the palomino. The horse submitted to her, but Eve felt the mare’s urge to run. She would need to ride most of the horses once a day, if not twice during the next weeks. And the whip—God help her. How was she going to get the whip away from Count Christo?
Eve returned the mare to her stall and walked to the separate building that housed the stallion. Black was Arabian and quite the handful. She would work with him first thing in the morning, she decided as she leaned against the wall opposite his stall where he paced restlessly. The good news was that he wasn’t beating down the walls of the barn.
She felt more than heard footsteps approaching and, even before she turned, her nerve endings went on alert. Turning, she saw Stefan’s strong, tall form. Emanating a restless energy and power that reminded her of the stallion, he wore black riding pants and a half-buttoned shirt. His gaze was intent. “I’m the only one who rides Black,” he said.
Eve refused to be intimidated. This was her job now. She would own it. “How often do you ride him?”
“Two or three times a week,” he said. “Hard.”
“He needs a minimum of five times per week,” she told him. “Look at how restless he is.”
“That’s because he’s a stallion,” Stefan said. “Are you questioning my treatment of the horse?”
“Of course,” she said. “That’s why you hired me.”
His mouth lifted in a half grin. “We’ll do Black my way.”
“For a week,” she said. “If he’s still restless, he’ll be ridden more often, and I’ll be the one riding him.”
Stefan chuckled. “You?” He shook his head. “He’s too much for you to handle. He was too much for the previous two men to handle.”
“We’ll see,” she said, confident she could handle Black. She was not nearly as confident about Stefan. She watched him as he approached the stallion. The horse seemed to immediately calm. Stefan placed a bridle and saddle on the horse. He led him out of the stall, mounted him and galloped into the distance.
Chill bumps rose on her arms at the sight of man and horse flying into the moonlight. There was a mystic connection between the two of them that she couldn’t deny. She felt a rush of excitement and tried to temper it with resolve. Stefan was a powerful man, but he had distractions. He wouldn’t be able to ride the stallion every day. He had other demands. It wouldn’t take long before she would step in as a substitute to help Black release some of his energy. Less than a week, she suspected, and she would be ready….
Exactly one week later, Stefan stared into the empty stall of his prized stallion and felt a stab of alarm. Where is Black? Has someone let him out? Escaped? He walked into the stall and stared at the walls. What had—
Realization hit him and his alarm shifted to anger. Eve had taken Black for a ride. She’d told Stefan her plans, but since he’d stated that he would be the only one to ride the stallion, he’d dismissed her statements. He’d assumed she would follow his orders. Frustration rushed through him as he glanced at his watch. He’d left his office later than usual for his ride this evening, but she still shouldn’t have defied his orders.
He paced from one end of the barn to the other, his temper rising with each step. Hearing the sound of hoofbeats outside, he immediately strode to the barn door. He watched in shock as Eve swung off the stallion and led him around the corral for a cooldown. Black loped alongside her as docile as a lamb. He heard her voice, low and somehow seductive, as if she were making small talk with the stallion.
As she turned around, Black glanced upward. The horse must have caught his scent. His ears prickled and he gave a soft whinney before pulling away from Eve and trotting toward him. Stefan felt a measure of satisfaction that Black had left her behind so easily.
“There you go,” Stefan said to the horse, rubbing Black’s sleek throat. “I’ve missed you, too.”
Eve, her hair escaping the long braid that hung down her back, stepped toward Black and Stefan. Her hands rested on her hips, her lips were firm and unsmiling.
“You were told not to ride him,” Stefan said, deliberately keeping his voice mild as he patted the horse.
“And I told you that he needs to be ridden more frequently. If you don’t do it, then I will,” she said. “You’ve only shown up twice this week. He’s been so restless it’s a wonder he didn’t kick down the walls of his stall.”
“It seems you don’t understand. What I say goes about Black,” he said, turning toward her.
She met his gaze. “But you still expect me to be in charge of his health, well-being, diet, etc….“
“Yes,” he said, relieved the impertinent woman was beginning to understand.
She nodded. “Okay. I quit,” she said and turned to walk away.
Stefan stared at her in shock, again. “Bloody hell,” he muttered under his breath. “You can’t quit.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Sure I can. You and I agreed that you would let me be in charge of running the stables. That includes Black. If you’re going to interfere with me performing my job—”
“Interfere,” he repeated, nearly speechless at her lack of respect. “As your employer, it’s my right to agree or disagree with how you conduct your duties. Particularly in regards to Black—”
“Not if your plan isn’t in the best interest of the horse,” she interrupted, surprising him yet again. With the exception of his siblings, very few people interrupted him. “And as far as Black is concerned, you’re not rational about him. Your insistence that you be the only one to ride him is ridiculous. You’re a busy man, leader of a country for Pete’s sake. You have obligations and responsibilities that are more important than making sure your favorite horse is getting enough exercise.”
“I don’t need you to inform me about my position. I make time to ride Black. It’s as much for me as it is for him,” he said, revealing more than he’d intended.
She stared at him for a long moment. “So is this about your ego, or about how going for a midnight ride saves you from the craziness of your position?” she asked softly.
He felt as if she’d stabbed him. What right did she have to judge him? His rides with Black were the only time he felt truly free.
“I’m not trying to step on your toes or prevent you from the pleasure of riding Black. I’m just being realistic. He’s a prize of an animal, smart, powerful and fast,” she said, glancing toward the horse. “But he’s full of energy and if he isn’t exercised more frequently he’s going to be miserable. I don’t think you want that.”
He clenched his teeth then sucked in a quick breath. “How did you do it? No one has been able to ride him except for me.”
She lifted her lips in a smile that made his gut twist. “That’s my secret,” she said. “I’m a horse whisperer,” she said in a self-mocking tone. “That’s why you hired me.”
“For the others,” he said.
“Hmm,” she said with a nod of understanding. “Looks like you have a decision to make. Let me know by morning, and I’ll take the first flight back to Texas.”
He caught her wrist as she turned around and she glanced at him in surprise. “You’re not getting out of the job that easily,” he said. “Ride Black, but do so at your own risk. I’ll let you know which nights I’ll ride him.”
Her gaze searched his face. “So you do have a reasonable bone or two in your body,” she said.
His lips curved in amusement despite the fact that he was still irritated with her. “Of course I do. I’m forced to be reasonable day in and day out with government leaders and advisers.”
“Which is why you