Page 46 of Polo Fever
He smiles into his mug. ‘Right.’
I lean back in my chair. ‘Would you ever play on the same team as Basilio?’
He almost chokes on his wine, spluttering and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘What? Why would I do that? I told you it didn’t work out so well.’
‘What if your dream team asked you to join them for a season? Would you turn it down just because he was on it, too? Surely, you could put your past rivalry aside to form an unbeatable allegiance.’
He laughs at my wording. ‘You make us sound like knights going to battle.’
‘Polo isn’t so far off that. Horses, long sticks, adoring waiting partners, and way too much testosterone – there’s definitely a whiff of ancient cavalry there.’
‘The sport of kings, they say.’ He sighs. ‘I respect Basilio as a player. We’d need to have some serious talks before I joined a team with him. We’d have to make sure we got it all out of our system. Why do you ask? Are you forming a fantasy polo league?’
I pick at the handle of my mug. ‘No. I was just curious since we were talking about how players switch teams somuch. I can see why most of you are friends off the field. It’s a small community and you don’t know who you’ll be playing with next.’
‘Mm.’ He nods. ‘If you’re a lead player, you can encourage your patron to sign someone you think is good. Lady M has always valued my input. You know I was in talks with Ambrose to join DQ last year?’
‘Seriously?’
‘But I feel a strong loyalty to this yard,’ he admits. ‘Eliza saw something in me long before anyone else did. The first time she ever saw me play, I was playing against Basilio and he was fire that day. He scored more goals than anyone. That’s what it was like playing with him when we were young – he was so brilliant, most people only saw him and no one else. That’s what makes him so cocky.’
‘How strange for a polo player,’ I remark sarcastically.
‘Don’t think too badly of us. Youhaveto believe you can win if you play professional sport,’ he points out. ‘Otherwise you never will.’
Serafina whinnies, kicking at her stall and making me jump. Mateo knocks back the contents of his mug before placing it on the ground and standing up to go over to her.
‘It makes me happy she’s doing so well,’ he comments, one hand gently scratching her cheek, the other rubbing the end of her nose. ‘William loved her so much.’
‘The Viscount? Lady M was saying how he made her promise never to sell her.’
‘Thank goodness.’
‘Otherwise you wouldn’t have the fastest pony in the yard.’
‘And you and I might not have met.’
I freeze, my mug halfway to my lips. Serafina snorts, pulling away from him, done with the cuddles for now. He leans on her stall door. I bring the mug to my lips and take a big gulp of wine, finishing it. I can feel his eyes on me and my heart is thudding loud and fast, my whole body tingling with anticipation and hope and fear. I place the empty mug down on the floor.
‘Top-up?’ I offer, unable to look at him.
‘Sure.’
Rising to my feet, I take a step over towards the wine bottle that’s next to his chair before I feel his fingers brush down my arm, landing at my wrist and staying there, my breath catching at his touch.
‘Ash.’
I turn to face him, hardly trusting myself to speak. Lifting my chin, I gaze up into his eyes as they desperately search mine.
‘Yes,’ I whisper, everything around us fading into a blur. It’s just me and him.
He takes my face in his hands and swallows.
‘I can’t… I can’t do this anymore,’ he says in a strained, hoarse voice.
‘Do what?’
‘Be around you all the time and pretend like I don’t want to kiss you.’
