What's with holding hands, anyway?

XANDRY

This place was surprisingly incredible. I didn’t even know that a barn and horse stable would ever get my interest, not until tonight.

Bob and his family bred, trained, and sell horses. They hired workers and experts to maintain their horses’ health, including diet, grooming, and performance.

The damn horse stable was bigger than my apartment. From the bottom of each stall hinged door was made of wood with bars attached elegantly U-shaped allowing the head of the horse to move freely. It had windows and fans for ventilation and didn’t even smell disgusting at all. There were saddles, stirrups, headgear, halters, and bridles hung on its corner.

"That’s Applejack, Bianca’s horse." Bob pointed to the horse with a tall and slim figure. He said it was a thoroughbred and one of the most expensive horses that originated from England.

Then he went to the next stall with a little darker than Applejack’s chestnut, but with finely chiseled bone structure and arched neck. "That’s Blaine’s—"

"That’s Mommy’s Queen," said the boy named Ben.

"Mommy?"

"Yes. That’s mommy’s," Ben repeated.

Wait, Blaine is a mother? And this boy is her son? I thought—shit! Yeah, he called Bob Dada. So, why am I so surprised? Maybe because Blaine was younger than Bianca to have a four or five-year-old boy.

"Arabian horse. I bought that from Dubai four years ago. Queen already bred."

"How long does it take to have a baby horse?"

"A foal, Xandry. Eleven months," Bob chuckled.

I knew a lot of cars but not a damn horse, old man. I chuckled inwardly.

"Thandry, Mommy’s beautiful, right?" Ben pulled my finger, making me look down at him.

"Your mom?" I discreetly smirked.

"No, the horse." He jumped pointing his tiny finger at the horse.

"Yeah, she’s gorgeous."

"No, it’s a he, Thandry," he eagerly corrected me.

Bob and I laughed at how he called my name. "Yes, he’s gorgeous. Wanna touch him?"

"No, but I rode with him before."

"Are you even allowed to ride alone, little guy?" I ruffled his dark blond hair.

"Blaine took him with her. She was an equestrienne before she got pregnant with Ben." Bob’s voice suddenly dropped, and I wondered how did she look like riding a horse.

"Why did she stop?"

"Mommy take care of me. Come and touch Queen. She’s sof and shinee,"

I laughed again. I’ve never been entertained by kids, but this little guy already grew on me.

"Hey, Queen," I murmured as I ran my hand over the horse's face. It was smooth and silky indeed.

"Queen bites if he does not know you, Thandry," Ben said.

I quickly pulled my hand, making him bark into laughter in amusement.

"Hmm, you got me there, little guy." I squinted my eyes at him.

Ben’s grin grew wide as he walked backward cautiously. In one swift move, he was already in my arms. I lifted him up like he weighed nothing, and it made me easier to swing him over my shoulder like a sack. He giggled at my back, grabbing a handful of my hair. Ben continued laughing as I placed his legs on my shoulders.

"Let’s go home," I announced as I walked out of the door. "Hold on tight, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Hearing Bob and a woman whispering made me slow my pace.

"Why did you leave him with a stranger?" Judging by her voice, the woman was pissed off.

The angry woman had hands already propped on her hips.

"He could be—"

"A serial killer?"

The woman snapped her head at me. Her eyes widened—the most beautiful and rarest teal blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Holy shit! She’s Ben’s mom. How wonderful?

She had the same round small face as Bianca’s but her nose was smaller than her sister's. Her champagne blonde hair was curled in a luxurious foamed cascading on her shoulders. Her pink tongue flicked between her full lips in a nervous way.

Fuck me. Those lips. Damnit, she’s Ben’s mom for the love of fuck!

An image of her lips made my cock suddenly thicken. I shook the thought out of my head and inwardly groaned at how my shitty brain worked.

Her eyes grew wider the moment her gaze landed on my shoulders. "Ben, get down. What do you think you’re doing up there? I told you not to talk to a stranger, Ben. You’re not gonna have Mom’s cookies tonight!" She tried to pull Ben down, but I was too tall for her five three or four inches in height.

"Mommy, this is Thandry."

"Just get down, Benoyce Arthur. I mean it, now!"

"Wait, Blaine," I said as I tried to bend down.

"You don’t call me as—" She abruptly stopped, looking at her son then pressed her lips into an angry line.

"Say it," I dared her.

"Say what?"

"What you’re about to say." I cocked my brow, challenging her. I may be an asshole, but I never cuss in front of children.

"I’m not gonna let him hear it."

"Good." I bent my knees to squat and place Ben to the ground. "I’m not a stranger, Blaine. I’m here with your sister."

