Free Forbidden Bond by Jessica Lee Page A

seat.
    Kris sobered and fixed his gaze on hers. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
    She swallowed hard. The last thing Kris needed was to worry about her. He had the ranch on top of his rehab already stressing him out. Olivia nodded, then glanced up with a smile. “Yeah. I’m okay. Taylor and I are going to be fine. I told him I needed to take things a little slower. One step at a time.”
    “You’ve always known what you wanted out of life.” Kris smiled. “I admire that in you. You have a mind of your own.”
    “You mean I’m stubborn.” She laughed.
    “That too.” Kris chuckled. “And unlike a lot of women, you don't play games with a guy. So if you’re not sure about taking your relationship with Taylor to the next level, there has to be a good reason… Listen to your heart.”
    “Thank you,” she whispered, stood, and wrapped her arms around her brother.
    After breakfast, even though she’d planned to go into the clinic early that morning, Olivia couldn’t resist saddling up Jack and taking him out for a ride. Her choice of name for the mustang wasn’t the usual one, but she never liked taking the road most traveled and preferred human names for her animals. With a sigh, she hoisted herself over the stallion’s back, and with a soft click of her tongue, urged him from the stable. Guilt nudged at the back of her mind for blowing off work for a couple of hours, but the knowledge that very soon the land wouldn’t be theirs anymore, and facing Taylor right away after last night… Yeah, she really needed the ride.
    Reflex had her giving the cattle a wide berth and heading toward the rear half of the acreage. Years ago, when she used to shadow Kris and Eion, it had been their favorite riding sector. Now it was hers as well. The land rolled, yet the trail was smooth and easy to maneuver, allowing for long stretches perfect for a give it everything you got run.
    Thirty minutes in, Olivia was almost ready to turn back and head into the clinic when the sound of another set of hooves caught her attention. A rider in the area wouldn’t be unusual, but the ranch hands weren’t scheduled to herd the cattle onto that particular section for another couple of weeks, so she’d expected to have the trail to herself.
    The ears of her mustang rolled forward, and he released a loud snort as they rounded a copse of cottonwood trees, moving in closer to the other rider. Olivia patted his neck and leaned forward. “It’s okay, Jack.”
    The path curved, opening up into a wide expanse of grass-covered hills that hugged a shallow creek which separated the Mandrake property from the Wilsons’. Olivia glanced ahead on the trail, and, as if she’d just nose-dived over the steep peak of a mountain cliff, her stomach dropped.
    Eion.
    At a leisurely trot, he headed toward her on a black and white Appaloosa. Gorgeous.
    But she wasn’t sure if she meant the horse or the man controlling the beast.
    Side by side with their horses nose to tail, they slowed to a halt. Eion tipped his hat.
    “Good morning, Ms. Wilson.”
    Okay…she could play nice and use her manners, too. “Morning, Mr. Mandrake. I didn’t expect to see you out here, especially since this is Wilson property.”
    He smiled. “Good point.” Eion swiveled his head around as if surveying the area before returning his gaze back to her. “I’d hoped you wouldn’t mind, for old times’ sake, you know, and since you didn’t have your cattle in this area right now…” He let his sentence fade away. “I used to love when the three of us would ride out here.” He glanced back around. “Beautiful piece of land your family has. Always thought so.”
    “Yes. It is.” With Eion’s head turned, she couldn’t help but drink in his profile. Aquiline nose. High cheek bones. Skin kissed by the sun with the shadow of a dark beard along his jawline. Beneath his hat, he wore his hair loose. Long, straight, and brushing his shoulders. “Beautiful.” The word