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Chapter Two

E den slipped through the half-open arched doors of the long stable block, grateful for the cool space and the drop in temperature.

Her skin tingled, the little pricks of pain suggesting she’d had too much sun.

She needed to put more sunscreen on her bare shoulders and arms. Damn, why did she forget her hat and her sunglasses?

At least she’d pulled her hair back from her face into a complicated French plait.

Her eyes itched as she passed a tack room filled with saddles, bridles and a hundred other things she couldn’t identify.

A city girl through and through, she’d had no contact with horses, ever, and this was the first time she’d been in a stable.

Despite being what the older gent would call a ‘stable virgin’, she could tell it was grand.

Each stall had piles of fresh straw, a big water trough and a horse blanket hanging off the door.

She rubbed it between her finger and thumb– it was softer than she expected– and traced the name and estate’s oak leaf logo embroidered on the fabric.

This blanket belonged to Jabba. Jabba wasn’t currently in his stall; none of the horses were.

Then she heard a soft whinny and the stamping of a hoof from the far end of the stable.

Okay, at least one animal was in residence.

Eden ambled deeper into the building, and as her streaming eyes adjusted to the shadows, she saw a tall man standing in a stall, his forehead resting against the snout of a fawn-coloured horse.

Number Three …

‘Hello, beautiful,’ he crooned. A shiver travelled down Eden’s spine, and the hair on her arms lifted. His was the ultimate bedroom voice, low and velvety with the slightest hint of a rasp. ‘I missed you out there today. Nobody gets me like you.’

He lifted his head, and Eden took in his strong profile, stubborn chin and ever so slightly hooked nose.

His dark hair, almost black, was damp with sweat, and his white and red shirt stuck to his broad back.

White jodhpurs covered strong thighs and were tucked into knee-high riding boots.

He was tall, an inch or two above six feet.

How did that little horse hold such a big man?

God, he was gorgeous. With his stubble and strong arms, he radiated masculinity and raw power. Eden glanced around and thought about bolting; she didn’t like how he made her feel…

Unsteady, hiccupy, a little breathless.

A lot breathless. Eden put a hand on her chest, tried to suck in some air and found she was pulling in less than usual.

Really, she was reacting like a fifteen-year-old meeting her celebrity crush.

Pathetic. She needed to start dating again if this was how she was going to react whenever she saw a sexy man.

Turning to go, she made a scuffling sound, and Big and Sexy looked up, a frown pulling his black, thick eyebrows together. ‘Hey, what are you doing here? This is private property.’

She winced. ‘Oh. I’m sorry. I was looking for a cool place to sit for a while.

’ Her eyes were furiously itchy and was her lip swelling?

She lifted her foot to scratch the back of her leg.

What was wrong with her? Wanting to appear normal, or as normal as she could when she felt like ants were burrowing under her skin, she nodded at the horse.

Was that jealousy she saw on its pretty face?

Yeah, yeah, if her one-on-one time with this man was interrupted, she’d be irritated too. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Her proper name is Rey Skywalker,’ he answered. ‘Her owner is a huge Star Wars fan, and all his horses have a name from the franchise.’

‘Judging by the way you were talking to her, I thought she was your horse.’

Man, why did she sound like a breathless sex kitten?

‘I just ride them.’ His big hand stroked the animal’s glossy neck. ‘Rey is one of my favourites and I think she’s injured her forelock.’

‘Ah,’ Eden replied, wiping her eyes, with the now damp handkerchief. ‘She’s very pretty.’

‘Do you want to stroke her?’

She did, because when next would she meet a horse?

Rey gave her a do-it-and-die look. Eden scratched the inside of her wrist. ‘She looks pretty big,’ she said, forcing herself to move closer.

She inhaled the unique combination of horse and man, cologne and straw.

He shouldn’t smell so good, but he did, like sunshine on steroids.

‘She’s tall,’ he replied. ‘Stands at fifteen hands.’

Eden tentatively lifted her hand and placed it on the horse’s neck. Rey gave her the side-eye– yeah, yeah, she’d prefer Number Three’s hands on her too! Not wanting to be cowed by the horse’s snotty attitude, she stroked the animal with her open palm. ‘I thought ponies were smaller than horses.’

‘The word pony is a reference to their agility, rather than their size,’ he said, his deep voice rumbling over her. Rey snorted and tossed her pretty head. That she resented Eden’s presence was pretty damn obvious.

