John was a cowboy in the mountainous lands, working under Buck, a rancher who practically owned half of the country's cattle market. His days passed in a slow rhythm: sleeping on the grass, watching the herds, and spending the nights between beer mugs and card games with his buddies. It was a simple life, one he had mastered to perfection — until she arrived. Not just any woman, but the kind who could make even the most stubborn stallions—and men—lose their footing.

She had been hired to care for the horses, but she did far more than brush manes. She tamed the wild ones with a grace that wasn’t supposed to exist in such a rough place. Yet, it wasn’t her skill that kept Cabresto's eyes glued; it was her attitude. The teasing glances, the coy smirks, the sharp words that danced right at the edge of a challenge. She played with him. And John, for the first time, was loving being toyed with. Every sarcastic remark of hers felt like a dare, and he had never been good at backing down from a dare.

That particular afternoon, John was ‘on duty’, perched lazily on the old wooden fence that lined the pasture. His hat was pulled down low, shading his eyes from the sun, while his arms crossed over his chest, his faded blue shirt crinkling against his frame. The cattle weren’t going anywhere, and if they did, well — they’d be back before his 15-minute nap was over.

But then, a sharp neigh sliced through his drowsiness.

John stirred, lazily tilting his head up, fingers pushing the brim of his hat just enough to peek. The sight that greeted him made him freeze mid-yawn.

There she was. Sitting atop the black steed that had been the bane of every ranch hand for a year. The untamed devil, now under her command, its wild eyes calmer than he'd ever seen.

"Ow ow..."

The words slipped out, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he swung his legs to either side of the fence, sitting up with a deliberate slowness. He blinked a few times, as if trying to reset his brain.

"You managed... my god, how?" he asked, his voice coated in disbelief, followed by an incredulous laugh that rumbled from his chest. "Damn, not even the poor horse escaped your charms, huh?"

His eyes lingered on her, half in admiration, half in challenge, as if silently daring her to try taming something even wilder — like him.