Chapter 110
Chapter 110:
“Victoria has a nurse, a maid, and a son with nothing better to do than lurk in hallways,” Dallas cut her off. He leaned across the center console and pushed the passenger door open. She climbed in, and as she settled into the seat his arm brushed warmly against her leg, sending a jolt through her. “Your contract there is fulfilled. You have a husband p>
The word husband hung in the air, heavy and absolute. Eliza shut the door.
The interior smelled of leather and him — cedar and something sharp, like ozone. As they pulled away and left the iron gates behind, the physical knot in her chest loosened, just a fraction.
They drove north, away from the city’s concrete grip, into the rolling green hills of Westchester. The silence between them wasn’t empty; it was comfortable, charged with the memory of Saturday night’s near-intimacy.
“Where are we going?” she asked as the skyline disappeared in the rearview mirror.
“Somewhere you can breathe,” Dallas said, his eyes on the road. “You’ve been fighting a war in a closet, Eliza. You need open space p>
𝘓𝗮𝘵𝗲𝘀𝗍 𝖼𝘩𝗮𝗉𝘁𝖾𝗋𝘴 𝗈𝗻
They turned onto a private lane lined with ancient oaks. A discreet, elegant sign read: Koch Stables.
When they parked, the air was crisp and smelled of hay and damp earth. A groom led two horses into the paddock — a massive black stallion tossing its head with impatient energy, and a white mare, graceful and calm.
“This is Midnight,” Dallas said, patting the stallion’s neck. The beast settled instantly under his hand. “And that is Duchess p>
Eliza studied the mare. It had been years. “I haven’t ridden since I was twelve. Before the bankruptcy p>
“Muscle memory,” Dallas said, walking toward her. “Trust me p>
He gripped her waist — his hands large, warm, and certain — and lifted her effortlessly, guiding her foot into the stirrup. For a moment her body was flush against his, her face inches from his neck. She could feel the steady, powerful thrum of his heartbeat.
“Up,” he murmured.
She swung her leg over. Sitting in the saddle, the world looked different — she was higher, removed from the ground where all her problems lived.
They rode out onto the trails. The rhythmic thud of hooves on the dirt path was hypnotic. The wind whipped Eliza’s hair back and cooled the heat in her cheeks. Dallas rode beside her, controlling the powerful stallion with nothing more than a shift of his weight and a light hand on the reins. He looked like a king surveying his kingdom — relaxed, dominant, completely in his element.
They stopped at a ridge overlooking the valley. The trees were turning, a tapestry of burnt orange and gold. Eliza drew a deep breath, filling her lungs with air that didn’t taste of medicine or old money.
“Why this?” she asked, looking at him. “Why today p>
Dallas shifted in his saddle, gazing out over the horizon. “Because for the last month, you’ve been surviving. I wanted you to remember what it feels like to just live p>
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it.
It buzzed again — persistent, insistent.
He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. A text from Weston. Just two words: It’s done.
A dark, terrifyingly satisfied smile touched the corners of his mouth. It didn’t reach his eyes, which remained cold as glaciers.