The Black Sheep and the Hidden Beauty Read online

  “You do that,” he said. “She looks good, Lenie. You’re doing a fine job.” His gaze flickered sideways to encompass their guest, then returned to her. “You want to walk me out? Anything else we need to discuss?”

  She knew he was offering her an out if she felt she needed one. Did he feel the crackling intensity in the air, too? Or was he just protecting her in that general way men of his generation did? She shook her head, though she was thankful for his sensitivity. It felt odd, but in a good way, to have someone looking out for her for a change. It had been a very long time since anyone had. “I think we’re good. Unless you need an escort out, I—”

  He smiled, shook his head, and gave her one last hug. “I can find my way. You take care of business here.”

  “Thanks, Kenny.” She pressed a kiss to his fleshy cheek, not minding the scratch of white stubble there. It reminded her of her father.

  He nodded his good-bye to Rafe, who nodded in return, then headed out of the barn, back toward the main stable where his truck was parked. It wasn’t until he’d cleared the building, and she was left alone with all that was Rafe in the cool, dim interior of the stables, alone and away from, well, everyone, that she wished she’d considered Kenny’s escape offer a bit more thoroughly.

  Putting as professional a smile on her face as she could, even while damning herself for feeling, even for a moment, like a two-bit farmhand in the presence of all of his immaculate gorgeousness, she brazened it out. “Riding lessons. Did…Kate send you down?”

  “Kate? No,” he said, a flash of confusion crossing his handsome face. “I managed to find my way down here all by myself.” The hint of a smile, so unexpected, as she’d never seen so much as a glimmer of one on him before, was really just too much.

  She needed a fan. Or a good, stiff breeze. Or…something. Dear Lord. It was ridiculous, the impact he was having. Awareness overload. And yet, there didn’t seem to be much she could do about it. He was probably used to it.

  “Well…okay, then,” she managed, hating being so flustered. She’d worked with and around men her whole life and had managed never to come across as a brainless twit. “I—I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I work more with training the horses. Not so much with people. Perhaps one of Kate’s instructors—”

  “You’re very good,” he said, rather abruptly. “With the horses, I mean. I’ve watched you.”

  I know, she wanted to say. Boy, do I know. “Thank you. I love working with them, but it’s always nice to hear that from an outside source.”

  His gaze had shifted beyond her to the barn and stalls lining the aisles. “I’m about as outside a source as there is. I know nothing about horses.” Apparently realizing that might sound insulting, he added, “But even a rank amateur can see that you handle them very well.”

  He was making small talk. Which didn’t quite fit with the image she’d developed of him. It made her wonder what was really going on, why he’d suddenly approached her. For lessons, of all things. Her defenses finally shifted more firmly back into place. “They are complex and intriguing creatures.” As are you, she could have added, but didn’t. He might wear his clothes with an elegant nonchalance that exuded an unspoken confidence, but there was that raw edge to him that was far more wild mustang than refined thoroughbred. Complex creature, indeed. “But, even so, they’re easier to figure out than people.” She hadn’t meant to give voice to that last part and braced herself as he swung his gaze back to hers.

  “I’ll agree with you there,” he said, looking directly at her again. “People are easily the most complex creatures on the planet.”

  Her body tightened under his steady regard. Intense was an understatement with him. Even up close, his eyes were midnight black, with a laser-like intensity that bore into hers in a way she’d never encountered before. She’d definitely be wise never to underestimate him, in or out of his element.

  “No matter how long you know somebody, you never truly know it all,” he finished.

  “No,” she said, damning the tight note in her voice. Just as with the four-legged animals she trained, the first rule with any animal was show no fear. But the second rule was show no overt aggression. A delicate balance at times. So she let her gaze casually, or what she hoped was casually, drift out toward the surrounding paddock, breaking his visual hold on her. Or at least hers on him. “I don’t imagine you ever really do.” Something she fervently prayed held true for her where he, or anyone else at Dalton Downs, was concerned.