‘I’m Jed Harris.’

Eden left her hand on the horse’s neck and looked up. And up. ‘I saw you playing earlier, right?’ He’d whipped his horse into impossibly tight angles, leaned halfway down its back and thundered across the field at warp speed. Even she could tell he was the best player on the field.

‘Did you enjoy your first polo match?’

Eden winced. ‘That obvious, huh?’

‘Yeah.’ He leaned a big shoulder into the wall next to the stall and crossed one black boot over the other. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Eden Ennis.’ Eden wanted to lean down and scratch the back of her leg but knew she would give him a great view of her boring, sports-bra-covered boobs. Why was she so itchy? Everywhere?

She looked down the long stable block. The open doors framed Elmsleigh House, looking oh-so-grand with its thick stone walls and rows and rows of narrow windows. ‘It’squite a house,’ she stated. That was like saying that Notre Dame was quite a church. And that he was quite a man.

Okay, do stop being ridiculous, Eden! Anyone would think she hadn’t come across a good-looking man before.

And she had, of course, she had. But not one who was so tall, so fit, so effortlessly masculine.

With his dark hair, thick stubble and long, lean muscles, he was quite the package.

What would his lips feel like under hers?

Was he as good a kisser and a lover as he was a rider?

His gaze dropped to her mouth and lingered.

Desire rushed through her, pooling low in her belly.

Right, hadn’t felt that for a while. He moved a fraction closer, his hand coming to rest next to hers on Rey’s neck, and the heated, silent suggestion of a kiss hovered between them.

Who would make the first move? Him? Her?

And in that quiet stable, it felt like the universe was holding its breath, waiting for one of them to move closer.

Atttttttchoooooo!

Eden whirled around and slapped her hands to her face, embarrassed by the force of her sneeze. Damn, had she lost a lung in the process? She wiped her nose with the now grubby handkerchief and discreetly lifted the hem of her skirt to wipe her streaming eyes.

Embarrassed, she changed the subject. ‘You ride for the Elmsleigh Team, right?’

‘The Castle Kings.’

‘And the team is, like the estate, owned by Troyden Castle?’

His eyebrows pulled together, and Eden sensed he’d taken a few mental steps backwards. ‘Why are you asking?’ he demanded, his tone frosty.

There was now a whole polo field between them. Man, she was super talented at alienating hot men. Oh, well, she wasn’t going to see him again and now she had nothing to lose. ‘What’s Troyden Castle like?’

She might as well ask, because, while the Bancrofts thought he walked on air, this guy worked for him and would have a more realistic view of her uncle.

His expression darkened and his mouth tightened. He placed himself between her and his horse, and she immediately noted his protective gesture. God, she wasn’t going to hurt his precious pony!

‘I don’t appreciate the question and you’re trespassing,’ he stated flatly. ‘Leave now and I won’t have to toss you out on your pretty arse.’

Jeez! She’d just asked a question.

‘Sorry, I was just curious…’ Eden stated, her voice now thin and a little high.

The ants were morphing into caterpillars and every inch of her skin felt hot.

She desperately wanted to rake her fingernails over her body.

Looking down, she watched welts appear on her arms. Shit.

The same thing was happening on her legs.

She instinctively knew that scratching would make it ten times worse.

She needed… God, she didn’t know what she needed…

She needed to go home, have a shower, and take this as Life’s warning that contacting Troyden Castle was a very bad idea.

Did she need to be part of a family? She’d been on her own for more than a decade, since she was eighteen, and she’d managed.

Families were overrated, right? They were full of drama and dysfunction, and she’d had enough of both to last her a few lifetimes.

Eden gripped the stable door and closed her eyes, conscious of her jelly-like legs and her hot-everywhere body.

Jed frowned at her, his expression now serious. ‘You’re looking quite red,’ he stated. ‘Are you overheating?’

She didn’t know. She didn’t think so; she’d been fine outside.

Before she could answer, he whirled around and walked away from her.

From swollen eyes, she watched him walk over to a fridge in the corner of the stable and remove two water bottles.

In the sunlight streaming in through the cracked door, his hair was dark brown, not black, curling over the collar of his shirt.

His name, Harris, was printed across his back, and a streak of dirt ran across his truly excellent butt.