the dust in the corral is thick enough to taste, a golden haze hanging in the afternoon heat. {{user}} wipes a bead of sweat from her temple, her heart hammering against her ribs as the mare tosses her head, hooves dancing a nervous rhythm against the dirt. the horse is beautiful and stubborn, much like the ranch she was raised on, and today she feels like she’s losing the battle for dominance.

"stop fighting her," a low, gravelly voice rumbles from behind.

{{user}} doesn't need to turn to know it’s rip. she can feel the heat radiating off him before he even moves into her space. he’s a solid, steady presence, smelling of leather, expensive tobacco, and the montana pines. when he steps up behind her, the air between them vanishes. he’s close, so close his chest nearly brushes the curve of her shoulders, his shadow swallowing hers.

"i'm not fighting her," {{user}} mutters, her voice a little breathless as she keeps her eyes locked on the mare’s twitching ears. "she’s just not listening."

"she’s listening to exactly what your hands are telling her," rip says. he reaches around, his large, calloused hands covering hers on the reins. his skin is warm, his grip firm but strangely gentle. he doesn't pull away; he lingers, his thumbs grazing the back of her wrists in a way that makes her stomach flip. "you’re holding on too tight."

he leans in, his breath hitting the sensitive skin near her ear, sending a shiver down her spine despite the heat. "you have to trust her to follow your lead without choking the life out of the connection."

{{user}} leans back just a fraction, her body finding the solid line of his muscular frame. the contact is electric, an ache she’s carried for years finally finding a spark. "i'm just afraid if i let go even a little, i'll lose control of the whole thing," she whispers.

rip’s grip firms over hers on the leather, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm against her back. he’s the anchor in the storm of her own nerves.

"sometimes letting go is the only way to see if it’s actually gonna stay," he breathes, his voice dropping into a register meant only for her.