  And then it occurred to her…was that why he was out here? Had he, or someone here, managed to find out something more about her past? Wouldn’t Kate have confronted her directly, though? She wasn’t sure how the hierarchy worked here with Trinity and Kate’s separate enterprise, but Kate didn’t strike her as the type to let someone else handle her personal business, much less dictate her hiring practices.

  “But I came out here to talk to you about horses, not people.”

  She tried not to slump in relief. “I’ll be glad to help you in any way that I can.”

  She glanced at him in time to see him set his jaw a little. As if he wasn’t quite sure how to broach what he wanted to say next. Nerves? She wondered what on earth a man like him could have to be nervous about. Couldn’t be her. She was quite comfortable in her own skin, and made no apologies for her lack of feminine wiles, but she was also well aware that nerve-inducing she was not.

  “Good,” he said, then shifted his weight a little before continuing. “You can teach someone to ride, can’t you?”

  “I—I suppose I could. If it’s just the basics you want, I can probably handle that.” Though any of Kate’s instructors would be better suited. Of course, maybe he didn’t want to ask a favor of them. She was the new hire, after all. “Can I ask why you’ve decided to take lessons?” She knew Mac and Finn both rode, as she’d seen the two of them, and Kate, head out before. She assumed, with his constant attention on her and the stables, that he rode, too, but apparently not.

  “I never had the chance to spend much time around horses growing up. None, actually, if you don’t count summer camp. I figure it’s time I changed that.”

  It struck her then, as she finally calmed down enough to look at the situation, and him, more objectively, that for all his apparent interest…he wasn’t exactly really enthusiastic about this whole idea. “Is it…job-related? Because your partners ride?” she asked, before thinking better of it. In the end, it didn’t really matter why he wanted to learn. In the Dalton Downs hierarchy, he ranked somewhere on the level of her boss, or higher, so from a professional standpoint it behooved her to do what she could to make him happy. Kate might not have sent him over here, but she’d very likely expect her employees to accede to any of the Trinity partners’ wishes.

  Thankfully, he didn’t seem put off by the question. Quite the opposite. “Finn grew up on horseback, probably rode before he walked, and yes, Mac learned last year, mostly so he could impress Kate. They go on these weekly picnic rides now and—whatever, that’s not important. I just thought it was a skill I should have, and, being as they’re right here, I’ve probably put it off too long as it is.”

  Elena tried not to smile. He was awfully chatty all of a sudden. His gaze moved from her to the occupied stalls nearby, then back to her. It was the first time she’d ever seen him as anything other than the enigmatic, intense, controlled man who observed her while she worked. The very idea that he was at all nervous about learning to ride charmed her. Just a little.

  “Are you all planning a horseback ride or event of some kind? I only ask because if there is a deadline by which you have to be a decent rider, or if there is something specific you need to learn, that would factor in to how we’d go about setting up your lessons.”

  She thought about her newly adopted work program with Bonder. And Springer’s demands on her time. And all the other horses she was responsible for taking care of, and wondered when she’d have time for this. Not that she had a choice.
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  “No time frame, no event. Like I said, I just want to expand my horizons a bit. In my line of work, you never know what skills might come in handy.”

  Which begged the question: what was it, exactly, that he did? She didn’t know much about Trinity, Inc., and, frankly, the less she knew about them and vice versa, the better. But now that it looked like she was going to be stuck spending time with him, perhaps it was best to do a little digging. Information was power, after all. A brand of power that, in the wrong hands, could definitely be used to harm her. But in her hands, could only help her. At the very least, it would help gauge just how safe and secure her chosen little hidey-hole really was.

  “I know I’ve been here for a little while now, but I’m afraid I don’t know all that much about what you do. I know you, Mac, and Finn run some kind of foundation, so I take it Trinity is some kind of charitable organization, but—”

  “We help people. But we’re not a charity, or a foundation.”

