The Rival. Joanne Rock

       Pull it together.

      Regina cursed herself for finding anything remotely attractive about a man she knew to be her enemy.

      Tall and leanly muscled, Devon carried himself with athletic grace in dark jeans and a fitted black parka. A gray ski cap covered his light brown hair, the knit fabric framing thick eyebrows and pale green eyes. With sculpted features, he was handsome in a way that should have been boringly traditional. Except there was something undeniably compelling about the way his eyes followed her. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who paid attention to every random woman in his field of vision. She’d had time to observe him unnoticed, and he was normally all business. Yet, around her, she felt the heated spark of masculine interest.

      She put the bay in motion. The hoofbeats were softened by the layer of snow sticking on the trail back to the main lodge at Mesa Falls Ranch. The wind picked up, swirling flakes that tickled her cheeks. She appreciated the icy kiss on her skin, needing something to cool her frustration.

      Her keen awareness.

      She’d worked too hard to get close to him to lose focus now. Her whole point in bringing Devon a mount had been to talk to him. Earn his confidence. Instead, the moment he’d gotten close to her, she’d felt the most bizarrely unexpected reaction to him.

      Blatant physical attraction.

      It would have been unsettling enough if it had been one-sided. But Devon’s comment about liking a challenge hadn’t only been about the horses.

      Breathing out slowly, she told herself to let go of the moment and focus on salvaging this time with Devon. His younger brother and business partner, Marcus, was leaving the ranch today with the COO of Salazar Media, Lily Carrington. The pair had fallen in love and spent so much time together during their stay at Mesa Falls Ranch that Regina had had no opportunity to get near Marcus.

      Devon was her last chance to find out how much the Salazar family knew about their father’s book. She’d risked her cover to eavesdrop on a conversation between the brothers the week before, enough to learn that Marcus and Devon didn’t trust each other at all even though they were business partners. And that fact alone called into question everything that had transpired between them.

      They’d spoken like they didn’t know about their father’s book. But could one—or both—of them have been lying?

      One thing was certain: she wasn’t going to learn any more if she didn’t try to get to know Devon better.

      Slowing her horse’s step, she waited until he was close to her again. She noticed he allowed her to keep the lead, however.

      “You ride very well,” she observed lightly, daring a glance toward him as they followed the Bitterroot River toward the lodge. “Did you grow up around horses?”

      He stared out through the snow-covered field where a few deer picked their way back into a thicket.

      “Not really. I went to school with a guy who lived on a Kentucky Thoroughbred farm and I spent a couple of summers with his family.” He pointed toward the woods where the deer had disappeared. “Look. The fawn wants to come back and play.”

      Sure enough, the smallest of the deer hopped out into the field again, running in a circle before it darted back into the trees in a flash of white tail. She felt herself smiling along with Devon until she remembered she had to keep up her guard.

      “Now that I know what a strong rider you are, I’m all the more determined to take you out on one of the trails while you’re here.” She figured a little flattery couldn’t hurt her cause. “You must want to see the full spread of the ranch while you’re preparing for the launch party?”

      “I do.” He turned those pale green eyes her way, his expression serious. “As long as you’re my guide.”

      Her heart pounded harder.

      Only because she was circling the enemy, damn it.

      She ground her teeth together. Focus.

      “Deal.” She forced a smile as they rounded the last bend before the main lodge came into view. “Name a time. I actually need to put in more trail ride hours myself, familiarize myself with the place, before Mesa Falls Ranch opens to the corporate retreats at the end of the month.”

      “How’s tomorrow morning?” His breath huffed a cloud in the cold air as he spoke. “I can clear my calendar and spend the day taking in the sights.”

      “Excellent.” She’d have Devon all to herself. Surely she’d find out something about his father and what kind of relationship Devon had with the man who’d used Regina’s family secrets to make a fortune. “Should I meet you at your cabin?”

      “I’ll come to the stables.” He nudged Nutmeg in the flank, turning her toward the lodge. “You can help me choose the right mount.”

      “Of course.” She wondered if his knowledge of horses was better than hers. She’d had to exaggerate her skills a bit to land the trail guide job. “We can have the kitchen pack us a meal if you think we’ll stay out through the lunch hour.”

      “Absolutely.” Devon nodded. “I had a lot on my plate when you first mentioned the idea of a trail ride, but I’ll be ready to give you my full attention tomorrow.” Slowing his horse to a halt, he let his gaze linger on Regina. “In fact, I look forward to it.”

      She stared back at him for a moment too long, trying to read the undercurrent between them. Trying to ignore the pull of attraction.

      “Sounds good,” she said finally, needing to stay polite. Professional. Friendly.

      No matter that her feelings for him veered between suspicion and simmering awareness.

      Dismounting, he turned to stride into the lodge for his meeting, leaving Regina to bring Nutmeg back to the stables. She watched him walk away, his dark boots leaving an imprint as he charged through the coating of powdery snow.

      Tomorrow, he’d promised her his undivided attention. That had potential for her investigation into what the Salazar heirs knew about their father’s activities. But he’d also made it clear he was interested in her, and that complicated things considerably. For some reason she was okay deceiving him about her identity, but not okay using the attraction between them as some sort of bargaining chip.

      She’d have to find a way to get the answers she needed without succumbing to the draw of the man.

      And even after spending only ten minutes with Devon Salazar, she knew that wasn’t going to be easy. But failure wasn’t an option. One way or another, Regina would find out where the profits from Alonzo Salazar’s book were going. If it turned out Devon Salazar had benefited financially from the wreckage of her world?

      She would use everything in her power to make sure he paid.

       Two

      Regina stayed up late and awoke early, wanting to ensure she was well prepared for the outing with Devon. She had studied everything she might possibly need to know for the trail ride—weather conditions, interesting sights along the way, a refresher on the native plants and animals. She’d also spent some time rehearsing a few basic details of her cover story since she couldn’t reveal anything personal for fear of giving away her past as Georgiana.

      Now she was huddled inside the barn, checking the map on her phone so she didn’t get lost during the ride, when Devon arrived.

      “Morning.” The deep masculine voice warmed her insides even before she turned to see him standing under the arch of the doorway.

      Snow stirred behind him in a misty white cloud as he pulled on a pair of leather gloves. From his jeans and boots to his dark sheepskin jacket, he looked ready for the outing and not at all like her idea