Chapter 45: Maddie

OLLIE

“What a morning glow!” Sarah was unable to hide her excitement. “Freshly fucked and ready for the day, aren’t you?” She bit her lips and suppressed a laugh.

I ignored her, praying she would move on to the next topic.

“You two are pretty noisy,” she commented, looking for a reaction. “You know, if you close the door, the whole house won’t hear you.”

~Nooo!~ That was the last thing I wanted to hear.

I covered my face with my hands in embarrassment, and she started laughing.

“I don’t want to say goodbye to you anymore.”

“As your fairy godmother, I made some arrangements. I invited my future mother-in-law to Australia with us.”

~Damn!~ Future mother-in-law? Sarah was expecting that ring at any moment.

“You invited Anna?”

“Shush it! She is coming here any minute. Edmund hasn’t come back. Poor her. I don’t know if they are in some kind of breakup. We don’t want to leave her alone.”

“But she is soulless,” I muttered.

Sarah rolled her eyes, but it didn’t bother me.

Anna Elizabeth Rothschild didn’t deserve any kindness.

“So,” she poked me. “Just the two of you… alone… in this house… without the staff. Interesting.”

“Without the staff?” I widened my eyes.

She was leaving me alone with this horny man! Just me and… ~the~ ~anaconda?~

She winked. “Yes, Alexander sent them away; consider it another present.”

She grabbed her carry-on and walked to a car where Alexander was standing.

“Love you, sis!” she called.

Alexander waved goodbye to me. “Bye, little rapper. Don’t break her, brother,” he yelled before getting into the vehicle.

Anna walked by, ignoring me.

Her white dress and sunglasses made her look like a movie star.

“Goodbye, Olivia. I hope you are taking the pill.” She waved before hopping into the car, not even caring to say goodbye to Darius.

~Strange.~

I turned my head to see Darius standing behind me with his arms crossed and an amused smile on his face.

He put his hands on my belly and his mouth on my neck while we watched them leave.

“About that…” He kissed my shoulder and put something in my hands. “If you wish to take it.”

I looked at the pill in my hands and inhaled sharply.

“The morning-after pill?” I asked dryly.

“Yes.”

“It’s the smart thing to do.” My rational mind was taking control of the situation.

He turned me around so that I would face him.

“Good, because I’m not planning on having children,” he said, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear while he searched my eyes.

“Ever?” I asked.

“Ever, Olivia.”

I smiled awkwardly. “Umm, okay.”

Why were we even talking about this topic? I just met this guy two weeks ago!

~Girl, calm your tits! Stop bringing that part of yourself that wants to have it all. Fuck!~

All this time, I’d been stuck on relationships, and now when I was alone and finally having fun, I had to fucking crash into another guy.

And not just any guy: Robert Darius Rothschild.

“Hey, what’s with the sad face?” He pulled my chin up to meet his gray eyes.

“I am not sad,” I insisted.

~I am just overwhelmed.~

He grinned. “Wanna know what I am thinking? I think you were already picturing a life with me.”

“No!” I scoffed, swallowing hard.

~What the hell?~

My face was hot, and he was already caressing one of my pink cheeks with his thumb.

“Baby, are you getting attached?” he asked with no trace of humor in his voice.

“I barely know you,” I said. “And I am not attached to you; I don’t have feelings for you.”

His eyes narrowed. “Then, explain to me what that was about when you asked me to make love to you yesterday?”

He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him, pressing his body and his forehead to mine.

“I feel like I will never get tired of tasting you.” He kissed my neck.

“I am not a lollipop. I am a human being,” I joked.

I didn’t feel like opening up again.

“But you love when I lick and suck on you,” he said, grabbing my ass and squeezing it.

“Darius!”

“You are adorable,” he laughed. “It’s good you’re wearing jeans and boots for what I have planned.”

He had planned our day?

He took my hand and led me to the entrance of one of the practice polo fields.

Vast acres of land stretched out, with a huge stable at the end.

This one was closer to the ocean.

We could hear the waves from here.

“It’s cold but not windy, so we’ll be okay.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I want you to meet Maddie.”

