FOUR PLAY Read Free Page A

cringed, waiting for the laughter on Connor's part. What self-respecting woman in Temptation, Texas couldn't ride a horse?
    This one. So much for impressing the war veteran.
    "Hmm. Maybe we need to rethink." Connor swung out of the saddle, handed the reins to his horse to Charli. "Hold on to Sundance, while I settle Sassy back in her stall."
    On one hand, Charli was glad they wouldn't be riding, so she couldn't be too unhappy about babysitting the beast while Connor tended the mare.
    On the other hand, Sundance, a large black horse, stood a couple heads taller than Charli staring down his long, sleek nose at her. He sniffed, his nostrils twitching.
    "What? You don't like perfume?" She looked away, hoping the horse didn't try to run off. He had to weigh ten times as much as she did.
    Sundance dipped his head and nudged her, sending her stumbling forward.
    "Hey. Watch it. You get to go inside next. Just hold your horses." Her choice of words made her grin.
    Connor stepped out into the open about that time, took the reins and climbed into the saddle.
    Charli waited for him to ride the horse into the barn. Instead he held out his hand.
    For a long moment, she stared at it.
    "Are you coming?" he asked.
    "Up there with you?" she squeaked as realization dawned that he expected her to ride double. She shoved her hands behind her back."I think I'll stay here. You two can go without me."
    "I promise to take good care of you." His eyes shone down at her, a glint of humor twitching at the edges of his sexy lips.
    If Charli wanted to find out more about Connor Mason, she had to climb on the darned horse. She held out her hand and placed her foot on top of his in the stirrup. Before she could say a shaky ready, she was swinging up and onto the horse behind Connor and the saddle, her butt landing softly on the horse's warm backside.
    Sundance sidestepped and whickered.
    With a yelp, Charli wrapped her arms around Connor's waist and held on for dear life.
    "Hang on, Sundance likes to fly with the wind."
    "But—"
    Connor barely nudged the giant of a horse and Sundance was off, galloping across the prairie grasses.
    Scared out of her mind, Charli clutched Connor so tightly, her face bumped into his back with each of the horse's bounces until she settled into the smooth rhythm of the gallop. Before long, Charli loosened up and dared to look around. Long stretches of pastures flowed by, the wind bending the tall grasses in a gentle sway, lifting her hair from her shoulders, fluttering the strands out behind her.
    Like the motorcycle, there was a sense of freedom in the graceful strength of the horse beneath her.
    As they approached a dip in the landscape, Connor brought the horse to a trot. Without stirrups to push against, Charli clenched her teeth against the bone-jarring jouncing, until the horse slowed to a walk and finally a halt.
    "You first." Connor held out his arm for her to hold onto while she clambered down from Sundance.
    Then he swung his leg over the horse and dropped to the ground with a hell of a lot more grace than she had.
    Charli's teeth ground together and she almost gave him a piece of her mind, when she caught sight of a bright red and white checkered blanket spread beneath a gnarled oak tree beside a crystal clear stream. The blanket was anchored by a small cooler and a woven picnic basket.
    The setting and the trouble he'd taken to pre-plan their lunch date charmed her and she bit back her nasty comment about the wild ride across the ranch on the back of a beast.
    "Very nice." Charli waved toward the blanket. "You went all out."
    "Only the best for my date." Connor led the horse to nearby shade and tied his reins to the low hanging branches of a willow tree. "I wanted to show you that a cowboy could be a gentleman too."
    He moved to the basket, extracted a bottle of wine and a corkscrew. "Would you like a glass?"
    "Yes, please."
    He popped the cork, briefly spooking the horse and poured a glass for her and one for him.