Even the betrayal of his best friend.
His fingers clenched around his mug. Phoenix was going to get him back in the game. If he did his job and won, he’d be able to return to Ireland as a king. Pick his own horses to work with. Prove to his ex-partner he’d fucked with the wrong guy. Everything would fall back into place.
It all hinged on Phoenix.
He’d been surprised how easy it was to share his story with Harper. Even though he’d been wary that she’d offered her home out of guilt, he’d known it was the right move. He needed quick access to Phoenix at all times, and staying with her allowed them to work constantly on their goal.
The inner voice rose up in a taunting whisper. Bullshit. You wanted access to her. You’re smitten.
He shot back his answer. I’ve got this under control. There’s too much at stake. I’m not going to screw up my only chance for a roll in the literal hay.
The mocking laughter pissed him off. He shut down the voice with a ruthless control and took a bite of his toast.
Her scent hit him first. Clean soap and the faint hint of cocoa butter from her skin drifted to his nostrils. His muscles tightened with awareness as the energy in the room whipped up like a tornado gaining steam. He dragged in a breath, reset, and cranked his head around.
Then stared.
God, she was sexy. Hair damp from her shower, her powder-blue T-shirt and jeans could’ve been designer wear straight from Paris and couldn’t have looked better. Those Amazon legs practically begged to be wrapped around his hips while he thrust into her. Those haunting sea-green eyes were meant to go misty and dazed when he drove her straight to the edge of orgasm and kept her there, just so he could drink in her gorgeous expression of need. Those pale peach lips cried out for his mouth and his teeth and his tongue until they were swollen and ripe and her taste was ingrained in every cell of his body.
She scowled. “Why are you looking at me all weird? You better not have drank all the coffee.” She marched past him, grunting while she refilled her mug, and sat down across from him. She grabbed a piece of toast and began munching.
He decided not to respond and adjusted himself under the table. He had to stop mooning over her like a hormone-crazed teen. He was better than this.
The dogs immediately jumped down from the couch, sat by her feet, and gave her dual perfect pleading expressions. She automatically broke off two pieces of the crust and fed them. Then they trained the looks on Aidan, tongues lolling out, their begging like a well-rehearsed play repeated twice daily.
He shook his head and gave them some crust. “Guess you don’t adhere to the rule not to give them table food?”
She snorted, which shouldn’t be charming but was. “If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, wouldn’t you get depressed?”
He chuckled. “Never thought of it like that.”
“Life’s too short. As long as it’s nothing harmful and not too much, they should enjoy a varied diet. Baloo is a peanut butter fiend. Bagheera loves turkey breast. Figaro becomes halfway nice when I tempt her with tuna.”
“That how you got Phoenix hooked on oatmeal iced cookies? Trying to give him some happiness?”
She winced. “Guilty. I didn’t realize what a pig he’d become. It started as a way to tempt him to let us get close.”
“I’ll never forget that look he tossed me when I gave him carrots instead.”
A laugh escaped her lips, and the sound warmed his chest. He wished he could make her do it more often. “Yeah, he’s a bit of a handful. But that’s also going to help him out on the track. Are we practicing with breaking from the gate today?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll combine practice with the gate and light racing against a competitor next week. We’ll begin with Flower. He’ll need to learn the right way to be paced. I don’t want to throw Maximus at him so early, but we’ll work up to it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She popped the last piece of toast in her mouth. “Thanks for breakfast. How was the spare room?”
“Better than the Hampton.” He grinned and put the mugs in the sink. “I’ll stop in town and get some groceries.”
“No need.”
“Yeah, there is.” He leaned against the sink. “We split the food bill, okay? What do you want me to pick up, or do you want to text me a list?”
She chucked the paper plates in the garbage and smirked. “Well, aren’t you domestic? One night and already you’re grocery shopping.”
“I’ll buy a vacuum when I’m in town, too.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
He winked. “Yes, I’m kidding. I like dust.”
She laughed again, and his chest swelled with pride. He could get addicted to her laugh.
The voice nudged open the box. Told ya. You’re smitten.
He slammed the lid back down and refused to engage. The silence was blissful, but the damage had already been done.
He was terrified the voice was right.
Aidan watched the jockey guide Phoenix into an easy trot around the track. His gaze assessed the way Elmo handled the horse, his body language, and the way Phoenix seemed to respond.
Yeah, he’d been right. Phoenix wouldn’t have taken to just any jockey. Elmo had a talent for connecting with emotional horses. Aidan had seen him coax the best out of green-broke Thoroughbreds. Too bad Elmo wasn’t as well received in the racing world as he should be. Many didn’t agree with his unconventional methods regarding aura, energy, or using endless patience to break bad habits. Too many wanted a quick fix or a jockey who had big numbers, but Elmo sought out horses he could help or who needed him. He liked to sit in the pasture and read a book while Phoenix grazed. The jockey’s presence seemed to soak into the horse’s routine. He also knew the right time to challenge and claim control. Aidan loved watching a good jockey break down, assess, and build up a horse’s stamina and skill. But for Elmo, it was all about the heart. His decision to stay with Phoenix confirmed Aidan’s own instincts.
“They’ve bonded.” He turned to find Ethan with one foot propped up on the fence, watching horse and rider become one.
Aidan nodded. “I sensed they’d be a fit.”
“Your instinct was right.” He let a few moments pass in comfortable silence. “Heard you spent the night at Harper’s last night.”
Ah, shit.
Refusing to react to the probing statement, Aidan nodded, his gaze still trained on the pair on the track. “Yep.”
“How was it?”
“Good.”
He waited some more, and Ethan finally broke. “My sister never lets anyone stay with her. Strangers in her personal space make her uncomfortable. She’s very . . . private.”
Aidan swiveled his head around and met the man’s gaze. “Hoping I’m not a stranger for long. But I don’t intend to make her uncomfortable. I respect our working relationship too much.”
Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and cursed. “Look, I’m not playing overprotective big brother here. Harper would lose her shit if she knew I was mentioning this. I only want you to know she took a leap of trust by letting you stay. By letting you into her world. I hope you respect it. That’s all.”