Acting Lessons (Off Guard)

by Katie Allen

  “I can do it,” she protested, reaching for the toothbrush.

  With a stern look, he held it out of her reach. She frowned at him. It was one thing for him to brush her hair—that was sweet and kind of sexy. Having him clean her teeth was a whole different matter. There was something too intimate about it. Topher kept her mouth closed.

  Without saying anything, he cradled her chin in his free hand and swept his thumb over her bottom lip. The touch triggered a spark of pleasure, and she inhaled in a startled breath. As soon as her lips parted, he slipped his thumb into her mouth.

  Once it was inside, Topher wasn’t sure what to do with it. Without consciously deciding, she found herself starting to suck on the invading digit. It was shockingly arousing, having his thumb filling her mouth. She mentally added it to the list of weird things that got her wet. Just in the past couple of days, she’d added quite a few items to that list.

  She wasn’t alone in enjoying it. James made a low, raspy noise and stepped closer, inserting his body between her knees and pushing them farther apart. The stretch of her inner thigh muscles was almost painful, but it oddly added to the pleasure rushing through her. Another thing to add to the list.

  Her whimper as he withdrew his thumb was soft but still pathetic. James took advantage of her still-parted lips and inserted the toothbrush. Giving in to the embarrassment of having her teeth cleaned for her, she opened her mouth wider so he could finish brushing.

  “Why are you brushing my teeth for me?” she asked. Since her mouth was full of toothpaste and a toothbrush, though, it came out sounding like, “Whreushineethoee?”

  His only answer was the slight lift of one shoulder in a shrug as he concentrated on cleaning her molars.

  It felt like it took forever before he was offering her a drink from a glass so she could rinse. Even after having him brush her teeth, she hesitated, waiting until he’d turned away to grab a towel so she could spit without him watching.

  He lifted her off the counter so she was standing on the floor. The cold tile made her shiver and stack one foot on top of the other. The chill made her realize that she’d only been in her thin, short nightgown the whole time. She crossed her arms over her chest, telling herself it was for warmth rather than modesty.

  “Go potty,” he ordered, stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

  Topher stood in stunned silence for several seconds. “Potty?” she mouthed. It occurred to her that he’d very likely return shortly. If she didn’t want his assistance going to the bathroom, she’d better hurry. The thought of him watching her pee made her turn red and rush to the toilet.

  As she washed her hands, she stared at herself in the mirror. Why had she allowed him to brush her hair and her teeth like she was a little kid? Not only had she let him, but a weird part of her had actually enjoyed it. Usually, she was perfectly capable of standing up for herself. Something about James made it much too easy to let him take care of her.

  When she stepped back into the bedroom, he brushed by her on his way to the bathroom, running a quick hand down her back as he passed. The contact made her shiver and smile. Her happy expression faded when she saw that he’d laid clothes on the bed—her clothes.

  “What the hell?” she muttered, picking up a pair of skinny jeans and a green sweater. The outfit was as practical as Tophie’s wardrobe got, though, so she shrugged and pulled off her nightie. “At least he didn’t insist on dressing me.”

  He’d even selected a bra and panties for her, which made her smirk even as she blushed. Feeling naked and exposed in the huge bedroom with James only a closed door away, she hurried to don the tiny bits of light blue lace.

  The jeans were annoyingly tight. By the time she’d worked them up her legs and over her hips, she was breathless and red-faced from exertion. She buttoned them with a feeling of triumph that she’d actually managed to squeeze her lower half into them.

  Grabbing the sweater, she tugged it over her head and shoved her arms into the sleeves. At the store, she’d thought that the top’s tendency to slide off her shoulder was sexy. After only thirty seconds of wearing it, Topher decided it was more annoying than anything.

  “Ready?”

  James’s voice made her jump and twist toward the bathroom. He was leaning on the doorframe with a settled air that made it seem like he’d been there for a while. His pose and heated expression made her wonder how much of her reverse strip-tease he’d watched.

  Forcing a Tophie-appropriate smile, she held up the socks in her hand. “Almost!”

