Teach Me To Ride Read online

  God, she wanted him over and over. She loved sex. But this had been more than sex. It had been an agreement. She felt it and knew damn well he did, too. They had things to do. Ambitions to fulfill. They were alike. They were angry and hungry. The tension was palpable, and Caroline loved every delicious second of it.

  Finishing with her toilet, she drew in a long, shaky breath, rinsed the cloth and put in the chrome laundry bin she found beneath the basin.

  No more thoughts of bedding him. She had to get her story. Michael was the key to her way out of this small English town to London. She couldn’t afford to forget that after how hard she’d worked for it.

  She stepped into her dress and folded her sodden panties into a ball in her hand. There was absolutely no use in putting them back on. She unlocked the door. Scraping and knocking of crockery filtered from the open-plan living space, so Caroline followed the sounds. A small part of her was relieved he wasn’t naked and waiting for her in bed, knowing a second round would be too hard to fight. The first time shouldn’t have happened—she had a job to do.

  He stood by the small dining table situated in front of the huge picture window that looked out across the docks. She quickly walked to the apartment door to retrieve her bag and stuffed her panties inside. Releasing a breath, she approached him. As she neared and saw the view, Caroline understood why the cost of these apartments was so astronomical. Twilight had turned the river salmon pink. It was beautiful.

  She turned to face him. “That’s some view.”

  He smiled and held out a glass of champagne. “I could say the same about you.”

  Rare heat warmed her cheeks. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want his kindness, his gentleness. It made him fifty times more dangerous than if he maintained the sexy anger he’d greeted her with. This made him softer, more human, more touchable. She didn’t want that. They needed to use the anger to their advantage and then go their separate ways.

  “Caroline?”

  She blinked. Goddamn it, she was staring. She forced a smile and lifted her glass in a toast. “Cheers.” She took a fortifying sip.

  He smiled. “Let’s sit. The starters are ruined, but I managed to save the main course.”

  Part of her knew she needed to nip this congeniality in the bud before she was drawn to its unexpected comfort. They were here to talk about Lewis and what Michael was going to do about his father’s pursuit of him—not them or this ridiculous sexual tension between them. Caroline swallowed as she sat.

  Bit late for sensibility now…he’s seen your bare ass in the air.

  The fun had been had and now came the trouble. He would not make her feel like an ice-queen for steering the subject back to business. Emotions were running high—for both of them.

  Not that she’d let him know the effect he was having on her. It was better this way. Great sex was still just sex. Break the tie—no strings attached.

  She put her glass next to a plate of wild rice, salmon, and green beans. “This looks fabulous.”

  He sat before responding. “Thank you.”

  She met his eyes. “Where did you learn to cook?”

  “I taught myself. It’s a necessity when you’re estranged from your family.” He huffed out a dry laugh. “Cozy Sunday lunches were not on the Canton agenda.”

  The atmosphere pulsed with tension. His gaze, dark and brooding, bored into hers. Caroline turned her attention to the table and flicked out her napkin, draping it across her lap. She took a deep breath. “Why don’t we talk about the reason you invited me over?”

  “The story, right?” He rolled his eyes and took a gulp of his drink.

  The way he said it, pushed Caroline’s irritation higher. He wouldn’t make her out to be the villain of the piece. This was just as much his doing as hers. “Yes, Michael, the story. That’s why I’m really here and why you want me here. I’m listening. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  He put his glass on the table, his jaw tight. “I know that.” He nodded to her plate. “But let’s eat first.”

  “Fine.” She picked up her cutlery and cut into the salmon. It fell apart. She scooped up some rice and piled it with the salmon on her fork. It melted on her tongue. Couldn’t the man do anything wrong? Apart from possessing the mood swings of a petulant child, of course.

  “Okay, so is there anything you don’t do to a ridiculously high level?” she asked.

  The crease between his brows smoothed and he winked. “I aim to please.”

  Caroline breathed deep as the erotic memory of their sex shivered through her. God damn, the man was so bloody sexy. A smile pulled at her lips. “You certainly do.”

  Their eyes locked before they again looked to their food. The next few minutes passed in silence before he cleared his throat. “This isn’t about destroying my father, you know.”

  Her smile vanished, time for business. “Oh?”

  Michael put down his fork and picked up his glass, studying her over its rim. “Why did you think it was?”

  “You said he wants you to ride. You want to train.” She frowned. “But with the amount of barely controlled anger you’ve got going on, I figured you wanted to reveal something about your father that would knock him firmly from his sporting pedestal. Am I wrong?”

  “Not entirely. I don’t like the man. Moreover, I don’t owe him anything, but that doesn’t mean I want to waste my energy ripping him down to size either.”

  “Then what?” Frustration furled in her stomach. What the hell did he want?

  “I really wish you hadn’t spoken to him without my say so. You’ve no idea what he’s capable of.”

  “Why would I need your permission? I can look after myself.”

  He put down his glass with such force, the wine within it quivered. Caroline tensed when he curled his fingers into a fist on the table. “You can’t. Not as far as he’s concerned.”

