her throat and forced another bite of food. She chewed and eventually swallowed.
“So what do you want to do?”
His gaze lingered at her lips. “I want to prove to myself and him that I can ride with the best of them. That I am just as good. This isn’t about one-upping him.” He took a drink. “I’ve wanted to prove my ability for a while. I don’t need to be in the Olympics to do that. His public challenge to ride in 2016 has given me the final nudge I needed.” His eyes flashed with fervor. “I’ll ride at these trials and the entire country will sit up and take notice, not just my father. Then what I do after that will be entirely up to me…not him.”
Excitement churned in her belly. She’d been so afraid he was going to stay in the background and not beat his father at his own game. She met his smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“I’m going to ride harder and better than I ever have.” He met her smile. “I’ll show my father, my family, and the entire world that I choose not to compete. Not because of what my father has implied for the last five years.”
“Which is?”
“That I train because I’m not good enough to do anything else.” He stared, his shoulders high, hovering near his earlobes. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“Then I can’t wait to see you ride…but won’t a man with an ego the size of the planet say you did it because of him anyway?”
He tightened his jaw. “Maybe. But I should have done this years ago, I just hadn’t met the right person to support me. To stand beside me. I needed someone to help me show that there is more to this story than family feuds and the great Canton fortune. I wanted someone who could show it’s about the horses I love. The feel of them, the power of them. The showmanship, the glory, the damn trophies and cash mean nothing.” He stared. “You’re the person I’ve been waiting for.”
Her smile dissolved as her heart beat hard and her hands turned clammy. His eyes were alive, challenging and drawing her in with his need. “So what is it you think I’ll write?”
He pushed to his feet and held out his hand. Having no other choice and not to make herself look afraid of him, Caroline slowly rose from her chair and slid her palm against his. “What?”
He tugged her closer and slipped his hand onto her waist. “I want the people to know what that man did to me and my mother. He didn’t win all those medals on his own. An entire team he’s never acknowledged helped him. I want my father to apologize. Not to me, but to my mother and the millions of British fans he took for granted.”
Caroline smiled, tension melting from her shoulders. “I can do that.”
He brushed his lips across hers. “Good.”
Her stomach knotted. God, he was far, far too much the whole package. Testosterone and muscle, sex and passion…
He pulled back. “You made me want to do this now. I like you. I like you a lot.” His eyes flashed fire as his gaze roamed over her body. “I’d like to think maybe we could see each other after this is done. You’re the first woman in a long time that has distracted me from my career. The question is, can I distract you from yours?”
Caroline stared as her body hitched with excitement and her nipples tightened. Sexual intention oozed from his tone, the connotation rife. She pulled back her shoulders, trying for at least a modicum of self-respect, even though she already wanted his cock inside her again. “Maybe.”
A soft smile curved his lips. “Good. Then we understand each other. How do you feel about me teaching you to ride?”
She froze. “What? I couldn’t possibly…I can’t—”
“I want you to feel, touch, and love my horses as I do. I want you to write about my world and mean every word. What happens after that is up to you.”
“Why do I need to learn to ride to do that? I’m on your side.”
He shook his head. “I want more than that. I need you to
“So what do you want to do?”
His gaze lingered at her lips. “I want to prove to myself and him that I can ride with the best of them. That I am just as good. This isn’t about one-upping him.” He took a drink. “I’ve wanted to prove my ability for a while. I don’t need to be in the Olympics to do that. His public challenge to ride in 2016 has given me the final nudge I needed.” His eyes flashed with fervor. “I’ll ride at these trials and the entire country will sit up and take notice, not just my father. Then what I do after that will be entirely up to me…not him.”
Excitement churned in her belly. She’d been so afraid he was going to stay in the background and not beat his father at his own game. She met his smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“I’m going to ride harder and better than I ever have.” He met her smile. “I’ll show my father, my family, and the entire world that I choose not to compete. Not because of what my father has implied for the last five years.”
“Which is?”
“That I train because I’m not good enough to do anything else.” He stared, his shoulders high, hovering near his earlobes. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“Then I can’t wait to see you ride…but won’t a man with an ego the size of the planet say you did it because of him anyway?”
He tightened his jaw. “Maybe. But I should have done this years ago, I just hadn’t met the right person to support me. To stand beside me. I needed someone to help me show that there is more to this story than family feuds and the great Canton fortune. I wanted someone who could show it’s about the horses I love. The feel of them, the power of them. The showmanship, the glory, the damn trophies and cash mean nothing.” He stared. “You’re the person I’ve been waiting for.”
Her smile dissolved as her heart beat hard and her hands turned clammy. His eyes were alive, challenging and drawing her in with his need. “So what is it you think I’ll write?”
He pushed to his feet and held out his hand. Having no other choice and not to make herself look afraid of him, Caroline slowly rose from her chair and slid her palm against his. “What?”
He tugged her closer and slipped his hand onto her waist. “I want the people to know what that man did to me and my mother. He didn’t win all those medals on his own. An entire team he’s never acknowledged helped him. I want my father to apologize. Not to me, but to my mother and the millions of British fans he took for granted.”
Caroline smiled, tension melting from her shoulders. “I can do that.”
He brushed his lips across hers. “Good.”
Her stomach knotted. God, he was far, far too much the whole package. Testosterone and muscle, sex and passion…
He pulled back. “You made me want to do this now. I like you. I like you a lot.” His eyes flashed fire as his gaze roamed over her body. “I’d like to think maybe we could see each other after this is done. You’re the first woman in a long time that has distracted me from my career. The question is, can I distract you from yours?”
Caroline stared as her body hitched with excitement and her nipples tightened. Sexual intention oozed from his tone, the connotation rife. She pulled back her shoulders, trying for at least a modicum of self-respect, even though she already wanted his cock inside her again. “Maybe.”
A soft smile curved his lips. “Good. Then we understand each other. How do you feel about me teaching you to ride?”
She froze. “What? I couldn’t possibly…I can’t—”
“I want you to feel, touch, and love my horses as I do. I want you to write about my world and mean every word. What happens after that is up to you.”
“Why do I need to learn to ride to do that? I’m on your side.”
He shook his head. “I want more than that. I need you to
Similar Books