I frowned. “Who’s Maddie?”

“Only one way to find out.” He stretched his hand to me.

***

“Do you trust me?”

“~Should~ I trust you?” My breath came out as a white cloud of smoke.

“Wait and see.” He whistled, and a big black horse’s neigh rang back so loudly that my knees trembled.

Two young workers in riding boots were barely holding this enormous horse.

“Maddie!” he said out loud.

Jesus Christ, the beast that almost made Archer fall in the polo games was Maddie? Maddie was a horse? Hell no!

“Darius, don’t call her!” I clutched his arm.

Darius laughed at the sight, whistling louder this time.

The animal jumped on two legs, getting itself free, and turned towards us, galloping fast and steady with a killer eye.

It was coming over here.

I tried to hide, but Darius held me face forward.

“Too late.” He brought a hand to my waist. “Now, don’t move. Let her sniff you.”

“~Sniff~ me? She will bite my head off!” I exclaimed in fear.

The horse stood in front of us, tapping its hooves.

I closed my eyes, and Maddie started sniffing me.

~Fuck, fuck, fuck!~

“Darius, I am going to kill you,” I said between my teeth.

My heart was pounding loudly.

Darius greeted her, releasing my waist and touching the horse’s face with his hands. “Maddie, sweet girl.”

Oh my God! He was ~touching~ the beast now?

Maddie made a whinnying sound that made me step back.

He smirked. “You and Maddie have more in common than you realize.”

“Are you comparing me with a fucking horse?” I asked, irritated, while he continued laughing.

“She is just happy that I am here. She won’t hurt you; you smell like me.”

“Great,” I said sarcastically.

On of the riders arrived running, trying to grab Maddie’s reins again.

“My apologies, Mr. Rothschild, we will,” he said.

He tried to grab Maddie’s reins, but Darius quickly moved me backward.

His arm acted as a shield as the horse gave a high-pitched, aggressive squeal before rearing up on two legs, releasing herself from the guy’s grip.

Shit, this animal was a beast not to be tamed.

“It is okay. I got it from here,” Darius laughed at the sight.

Sure, he was the only one laughing. His employee and I were shitting our pants.

“Now, touch Maddie. If not, she will bite you.”

“Bite me?” My eyes widened.

Was he teasing me?

“I am kidding. Of course, she is not going to bite you. I haven’t trained her for such things…yet.”

Darius grabbed my hand and placed it on Maddie’s nose.

We both smiled when she snorted, playfully relaxing her face.

I was perplexed at how sweet he was with her, as if she were harmless, but I knew better.

She was not a pet. She was a wild and powerful creature.

“You are both beautiful, strong, and, what I like the most, fearless.” He rested his hand on the back of my neck while I touched Maddie.

Fucking Maddie snorted, as if saying yes to him, making me laugh.

She’d picked a team. Team Darius.

“You might tame this animal, but not me. Never.” I enjoyed the feel of her soft fur on my fingertips.

Her brown eyes were watching me from beneath those long eyelashes.

“Ready to ride Maddie?” he asked me.

Ready to ride Maddie? Was he insane?

Darius pressed his body against mine, squeezing my hips.

My heart started to beat faster.

Did he think he could train me like Maddie?

“Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

“No,” I confessed. “I am not riding that thing.” I crossed my arms.

“That is not a thing,” he corrected me. “It’s my Maddie.”

“Thank you, but I do value my life. She seems dangerous and aggressive, and she might even kill us if we stay this close to her.”

“She is quite rebellious, but overall a good girl.”

Of course. Not only does he like to control people, but he finds it amusing to control wild animals.

I was unconvinced.

“I am going to carry you on top of Maddie, and I won’t let go of her. We will walk together.”

“Don’t you dare!” At this point, I was panicking, and all I could hear was his belly laugh.

“Promise you won’t let go,” I relented.

~This horse will kill me!~

“Never,” he promised, and helped me climb onto the horse.

I felt like an ant on top of the massive animal.

It was bigger than any horse I’d ever seen. Of course, it didn’t help that my legs were swinging in the air.

“How are you feeling?” He adjusted the stirrups and settled my boots inside them.

