That Blue-Eyed Boy

9. SOMETHING STRONG

POV:  STELLA

"Come on Tank, I know you can do it." I try to coax the little foal to walk with me on his halter, but the little shit refuses. "I'll give you a sugar cube if you take a step."

"I can't believe you're bargaining with a colt." Beau chuckles, leaning against the barn door, watching me intently.

"Hey, it beats abuse, so you can shove it." I glare at him after successfully getting Tank to walk with me. Lucy finally took to him about a week ago, and now the shit has become the biggest pain in the ass I've ever experienced.

"Let me know when you're ready for me to take over. I'll be cleaning tack." Beau waves his hand as he heads back into the barn, and I step in front of the colt and lower my head so I'm eye level with him.

"Okay, boy. We're going to show him how smart you are. You don't need Momma Lucy to show you how it's done, do you?" I ask the colt, who throws his head back with a whiny. I chuckle and stand up straight, before coaxing him into following me by sticking the sugar cube that was in my other pocket into the pocket closest to his nose. Tank can obviously smell it and keeps nipping at my hip trying to get it while he walks all over the yard following me.

"Beau! Come watch us!" I call into the barn when we pass it, and he comes out with an oiled rag in his hand and watches us with a raised eyebrow.

"Congratulations, you can con a foal into following you." He rolls his eyes with a smile, and I feed the cube to Tank as I take him over to the paddock where Lucy is waiting for him and release him kicking and galloping into the pen.

"I bet I can con you into kissing me." I grin, walking towards him.

"I'm not that easy, Stella." He smirks, tossing the oil rag back into the tack room and crossing his arms while he leans against Apollo's stall.

"Oh yeah?" I challenge, grabbing his wrists and pulling them away from his chest. "But you love kissing me."

"I am so powerless against you." Beau groan, locking his hands around my waist and pulling me against his chest. I smile up at him until he finally closes his eyes and kisses me.

"I told you'd I could make you kiss me." I grin like a puppy after he pulls away, and he glances down at me.

"I'm weak. I need to work on that."

"I'm just irresistible. Don't feel too bad about it." I smile, pressing my lips into the skin of his chest that I just exposed while running my fingers slowly through the pearl snap he's wearing.

"I'm going to have to try to build an immunity to you, because you absolutely are tantalizing." He growls, leaning down and kissing me again. "Where's your dad?"

"Went to town for lunch with some buddies. Shouldn't be back for another hour." I mumble against his lips, wrapping my legs around his waist as he hoists me up and heads up to the bed upstairs.

Twenty minutes later, I'm lying in his bed with my shorts unbuttoned and tank top twisted from his hands, arguing with him about something so stupid, we shouldn't have interrupted our make out session to debate it.

"You are NOT going to Club Rodeo tomorrow night." Beau groans at me as he stares up at the ceiling beside me.

"Last time I checked, you are NOT the boss of me, either." I argue, reaching to re-button my shorts, not wanting to sit around listening to a lecture.

"Stel, I've spent a lot of time at that place, and you're not going! It's not safe!" He argues, and sits up when I stand up and straighten my tank top.