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I arch one eyebrow. “What do you think?”

“That if you’re as smart as I think you are, you probably didn’t even turn your truck engine off.”

I do like Lukas.

That’s rare for one of Nojus’s men. They’re mostly as bad as he was, but there’s something about true horse people. I don’t mean the ones out there hawking a horse for a quick buck. I mean the people who really love them—they’re usually decent people deep down inside.

And Lukas loves them.

“Are you worried he’ll try to steal him in the end?”

“Not really, no.” I pull the bridle off Quicksilver’s face without replacing it with a halter.

“Adriana! What are you doing?”

“I’ll show you.” I point at Quicksilver. “Now you, be a good boy, and walk in a circle around me.”

Quicksilver snorts so that I know he’s annoyed with me ordering him around, but he listens, moving in a clean circle around me.

“What just happened?” Lukas asks.

“This horse is amazing on the track, but when I tell you that we have a bond, and that I not only broke him, but that I’ve trained him extremely well, I mean it. If someone tries to take him from me. . .” I shrug. “I feel sorry for anyone who tries.”

“But would he really hurt someone?” He lifts one eyebrow.

“Try and touch him,” I say.

Lukas gives me a significant amount of side-eye, but he reaches toward Quicksilver slowly.

And nearly loses a finger.

“Trust me, he does anything I ask, but he won’t listen to anyone else. Training him at Kris’s farm is the best idea for everyone involved.”

We talk about a plan to practice racing basics and also improve his condition without stressing him, and Quicksilver stands by my side the whole time, attentive. I, of course, know that he’s listening.

Lukas is just floored by how he’s standing there, still and respectful.

Finally, though, we have a plan, and I can head back. “I’ll send you videos,” I say. “And you can come by, if you want.”

“How did you make him fall in love with you like that?” he asks.

I freeze. It’s a strange choice of words—fall in love. “A lot of training, and more carrots than you’ve even imagined.”

“That’s why he’s a little fat for a track horse,” Lukas says.

I can’t help my laugh. “Sure. He’s fat.” I can’t keep myself from thinking of the image of Alexei naked. “Or maybe he’s just more muscular than you’re used to seeing.”

“Maybe,” Lukas says.

By the time I drive us back and start to open the door, Alexei has already shifted back to human. I nearly get another eyeful. “Come on,” I say. “A little warning would be good.”

“You trained me with carrots? And he thinks I’m fat?” He huffs. “That guy’s eaten too many carrots himself.”

I’m still averting my eyes, but this is getting ridiculous. “And how are you planning to get from here to Kristiana’s house, exactly? Or were you planning to shift again now that you’ve told me how annoyed you are? Because if someone happens to notice that—” I look pointedly at the groom who’s walking a horse right past us. I drop to a hiss. “A naked man in a horse trailer might seem a bit odd to them.”

He blinks. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

I step back and gesture toward the house. “Be my guest. At least most of the people who work here are men. You might not give them a heart attack.”