"Your appointment is waiting for you, Daniel. She’s a doozy.”
He winked at me.
"What appointment?"
"She was supposed to be here last week, remember?"
I cursed, remembering. A rich city girl was here to breed her horse with one of ours. She'd been carefully instructed that the sooner in the mare's season she came, the better the chances that the mare would quicken.
But the prearranged date had come and gone without a word. Now she just showed up here? It was beyond rude.
I'd had the staff call. I'd emailed. And then I'd written it off.
I was inclined to ignore the matter entirely. Keep her and her mare waiting. Just to teach the lady a lesson in manners. Leave the horse unbred.
But I couldn't.
Jackson had personally tasked me with this client.
Dammit.
"Personally, I'd say she was worth the wait."
I glanced at McDermott sardonically.
"The mare or the woman?"
He chuckled.
"Both!"
I smiled at his joke and patted Black Jack's flank.
"Cool him down and clean him off. It's time for him to meet his first girlfriend."
"What about you?"
He gestured to my riding clothes. I'd been out for hours, sweating in the Texas sun. I looked down at myself and shrugged.
I pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my face.
"That's as good as the lady is going to get. Where is she?"
"Where else? The stables."
I nodded. Where else, indeed?
Horse people were all the same. City folk, country folk. Rich or poor. Young or old. Even if they were God awful in human company. But each and every one loved the majestic animals with an intense fervor unmatched by other hobbyists.
I strode into the massive stable building, eager to get this over with. The stables were L-shaped. She wasn't in the first corridor so I turned the corner.
And stopped dead in my tracks.
Leaning against one of the stable doors was a goddess. Her curves could have stopped traffic, even in a big city like New York. Her long honey colored hair was artfully arranged in luxurious waves. Her outrageously perfect bottom was encased in snug fitting riding pants. Her profile was one of classic beauty, with thickly lashed eyes, high cheekbones, a delicate nose and pouty lips.
Did I mention the curves?
Her entire being screamed old money, privilege and pride.
And stupidity.
She was leaning against Thunderstorm's stall. The one horse who'd been known to injure anyone who rode him. Or got close to his stall. The most dangerous horse in a hundred miles.
No. The most dangerous horse in a thousand miles.
"Back away very slowly."
Her head turned sharply and she stared at me. Her eyes were wide as she took me in. For a moment she looked pleasantly surprised. And then disdain clouded her features. She looked me up and down, obviously confusing me for a stable hand.
I'd been wrong.
The woman wasn't just a beauty.
She was the beauty.
The most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on.
I had one question answered.
Her eyes were blue. A blue so dark it was almost purple. I knew without a doubt I could get lost in those eyes.
And I knew one other thing for certain too.
She was about to become a major pain in my ass.
That was, if she didn’t get herself killed first.
Chapter Two
Francesca
The horse blew softly into my cupped palm. I liked to think of it as a kiss. The muzzle of a well tended horse was one of the softest things on earth. To be greeted this way was the highest form of compliment a horse could give.
This beautiful stallion and I were getting along quite well.
I turned my head, ignoring the rather delicious looking stable hand who was rudely interrupting us. I would deal with him shortly. The horse nuzzled me playfully, clearly looking for a treat.
"I'll be damned."
He'd come up behind me I realized. I didn't bother to turn around, although I did want a better look at him. I tilted my head slightly, glancing over my shoulder.
My first thought was that he'd been riding, and vigorously. My second thought was that he was another beautiful, wild creature. I did well with those.
His eyes were a warm honey color. His hair was a dark, sandy blond. At the moment his beautiful eyes were full of wonder. But that was the only soft looking thing about him. His face and body were chiseled in the way only a vigorous outdoorsman could be. Bulging muscles, calloused hands, and what looked like a thick package nestled in his jeans.
I made my assessment in under a minute.
Another fine stallion.
I decided he would suit me perfectly during my stay. I was overdue for a rebound. After what I had been through, I deserved a rough and ready tumble or twelve.
"He doesn't do that with anyone."
I sighed deeply. I would like to get acquainted with him, provided he didn't speak much. It really was tiresome when men tried to do that.
Talk.
I just wasn't interested.