Read Chase the Storm for Free Online

I decided to figure out how to fixa stickingstalldoor.

I’ D LEFT my watch in my room for safekeeping, but I glanced up at the
    clock in the tack room and saw it was almost noon. After oiling the rails on Tantor’s stalldoor with some WD-40 I’d found, I was able to get it to open and close freely. Then, following the chart hanging on the wall, I measured out the grain, although it took me twenty minutes to figure out the difference between oats and sweet feed. Once the grain was in each horse’s stall, I dragged the hose down the aisle and filled all the water buckets. Finally, I climbed the stairs at the end of the aisle for the first time.
    It was hotter than hell up there. The loft ran almost the entire length and width of the barn. At one end was a large window while the other ended just short of the barn doors where Chase had thrown down the hay. It was piled up to the ceiling on both sides, but there was an open spot in the middle where a few bales sat. Walking over to them, I stacked them up neatly with the others and then found a broom and swept the loose hayinto a corner.
    Shakingthe hayout ofmyhair and offmysoaked shirt, I entered the tack room. Larger than I expected, it was full of saddles and bridles and large wooden trunks. The saddles sat on bars protruding from the wall, and the bridles hung on hooks next to them. There was a shelf with trophies on it, and when I looked closely, I saw they were for rodeos. Trunks, similar to the one in the aisle below, lined one wall, and blankets lay on each one. Roaming around, half looking for the stuff I needed to clean the saddles and half curious, I ran my hands over the leather bridles and a pair ofsuede chaps. I trembled remembering how Chase’s legs had looked inhis chaps.
    Sighing, I moved on, afraid that thinking about Chase would only lead to another hard-on. On a shelf near the one window in the room, I found saddle soap and a cloth. I picked up one of the saddles, crinkling my nose at the strong scent of horse, and placed it on a rack standing in the middle of the room. After reading the directions on the saddle soap, I began applying it to the saddle, vigorously rubbing the dirty leather. Sweat dripped from my face and onto the saddle, but I didn’t bother to wipe it off because it would only return a minute later. When the first saddle was polished to a shine, I replaced it with another, but before I began, I pulled my T-shirt off and cast it aside. The open window allowed the warm breeze to come inand washover myexposed skin, coolingme slightly.
    I had completed six of the ten saddles and was starting the seventh when my stomach growled loudly. Bending over, I scrubbed the back of the saddle, singing with the music I could hear from downstairs, a song about savinga horse and ridinga cowboy.
    “I know a cowboyI’d like to ride,”I snickered cleverlyto myself. “Hungry?”
    I jumped upright, almost falling over, and spun around to find Chase in the doorway withAdmiral’s saddle draped over one armand the bridle hanging on his shoulder. His hat sat low on his head, and he lifted his chin enough so I could see the amusement in his eyes. Instantly I was breathless, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the crooked, knowing smile he was wearing, the way his shirt hugged his trimbody, or because he’d scared the shit out ofme.
“How… how longhave youbeenthere?”I stuttered.
    Not answering, he remained still but his eyes dropped to my sneakered feet and slowly made their way up my dirty jeans to the top of my briefs poking out of the waistband, over my abs and chest, and finally landed on my eyes. I swallowed, feeling more exposed than if I’d been completelynaked infront ofa classroomofstudents. I’d knowntakingoff myshirt was a bad idea.
“Longenough,”he drawled.
    He stepped forward, his shoulder bumping mine as he headed for the other wall and placed the saddle on the empty rack. I watched him, tracking every movement he made as he hung up