Then she saw the stable door open and in a flash, Leon had climbed up on the saddle behind her.
“There there Mocha, I’m here now, it’s alright.” He was coming to the horse. He had reached over Ivy’s shrunken shoulder to pat the neck of the horse affectionately. Ivy was still scared stiff, holding on to the saddle with both her hands. Then she felt Leon’s hand rise up her waist and hold her, while he continued to stroke the horse with his other hand.
“I didn’t know…I couldn’t stop…” Ivy’s words were jumbled; she was still frightened and visibly shaking. In all her years of working with animals, and visiting ranches, no horse had reacted to her this way.
“It’s fine. She suffers from anxiety and is only calm when she sees me.” Leon had leaned in to whisper in Ivy’s ear. She felt his lip graze her earlobe as he spoke. The same mix of the scent of his masculinity with his aftershave rose up her nose, sending goosebumps down her arms.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.” Ivy whispered back to him.
“I only remembered right now that you said you would come to brush the horses. I didn’t get a chance to warn you not to go near her.” He said, in a gruff whisper, their bodies were still close together.
He was sitting behind her, with his legs hanging off the saddle of the horse, and Ivy could feel his growing throbbing dick pressing into her butt. She straightened her back, aware of his hand on her waist. She was struggling to contain herself, to stop herself from just simply turning around and kissing him. She wanted to do it, but she wasn’t sure how he would react. Even though she could feel that he was aroused by her.
“We must get off her now.” Leon said, back to his normal voice again, possibly aware that she could feel his growing dick. He moved away from her, his hands falling off her waist as he jumped off the saddle.
Ivy gulped as she looked down at him. Leon was still stroking the horse’s neck, whistling to her to comfort her.
“Just grab my hand and jump off, then step away from her as smoothly as you can. She’ll be alright as long as I’m here.” He said, looking up at her. Even though she was out of danger now, even though he had come to her rescue already, Ivy could see the worry on his face still. Leon Cooper had been worried for her? She nearly smiled.
Ivy grabbed his extended hand and used it as support to jump off the horse. Then in one quick step she had moved away from the anxious horse, who was still whimpering and neighing.
“She’s a beautiful, loving horse. But only to me.” Leon said, and turned to Ivy with an unexpectedly warm smile. She could see it in his eyes, he loved his horse, and that made her smile too.
“I can see that. You have a special place in your heart for Mocha.” Ivy said, holding his gaze. Leon’s smile lasted a few more seconds, before he looked away from her and kissed the horse’s neck.
“C’mon off to the house. You shouldn’t hang around here.” He said, and hurriedly led the way out of the stable. Ivy smoothened her skirt with her hands and followed him, unable to suppress the smile on her face.
In the midst of a dangerous situation, she had seen a different and new side to Leon that she couldn’t have predicted. He wasn’t angry with her, as she had expected him to be, he wasn’t angry with the horse either. He had thought quickly, come to her rescue and completed the task without losing his temper.
Ivy watched his muscular back as she followed him back towards the house. Why was he forcing her to go away? She didn’t want to go away. She wanted to stay with him, feel his hands on hers, find out as much as she could about him, because there was no greater mystery to her than Leon Cooper. But he didn’t seem to want to be solved, he wanted to be left alone.
Leon left Ivy alone in the house for several hours, and she wasn’t sure if he had even called her father yet. She cleaned the rooms, dusted, washed the dishes and in a few hours, went down to her bedroom and sat on the bed looking outside.
She was still not happy to go. Especially now that Leon had revealed a new side to him that she hadn’t expected to find. This was the man who had taken her virginity, the one to whom she had given it willingly, and she didn’t simply want to forget about him that easily.
At around mid-day, she heard Leon enter the house again, and then the sound of his boots approaching her bedroom door. Ivy sat up in bed, wringing her hands together. She was afraid of hearing the words she believed he was going to say, “Your daddy is on his way to pick you up.”
Leon knocked on the door, and Ivy cleared her throat before asking him to come in.
He had his hat in his hands, and a somber expression on his face. He had only opened the door, but hadn’t stepped in. It seemed like he was also avoiding her eyes.
“I spoke to your daddy and he said that he won’t be able to pick you up till day after morning, he can’t leave the business open.”
When Ivy heard the words, she tried to suppress a smile. She didn’t want to give away how delighted she was to hear him say that.
“So, I’ll drive you up there today.” He added and Ivy’s face dropped immediately.
“You don’t have to do that.” She was quick to assert, getting off the bed.
“Well, there is no other way. You can’t walk back, it’s twenty miles away.” He said, finally meeting her eyes. The sparkle in his brown eyes had returned for some reason.
“I don’t want to walk back, that isn’t what I meant.” Ivy said, feeling her cheeks beginning to flush again.
“Well, you can’t stay here.” He said gruffly and shrugged his shoulders.
Ivy stepped towards him and Leon stepped hurriedly back, like he was trying to defend himself against an attack.
“Why don’t I stay here till my daddy is ready to come and pick me up?” She asked him.