  “Okay.” She paused to see if he would elaborate, but he said nothing more, and she took that to mean her line of questioning was over. Perhaps for the best. Information was fine, but in hindsight, the more he offered, she supposed, the more she owed in return. Maybe the less they had to talk about, the better.

  As if to prove her point, he said, “How long have you been working with horses? I understand you work with racehorses as a rule.”

  She stilled briefly, surprised that he knew about her past. Not that it was a secret. Kate knew her work history when she hired her. Maybe it was common knowledge around the grounds—she really didn’t know, as she made a point not to engage in small talk with any of the other personnel. Still, it was more than a little unsettling to think that he’d been checking up on her, or asking about her. Her guard increased. “I do. Or did. It’s a tough industry to get a break in, though, and I wasn’t moving along the way I wanted to in my former situation.” It had been her stock answer to Kate. And Kenny. And anyone else who wondered why she’d left the industry. Still, she found it hard to maintain direct eye contact in the face of his rather intense focus. She doubted he missed much, and, after dealing with Kenny’s surprise visit, her guard was in need of a bit more shoring-up before handling this kind of test.

  “I’m guessing there aren’t too many women in your line of work.”

  “Not too many, no.” Before she could deftly change the topic back to him and the classes he wanted, he continued.

  “So, have you given up on it completely then?”

  She forced herself to maintain steady eye contact, but it cost her. She could only pray he didn’t see anything in her gaze that was less than forthright. “No, just taking a break. My horse is expecting, so I thought it was a good time to step out of all the chaos for awhile, regroup a little, and think about where I want to go from here.”

  “How is she doing? Everything going okay?”

  Her guard, already on alert now, leapt even higher. This was precisely the conversation she didn’t want to be having. She wondered if he’d overheard any of her talk with Kenny. Kate knew about Springer’s condition, of course—it would have been impossible to conceal. But Elena had been somewhat circumspect in sharing the rest of her horse’s background. Other than letting Kate know that she wanted to use her own vet, an old family friend, as her horse’s time neared, she hadn’t shared any specifics.

  Kate had seemed fine with everything, not suspicious in any way, but now Elena couldn’t help but wonder if there might be some ulterior motive for Rafe’s surprise visit. She was probably just being paranoid, but better to be overly cautious than simply to take everything he said at face value. She couldn’t afford to be less than vigilant where Springer was concerned. Too much was at stake.

  “She’s doing very well. It’s much calmer here and I have more time to spend with her.”

  “You worked for a good-size outfit, then? You mentioned it was chaotic,” he added, when she looked surprised by the question. “So I just assumed that meant it was a big operation.”

  She had to relax and respond as if this was just a normal, getting-to-know-you conversation, which it likely was. She just didn’t want anyone getting to know her, that was all. Especially this man, with his dark eyes and overwhelming intensity. He made her nervous and made her pulse race, all at the same time. “Yes, one of the premiere stables in the mid-Atlantic.” It wasn’t anything he couldn’t learn from Kate, but she really needed to get him off this line of questioning. She just wasn’t sure how to do it without appearing rude.

  “You’d think they’d have a pretty good setup for a pregnant horse. Assuming they breed horses.”

  She tried to maintain a casual air, but the longer he pursued this line of questioning, the harder it was to believe it was simply innocent. Kate had, of course, asked her about her previous work experience when hiring her, but how much Rafe knew, she had no idea. Elena had been as up front and open as possible when Kate interviewed her, and had told the truth. Just not the whole truth. Whether or not Kate had contacted her reference at Charlotte Oaks, she didn’t know. She hadn’t asked anything specific about Elena’s former employer, much less mention that she knew about the famous resident who’d had an all-too-brief stay there, and Elena certainly hadn’t brought it up.

  Kate had asked questions pertinent to her skills and training and her decision to work outside her chosen field, but she’d seemed satisfied with the answers. After two months here, she’d thought things were going quite well, but…maybe not. Maybe Rafe or Mac, or even Kate, had pieced things together, and now they’d come digging.

