Promises to a Stallion. Deborah Mello Fletcher

pulse beating like a steel drum between her legs.

      He had beautiful hands. It was clear that he didn’t neglect them, his nails clean and neatly manicured. His touch was strong but gentle, the large appendages belying the hint of calluses across his palms from the manual labor he did.

      Tierra couldn’t help but imagine his fingers dancing across her skin, tracing easy lines as he gently caressed her. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining what it might be like to have him trace the line of her tattoo as his palm cupped the wealth of her breast. Tierra inhaled swiftly.

      “Tierra?…Tierra? Are you okay?”

      Her name ringing in her ears drew her back to the moment. “Excuse me? Oh, I’m sorry. I was just…”

      Everyone seated at the table chuckled softly. “You were gone, girl!” Luke Stallion chimed.

      “I want some of whatever you’re having,” Marah laughed.

      “Excuse me,” Tierra said, her gaze skating around the table. “I don’t understand.”

      Eden patted her friend on the shoulder. “You were moaning, girl!”

      Tierra’s shocked expression made them all laugh a second time. “I was not!”

      Marla nodded her head. “Well, it sounded like a moan, and the look on your face said whatever you were thinking about was good. Real good.”

      “Or whoever you were thinking about…” Eden added, her eyes moving in Travis’s direction. The man grinned broadly.

      Tierra blushed profusely, the temperature in the room suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m sure I didn’t moan,” she insisted, rolling her eyes and trying to laugh the moment away. “I was just thinking about the chores I finished today. If anything, I probably groaned,” she said, desperate to change the subject.

      “So, where did you two disappear to today?” Marla asked, looking from one to the other.

      Tierra met Travis’s gaze for the first time since they’d sat down for dinner. Her look was pleading.

      Travis winked and smiled warmly. “Nowhere special,” he answered, turning his attention back to Marla. “Tierra just gave me a quick tour of Dallas. Isn’t that right, Tierra?’ He met her gaze a second time.

      The young woman nodded. “Yeah,” she muttered softly, her eyes still locked with his. She was grateful that he didn’t mention where they’d gone and what she’d had to do. She didn’t want to start another conversation about her failed relationship. Gratitude spilled from her stare as she gave him a soft smile back, her mouth curling ever so slightly. Travis smiled again before breaking their eye connection when he turned to ask his cousin a question.

      Conversation filled the room as the group chatted comfortably back and forth. As they enjoyed their dessert, Travis listened intently as Tierra discussed the nuances of preschoolers and kindergarten with a very pregnant Michelle Stallion. Mark and his wife were excited at the prospect of nurturing a newborn.

      As she talked about her profession, Travis could see that Tierra truly loved what she did. She had always wanted to be a teacher, and from what he was hearing she’d known she’d wanted to teach students in the elementary school level from the very first day of her student teaching assignment. She’d been teaching kindergarten for five years since then, and clearly it suited her personality.

      “Doesn’t sound much different from what you do, Travis,” Matthew said jokingly.

      Travis laughed. “Except I get my kids from boot camp to graduation in twelve weeks,” the man responded.

      “Do you like being in the military?” Tierra questioned, curious to know more about the man.

      Travis nodded. “I do. I enlisted right out of high school, and it was the best thing for me. It gave me discipline and guidance and allowed me to set goals for myself that I hadn’t known possible. I also consider it an honor and a privilege to be serving my country.”

      Tierra smiled. “That’s nice.”

      Everyone in the room paused, seeming to eye them both curiously. Eden broke the silence. “Tierra, have you seen our rose garden? It is absolutely incredible this time of year. Travis, why don’t you walk Tierra down to the gardens and show her the blooms,” she said, her tone just shy of commanding.

      Travis eagerly set his wineglass on the table. “I’d be delighted. Ms. Braddy, would you care to join me?”

      Marla pushed her gently. “She’d love to,” she answered firmly.

      Tierra tossed her friend an annoyed look. “I really don’t think—” she started before Travis interrupted her.

      “I promise,” he said, rising to his feet, “I won’t bite!”

      Tierra sighed, moving to join him. As the two made their way out of the room, she muttered under her breath, “It wasn’t you I was worried about.”

      The word incredible didn’t begin to describe the luxurious grounds outside the family’s home. The gardens were a classic formal display of beds of roses arranged in a grass-girded oval around an exquisite marble fountain. Thousands of plantings and dozens of varieties decorated the landscape, and the sweet aroma wafting through the warm evening air was pure decadence.

      Tierra was awed by the sheer beauty of it all, her eyes wide with surprise. “Oh, my,” she muttered softly as the two of them meandered slowly down one of the brick paths.

      “Yeah, it’s something,” Travis said in agreement.

      Without giving it any thought, he reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. Tierra tensed ever so slightly, but she didn’t pull away, allowing him to hold her hand in his. That simple gesture made his heart race, his cellular clock skipping multiple beats.

      Tight-lipped, Tierra continued to walk in silence, completely overwhelmed by how comfortable it felt to be so near the man. As he chattered away about absolutely nothing, trying to draw her into conversation, she found herself amused by his efforts. It didn’t take long before she finally allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment.

      “Do you always talk so much?” she questioned, a smug smile crossing her face.

      Travis laughed. “Only when I have to answer my own questions. This conversation thing actually works better when the other person talks also. You might want to try it.”