her hands away. "Nothing…yet everything."
Her lips curved up. "You're a very complex man, Dallas Cosgrove."
"So I've been told," he said with a soft laugh, but then sobered up when Nora's lips grazed the corner of his mouth. "Ah, Nora…you're making this rather difficult to pull away from you."
"That's nice to hear," she murmured and then kissed the other side, before moving her lips inches from his. "Dallas…if you're really afraid you'll get caught…if you don't want to take a chance on getting fired, I'll step back…because I'll respect you for that. I know how much your job means to you."
"Thank you," he said softly as he touched his forehead to hers. "But I think that's something I'm going to have to risk…I just don't think I'll have the strength to stay away from you in the long run. Like you said…we should live in the moment."
She grinned. "Definitely," she said and the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers and she felt her whole body tingle from head to toe. Yes…this was what she wanted, she thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him.
He nibbled softly at her lips, loving the way they felt and tasted against his. Why did he ever think he could stay away from her? Maybe it was stupid…and maybe it would end just as badly this time around, but at least he knew he would live without any regrets or what ifs. There was still things she needed to tell him…things she deserved to know, but right now he would enjoy this first kiss with her in the stables with the smell of horses and hay surrounding them.
Wanting more, she scrapped her teeth gently against his bottom lip, hoping to set him off. He didn't disappoint. On a deep groan he gripped her tighter against him and plunged his tongue urgently between the seams of her lips, causing her to meet him just as fiercely. She gasped when he plucked her off the ground with just one arm while the other gripped her hair while he continued to plunder. "Dallas," she breathed urgently as she locked her legs around his waist. "Please."
He backed her up against the wooden walls of the stable, right between two stalls, neither of them paying mind to the two curious horses on either side of them. They were too involved with each other. His lips and tongue attacked her neck, while her hands made their way under his shirt and found a very broad and muscular back to explore.
Merlin, what had she been missing in her very few and far between relationships? Where had all this passion been that was now exploding between her and Dallas? Had she always had this much passion inside her? She must have…Dallas was just the first one to bring it out of her. Thank god! And now she wanted even more.
Dallas found her mouth again, tasting her over and over again until he thought he might pass out from it. It hadn't been like this before…even with his first…it had never been like this. He wanted Nora…needed her…so badly. How was that possible after only a matter of days of knowing her? He decided it didn't matter how, it only mattered that she was with him…and she obviously felt the same way.
It would be so easy…to take her up against the stall, hard and fast. She wouldn't deny him…he was sure of that, all he had to do was take charge and send her over the edge. But he wouldn't do that to her. Couldn't do that to her. She deserved better than that, and even though they only had a short matter of weeks, he refused to rush things with her.
He gave her one last long, drugging kiss, savoring the taste of her until they could be together again, before finally pulling away. "Nora," he murmured out of breath as he placed his forehead against hers. "Wow."
She let out a breathless laugh. "That about sums it up…why are we exactly stopping though?"
"Because I refuse to take you up against a wall like an animal…while animals are watching."
Nora blinked for a moment, then jumped when a huge horse nose nudged at her shoulder. She let out a laugh as she realized their surroundings. "I didn't even think about them."
"Me either…we were both too involved with each other." He lightly trailed a finger down her cheek. "You better go…before your family comes looking for you."
She sighed longingly, but nodded her head in agreement as he set her down on her feet. "When will we see each other again?"
He smiled as they walked out of the stables hand in hand, but once they were exposed he reluctantly let go. He wasn't going to take any chances. "Soon…it will have to be soon, because I can't wait too long."
"Soon then," she said with a smile. "Glad you finally caved in."
He laughed. "You didn't give me much of a choice." He then smiled warmly at her. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," she said before walking away while giving him a little wave. "See ya around, cowboy."
He just grinned as he watched her walk away, then once she was out of site; turned and headed back to the stables to finish taking care of Holly. "Sorry we left you high and dry, Holly…I'm sure you understand." He gave her a pat before he finished up with her and then let her into her stalls that had hay and water, plus the other side opened up to the pasture if she wished to join some of the other horses. "Thanks for treating her good, Holly," he said before closing the stall door behind her.
He did a few other chores here and there, before it was finally time to close up. Luckily, he didn't have a sunset ride today so he got to leave home early. He pulled the two large double doors to the stable closed shut and just as he was giving it a few magical locks, a voice…the most beautiful voice in the world called out to him.
He grinned when he turned around and saw his whole world running up to him. Her beautiful gold locks were flying behind her as her magical green eyes twinkled up at him while she held out her hands. He let out a laugh as he scooped her up and spun her around. "How's my girl?"
"She's good!" she exclaimed after he gave her a big fat kiss on the mouth. "But I missed you, Daddy!"
He smiled down at his daughter, who seemed to be growing up entirely too fast for him. Phoebe had just turned four this past May and he still couldn't believe it. "I've missed you, too, sweet-pea," he said giving her a kiss on the nose. "Were you a good girl for Manny today?" he asked. Manny was the woman Dallas had hired her to help him take care of Phoebe when she was just a baby. Thank Merlin, for Manny. With his real parents back in Texas, she was like a second mother to him and a second grandmother to Phoebe. She was just as much a family to him, as his real family was.
"I was really good…we went swimming!"
"You look like you got some sun," he said as he poked at her red cheeks. "You're my little mermaid, aren't you? Love the water."
She giggled as she snuggled close to him and he couldn't help but hold on tight. She was his miracle. She was the one good thing to come out of his disastrous relationship with Julie all those years ago. And she was the one thing that Dallas had to tell Nora about. That and what happened to Julie. He didn't know why, but he just felt like she deserved to know if they were going to continue seeing each other in secret.
He just didn't know how Nora was going to take it. Would it freak her out? Would she want to stop seeing him? He couldn't see Nora reacting badly towards Phoebe, but if that was the case, then it was too bad for her, because no one was more important to him than Phoebe.
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