The Appearance of Impropriety [The Horsemen] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Skye Michaels

  “Really! I’ve been back exactly seven hours and already the gossip mill is running full tilt. He’s just a friend…a very good friend.”

  “Is this serious? Do I have anything to worry about?”

  “Robert! Do you have anything to worry about? If that isn’t vintage Robert Barlowe. Anyway, it’s too soon to be thinking about being serious. You know how I feel about the ‘L’ word, never mind the ‘M’ word! So just chill out.”

  “Want to get a drink at Tobacco Road tonight? I haven’t seen you in ten days. There’s a lot to talk about.”

  “As long as you don’t grill me about Zack.”

  Over drinks at the popular downtown Miami watering hole, Robert filled Tori in on everything that had happened at the office while she was away, making it sound as though she had deserted her post and probably should be shot at sundown. Well, now I know I really am back. It’s not just a bad dream.

  Thursday morning, the office was buzzing when Tori arrived. The receptionist gave her a knowing smile that had Tori wondering what could be amiss now. Surely the general curiosity over her luncheon date on Tuesday had died down.

  As Tori entered Sharon’s office with a cheerful greeting on her lips, she was stopped from uttering it by the silly grin on her assistant’s face. Sharon’s smile was a mile wide.

  “Okay. What’s up? Everyone around here has a suspicious look on their face.”

  “Nice suit. You look good in red. There are some things on your desk that need your attention,” she said as she turned and buried her face in her work.

  Tori shook her head in bewilderment. Sharon seemed to have lost it, too. As she opened the door to her office, the aroma hit her in the face, but she was still shocked to see a crystal vase that looked like genuine Baccarat with an enormous bouquet of deep red, long-stemmed American Beauty roses sitting on the corner of her desk.

  “Oh, my God!” They were simply stunning.

  Sharon, hot on her heels, piped up from the doorway, “When I saw all those roses, I was worried someone had died, but I checked the calendar, and guess what. It’s Valentine’s Day. I don’t suppose you have anything you want to share with me,” she said with a knowing smirk.

  Tori pushed Sharon unceremoniously out the door and closed it with a firm click. I don’t believe it. There must be at least two dozen roses here. She walked over to the vase in awe. The vase was fine Baccarat crystal. She gingerly took the card off the arrangement.

  “I hope these brighten your day as much as you have brightened my life. I wish I could be with you today. Love, Zack”

  Tori sank into her chair with a sigh. He is really something. Tori had completely forgotten it was Valentine’s Day. It had been a long time since that particular holiday deserved a celebration. She picked up her phone and dialed Zack’s cell phone. As she listened to the buzzing on the other end of the line, she smiled a smile as wide as Sharon’s had been. What a wonderful day! What a wonderful man!

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Thank you for the beautiful flowers, Zack. They’re gorgeous. I had completely forgotten it was Valentine’s Day. You’ve made my day.”

  “I’m glad. I really meant what I said. You have brightened my life.”

  “You know I feel that way, too. I miss you. I can’t wait until Saturday,” she sighed.

  They chatted for a while, each reluctant to end the conversation, but finally, Tori had to get to work. Of course, she knew Sharon would have been watching the lighted button on her phone gleefully to see how long they spoke. Friends are so nosy!

  Chapter Fourteen

  Zack dismounted and handed Carly’s reins to the waiting groom. “Manuel, she’s really coming along. Cool her out and put her up. I’m going to work the bay filly next.”

  “Sí, Señor Zack. This one is going to be something.”

  Zack had worked two mares and one gelding on the longe line, and ridden the four-year-old chestnut mare, Carly that morning. He still had the three-year-old bay filly, Josie, to ride.

  Josie promised to be a handful. At three years old, she was just being introduced to the swinging polo mallet and was still skittish. Zack liked to do the early stages of training himself. That way he knew his horses had a good foundation for the demanding work yet to come. A good polo pony had to be not only fast, but courageous, charging into the fray without regard for the flying mallets. Zack brought Josie out to the longe pen behind the main barn and worked her at walk, trot and canter in both directions.