  She ruthlessly shoved that thought from her mind. She had to maintain a steady demeanor. “Yes, the owners were breeders first, racehorse owners second. But the two go hand in hand. No one wants the offspring of an untried mount, no matter how much promise he might have.”

  “Meaning you gotta play to win.”

  Her lips curved a little, despite the nerves jumping around in her stomach. “Something like that, yes.”

  “So why leave? Wouldn’t they have taken care of your horse during her gestation?”

  He was like a pit bull with this. It was unnerving. And he was unnerving enough, just standing so close. “They had a nice setup there, yes, but it was geared toward racehorses, which mine is not. And those facilities are for the horses they own. I was just an employee.”

  “Still, it seems like the level of care available would have been superior to anything you could get out here. I mean, it’s not like they’d refuse to help if she was in trouble, right?”

  She tensed. She really had to divert this line of questioning right now. So, she made an abrupt decision to go on the offensive. “I know you said she didn’t send you down here, but has Kate said something to you? About me? Or Springer—my horse?” she added, when he frowned.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s just—I hope you’ll pardon me for saying this, but you really don’t look all that excited about the prospect of getting on a horse. Is there another reason that you came down here? All these questions about my horse—”

  His lips twitched, but the amusement didn’t go anywhere near his eyes. “Perhaps the interest wasn’t so much in your horse, but in you.”

  Even knowing he was just deflecting her question—there’d been no evidence that he was coming on to her—his claim still made her pulse jump. “I wouldn’t think I’d be your type,” she answered, this time with complete honesty. Why not?

  He cocked his head, and now there was interest in those midnight eyes, but she couldn’t be certain exactly what the source of it was. “Perhaps,” he said, at least being honest about that much. “But, as you said, people are complex animals, and who can explain the reasons for attraction?” He moved slightly closer, hardly discernible, except she suddenly had a hard time breathing. “Watching you work out there, with that abused horse, was fascinating. You have a way with them that I find intriguing. And so it follows that I find you intriguing. Does i
t have to be any more complicated than that?”

  He was standing far too close—at least, that was the excuse she used for taking a slight step back. “I—I suppose not.”

  He didn’t allow the escape, minor though it was. A small step and he was even closer to her than before. “Besides, if I wasn’t here for riding lessons, or because I wanted you…then why else would I be here?”

  She didn’t even hear the rest of whatever else it was he said. She was still hung up on the because I wanted you part. Dear Lord. Where was that fan? Or a nice bucket of ice, maybe. When he turned it on, the heat was so intense, she felt scorched clear down to her toes. She had muscles quivering in places that she’d normally have to be naked to have quivering, and he hadn’t so much as laid a finger on her.

  And, God help her, in that moment, she certainly wanted him to lay fingers and a whole lot more on her.

  Trying desperately to shake herself free from such a spellbinding haze, she broke away from his intent gaze and turned to look out over the paddock beyond the open barn door. She didn’t care if she was being obvious, or rude. If she thought she could have fanned herself without him seeing, she would have. Her cheeks were probably bright pink. And other parts of her—well, she didn’t want to think about what other parts of her were doing. Instead, she was eternally grateful for her baggy bib overalls at the moment. Her nipples were so tight they hurt.

  “I don’t know,” she managed, her voice more of a croak than anything, which further mortified her. He was probably vastly amused, or, at the very least, used to having this effect on women. The thought didn’t help much, though, and she kept her gaze carefully averted while she once again scrambled to shore up her defenses. “That’s why I asked. Me being the new hire, maybe Kate is concerned about something?” She steeled herself and made an attempt at a casual glance in his direction, though it cost her. His gaze was still connected to her like a tracking beam on a heat-seeking device. She swallowed, but her throat was too dry to manage it. “If that’s the case, or if you, Mac, or Finn are worried about something, you can ask me straight out.”