  When she plopped down on the bed, James crossed the room and took the socks out of her hand. That time, she didn’t have to feign confusion as she looked up at him.

  “No socks?” she asked.

  “Foot.”

  Topher realized that she hadn’t escaped getting dressed after all. “Jamie-Bear,” she whined, although she did extend her right foot obediently. “I can put on my own clothes.”

  For once, he didn’t reprimand her for pouting. “I know.” He slid a sock over her right foot and then did the same for her left. “I like doing things for you.” After giving her now-socked foot a final squeeze, he released it and stood. “Boots and let’s go.”

  She grabbed his extended hands and let him tug her to her feet. As she passed him on the way to her pink Muppet-skin boots, he slapped her on the butt. With a squeak, she hopped forward as her hands covered her abused posterior. The spank had surprised her more than it had hurt, although there’d definitely been a sting beneath the tight denim.

  “What was that for?” she asked, tugging on her furry boots.

  “Whining.” The look on his face made her stomach tighten with want. “You’ll get the rest later.”

  “Rest?” Her voice had gone up a few octaves. “But, Jamie-Bear...”

  His implacable expression with an undertone of heat made her words trail away. She wasn’t quite sure why she was arguing, anyway. The thought of a spanking from James made her embarrassingly wet. Closing her mouth, she meekly left the bedroom when he waved her through the doorway.

  The house was quiet, and they didn’t talk on their way to the front door. In the foyer, James held her coat as she slipped her arms into the sleeves. When she reached to fasten the front, he beat her to it, zipping up the coat to right beneath her chin. He tugged on her hat and mittens, and she let him, resigned to having him dress her.

  Once they were both bundled in multiple layers, they walked outside into a winter wonderland. Topher’s breath caught. She tended to consider snow a nuisance. Before she’d moved to LA, she’d gone to school in Connecticut. The cold, white stuff just snarled traffic, cancelled classes and made the sidewalks slippery. This, though... This was a whole different take on snow. It had layered a pristine white blanket over everything—the ground, tree branches, fences, the porch railing—making the place look like a holiday card.

  A happy laugh escaped her as she hurried down the front steps. “Everything looks like Christmas!” The early morning sun had colored the landscape pink and pastel yellow, warming it just enough to make the snow a perfect level of stickiness.

  With her back to James, she scooped up a double handful and packed it together. Spinning around, she hurled the snowball at him. It smacked him square in the chest, and she threw her arms above her head in triumph.

  James looked at the snowball remains on his chest and then back at her. Her crow of victory cut off when he stalked toward her. Dropping her arms, she ran toward the barn—a gorgeous, cedar-sided building with expansive windows that looked more like another house than a place to keep horses.

  Despite her head start, James caught her within a few strides, his steely arm looping around her waist and yanking her back against him. Topher couldn’t contain her giggles as he swung her around, mock-growling in her ear.

  “Sorr
y!” she panted, her laughter and the proximity of his hard body making her breathless. “Sorry, Jamie-Bear. The snow is just too perfect. I couldn’t resist!”

  “Uh-huh,” he grumbled skeptically, but he placed her back on her feet. “You need to work on your impulse-control.”

  “My what?” She hiccupped on a residual giggle.

  “Exactly.” With a hand on her back, he guided her toward the barn. Even through his glove and her coat, she swore she could feel his heat burning her skin. She missed the contact when he used both hands to roll the barn door to the side.

  The interior of the stable was as opulent and gorgeous as the outside, with a wide brick walkway, lofted ceiling and arched wrought iron stall fronts. Surprisingly, though, it was completely empty.

  “Jamie-Bear?” she said as she followed him down the aisle. Each stall was perfectly clean, bedded with a thick layer of wood shavings that hadn’t been touched by a single hoof. “Where’d the horses go? Because if they’re in here, they’re the cleanest and most invisible horses I’ve ever seen.”

  He made an amused sound. “In the south pasture. They’re turned out as much as possible.”

