Page 31 of Riding High

* * *

Thinking back to that conversation earlier, Jed pushed down on his stirrups, lifted his butt out of the saddle and swung his mallet at the ball.There was nothing more satisfying than the thwack of a stick connecting.It scooted across the empty field, and Padmé, one of his less experienced beasts– and one of the most excitable– tensed, and he leaned forward to pat her neck.After a long time away from the polo field, he needed to get all the horses, his players and himself, back into the rhythm of the game.

The practice match had been a good start but they all needed more work.Standing in his saddle, Jed turned to look over the rest of the huge field and saw Mateo and Kit, and their fourth member, Kimba, putting their horses through the same routine.Thwack, chase, tap chase, all practising back swings, near side swings, tail shots and offside swings.

He turned back to make a series of taps with the ball, half-standing in the saddle.He was fighting to keep Padmé at a steady canter, as she was keen to storm across the field like her tail was on fire.

Jed missed the ball, cursed a blue streak and turned Padmé to canter back in position.He never missed and was annoyed by the small slip-up.

And because his teammates were bastards, they noticed.‘We saw that,’ Kit yelled.Jed raised his middle finger, put his back to them and took his frustration out on the ball, sending it rolling to the far end of the field.

Jed sighed, thinking that he’d run out of energy to chase it.But because he was a professional, he kicked his heels into Padmé’s side and galloped down the field, turning his head to look at the stables.He saw the flash of red-gold hair, and long legs emerging from a pair of ragged denim shorts.Eden.

Troyden’sniece.

He slumped in his seat and allowed Padmé to slow down, slowly transitioning from a canter to a trot, then to a walk.He was sweaty, horsey, pissed off and exhausted.He pushed his helmet back and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist.

How the hell was he supposed to work with all these distractions?Henry, Eden, what else was life going to throw at him today?

He’d never expected Henry to stroll into his life and suggest whatever the hell he’d suggested, just like he’d never expected to see Eden again.He especially hadn’t anticipated his reaction to Eden would be more intense than before, and that every time he laid eyes on her his heart would become a loud bass drum in his ears, his blood would turn warm in his veins, his IQ would drop and his skin would prickle.

The last rational part of him suggested that he owed her an apology for assuming she was Troyden’s newest girlfriend.But because he was pissed off, tired, feeling emotionally battered and nowhere near able to be bloody rational about anything, he pushed the annoying thought away.

He watched her hips sway as she walked, the way her hair went from gold to red to rust, deepening as the sun’s rays hit it.He slumped in the saddle knowing that he needed to get a handle on his attraction.He rarely, if ever, gave a woman this much mental energy.Yes, she was gorgeous, and yes, he wanted to take her to bed but…

But something about her niggled at him– he was damn sure she was hiding something.

The way she dropped into Troyden’s life, and his, was suspicious.Not five-alarm fire suspicious, but enough to make him feel uneasy.And her not wanting to give him her CV?Red flag.

Realistically, everyone had something to hide; nobody showed the world all their cards.He certainly didn’t.So why was he having such a hard time accepting she had secrets, facets of her personality he wasn’t privy to?And why was he so incredibly… what was the word…?Fascinated?Aware?A little obsessed?

He didn’t recognise himself.And he sure as hell didn’t like it.

* * *

A week and a bit later, after breakfast, Eden walked out of the kitchen into the courtyard to find Troyden in the centre of his pack of unruly mutts, having his face licked by various canines of mixed parentage.He looked up at her and grinned.

‘I’m taking them on a long walk, do you want to join me?’

She’d joined Troyden for a walk the day before yesterday and her body still ached from the three-hour ‘stroll’.Admittedly, it had been lovely to spend concentrated time with her uncle, delving into the history on her father’s side.Luckily, because she’d spent most of the three hours panting because of the fast pace he set, she’d waved any personal questions away or gave one-word answers.

Troyden, because he was a true gent, didn’t push her to talk about herself.

‘I’m going to pass, thanks,’ she told him, smiling when a grey and brown lurcher mix pushed his long snout into her hand.She stroked his wiry head.‘But I’ll walk with you as far as the polo fields, if that’s okay.’

Troyden lightly touched her shoulder.‘Spending time with you is always okay, Eden.’

Troyden seemed genuinely happy to have her here, living at Elmsleigh.Since she arrived, they’d fallen into an easy companionship, sharing meals and opinions, comfortable in their occasional silences.For the first time, she felt truly at home.Over the last week or so, she’d explored the area with Troyden, accompanied him to London twice, and spent a few mornings curled up in the window seat of his study while he worked.

Troyden had Alistair– huge and not much of a conversationalist– and lovely Justin over to dinner one night, and a few days later, Mick and her kids had joined them.While she’d seen him in the distance, she hadn’t run into Jed.

That was fine with Eden.She was here to get to know her uncle, not be distracted by a sexy, incredibly annoying polo player.But it was time for her to go travelling, to move on.

She fell into step with Troyden, the dogs scattering.‘You looked suddenly sombre,’ Troyden commented, adjusting the cap on his head.Today he wore chino shorts, expensive hiking boots and a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt.

It was time to have an uncomfortable conversation.‘I’ve had a lovely time here, but?—’

Troyden stopped abruptly to stare at her.‘You’re not leaving?’he asked, horrified.