  Nerves and annoyance wound into a tight ball in her stomach. “I’m here, aren’t I? I’ve spoken to him and I survived. What do you think the guy is going to do to me over the telephone? I was in control the entire time. Nobody makes me do something I don’t want to.”

  “This is serious, Caroline. He’ll want you on his side…” He blew out a breath as though trying to get a grip on his temper. “And when he realizes we’ve slept together, he’ll want you in his bed.”

  Inexplicable trepidation skittered down her spine and she resisted the urge to shiver. Who was she to question what he was trying to tell her? Lewis Canton’s malice had filtered all too clearly through the phone last night. She nodded and slumped her shoulders in defeat. “He’s already insinuated as much, Michael, but it’s not worth losing any sleep over what might happen to me. I’m made of stronger stuff than either you or your father realize.”

  “And that means I’m not? I don’t want him near you. The man is insane with ambition. He doesn’t care who or what he destroys to get what he wants. The sooner you get that, the safer you’ll be.” His voice shook with anger, or frustration—maybe even pain.

  She put down her fork, moved to take his hand, and then pulled back. “You’re emotionally involved. I’m not. He can’t touch me. You have something to lose by his being there tomorrow. I don’t. But I can help you. I want to help.”

  He shook his head. “You want a story, Caroline. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  Unexpected shame slashed across her heart. A sensation she didn’t relish but had to deal with. She’d slept with him. Fucked him. Let him see her at her most vulnerable. “Please tell me you don’t think I had sex with you for a story?”

  Color rushed to his face, but his dark gaze never left hers. “Didn’t you?”

  “I could say the same about you,” she whispered. “That you fucked me to get good press.”

  The seconds ticked by in silence. Caroline’s heart picked up speed and she cursed the rare burn of tears. She’d never slept with anyone as quickly as she had Michael and now maybe she was getting the derision she
deserved. But damn, he was there, too.

  His exhalation sounded loud in the room. “Fuck. See what he does to me?” He closed his eyes. “Maybe you’re right. I’m equally as guilty here.”

  Maybe you’re right? The hurt bumped up her shame and cut all the deeper.He shook his head and opened his eyes. “This is who he makes me.” His eyes darkened with anger. “I can’t stand the man. I’m sorry if I sounded disrespectful. God, if he wasn’t my father…”

  Caroline stared. She hadn’t expected an apology, and now she felt more afraid than ever of her sudden and unwanted emotional pull to this man. This hurting, complicated man was slipping under her skin and making her feel. It scared the life out of her. She cleared her throat and forced another bite of food. She chewed and eventually swallowed.

  “So what do you want to do?”

  His gaze lingered at her lips. “I want to prove to myself and him that I can ride with the best of them. That I am just as good. This isn’t about one-upping him.” He took a drink. “I’ve wanted to prove my ability for a while. I don’t need to be in the Olympics to do that. His public challenge to ride in 2016 has given me the final nudge I needed.” His eyes flashed with fervor. “I’ll ride at these trials and the entire country will sit up and take notice, not just my father. Then what I do after that will be entirely up to me…not him.”

  Excitement churned in her belly. She’d been so afraid he was going to stay in the background and not beat his father at his own game. She met his smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “I’m going to ride harder and better than I ever have.” He met her smile. “I’ll show my father, my family, and the entire world that I choose not to compete. Not because of what my father has implied for the last five years.”

  “Which is?”

  “That I train because I’m not good enough to do anything else.” He stared, his shoulders high, hovering near his earlobes. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

  “Then I can’t wait to see you ride…but won’t a man with an ego the size of the planet say you did it because of him anyway?”

  He tightened his jaw. “Maybe. But I should have done this years ago, I just hadn’t met the right person to support me. To stand beside me. I needed someone to help me show that there is more to this story than family feuds and the great Canton fortune. I wanted someone who could show it’s about the horses I love. The feel of them, the power of them. The showmanship, the glory, the damn trophies and cash mean nothing.” He stared. “You’re the person I’ve been waiting for.”

  Her smile dissolved as her heart beat hard and her hands turned clammy. His eyes were alive, challenging and drawing her in with his need. “So what is it you think I’ll write?”

  He pushed to his feet and held out his hand. Having no other choice and not to make herself look afraid of him, Caroline slowly rose from her chair and slid her palm against his. “What?”

  He tugged her closer and slipped his hand onto her waist. “I want the people to know what that man did to me and my mother. He didn’t win all those medals on his own. An entire team he’s never acknowledged helped him. I want my father to apologize. Not to me, but to my mother and the millions of British fans he took for granted.”

  Caroline smiled, tension melting from her shoulders. “I can do that.”

  He brushed his lips across hers. “Good.”

  Her stomach knotted. God, he was far, far too much the whole package. Testosterone and muscle, sex and passion…

  He pulled back. “You made me want to do this now. I like you. I like you a lot.” His eyes flashed fire as his gaze roamed over her body. “I’d like to think maybe we could see each other after this is done. You’re the first woman in a long time that has distracted me from my career. The question is, can I distract you from yours?”