  “Oh.” Topher had to skip to keep up with James’s fast pace. “Too bad. Invisible horses would’ve been super-awesome. Almost as super-awesome as having a unicorn.”

  His laugh was more of a choke. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  She grabbed his hand, hoping it would slow him down. James shot her a sideways look before closing his gloved fingers around hers. Instead of reducing his speed, though, he just towed her along behind him, not stopping until they entered a feed room that was nicer than most people’s kitchens.

  Topher watched as he added grain and supplements in varying amounts to ten or so small buckets. He worked quickly, obviously familiar with the routine. It made her like him even more to know that he did horse chores on a regular basis. Stacking the buckets together, he headed for the exit.

  “Can I help?” she asked, opening the feed room door for him.

  “I’ve got them.” He dipped his chin in thanks as he passed through the doorway. Feeling rather useless, she watched as he walked toward the opposite end of the stable from where they’d entered. She hurried ahead of him so she could push open the large door.

  Once they were outside again, she saw a small herd of horses in what must be the south pasture. The sight of them made her smile and skip toward their gate. Topher hadn’t realized how much she’d missed horses since she’d moved out of Ben’s and her mom’s house.

  They were obviously impatient for their grain, even though there were multiple feeders filled with hay dotted around the pasture. A black pony, probably just a couple of inches short of being a horse, flattened his ears and rushed at a bay warmblood. The larger horse shied out of the way, cantering a small half circle, and the pony took the prime spot right next to the gate.

  Topher laughed. “Aren’t you Mr. Sassy-Pants?”

  The pony pricked his ears toward her but quickly turned his attention to an approaching James. After all, he was the one bringing breakfast.

  Unlatching the gate, Topher swung it open, shooing horses and the pony out of her way. James thanked her as he passed through the opening, and she closed it behind them. Turning back toward the horses, she admired the scene—the rising sun reflecting off the pristine blanket of snow, the clouds of vapor puffing from the horses’ nostrils, the beautiful man kicking the snow off of a shallow feed pan while fending off the pony trying to get at the grain.

  “I’m on it!” she called, moving to help. Topher pulled the black rubber feed tub out of the snow and dumped it out before dropping it onto the ground again. As James poured the grain from one of the buckets into the newly cleared pan, she moved to empty the next one of snow.

  Soon, all the horses were eating. Placing his stack of empty buckets by the gate, James walked over to the pony, who’d already vacuumed up his breakfast with gluttonous speed and was eyeing what remained of his neighbor’s grain.

  “Greedy.” James wrapped an arm beneath the pony’s neck. “You don’t need any extra, Popcorn.” As he scratched beneath the pony’s mane, Popcorn leaned into the touch. Topher couldn’t blame the animal, since she did the same thing when James’s hands were on her.

  “Popcorn?” Topher stepped in front of the pony, and he extended his nose toward her. After blowing a warm breath into the crook of her neck, Popcorn rested his chin on her shoulder while she buried her fingers in his plush winter coat. “Isn’t he the wrong color for that name? Unless his full name is Popcorn Burnt in the Microwave Because I Got to the Good Part of the Movie and Forgot About It Until the Smoke Detector Went Off?”

  James’s grin was wider than she’d ever seen it. Despite how it twisted the scarred side of his face, his smile was so stunning it made her breath catch in her chest. Giving the oddly named Popcorn a final pat, he let his arm drop back to his side. “You’d understand if you rode him.”

  Topher decided to take that as a dare. Before she could reconsider, she moved to the pony’s left side, grabbed a couple handfuls of mane and tossed a leg over his back. As she hauled herself up, she gave silent thanks for his pony-ness. If he’d been a full-sized horse, she never would’ve been able to manage mounting without stirrups, but he was the perfect height for impromptu bareback riding. Except for shifting his weight, Popcorn stood quietly beneath her, and she mentally thanked him for that, too. Being bucked off a bite-sized pony would be much more embarrassing than if she came off a standard-sized horse.

  “Tophie...” Although James’s tone was stern, there was also an underlying amusement in his voice.