  While he worked the filly, his thoughts were on Tori. He found she was on his mind at the most unexpected times. He was having trouble concentrating on his work with the horses, and that could be dangerous. His work in the ranch office was beginning to suffer, too. He hadn’t thought he would miss her so intensely. She had come to mean a great deal to him in a short amount of time. Frequent telephone calls just did not do the trick.

  “I’m really in it up to my neck this time, big girl. What do you think? Will I be able to pull this one off? This is tougher than a hostile corporate takeover.” Josie, of course, did not voice her opinion.

  Zack’s methods of horse training carried over into his views about life in general. Patience and hard work usually paid off in the long run. Short cuts usually added up to disaster. He had a feeling that the building storm on the horizon was going to be a disaster and was eventually going to coming crashing down around his head. He just didn’t know how to remedy the problem. He had let it go too long, and any explanations he made now were going to sound self-serving and contrived. That just wasn’t his way. He normally confronted issues head on. This whole situation just seemed sneaky, and he didn’t like the feeling. He wanted his relationship with Tori to be on the up and up. That was the only way to build a future. He knew he was being dishonest with her, and that grated on his nerves.

  After removing the longe line, Zack mounted the filly and rode her out to the south polo field. Although they had worked for twenty minutes, the filly was still full of energy, the work in the round pen having barely taken the edge off. Zack began a regimen similar to that conducted on the longe line. They walked, trotted, and did canter circles in both directions, with frequent halts, and then turns on the forehand and haunches. He carried the polo mallet in his right hand, reining with his left. He let the filly get used to seeing the mallet without swinging it around.

  Quiet, patient repetition was the key to introducing the menacing sticks that would fly over her head and under her feet during competition—not only wielded by her rider and his team members but by the opposition as well. After Josie had begun to relax and accept the strange movements, Zack decided to quit on a good note. Good experiences during this preliminary training would mean the difference between a willing, courageous mount and one that resented its work, was unreliable, and was skittish in the fray. The safety of both horse and rider depended on split-second timing, balance, and courage.

  When they reached the barn, Manuel was waiting to take charge of the tired and sweating horse. “How did she do today, señor?”

  “Great. It just takes time and patience.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  On Saturday morning, Tori awoke early with a sense of anticipation tingling through her body. Although she had spoken with Zack many times during the week, she was anxious to see him. Can this feeling of excitement last? Her stomach felt like a litter of rambunctious puppies were rolling around in there.

  Tori hurriedly dressed in an ancient, white Egyptian cotton shirt that had belonged to Alberto and had been washed so many times it was nearly transparent. She tucked it into a pair of old, faded jeans that fit her rounded hips lovingly and took a cup of coffee and her laptop as well as some hardcopies of the Z-Tech documents out onto the patio. She settled herself in a rattan chair beside the sparkling blue pool and began to read, occasionally referring to the website for more detailed information. At least she could get some work done before Zack arrived.

  The patio was completely enclosed by t
he house which was built in a square surrounding a central patio open to the sky. The soft breeze in the palm trees and the song of the birds mixed pleasantly with the strains of classical music coming from the stereo system.

  French doors from the second story bedrooms opened onto a covered balcony overlooking the patio, which was lushly landscaped and totally secluded. The pool was built to resemble a natural pond complete with a coral rock waterfall. It was surrounded by overhanging palm trees and tropical vegetation. Bird-of-paradise plants, purple bougainvillea, yellow hibiscus, orchids, and other flowering shrubs provided a symphony of color.

  Tori was totally immersed in her work and did not notice the time flying by as she sifted through mounds of documents, making notes as she went. She was startled by the sound of the intercom at the front gate. He’s here! She was exultant as she bounced up to buzz the front gate open.