He was in a good mood, and he seemed happy that I was here with him.

“Nervous.” I was trembling like a chicken.

What was the point of lying? Maddie could kick me off her at any second, and I could be an episode of dumb ways to die.

“Don’t be.” He guided my hands to the horn of the saddle. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Maddie is a mare, the friendliest of all my horses.”

“You have more horses?”

“A couple of champion stallions and mares.” He caressed her gently.

It was evident they had a bond.

Who knew I could get jealous of his connection with a horse?

“Maybe, if you feel more comfortable next time, I’ll teach you how to ride alone,” he smiled, and started walking with Maddie’s leather strap in his hand.

After a few minutes, I relaxed and started to enjoy myself.

I watched his back as he guided us to a new trail hidden between the trees.

“Won’t you ride with me? I’m starting to feel cold.”

It was an excuse; I wanted to be closer to him.

“But only for a while. Even though Maddie is a grown-up mare, she cannot carry us both for long, though it does help that you’re tiny.”

It had a huge seat, so it was not uncomfortable when he pushed me to the front of the saddle to sit behind me.

I almost felt like a small child between his strong arms.

Maddie seemed happy, excited, like she wanted to run. I could feel it.

~Oh, no…~

I closed my eyes anxiously while Darius started laughing.

“Maddie has a lot of energy, don’t even dare give her a little kick before she flies us both over.”

He gave me a sweet kiss on my neck to calm my nerves.

“Now, squeeze your thighs on the horse.”

“But I don’t want to run.”

“We won’t go fast, just a slow gallop. It will be fun,” he encouraged, and I did as he said.

Once he made a short clicking sound with his mouth, a verbal cue to Maddie, she started moving.

“Oh, my,” I muttered as I felt the horse’s fast pace under us, but Darius’s strong hold calmed me, and I focused on the breeze on my face as we passed the trees.

This was slow?

“You are going to like where I am taking you,” he whispered in my ear.

He stopped at the end of the trail and dismounted before helping me get down.

He secured the horse to a tree and guided me to where the tree line ended and white sand started.

With the cold sea breeze, the sound of eagles, and the softness of his hand, I knew we were approaching the sea.

I smiled. It felt like his secret spot, and he was sharing it with me.

We sat in the sand, watching the horizon.

The vast blue sea was in front of us as I snuggled into his chest, looking for warmth.

He placed his chin on top of my head, holding me with his arms.

“So, cars and horses. What else do you like?” I rested my cheek against his chest, smelling his delicious oak vanilla perfume.

“Besides anything fast? Sex,” he said confidently.

He was hiding. He didn’t open up much.

“How primitive of you.” I rolled my eyes.

After a long silence, he spoke again.

“I enjoy playing with my enemies. It keeps the thrill of the game.” He stared out at the horizon.

I tried not to show my genuine concern about what he had revealed.

I knew he wasn’t joking. He was a labyrinth with a dark side, scary and exciting.

I was already in too deep, wishing I could find my way out.

Who would say something like that? Who would take so much pleasure in the disgrace of a rival? Who would do it just for the fresh taste of blood? Darius.

Like a cat playing with a mouse for the fun of it, he seemed ruthless and relentless.

I would not throw him to my worst adversary.

I would never want him as an enemy.

“Power is your fuel,” I guessed, assembling the puzzle.

No matter how many pieces I got from him, it wasn’t enough to make a complete picture of Darius.

He turned his head to face me, and I felt a chill down my spine.

“You are mistaken. It is not something I have or get but something I ~am~.”

“Sure, kitty cat.” I swallowed hard.

He twitched his mouth at my answer and gazed at me intensely for a long minute.

He was challenging me, and I did my best to hold his gaze, but it was too strong and I had to look away.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“We do have one thing in common, Olivia. We both enjoy reading.”

I sighed.

“I am pretty sure we read different things.”

“Try me,” he grinned. “You know I own an editorial. I would enjoy reading something of yours.”

“I will let you read something of mine if you answer one question.”

He arched his eyebrows.

“Can you tell me what really happened between you and Archibald?”