“Sounds good,” Hunter said, taking Lilli’s arm and guiding her toward the exit doors. “Kate, I’ll give you a ride.” He turned to his friends. “We’ll meet you there.”
Kate hurried to catch up. Hunter could easily leave her behind.
Several minutes later they sat at a large table in the corner of the noisy bar. Kate watched with amusement as Cam maneuvered to sit by Lilli and Hunter maneuvered to stay away from Kate. Cam had all but abandoned his earlier infatuation with Kate. He barely took note of her.
Kate gladly took a seat between Cam and Grady. She’d prefer to avoid close contact with Hunter herself. The man did things to her, and she couldn’t decide if she hated the feelings he evoked or loved them. More like love-hate.
Before the waitress served the pitchers of beer they ordered, the men’s cell phones blew up. “Tanner’s moving his arms and legs and bitching about being in a hospital.”
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“I bet he’s giving those nurses hell.” Grady grinned.
“I’d strap him in and put a gag on him,” Cam added, his dark eyes focused on Lilli.
Hunter held up his beer, and they toasted Tanner, still chuckling about what an ass he’d be to the hospital staff.
Kate watched the three men interact with fascination. She’d never been around men who played team sports. Her brother was a businessman, as ruthless as their father, and didn’t care one bit about teamwork. He cared about the bottom line, making more money, and who to use to get there.
Kate had buried herself in her horses and shopping. She certainly didn’t get love from her family, not the kind of love most kids did. She’d never been a priority to her father, and once the secret came out, she understood why. She wasn’t worthy of attention or love, and her horses gave her what she was missing.
Lilli’s joyous laughter floated in the air. Kate pushed away thoughts of her own childhood and watched Lilli. Her friend was grinning at something Cam was saying to her. Hunter and Grady were engaged in a lively discussion about fishing, so Hunter didn’t notice the way Cam devoured Lilli with his eyes. Charlie poked his head out from his spot under the table and laid it on Lilli’s knee. She absently stroked his head.
Kate’s gaze slid back to Hunter. She couldn’t help it. The man oozed virility out of every pore. His dark hair begged for her fingers. She recalled how that hair felt sliding across her naked body as he drove deeper and deeper into her, taking her body and her soul, and leaving nothing under her control. He’d raised the bar so high, there wasn’t a chance in hell any other mortal man would be able to meet it, let alone best it. She wanted him again. She wanted more than one night with him. She wanted him as badly as she’d wanted that Olympic-level horse she’d seen at a barn in Germany a few months ago.
Only, the horse belonged to someone else, and she suspected Hunter did, too. He certainly didn’t belong to her.
His gaze lifted and those dark eyes locked with hers. She let out a long breath as her fingers tightened around her beer glass. She didn’t even drink beer, but she hadn’t wanted to be the odd person out by drinking a glass of wine in a pub.
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. He raised his square chin a fraction, and his nostrils flared. She licked her lips, and those burning brown eyes dropped to her mouth. Kate squirmed in her chair under his hot gaze. He picked up one of the fries from the table and popped it in his mouth. The muscles in his strong jaw worked as he chewed, and she sighed. Even watching Hunter eat was sexy.
“Are you bored? I guess you didn’t agree to being out all night after being dragged to a football game.” He bit into another fry and chased it with a swig of beer. She wanted to be that french fry.
“I enjoyed it until Tanner was hurt.”
Hunter’s eyes scorched her skin as he took his time perusing her up and down. “I’ll try to make the next one less eventful.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I’m just grateful Tanner is going to be okay,” Lilli said.
“We all are,” Hunter agreed.
“He broke his ankle and a few ribs. He’s out for the season,” Cam said, looking up from his phone. He waved the phone in the air. “They just texted me.”
The bantering around the table stopped. Kate stared into the once again sad faces of Tanner’s teammates and settled on Hunter. She wanted to make it all better for him, and she told him so with her eyes. The need shining in his said he did, too.
Chapter 11—Swift of Foot
Hunter never took Kate up on her unspoken offer. A few days later, they were still avoiding each other, and Kate tried to go back to business as usual. She’d be returning to California shortly when Jet joined Mitch at Santa Anita Park, which made starting anything pointless. Once the resident veterinarian gave the word, they’d ship Jet, and Kate would follow within twenty-four hours.
Leaving rainy Seattle for sunny California didn’t pack the punch it once did. She’d made friends here, good friends, and she’d miss them, especially Lilli.
And while she was being honest with herself, she’d miss Hunter in more ways than she cared to count. He’d crawled under her skin and endeared his annoying self to her without her realizing what he’d done.
With a resigned sigh, Kate guided her show horse Sol around the arena. The lighting cast shadows in the dark corners, making everything seem scarier to her skittish horse.
Wondering if a little of Lilli had worn off on her, she sensed a presence before she saw anyone. Unfortunately, so did Sol. He leaped into the air and sideways at the same time. Kate had been ready for him, but he still unseated her. She clung to the side of the saddle and managed to scramble upright before his next stunt had her kissing the ground.