  * * * *

  Zack hadn’t expected Tori to be surrounded by a seven-foot wall topped by wrought iron spikes. She’s like a princess in a tower. This seemed slightly melodramatic until the gates swung open, and he was provided an unobstructed view up the drive to the facade of the large Mediterranean-style two-story villa. The house was built of faded peachy-pink stone with carved white stone balustrades and a portico overhanging the apex of the circular drive.

  The house was set on what looked to be an acre and half of prime Coral Gables real estate. Tori had been right to describe the landscape as a jungle. The royal palm trees lining the crushed shell driveway seemed to be at least fifty feet tall, and the lower vegetation was a riot of flowering shrubs in vibrant colors set in an emerald-green lawn. Zack knew that the city of Coral Gables boasted a large collection of vintage Spanish-style mansions, but this place was a miniature Viscaya. He had attended many charity functions hosted by his mother at that fabled villa, brought stone by stone from Italy and resurrected on Biscayne Bay in the twenties, but he hadn’t expected Tori to reside in a small replica. Zack was no stranger to the massive mansions lining the streets of Palm Beach. His mother lived in one of those mausoleums, but it seemed a strange backdrop for someone of Tori’s vibrancy and energy. He thought her personality more suited to one of the modern glass structures on Star Island or Miami Beach.

  He pulled the Ferrari around the drive and hopped out of the car. He took only one small bag with him. He would get his leather carryall and the suit bag containing his tuxedo later. As he approached the impressive carved front doors, he heard the intercom buzz softly.

  Tori’s voice was muted as though coming from a great distance. “The front door is unlocked. Come through the hall onto the patio.”

  As Zack passed through the front foyer, he glanced appreciatively at the high ceilings, the curved circular staircase that drew the eye to the second floor, and the ornate domed stained-glass skylight he was sure was an original Tiffany creation. The floors were of a mellow peach-tinted Spanish tile, but instead of cement grout between the tiles, they were separated by strips of dark mahogany. There was an antique claw-footed table in the center of the foyer topped by a Venetian glass vase holding an informal arrangement of bright tropical blooms which must have come from the garden.

  At the back of the foyer, beneath the center of the curved stairway were glass-paned French doors leading out onto the patio. He could see Tori seated in a rattan peacock chair, and for a moment it seemed as though she did indeed sit on a throne. He opened the French doors, and the illusion was spoiled when she jumped up, scattering papers to the ground, and threw herself into his arms.

  He dropped his bag and embraced her just as enthusiastically. Zack pulled Tori to his chest as she buried her face in his neck. He breathed in the fresh, sun-drenched fragrance of her hair, and he felt a mighty sigh rush out as he relaxed and realized just how much he had missed her. “Tori, this has been the longest week of my life.”

  “Mine, too. I didn’t think I could miss you so much.”

  Zack brought his mouth down on hers in a stunning crush of suppressed desire. His tongue stole between her parted lips and brought forth a sigh of delight as she nestled her unrestrained breasts closer to the breadth of his chest. Slowly, she pulled away, her cheeks stained with a blush. “The time got away from me this morning. I didn’t even get a chance to change.”

  “You look wonderful to me, and you feel even better.” His fingers ached to caress the abundant breasts that had been pressed against his chest.

  “Are you hungry?” He could see she was feeling a little bit off balance. “Can I get you some coffee or something? Maybe a beer?”

  “No, I just want to stretch out the kinks and look at you.”

  “Not in these old things,” she protested.

  “Too late. I wouldn’t think of letting you change out of that shirt. It beats the hell out of those flannel ones you wore in Ocala, and you know how much I liked those.”

  “I have just a little more work to finish here, and then I can pack this stuff up. Would you like to take a swim before lunch?”

  “Now that is a great idea. Where can I change?”

  “There’s a bathroom under the stairs. We can take your things upstairs later,” she replied with another blush.

  * * * *

  Tori looked up from her work when Zack returned to the patio clad only in a skimpy black bathing suit. He was built like a Greek god, all sleek muscle and bronze skin. She could look at him all day and never tire of it. He smiled and broke the spell. As he passed, he dropped a soft kiss on her temple and strode to the edge of the pool. He dove in with a flawless jackknife.

