Time was up, Blake wanted to push my buttons, then it was time I pushed some of my own.
Now that she is twenty she technically isn’t a teen anymore, which meant one thing…
It was nearly time to make my move and make Blake mine.
Nearly.
BLAKE
My time was limited. Finding the mob before Hendrixx discovered I was missing not working in my favour. The man was like a bloodhound when it came to me, no matter what I was doing, Hendrixx Hott found me, and then stopped me. While most of the time it amused me, today, I really wanted him to stay distracted over at Waterford to give me enough time to locate the mob and get a decent look at the big grey.
My obsession with the leader of the brumbies began five years ago when I happened upon him and his harem of mares and offspring while out riding the valley.
Since then, I grabbed every opportunity to ride out and attempt to get a glimpse of the magnificent beast and his pretty girlfriends, follow them as best I can and try to find where they lived.
The valley behind the Triple H was their home, but being more than a thousand acres, I hadn’t nailed down that special place as yet, but I wasn’t going to give up looking. Not even Hendrixx Hott was going to stop me.
Just thinking about him made me ache and get riled up at the same time. No one could bring out my temper more than Hendrixx. His insufferable over-protectiveness both pleased and annoyed me, and that pissed me off because why would I be happy that Hendrixx stalked me to the point he even had spies on the HHH watching every move I make and report back to him? The more he pushed, the more I acted out, the more he laid down the law, the more dangerous stunts I pulled. I deliberately goaded him, I could admit that to myself, I enjoyed the growls and low timbre grunts every time he found me doing something he expressly forbade. And the list was long, Hendrixx took it upon himself to see to my safety the minute my father died when I was only fourteen.
My mother ran off two days after I had been born, she hated life on the land, but hated more that Dad refused to buy his own farm, instead opting to stay on as manager of the Triple H for his lifelong mate Will Hott. Dad had always been forthcoming on the reasons for my mother’s departure from Cattle Ridge. He had been an open parent, never kept anything from me, always considered me older than my age, and therefore, capable of handling the truth.
When he passed away suddenly, I knew that my future was in good hands. Never once did I worry that I wouldn’t have a roof over my head or a family, Will and Lillian Hott immediately embraced me and took over my care. I had always been part of the family, but from that day, my financial stability was never in doubt. Will saw to my education and Lillian saw to my care. I gained brothers as well, or rather Lenoxx and Fenixx saw me as a little sister, they pulled my braids, teased me and egged me to climb trees and generally get into trouble. Hendrixx, however, followed me with his icy blue eyes, kept his distance, but never left me alone.
When we went into town for shopping, it had been Hendrixx who stared down the local boys who paid me too much attention. Hendrixx, who waited for me to get off the school bus and walk me up the long driveway, never walking too close, but always within touching distance just in case I stumbled on the rocky road. I remember one occasion when one of the older boys on the bus waved to me from the window, Hendrixx didn’t like it and questioned if I was interested. When I refused to answer because, well, I knew it annoyed him, I took off at a run only to tumble on the rocky road, Hendrixx ordered the farmhands to dig up the drive and have it paved. When I asked him why he had it done, he replied in his deep voice that nothing hurts his girl. At the time, I didn’t understand, at sixteen boys didn’t interest me; I never read romance novels or watched much TV. But something in his blue eyes when he called me his girl made my stomach flip.
And nothing had changed since I still got all fluttery when he cast his gaze my way, I felt that ache when he growled at me when I was doing something he thought could hurt me. I still didn’t understand all that was going on between us, other than Hendrixx didn’t see me as his little sister. I wasn’t clueless, and I was twenty after all, I might not have had a steady boyfriend, thanks mainly to Hendrixx chasing prospective beaus away before they could get past the front gates. Not that I cared, not really. My life was all about horses and working on the Triple H.
Causing Hendrixx grief was just an added bonus, believe me he deserved it and gave as good as he got.
Lately, he had been spending most of his week over at Makena’s farm, Waterford Views. Her marriage to Lenoxx now well and truly back on, Noxx lived there full-time now with his wife and son, and soon they would be adding to their family with a daughter due in a couple of months.
Hendrixx being absent was a blessing and a curse; it was good because I didn’t have to look over my shoulder every time I headed into the main stables to get my Lancelot fix, but knowing he was over there with Mallory Rogers didn’t sit well with me.
I might be a lot younger than Hendrixx,