  She blinked at him innocently. “You just told me to ride him, Jamie-Bear.” Before the lecture could begin, she squeezed with her legs. Popcorn willingly strode away from James, and Topher couldn’t resist glancing back at him.

  The other horses had finished eating. Most had wandered toward the hay feeders, but a few stuck around, checking the tubs for any stray kernels that might’ve been missed. James approached a sturdy-looking bay gelding and vaulted onto his back with much more grace than Topher had managed. She watched with a mix of admiration and envy as he rode toward her.

  Although she considered herself a competent rider, Topher could already tell that James was much better than she was. When he was a few strides away from her, she realized that she’d lost her lead while she’d been drooling over James. She tightened her legs, nudging Popcorn into a trot.

  Instantly, she regretted it. His trot felt like she was on a sewing machine, quick and bouncy. Laughing at the rough gait, she pushed him into a canter, which was only slightly smoother. James caught up to her easily and rode next to her, his bay’s trot easily matching the pony’s speed at a canter.

  “Still think his name doesn’t fit him?” he asked teasingly, making her laugh again.

  “Popcorn is the perfect name for him,” she admitted. “He’s bouncy but so much fun.”

  “Exactly.” James grinned at her, and she couldn’t help but return it. “Race you.” The bay switched gears as smoothly as a sports car, easing into a canter and immediately pulling ahead of Popcorn. Snow flew up behind them, forcing Topher to turn her head and squeeze her eyes shut for a few moments so she didn’t get a face-full of slush.

  “No fair!” Although she was trying for righteous indignation, her words came out as a laugh. “I’m on a bumper car and you’re on a luxury SUV. We’re not racing!” Despite her words, she leaned forward and muttered to Popcorn, “We’re so going to beat his ass.”

  He twitched an ear back at her as she urged him to go faster. Despite his chubby body and short legs, Popcorn was surprisingly responsive to her leg pressure, speeding up as they chased after James. It was incredibly fun, galloping bareback across the snowy field on her fuzzy, eager pony.

  James was taking a wide turn to
the left, still in that annoyingly easy canter that outpaced Popcorn’s flat-out gallop.

  “Shortcut,” Topher sing-songed, shifting her weight slightly and pressing with her right leg against the pony’s side so he veered sharply to the left. They headed straight across the pasture, reaching the far side just before James caught up with them.

  “Cheater,” he scolded, but he was smiling as he drew level with them, slowing the bay to a trot and then a walk. Topher went from a canter to a walk with Popcorn, skipping his rocky trot altogether. Her one experience with that rough gait was enough.

  “Am not,” she said. “We never said what the rules were. You’re just embarrassed at being beaten by an adorbs little pony.”

  He just snorted at that. “You’re a nice rider.”

  “Papa Ben has horses. My very first pony, Sprinkles, was a lot like Popcorn, only smaller and naughtier. She knew all the tricks.” Topher laughed at the memory. “She’d go under low-hanging tree branches to try to scrape me off her back, and she’d lie down in water, and she’d pretend to spook at the same mailbox she saw every day. I got really good at staying on, no matter what.”

  “Popcorn used to be Daniel’s pony.”

  “Really?” Topher grinned at the thought of Danny as a dramatic little kid, bombing around on Popcorn. “Who rides him now?”

  With a shrug, James said, “No one, really. Laurie, the trainer, gets on him every so often to tune him up. Otherwise, he just bosses the horses around in the pasture and gets fat.”

  “But you still keep him?”

  “Of course.” His matter-of-fact tone made her throat get a little tight.

  “I...um...” Her voice sounded thick, so she swallowed hard and started again. “On my tenth birthday, I went down to the barn, and Sprinkles was gone. Papa Ben gave me another pony for my present. He said that I’d gotten to be a good enough rider that I could start showing, but I needed a better pony in order to be competitive.” She glanced at James, and he was watching her so intently that she felt naked. Ducking her head, she played with a tuft of Popcorn’s mane. “The new pony was beautiful and really well-trained. I think he could’ve done the hunter courses without anyone riding him, and he’d have still won.”