Ben got down silently. I admired him for how he quickly obeyed his mom’s words.

"Come here, Ben, let’s go home." She offered her hand to her son, but Ben didn’t grab it and just glumly glanced at his mom’s opened hand.

I grabbed it instead. Tighter. And let the electricity zap into our hands. Her hand was warm, soft, and very feminine. My heartbeat instantly quickened just the feeling of her delicate skin on mine.

Blaine pulled her hand back forcibly, shooting me a glare.

"Not yet, gorgeous." Not yet, not now, or maybe not ever because she feels so damn good.

"I’m Xandry by the way. Nice to meet you, Blaine." I smiled and shook our hands.

"I don’t care who you are, Xander." She broke the stare, looked down at her son, and calmly said, "Come here, big guy,"

"It’s Xandry. Alexander Henry."

"I said, I don’t care!"

"Do care about your child then, sweetheart. He’s a good kid." I gave her a calm-the-fuck-down-looked.

"Don’t teach me about how I should discipline my child, and I know he’s a good and smart kid."

I grabbed both of their hands and walked out of the stable.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." She hissed. Instead of doing so, I let go of Ben’s hand and closed the door behind me.

"We’re going in the same direction, to your house, right? So I’m coming with you. I might get lost on my way." Which was impossible. I looked at Ben. "Wanna come up?"

He nodded enthusiastically—hazel eyes filled with hope.

"Not a chance, Ben," his mom disagreed, making his shoulders sag.

I inwardly rolled my eyes and looked at her intently. "Will you do everything to make Ben happy?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course, what stup—id question is that?"

"Then let me carry your kid."

"Look, Alexander. I love my son but I don’t want him to get close to you then you’ll be gone in two days," Blaine whispered.

"At least make him happy while I’m here," I whispered back.

"You don’t get it, Alexander Henry."

My lips formed into a smirk. "I like the way you say my name."

"Ass."

"Mommy." Ben’s eyes bounced between me and Blaine.

"I said, us, Baby. Me and you."

"And Sandry..." Ben trailed off making me grin from ear to ear. Now, it’s Sandry. There was progress right there, little guy.

"See? Ben likes me."

"That’s what I don’t like."

"Let’s go home." I knew what she meant, and I couldn’t argue with her when she was right. I gripped her hand as she stomped beside me. She was wearing tight jeans with a pair of knee boots.

Who does the fuck says a woman doesn’t look sexy wearing knee boots? But angry Blaine was a lot sexier than any woman I’ve ever met.

"Sandry, can we come back there again?" The boy asked while his mom was raging beside me.

"Of course."

"Do you know how to ride a horse?"

"Don’t lie," Blaine interrupted quietly.

"I’ll try, Ben."

"Mommy can teach you."

"No, Ben. He will be busy with Auntie tomorrow, right Xander?" She arched a brow, her eyes still filled with anger.

Was she really trying to mispronounce my name on purpose? Like I care.

"I can excuse myself from them. I’m not actually needed so you can show me around, right, Mommy?" I cocked my brow with a mischievous smile to Blaine who just threw back a glare.

"Mommy, teach Sandry how to ride a horse, please?"

"Please, Mommy? I know how to ride but a different kind of horse." I smirked at her.

Her face turned red and redder as we reached their porch. I let go of her hand because I didn’t want to die with a hole in my head.

She quickly grabbed Ben’s hand as soon as she freed from my grip. "Let’s go, Ben."

"See you later, Ben." A wide smile spread across my face as I waved to the smiling boy.

"I thought you’re lost. I almost call the sheriff for a search and rescue team. Thought a bear attacked you out there."

My smile instantly faded with Kyland’s sarcastic remarks. "I can still tell them our threesomes, Kyland," I warned him though it was a joke and a jerk moved, but damn him if it didn’t piss me off.

"I never had a threesome with you, asshole. And stay away from her. What are those holding hands all about anyway?" His tone deepened.

I faced him, meeting his flinty eyes. "I don’t think it’s any of your business, Kyland. She’s a grown woman—"

"A beautiful, intelligent, and who happened to be a heartbroken, a single mom who loves her son very much. She’s vulnerable and she’s not the type of woman who you fuck, so fuck off! Or I will warn her and tell her about your ventures and what you did to Cam."

"You don’t dare do that." My nose flared. He might be close to Pyke but if he was going to try to mind my fucking business then he didn’t know who the real Xandry was.

He laughed, making my body quiver. "Try me, man. Let me remind you, you are here because of Pyke, and this is my moment to prove that I deserve to be Bianca’s husband. Don’t you dare ruin it, or I will fuck you to the hell and back?"