, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Eve

ropped his front hooves to the straw just inches from

teady in the air, her g

ed his head and pressed his nose gently against Everlee's palm, l

ion. The stable hands stood ro

y lowered his outstretched hand, his e

erlee quiet and accommodating in his penthouse. He

n the inside of her lip, bitter

mbling muscles, quickly checked the girth on the sadd

an instinctive step toward her, hi

u do that? Since whe

g hand, she placed her left boot into the stirrup and swung

ring black stallion, she

demonstration? Get in the

f dozens of wealthy socialites, Ayla stiffened. She

ince Everlee offered to teach me,

rowning up at Everle

ned sharply. "Ayla is a beginner and her heart c

urse, she shouldn't have picked m

d Phantom out of the warm-up ring toward t

, she pretended to adjust her stirrup, covertly snapping a modified,

e stallion's powerful stride. At her soft click, Phantom surged forward like a bolt of

and Phantom sailed over three five-foot timber fences

loud whistle and cheered at the top of her lun

top rail. Behind his lenses, his gaze was locke

rlee like a plain, dependent ornament

athtaking grace while the crowd gasped in admirati

ced back and saw Jamison staring fixedly at

yla over the edge. Viciou

dense wall of twelve-foot boxwood hedges-a blind

d and cut straight across the infield grass, angling to intercept

oward the water jump, Ayla's horse suddenly barrel

d hauled back on her left rein to a

ind the tall hedges, Ayla swung her right leg out and drove th

spurted from th

bing pain in his hindquarters, the traumatized stallion lost all con

the saddle by the explosive force. She barely managed to shield her hea

Black spots swam across her vision, and a sudden, t

from behind the hedges with an empty saddle and bloo

erl

ulted straight over the wooden rail and bro

lled her horse to a halt and scrambled down from the saddle. She looked down a

erlee and deliberately brought the heavy heel of her riding boot

d her boot heel into Everlee's fingers

n, ice-cold sweat breaking out

arder onto Everlee's crushed hand as

make Jamison look at you again? Wait five seconds

ately stepped off Everlee's hand, dropped to her knees in the dirt,

and slow down?! Jamison, hurry! Everle

e violent cramps seizing her stomach, Everlee shot her left h

hidden spur..." Everlee gasp

nother few seconds. Dropping her crying act for a

te, who do you think Jamison is going

ng neigh tore through the air right behind them, an