Someone chuckled from the shadows. Sol pranced in place and snorted loudly. His ears were pricked in the direction of the intruder while every muscle in his body poised for flight. Kate gave him a sharp kick in the sides to remind him she was in charge. He didn’t heed the reminder and gathered himself to bolt. Kate tightened her hold on the reins as the object of his fear walked into the light at the edge of the arena.
Hunter.
The bastard.
He was smiling. She could see his white teeth gleaming in the darkness like the Cheshire cat’s. She glared at him, ready to rip him a new one, but her brain refused to speak the words. Sol stopped shaking and watched Hunter approach, now curious instead of frightened. Having been caught off guard once already, Kate kept a death grip on the reins, while her mouth watered at the infuriatingly gorgeous man striding toward them with his trademark smirk and superior air.
He said nothing as he touched Sol’s muzzle and slid one of those big hands down the horse’s sleek neck. His smirk turned to a disturbed frown.
“What’s his name?”
“Sol.”
“You shouldn’t mistreat him so.”
Kate bristled. Her anger boiled to the surface. “I. Do. Not. Mistreat. My. Horses.” Each word came out like the staccato beat of a drum in the marching band.
“What did you call that?”
“Call what?”
“You kicked him hard when he was just being a horse, and you’re pulling on his mouth.” He stared pointedly at her tight hold on the reins. Guiltily, Kate released her hold. Sol’s head went down, and he buried his forehead in Hunter’s chest. Damn traitorous horse.
“You’ve lost your love of riding.” Hunter spoke as if his statement were fact, not speculation.
“I have not,” Kate countered defensively.
“Why do you do it?” he asked as if she hadn’t spoken.
“I—” Kate hesitated, finding the answer didn’t come as easily as it once had. “I want to be long-listed for the US dressage team.” She knew he’d find her answer lacking and hated that his approval mattered.
“Ribbons. This horse cares nothing for ribbons or shows or any of that other bullshit.”
“And your horse cares nothing for running races.”
“And he told you this?”
“His actions did, and his expression.”
“Has anyone told you that you’re batshit crazy?”
“A few.” Hunter chuckled, taking no offense.
“Only a few?” Her challenge made him smile. Did this guy ever lose his temper?
He shrugged one shoulder. “Let me ride him. Let me bring the joy back.”
Kate narrowed her eyes. “He likes his job.”
“Which explains why he swished his tail and flattened his ears while you were riding him.”
“I’m a good rider.”
“From a technical standpoint, but where’s the emotion, the passion, the merging of two living beings?”
“I’m not into that crap.” She tamped down her irritation, which would only encourage him. She’d been one of those riders once who’d pursued the elusive oneness with her horse, but she’d lost that pursuit somewhere along the way and replaced it with a pursuit of ribbons and awards.
“A passionate woman like you should put passion in your riding.”
“You think you can do better?” She laid down the gauntlet and waited for him to back down. She didn’t even know if he could ride.
He nodded.
Before Kate thought better of her actions, she swung out of the saddle and handed him the reins. He gladly took them. Her mouth dropped open as he pulled off her saddle and saddle pad and placed it on the railing. He bounded onto Sol’s back with the lightness and agility of a big cat and grinned down at her from the bare back of her large horse.
Kate stood nearby, fretting he might hurt himself just to prove a point to her.
Using no visible signals, he nudged Sol into an effortless canter around the arena. Sol never shied once. He rounded his neck and back, his steps light and free as the reins fluttered. The man guided the horse with seat and legs, not using his hands at all. Sol’s ears flicked back and forth as he concentrated on his rider. Hunter sat easily. His lower body was part of the horse, and his upper body was upright and supple. His black hair flowed behind him like a flag waving in the breeze.
Kate was mesmerized. She’d encountered some of the best riders in the world in her travels to Europe, but she’d never seen anything like this. He might not have perfect form or know how to execute some of the more difficult movements Sol knew, but he could make this horse dance all the same.
Hunter stretched his arms out wide and raised them to sky. He tilted back his head as if he could see the heavens through the metal roof of the arena. He spiraled Sol inward on smaller and smaller circles, then back out. He reversed directions through a smooth figure eight.
Finally, he trotted Sol back to a dumbstruck Kate.
“That is putting the joy back in riding.” He slid from Sol’s back and handed her the reins.
She wanted to argue with him because he was Hunter, after all, and she was Kate, but she couldn’t. The man had blown her away, and the lies refused to cross her lips. Only the truth could she speak.
“Where did you learn to ride like that?”
He smiled. “My grandfather raised racehorses. My sister and I grew up riding them over every logging road and trail we could find. Later, after the accident, Lilli preferred the familiar confines of the arena and took up dressage. She taught me skills beyond hanging on.”
“How did she do that when she couldn’t see?” Kate was intrigued.
“She asked questions about what I felt, what was happening. She described what should happen and demonstrated by riding the horse herself.”
“Absolutely fascinating. Someone should do an article about the two of you for the Dressage Rider magazine.”
