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Oh, he could fuck right off. I told him as much, flipping him off over my shoulder.

Apparently, he found that hilarious. His laugh boomed, drawing out goosebumps over my skin.

If he wanted to be a smartass, I would simply use what I knew he couldn’t beat by knowing me—June’s speed. I told her to pick it up, promising a bucket full of treats if she got us back to the stables first.

June took off even faster and I secured my grip on her reins. We came up and over the palace, taking the shortest route possible.

I stole another look at Lukas, who was now sporting a grin that made the dimples I knew were hiding under his beard pop.

“For the love of Zeus,” I muttered to myself.

June was barreling so fast toward the stables I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to stop her. A problem forafterI won.

We were closing in, just a couple more flicks of her tails and we’d—

June skidded to a stop, but my body was still moving forward. I shot over her, barely catching a glimpse of August coming up beside her to nuzzle her neck.

Traitor.

Fine. I would just swim. Only one problem. There was no beating Lukas in the water.

I tried anyway, kicking toward the finish line we’d always used. The entrance to the stables. With one strong kick of my legs, I felt my hand push into the protective barrier.

I smiled, relishing in my victory before I was eclipsed by a shadow.

“Gotcha,” Lukas said in my ear, right as his hands came down on my waist. The force of his body pressing into mine shot us into the barrier. If my hand wasn’t already through it, we’d have slowed down. But now, we broke through it in a tangle of limbs.

Lukas turned us so that he was under me, only letting go so we could both spin out of the landing. Lukas flipped over his shoulder, landing on his knees while I rolled over my back and popped up on my feet.

I barely had a chance to blink before he had us back through the barrier and back on the sea side, pressing against the stable wall. His hands were planted on either side of my head, his chin dipped down.

His eyes were blazing, on fire like the reflection of the sunset off the water.

“I won,” I said, smiling like a victor.

“I know.” The words were barely more than a soft growl.

We were both breathing hard, fighting for the same air. I needed that air to restore my sanity. The adrenaline from the race had melted into full body arousal the second he laid his hands on me.

Now, caged in between him and the wall, it was taking everything in me not to reach for him.

He could come to me this time. I wouldn’t stop him, would probably protest if he tried to pull away, but I wasn’t going to initiate it.

Lukas stared at me, waging a silent battle with himself. He certainly looked turned on, his muscles tense and his gaze hungry. But he juststoodthere, watching the rapid rise and fall of my chest.

I made a small noise of frustration in the back of my throat that sounded dangerously like a whimper.

I saw the snap, watched as his eyes went molten. Could hear the scrape of his hands curling into fists on the wood behind me.

And I knew. He was going to kiss me.

His chin tilted down, his hand lifted off the door toward my face. Leaning in and—

A loud, bubbling neigh broke us apart and Lukas jumped back like he’d been burned by the proximity.

I turned to the culprit to hide the fire burning my cheeks.

June was nudging her shaking, adorable foal toward us. August was floating behind her, watching over the scene protectively.