Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
ANDRéS
The euphoria of our win this afternoon has faded by the time we sit down for dinner.
It’s great that we won our heat, and we’re assured of a place in the final on Saturday—we’ll play whoever wins tomorrow.
There’ll also be a playoff for third place.
But I can’t shake a queasy uneasiness that hovers in the background.
A sliver of something out of place, a sense of disquiet that has you returning home just to check you locked the door or didn’t leave the oven on.
I backtrack through my day, trying to pinpoint what it could be, but come up with nothing.
“Drey!” I flinch as a hand is slapped on the back of my shoulder. “What a goal you scored at the last minute.” I twist round and see Brad, one of the players who’ll be competing tomorrow and who we may be facing in the final.
“Thanks,” I say and he moves round the table to exchange a few words with Gabriel.
“Are you hungry?” Linden’s voice barely registers and he nudges my elbow.
“What, sorry?” I frown at him, realising he’s been talking to me.
“You must’ve worked up quite an appetite today.”
“No more than normal,” I reply, frowning.
“Then why have you been staring at the door our food comes out of for the last five minutes?”
I swing my head back to where he’s indicating—the door to the kitchen, the door I’ve been through the last two nights.
Fuck! Was I really staring at it? Instantly, the disquiet shifts inside me and I know what’s causing this off-kilter feeling.
Simon, or rather what happened this morning.
Well, it’s too bad as I can’t fix it. I’m not going to fix it.
I’ve gone too far already. It’s never going to happen again.
I just need to forget about him and the feeling will fade over time. The sooner the better.
“Yeah, just hungry I guess,” I say quickly to cover up the fact he caught me out, and he chuckles.
“Me too, but I’m sure our orders will be here soon. Here, have some more wine.” He fills my glass to the brim, but I don’t touch it. Instead I try to focus on the conversation at the table, definitely not thinking of a cute chef with sparkling blue eyes.
I barely taste my dinner. It might as well have been cardboard and ashes for all the enjoyment I got out of it.
Again and again I find my eyes flicking to the kitchen door, and every time I force myself to focus, certainly before Linden notices again.
When we’ve finished dinner, the guys suggest a drink in the bar, but I’m restless and can’t settle.
“I need some air,” I say and stand. “I might see you later.”
“Sure,” Gabriel says with a smile. As we don’t have a game tomorrow, I know they’ll be there until they get kicked out.
Maybe I’ll join them later. I walk through the foyer, heavy with decorations.
This will be the first Christmas I won’t be spending at home with my dad.
Not that it’s home to me anymore, or that I have a dad.
I try not to dwell on the thought that losing him is the reason I’m here right now, but with the mood I’m currently in, it drags me down further.
The night air is a welcome dose of cold.
A sharp shock to the senses to take my mind off feeling adrift, waiting for the sea to take me somewhere new.
Without thinking, I go where I always do when I need solace—my horses.
The only place I don’t feel the loneliness of this life.
Jorge won’t be there tonight as he has the evening off, and he’ll probably have found a card game somewhere and will be fleecing the other grooms. He has an uncanny knack for that.
He taught me to play when I was a teenager, not well enough to beat him, but enough to learn not to play against him.
The barn, with its familiar sights, smells, and the comforting sound of horses munching on hay, soothes me like it always does, and I sigh with relief.
I check each of the horses in turn, finishing in Chispa’s stall as always.
I rub between her eyes and she leans into my touch.
“You played well today,” I say, and she snuffles at my pockets and nudges me hopefully. “Sorry, I haven’t got anything for you.”
“Would these help?” I turn toward the bright and cheery voice. Simon, looking happy, hopeful, and holding up a bag of carrots.
“You brought carrots?” I blurt out the first thing that enters my head.
Well, not the first thing, that was how gorgeous he looks, but I wasn’t going to say that.
He smiles and moves closer, stopping just at the end of her stall.
The turmoil in me rises in a wave and I take a deep breath, pushing it down and strengthening my resolve.
Him being here, with gifts for my horses, doesn’t mean anything.
“Well, doesn’t she deserve them today, after your win?”
“You know about that?” I give him a puzzled frown. “I didn’t think you followed polo?”
“I might follow a certain player.” He shrugs. “And that goal you scored at the end . . . Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, I wouldn’t, as I’ve never seen a polo game before today, but several people around me said it was impressive so I trust their judgement.” He nods sagely.
“You saw the game?” I stare at him in disbelief.
“Yeah, I pretty much thought I’d implied that with what I just said, but I can give you some more details if you don’t believe me.”
“Err, no.” I say, still not believing he actually came and watched the game, especially after the look that could have cut glass he gave me this morning.
“Um, so.” He rocks back on his heels slightly and holds the carrots up again. “Can I come and feed her some again, please?”
He brings carrots, he tells me he took time out to watch me play, and then he stands and asks politely if he can approach my horse. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone like him before.
“Only if you share with the others as well,” I say and invite him into the stall. He seems a little less hesitant as he joins me by Chispa’s head.
“Hey, steady girl, there’s plenty for everyone.
” He laughs as she pushes her nose halfway into the bag.
He moves it away, learning quickly not to allow it too close or he’ll lose them all.
He takes out a handful and offers them on his palm.
She lips at them delicately, and I swear she gives me the side eye because I didn’t bring her anything.
“Will the others be okay if I feed them as well?” he asks.
“Yes, they’re all good,” I reply as he backs out of Chispa’s stall.
They are used to being handled a lot, always having people round them and other horses bumping them.
Those who don’t accept it never make it to be top polo ponies.
I remember his hesitancy before, though, and although they’ll be fine with him, he might not be with them.
“Do you want me to come with you?” I ask as he reaches Saban, who’s in the next stall.
“No, I think I’ll be alright.” He gives me a quick nervous smile. “Just remind me of their names.”
A warmth blooms in my chest as I watch him enter each of their stalls in turn, greet them politely, and offer them a few carrots.
He gets a little bolder with each horse he meets, and the triumphant smile he gives when he’s finished wraps round my core and settles deep within me.
I’m unable to move as he walks back down the line, repeating their names as if he’s trying to memorise them.
Each of the horses flick their ears, listening to him.
I’m not sure if I’m seeing some sort of magic, but it’s like they’re in his thrall.
He joins me again with Chispa, where he pulls the last few carrots from the bag and offers them to her.
“There you go, sweetheart. I saved you some,” he coos to her and strokes her neck.
Did he just call her sweetheart? In answer to my silent question she blows a breath across his hand.
“That tickles.” He giggles softly, and I can’t take my eyes off him as he strokes her nose.
He turns to look at me, the expression he had for Chispa still on his face, and it takes my breath away.
I know I said it wasn’t going to happen again, but my resolve can be damned.
I don’t want to be on my own tonight. I want to stave off the loneliness for another day.
I can wallow in that when I’m in England.
But for now I want Simon. Warm, sweet, cute, and sexy Simon.
I also know the price for that. I step closer to him and put my arms round his waist, and I watch as his breath hitches.
My earlier unease is no longer present. In its place is a rightness I’ve never felt before.
He looks up at me, and my world narrows to watching him run his tongue across his soft, plump, dark-pink lips like nothing else exists.
I’m in his thrall too. As my mouth connects with his, my last shred of resistance dissolves.
I deepen the kiss, needing more from him.
He gives it to me, opening his mouth and melting against my body.
A fire ignites inside me so hot it threatens to consume me, and right now I don’t care.