He shook his head. “Riding is deeply personal to me. I don’t do it for anyone but myself.” He studied her pointedly with one of those looks that made her want him inside her. “And for you.”
“Thank you,” she said simply, humbled by the experience.
“Thank you for keeping an open enough mind to understand.”
She wasn’t sure she understood. Not for one minute. She’d seen him ride her difficult but talented horse with her own eyes. The horse had been butter in his hands.
And so was she.
* * * *
That evening, Kate lay in bed with Hunter after a more-than-satisfying romp under the covers. They had been quiet for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. She’d gotten the word from the rehab facility that Jet could return to work. He would be shipped back to Santa Anita tomorrow. Kate’s time here was over.
She hated good-byes, but she’d made friends here, and friends said good-bye.
At least she’d had one last night with Hunter, and it’d exceeded all expectations.
Hunter.
She hated to leave him, but the time had come, and they’d never had anything permanent.
“Jet’s going back to Santa Anita tomorrow.” She stared at the ceiling and waited for Hunter’s response.
“Are you going with him?” He rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his hand. His brown eyes watched her, glowing in the dim light in the room.
“Yes.” She met his gaze and held it, looking for a sign that he didn’t want her to go.
He squared his jaw and stared straight through her. “Once the season ends, I’ll be down there with Lilli to watch Sid run.”
She sighed, not wanting to read anything into his words, better to have a clean cut. “We knew this wasn’t going anywhere.”
He surprised her with his next question. “What do you do with your life?” Hunter asked as if the answer really mattered.
Kate hesitated, almost too embarrassed to answer. Her life sounded shallow when she compared it to the charity work he did and his future plans. “Well, I watch the workouts in the morning, and I ride or have a lesson after that. In the afternoons, I take care of farm business, but I have a trustworthy manager who handles most of—” She stopped. He was staring at her with that inscrutable expression only he had. “That sounds incredibly lame, doesn’t it?”
“A little,” he admitted.
“I like my life.”
He nodded.
“I’m trying to save my grandfather’s farm. Most of the other historical horse farms around Lexington have been sold and broken up into housing developments. I want Oak Brook to remain intact for future generations.” And for her mother, but she didn’t want his sympathy.
“Why?” His brow furrowed as if he didn’t understand.
She wasn’t sure how to answer such a question. “It’s my family’s legacy.”
“Do you do farm tours? Does the public get to see this horse farm? Do you bring city kids there so they can touch a horse for the first time? Do you retire aging racehorses there who might otherwise be put down after they’re no longer useful?”
“You think I’m a spoiled-rotten rich girl who doesn’t understand the value of hard work?”
He raised a brow and said nothing.
Kate bristled. She was not a spoiled-rotten rich girl. She was a viable member of society who did good things for people like—
She thought about it. She’d given money to a couple charities recently. But then, they’d been good write-offs. She’d gone with her family to feed the homeless a couple Christmases ago. But then they’d used that for a promo op because her brother was running for a local political office. She thought long and hard; she really didn’t do much for anyone but herself. Shame filled her, and she could no longer look him in the eye. Instead, she stared at his chest, and what a glorious chest it was.
He cleared his throat, calling her attention back to things she didn’t want to think about. She’d never cared before about being
a contributing member of society. She left that to the more noble members of her family, if there were any truly noble members in her immediate family. Their good deeds consisted of anything that made them look good to the public while secretly filling their coffers. Selflessness wasn’t in their vocabulary.
She recalled when a distant cousin of hers had disavowed his inheritance and walked away from everything to work with starving children in Africa. The entire family couldn’t believe how stupid he was. Kate included. She’d seen the cousin a few years ago at a family wedding. He looked fit, healthy, and happy with an African woman on his arm, whom he truly appeared to love.
Kate had envied him.
She wanted a love like that.
Sometimes being wealthy was a burden people didn’t understand. Kate didn’t quite know how to break out the way the cousin had or if she even wanted to break out and be free.
She liked her comforts. She liked having enough money to not worry about working in a job she hated. She liked not answering to anyone. She’d spent her life dabbling in this and that. She’d taken up the horse farm as her personal crusade, so at least she had that.
And she had Hunter for the night.
That would have to be enough. Tomorrow she’d be gone.
* * * *
Lilli wrung her hands and took deep, calming breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Nothing helped. She felt Cam’s eyes on her as the car rolled to a stop. She turned her head so he couldn’t see her face, which she suspected was lined with stress and worry. She’d never been much of a fretter, except in the early stages of her blindness. Once she’d gotten used to it, she’d gone through her life with confidence and joy because she arranged her life to minimize stress by eliminating uncomfortable situations.
People considered her brave to be riding horses or to be dancing at a party, but those situations were within her comfort zone.
This was not.
Definitely not.
Nor was Cameron.
“We’re here.” Cameron didn’t sound anxious. He sounded—excited?
Game Changer: Seattle Steelheads Football (Game On in Seattle Book 7) Page 10
