Chapter 13

13

L ogan was not sure that he'd ever experienced anything like having Tabby ride him.

He'd caught the tail-end of a few of her lessons and knew that she was a competent teacher. He'd seen her riding and lunging her boarders so he knew she was a skilled equestrian with obvious experience. Having her on his back was something else entirely.

She was a comfortable weight there, not any great burden, but a very definite presence. She rode him with a light rein, using only her legs for direction, and every one of her aids was sure and clear. Logan had been ridden by amateurs before and sometimes their intentions were muddy and confusing, even with human intelligence to interpret it. With Tabby, he didn't have a single moment of wondering what she wanted, and he was not only eager to meet her expectations, but aligned in desire.

They were a team, he thought. This was everything a horse and rider could be.

Everything…and more than he dared to hope for.

She was the whole package, Logan was completely convinced. He'd met sexy women, smart women, and good riders, but they were rarely the same person. She was all of those things, and Logan had never met anyone as genuine.

They trained on the course for nearly an hour, Tabby adjusting the jumps and timing his strides.

Then, to his delight, Tabby took him out on the trail.

This was a considerably longer route than their first trip, when she still thought he was just a horse and he thought she was just a mark.

They trekked up a challenging trail, winding through forest, along the edges of neighboring farms, and into the hills. A straight stretch of packed path was the perfect place to test a flat-out gallop, and Logan anticipated the touch of Tabby's legs and settled into a ground-eating dash that he only reluctantly ended when the trail got rougher and Tabby eased him down to a ground-covering walk.

"Good job, Beau."

He could fly with her on his back, he thought, confident of her balance, and he was learning every quirk of her seat. They were so attuned to each other that they sighed with regret in unison when the ranch came back in sight.

Tabby took him back in through the gate and dismounted, patting him and praising him as if she'd forgotten he was Logan. "Who's a gorgeous horse? Who's a joy to ride?"

Logan shifted, and found Tabby's hand stroking his chest.

"Oh, my gosh, how do you do that?" Tabby asked breathlessly, snatching her hand back. "Where does the rest of you go? Will I get my saddle back? That's a custom Arion and I'm going to be pissed if it's lost in some shifter abyss somewhere. "

Logan felt his mouth curve up in a smile. "I'll bring it back with me, promise."

She had to look up to meet his eyes, and Logan desperately wanted to bend down and kiss her. She was so pretty and lively, and she smelled like sweat and leather and...him. That was what was making him feel so possessive. It wasn't magical instinct, just animal instinct. He would react the same to anyone who had just spent a few hours making prolonged close contact.

It was actually hard not to touch her again now, and Tabby was fluttering her hands like she wasn't sure what to do with them. "That was...ah...great. You go over everything I put in front of you like it's not even there. I'll definitely get us set up for a show. I think there's one in Missoula next weekend. I wouldn't normally rush a horse into showing so soon, but you're...special. I mean, magical special. Ha ha. Wow. And if we don't get enough points this summer, we can't qualify for the Grand Prix in August. I mean, it's insane to even think about that. But the money would be so good and you'd be a shoo-in. If we could come up with the entry fee, of course. I've never met a horse like you. I mean, there clearly isn't another horse like you. You're not a horse. Except that you are..."

Logan figured that kissing her to make her stop talking would only result in getting slapped, but it was sorely tempting.

"Do you need to be...ah...brushed?" Tabby asked, putting her hands firmly behind her. She was adorably pink by this point, and Logan didn't think it was just sun. "Do you want some extra feed after that session? I'd normally toss in a few treats for that."

"I'm pretty hungry," Logan admitted, stretching. It had been a good workout. "I haven't thought about what I'm going to feed Franzi for dinner. "

Tabby was looking fixedly to the side, like one of the buzzing flies had suddenly captured all of her attention and Logan resisted the impulse to flex and draw her awareness back to him. "I have some extra food in the crockpot I started this morning," she offered shyly without meeting his eyes. "You two could come over."

"I don't want to add to our debt," Logan said seriously, putting aside his stallion's urge to preen and show off for her. "You've already done so much for us."

"I'd like it," Tabby assured him, and her gaze flickered briefly to him. "It would be nice to have company, and I'd get sick of it before I got through the leftovers." She frowned thoughtfully. "You can make a salad, if you want, and fill up the dishwasher afterwards."

Logan tipped his hat at her. "It would be my pleasure," he said. "Let me go relieve the sitter. You said her mom would be here at five."

It was hard to resist the urge to walk backwards to keep his eyes on Tabby the whole way, and he had to remind himself that this was all just business.

Never mind that it felt like they'd just gone through a few hours of sweaty foreplay.