Deborah Fletcher Mello - My Stallion Heart

“Excuse me?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously as he waved her shoes in his hands.

“These are from Jimmy Choo’s new fall collection. They haven’t even hit the stores yet!” He sat them upright by her side.

Her gaze narrowed. “You know shoes?”

He laughed. “It’s what I do,” he said as he extended a hand in her direction. “I’m Tinjin Braddy. Do you mind if I join you?”

Natalie stared. He had the hands of a piano player, large appendages with elongated fingers. She raised her eyes back to his, not bothering to lift her own hands from her lap.

Tinjin chuckled warmly. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, not at all offended by her chilly reception. He settled himself down into the seat beside her.

“Tinjin. What kind of name is that?” she asked, shifting her body ever so slightly.

He smiled again. “It’s very country, is what it is. I’m told it’s an old family moniker. I was named after my father, who was named after his father, who was named after his father.”

“So does that make you Tinjin the third or the fourth?”

“The sixth, actually. I come from a long line of men named Tinjin and I fully intend to pass it down to a son of my own someday. There’s a lot of history in this name.”

“Huh,” Natalie grunted. “I’m sure that will make your father proud.”

Tinjin shrugged. “I really wouldn’t know. My father left shortly after my baby sister was born. We never knew him. My mother disappeared soon after that. I was raised by my grandmother.” Tinjin was suddenly surprised that he’d shared so much information so quickly. He met the look she was giving him.

Natalie felt herself staring as she reflected on his comment. She suddenly realized he was staring back and a wave of heat flushed her face with color. She took a deep breath. “My name’s Natalie,” she said, changing the subject.

Tinjin flashed her his brilliant smile one more time. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalie. So, where are you headed?”

She glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the snow that fell outside. “I was headed to Salt Lake City. Looks like I’m stuck here until this blows over.”

“Isn’t that a coincidence,” Tinjin exclaimed. “So am I. I’m going to meet my sister and her husband, to spend some time with my niece and nephew.”

“Do you come from a big family?” Natalie asked.

He shook his head. “Not really. It was just me and my sister, Tierra, growing up. But she married into a big family and it seems to be getting bigger and bigger every day,” Tinjin said with a soft chuckle.

Natalie smiled ever so slightly. “I come from a big family. Three brothers and a sister. There were five of us.”

“Where do you fall in the lineup?”

“I’m the youngest,” Natalie answered.

Tinjin stared as Natalie drifted off into reflection. He’d spied the woman from the entrance and had purposely maneuvered his way to her side. He figured if he had to be stuck at the airport then why not be stuck in the company of a beautiful woman?

And she was beautiful. Her eyes were pale, a shimmery hazel with flecks of green and brown. She had extraordinary cheekbones and her jawline was strong, angular and defined. Her skin was the color of light molasses, a rich, warm brown with red cinnamon undertones. She was exceptionally thin, and even seated he could see that she was tall. There was an essence of grace about her and with her light brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail, diamond studs decorating her earlobes and the barest hint of makeup adorning her chiseled features, she was stunning. At first glance Tinjin had sensed that he’d seen her somewhere before but couldn’t for the life of himself remember where. Then it came to him.

“You’re Natalia !” he said, leaning forward in his seat. “ Vogue cover model, House of Dior ingenue and one of the most sought-after, high-profile models in the world,” he added as he waved his index finger excitedly.

Natalie blushed, color warming her complexion as her cheeks became heated. She rolled her eyes. “So what are you? Some kind of stalker? Do I need to be afraid? First my shoes and now my résumé? How do you know so much?”

Tinjin laughed. “I’m a shoe designer and I spend a lot of time following women’s fashion trends.”

“A shoe designer? Really?” Natalie didn’t look convinced, eyeing him warily.

Tinjin chuckled again. “I actually designed those shoes,” he said, pointing to the pair on the floor. He reached into his leather portfolio and pulled out a collection of pencil drawings. He passed them into Natalie’s hands, watching intently as she studied them.

The sketches were good; detailed drawings of footwear for the fashion-forward female. If he had designed them, she mused, then he had a great eye for heel height and lines. As Natalie flipped through the drawings in her hand she instantly recognized the pair of heels resting on the floor.

“So you work for Jimmy Choo?” she asked, duly impressed with his skills. She handed his artwork back to him.

“I did. I was one of their head shoe designers until last week.”

“What happened last week?”

“I resigned. I’m moving on to bigger things.”

“What things?”

“I’m opening my own design house.”

“Here in the United States?”

Tinjin shook his head. “No. In Paris.”

“Is that where you live?” Natalie asked, her curiosity peaking.

“Right now I live in London but I also have a flat in Paris and I’ll be moving back there next month.”

“Interesting...” Natalie said, her voice fading ever so slightly.

Tinjin smiled. “Give me a chance and you’ll soon discover that I’m a very interesting man,” he said, his tone slightly smug. “I’m also quite the gentleman. It’s my European aesthetic with my Southern upbringing. My granny raised me well. I love my granny!” he exclaimed, his smile widening.

She leaned forward, her gaze narrowing slightly. “So does that mean you’re a little bit of a mama’s boy?” she asked. There was a hint of teasing in her tone.

Tinjin laughed. “Yes, ma’am! And I’m proud of it. There’s no shame in my game!”

For the first time, Natalie smiled back. She found him amusing. He was clearly confident and had just enough attitude without being arrogant. He was direct, but not pushy and definitely quite the charmer. She liked him and his devil-may-care attitude, and she found herself curious to know more about the man.

* * *

Travis Stallion eased his body against his wife’s, snaking his arm around her waist as he pulled her to him. The two stood quietly together, staring down at their children as both slumbered peacefully. He pressed a kiss to the back of Tierra’s neck.

“They’re growing too fast,” Tierra whispered. “Tianna’s lifting her head up by herself already.”

“They are,” Travis whispered back. “You should have seen Lorenzo on the horses today. Once he warmed up to everyone, there was no stopping him.”

“He’s got a little crush on Gabrielle. I saw how he was following her around.”

Travis chuckled. “That’s my boy! I’m going to hate to have to tell him that she’s his family.”

Tierra giggled as she grabbed her man’s hand and led him from the room. They closed the door and moved to their own bedroom. Inside, both slipped beneath the covers and cuddled close against each other.

“I still haven’t been able to reach Tinjin,” Tierra commented. “That girl who works for him said he’s stuck at the airport in New York.”

“Your brother might not make it. I was listening to the news and they said the weather has made a mess of things. Flights have been canceled up the entire east coast. They’re getting hit hard.”