Page 4 of Winner Takes All

Understanding fell over her, but the minx didn’t lower her hand. Instead, now she brushed it through her hair with deliberate flirtation, letting it cascade in thick curls that caught the sunlight that fell through the small window. “It never bothered you before to watch me fuss with my hair.” Her voice turned husky. “You used to like it, in fact.”

Still did, if the aching throb in his groin was any proof. That was the problem. Leaving her four years ago hadn’t been what he’d wanted at all. But the daughter of a viscount had no future with a man who mucked out her father’s stables.

“I do like it.” He caressed his hand farther up her leg to her thigh. The buckskin barred him from touching the smooth skin he knew lay beneath, but it didn’t stop her jerky inhalation of surprise. “If I thought for one moment that you were doing it to please me rather than to distract me—” He shamelessly stroked higher until his fingers brushed mere inches from the juncture of her legs. She trembled, her big eyes darkening with desire. “More of your clothing would be coming off than just your hat and boot.”

Her lips parted delicately. “Jack…”

“You know how I feel about you, Francesca.” His voice dropped to a low confession. “You’ve always known.”

Just as she knew why he’d had to leave when he did. Because if he’d stayed any longer he would have made love to her, unable to resist the delicious temptation she presented of beauty and intellect and the shared skill of working well with horses. He’d already claimed more of her intimacies than he’d had a right to, although he didn’t regret any of them. Just as he didn’t regret caressing her thigh now in slow, sensuous strokes that made her sink into the hay beneath her.

“But you’re vying for a Derby win.” He pulled his hand away without warning, and a soft whimper fell from her lips at the unexpected loss of his touch. “I make it a rule not to embrace the competition.”

Her face flushed, and she scrambled to sit up in the hay. “Why, you infuriating son of a—”

“Horse trainer?” He pulled himself up to his full height and coolly crossed his arms, as much to keep himself from reaching for her as to scold. “What’s the real reason you’re here with that colt, Francesca? The truth this time.”

“His name is Midnight’s Promise. I had him sired from the Earl of Derby’s stallion and one of the Duke of Kenilworth’s best brood mares. Cost me a small fortune to make those arrangements, but the two men had no idea what bloodlines their horses possessed, or the speed and stamina that could be produced from them. Midnight’s three now, old enough to show off his talents and my skills at breeding.”

“By racing him yourself in the Derby?” Disbelief edged his voice.

“By winning.”

Shaw laughed, although from what he’d seen of her horse, the colt had a very good chance of doing just that.

“Because if I don’t win,” she added loudly enough to cut through his laughter, “my father plans to marry me off.”

The laughter strangled in his throat.

Chapter Two

Frankie slid Shaw an assessing look across the seat of his curricle as he drove her to Uncle Jonas’s house. So far, he hadn’t said a word about her announcement in the stable. No comments, no questions…nothing. All he had done at the news of the agreement with Papa was hold out his hand to help her to her feet and quickly announced that he’d fetch his rig so he could take her home. She might as well have declared that the sun rose in the east for all the reaction she’d garnered from him.

Even now he just stared straight ahead and occasionally flicked the ribbons to keep the beautifully matched team moving at a quick clip. The faster they arrived at her uncle’s country pile, she knew, the sooner he could deliver her home and out of his life. For good this time.

But then, what had she expected? That he would grab her into his arms, declare his undying love, and demand that she marry no other man but him? After all, she’d spent years dreaming of exactly that.

Ah, but dreams never did come true, did they? Or he wouldn’t have left four years ago.

He’d loved her once, she’d been certain of that. As certain as she’d been of her own love for him. As certain as they’d both been that any kind of lasting future for them was impossible. But that hadn’t stopped her from dreaming and wishing and wanting for so much more than she could ever have.

“Stop staring,” he grumbled and irritably flicked the ribbons.

“I can’t help it.” When he shot her a quick look of surprise, she shrugged and turned away before he could see her true feelings for him on her face. “I like to size up the competition before a race.”

Certainly she’d always enjoyed sizinghimup.

When she’d finally found her breath after falling from Midnight, the sight of him had simply knocked it right back out of her. Heavens, he was as handsome as ever, right down to the little crinkles in the corners of his eyes when he smiled and that sandy blonde hair that she’d once loved to run her fingers through. It was as soft and silky as a horse’s mane, and sometimes just as untamed.

No—he lookedbetterthan before. Now he practically glowed with confidence and strength. But she supposed that was what happened to a man who was set free to pursue his dreams.

Oh, he’d possessed those traits before, certainly, if in lesser quantities. That was part of the reason she’d been drawn to him so fiercely when she’d returned home from school at eighteen and found him in charge of Papa’s stables at Willow Wood. The rest came from the way he’d worked with the horses—gentle hands, soft words, easy caresses. Not at all one of those brutes who forced a horse to bend to his will when it was broken. Not someone who felt the need to break a horse at all. Instead, he’d worked in a way that made it seem as if he’d had a conversation with the horse and simply convinced it to see things his way. Just as he had with her—gentle hands, soft words, easy caresses.

Apparently, he still could, if the way she’d tingled beneath his touch earlier was any indication.

“You knew I would be at the Derby,” he muttered.

“Not for certain.” But merciful Lord, how much her foolish heart had hoped he would be! “Butyouwere certainly surprised to see me.”