  Caroline stared as her body hitched with excitement and her nipples tightened. Sexual intention oozed from his tone, the connotation rife. She pulled back her shoulders, trying for at least a modicum of self-respect, even though she already wanted his cock inside her again. “Maybe.”

  A soft smile curved his lips. “Good. Then we understand each other. How do you feel about me teaching you to ride?”

  She froze. “What? I couldn’t possibly…I can’t—”

  “I want you to feel, touch, and love my horses as I do. I want you to write about my world and mean every word. What happens after that is up to you.”

  “Why do I need to learn to ride to do that? I’m on your side.”

  He shook his head. “I want more than that. I need you to understand.”

  “But—”

  “More should come from this than flipping the finger at my dad. I need you to understand my passion for horses. I don’t think you can do this, promote what trainers do…what I do if you don’t get it. Would you do this for me? Please?”

  She swallowed, her heart racing and her mind whirling. “This is one story, Michael. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay in Fayre Mead. I want London and everything it has to offer.”

  Their eyes locked. “Okay, I respect that. But can I teach you to ride, at least?”

  “But your father’s coming tomorrow.”

  He smiled and hesitated for the briefest moment before he brought his mouth to hers. His tongue slid against hers softly and she groaned, her body instantly responding to him He hitched her closer until her breasts burned against the rock hard plane of his chest. After a moment, their lips parted.

  “We still have tonight.” Michael grinned.

  Chapter Eight

  Michael glanced behind him and bit back his smile as he led Caroline and one of the non-competing horses from the stable yard. Adrenaline pumped through his blood and pride filled his chest. They’d driven from his apartment back to the stables and, the fact she was willing to try to experience something she’d never done before, hitched his attraction to her to another level.

  The back of the stables led to miles and miles of open country and he had every intention of showing her what riding was really about. The shows, the contests, and rivalry were only a small part of what owning horses meant. For the most part, it was the sense of freedom and elation these wonderful animals provided. There was nothing like riding in the open air. Nothing.

  She stepped ahead of him as they left the yard and the fields came into sight. He studied her and his groin tightened. She’d changed from that dangerous and sexy sleek black dress into a pair of women’s riding pants they’d found laundered and folded in the stable storage room, and paired it with one of his plain white polo shirts and she looked phenomenal. If he’d been asked which outfit made her more of a temptation…he couldn’t have answered. God, she’d look amazing in a damn blanket.

  He swallowed at the image of Caroline’s naked curves wrapped in thick fleece on his living room carpet. The woman had well and truly caught him in her web. Trouble was, he had no idea if it was her or the timing that sparked the animalistic need to prove himself to her, to dominate her, to show her that he was his own man regardless of what she—or his father—had planned for him.

  Timing was everything. Timing meant the difference between one decision and the next. One outcome and another. Michael narrowed his eyes as he stared across the open fields. Somehow, Caroline had become vital to his next decision. Did he allow a father he’d once loved but now despised back into his life? He couldn’t deny his father’s skill on a horse, but he was still proving to be ruthless in his desires. How could Michael allow a man who destroyed everything in his path back into his life?

  He shook his head to clear it as they came to a stop at a closed iron gate. Caroline continued to stare ahead as he studied her tense profile. He’d no idea if putting her on a horse was the right thing to do, but something compelled him to try. He sensed deep inside that she would love every second of riding.

  Until he’d seen her in the arena just a few days before, he’d only played with the idea of competing. But now, with her determination and tenacity bl
ending with his, it was something he had to do. Something he could do if she believed in him, which was as unsettling as anything else he’d faced in his life. He was a loner. A man who didn’t trust others easily. But the only way she could see what he was capable of was for her to experience it with him.

  He turned to face her, passion burning in his gut. “Here, we can ride properly. Show you true equine power.”

  “I really don’t know what I’m doing.” She seemed struck by the dark, open land ahead of them.

  It was ten o’clock on a warm September night and the sky grew darker by the minute, stars appearing one by one like tiny flakes of snow.

  “You’ll be all right, you know. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  She looked at him, her beautiful eyes wide in the semi-darkness. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. The fact you need to say that.”

  He smiled at the undeniably shaky tone of her voice.

  “You shove me into riding pants and boots, I can hardly see ten feet in front of me, and you’re holding on to a horse that looks all kitted out for a run. I want to sprint in the other direction, to be honest.”

  He grinned and took her hand, pulling her close so that only inches separated them. “I am about to change your life, Miss James. Why not enjoy the experience?”

  She darted a nervous glance toward the open field, the skin at her throat shifting. “Change my life? Or take it?”

  He laughed and kissed her pouty mouth before he could stop himself. Time stopped as he breathed her in. She smelled of something flowery and, for better or worse, Michael sensed she belonged in his arms in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by trees and open air. Why would anyone want to go to the city and be engulfed by smog and chaos when they could be a part of this gorgeous, English country vista instead?

  He pulled away from her warm body and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, letting his knuckles graze the curve of her neck and then lower over the exposed and delicate ridge of her collarbone. “You’re going to love it. No one can enjoy sex like you and not appreciate the raw power of a horse.”