  As he sputtered to the surface, he gasped, “Wow, I didn’t expect it to be so cold!”

  “The original solar heating system needs some work. I haven’t had time to look into it, and the water source is artesian. The sun will warm it up in a month or two.”

  “A month or two. Great. That doesn’t help me now. Don’t worry, I will get even,” he said with a grin. “It’s just going to take my numbed brain some time to figure out how.”

  “Do some laps. That always warms me up.” Tori watched as he stroked evenly back and forth across the longest section of the irregularly shaped pool. The sun glistened on his bunching and relaxing muscles and the enticing length of his strong legs. But not as much as just watching you!

  Tori pretended to continue working, but she knew it was a useless effort. She hadn’t absorbed one thing since Zack came out in that black Speedo bikini. Putting aside her work and temptation, she rose and said, “I’m going to fix us some lunch while you swim.”

  In the old-fashioned kitchen, Tori took china and crystal out of the glass-fronted cabinets and, with antique silverware, linen placemats, and napkins, set a charming table on the patio. A tossed salad, cold chicken, and fresh fruit served with frosted glasses of mint ice tea made a quick lunch.

  When lunch was on the table, Tori brought a giant plush towel to the side of the pool. “Come and get it!” She smiled.

  “How about if I come and get you?”

  “Come on. Lunch will get….hot!” She laughed delightedly. She was just so glad he was here.

  Zack laughed, climbed out of the pool, and reached for the towel. Her eyes followed the water sluicing down his magnificent body. After briskly drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist, he put his arm around Tori and escorted her to the table, politely seating her and then himself. Zack was starved, and Tori was just starved for Zack.

  Zack told Tori about his week, the young polo ponies he was working with, and the upcoming polo matches he would be playing in. He told her about the members of his team and his philosophy of polo. “I’ve only been playing polo for about eight years. Before that I got all my kicks from business deals and flying. But polo is an addiction. It’s more dangerous than driving race cars or motorcycles. It’s very competitive, both mentally and physically—like ice hockey on horseback.”

  “It must be extremely expensive, as well.”

  “It is. That’s why I have my comp
any sponsor the team. It’s good public relations and a tax write-off as well. Of course, having a cargo airline with South American and European routes helps with horse transportation costs.”

  “It sounds like an all-consuming passion. Polo must take up most of your time.”

  “At this point in my life it does. But winning takes organization and preparation. You have to be disciplined and determined. I don’t just want to be the guy with the checkbook. I have to personally excel.”

  “That’s how I feel about dressage. I could have bought a made high-level horse instead of taking sixteen years to get Rocky to where he is, but it wouldn’t have been the same. We’ve grown and learned together, and he’s a part of me.”

  “That’s how I feel about the team. I feel that young American players deserve a chance. I don’t stack my team with foreign ringers with underrated handicaps so we can win immediately. It’s very satisfying to build a team. We sink or swim as we are. They’re all great guys. You’ll meet them soon. Maybe you can come up next weekend for a match?” he asked hopefully.

  “I’d love to do that,” Tori said as she began clearing the table. “Do I get to wear a hat and a flowered dress and stomp divots,” she inquired with a grin, “or do I have to be your groom to pay you back?”

  “You can wear anything you like. No payback necessary. We’ll do the whole fancy tailgate thing if you want.” He smiled back, picturing her in a hat and flowered dress stomping divots with a glass of champagne in her hand. It was a pretty picture.

  Zack stretched out on a rattan chaise lounge and closed his eyes as Tori got back to work on the documents strewn on the ground around her chair. “I don’t have much more to do here. This damn case is driving me nuts. The more I delve into the discovery…”

  Zack bounded to his feet and strode to Tori’s chair. He looked down into her eyes, seemingly desperate to distract her, and said, “I don’t want to hear about your case. I want to make love to you.”