Page 25 of Riding High

Her lack of self-respect was a sharp, acid-tipped knife.Why did he feel more disappointed than usual?He’d spent thirty minutes, even less, with her.Nothing about her made sense.He gripped the bridge of his nose, pushing down hard.He needed to get this done and leave.‘Just know that if you steal from him, we will press charges.And don’t bother trying to sell any pictures of the house or Troyden, he has an arrangement with the tabloids that he will buy the photos for double what they offer you.It’s a waste of your time.’

She tipped her head to the side.‘Good to know,’ she murmured.‘I’m learning so much this morning.’

Despite the yoga session, the headache he’d woken up with had yet to dissipate, and he needed a handful of paracetamols.He’d delivered the warning speech, what she did now was up to her.And Troyden, he supposed.But God, he hoped she was a flash in the pan rather than a long-term fascination.He couldn’t cope with seeing her across the breakfast table, fresh from his stepfather’s bed.Ugh, was that bile on his tongue?

Eden stood and handed him a flat smile.She held her index finger in the air.‘Would you give me one moment?I’ll be back in a minute…’ She looked behind her and scrunched up her nose, a completely adorable gesture.No,fuck, nothing about this, or her, was adorable.‘It might take a few more minutes because the house is big.But stay right here, okay?’

He frowned at her, sensing heat behind her too-chirpy tone.Something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.Before he could tell her to stop wasting his time, to assure her that she had nothing to say that he wanted to hear, she slipped through the French doors into the summer sunroom.He lost sight of her when she walked into the hallway.

He glanced at his watch.He had stuff to do, for God’s sake.After breakfast, he planned to put a new pony through its paces.Then he was joining Kit, Mateo and the rest of the team in the state-of-the-art gym in the basement of Elmsleigh House for their trainer to assess their fitness.Later this afternoon, they’d do stick and ball training.

The season was fast approaching, and he fully intended his team to be the top-ranked British polo team.It was up to him to make that happen because anything less was unacceptable.

A bumble bee buzzed over his hand and the smell of the wild roses in the bed below drifted past his nose.He inhaled deeply.Summer was just around the corner and soon he’d be immersed in the fast-paced game.Polo meant sore muscles and injuries, suntanned skin, and charging across fields on an ultra-responsive pony that enjoyed the game as much as he did.God, he loved it.But he didn’t know how much longer he could compete at this level.At thirty-five, he was getting on, and his muscles ached more than they used to.

The thought of life without polo used to scare the shit out of him, but not so much now, not anymore.He’d played for his country for years, had made a ton of money off the sport and had lifted trophies all across the globe.No, retirement didn’t bother him anymore, especially if he could spend more time in his workshop, with the odd trip to buy horses for Troyden, or coaching the newbies and playing the odd match for fun.

Maybe this season, or maybe the next, would be his last…

He heard the sound of footsteps, looked into the pretty, feminine sunroom, and watched Troyden and Eden move toward him, a cinnamon bun in Troyden’s hand.Over her head, his eyes met Jed’s and he saw the ‘what’s this about?’question on his face.Jed simply raised one shoulder and Troyden continued to eat his pastry.

When Troyden stepped outside, Eden slapped her fists on her hips and lifted her slightly pointy, utterly stubborn chin.‘Please tell this cretin why I am here, Troyden,’ she asked with excruciating politeness and a heap of ‘fuck you’.

Where was she going with this?

Troyden swallowed his last bite, dusted his hands and slid his hands into the pockets of his linen trousers.‘Are you sure about that?’he asked Eden, frowning.‘When I invited you to move in, you said you didn’t want anyone to know.’

She sent him a hot glare.‘Oh, that was because I never imagined I would be mistaken for a gold-digger,’ she said, her voice tight.

‘Ah, damn.I didn’t think about that.’Troyden glanced at him and Jed caught the amusement in his eyes.Oh, Troyden was enjoying himself immensely.Jed loved him, but he could, on occasion, be an arsehole.

‘Just tell him, Troyden,’ Eden stated, annoyed.

‘Eden is my niece, my brother’s daughter.’

What?

‘I uploaded my DNA onto a genealogical website that connects long-lost family members,’ Troyden explained.‘Eden was my only hit.’

Jed rubbed his jaw, struggling to make sense of his words.Eden wasn’t Troyden’s lover or girlfriend?

No, this had to be bullshit.His deeply cynical outlook reasserted itself and he decided this was too good to be true.‘And I presume you’ve done additional tests to make sure she is who she says she is?’he demanded, unconvinced by Troyden’s blithe explanation.‘Surely you’re not just going to take the website’s word for it,herword for it?’

‘Hey!’Eden protested.

‘It’s a reputable site,’ Troyden calmly replied.‘But because I’m not a total idiot, I did ask for additional testing.An independent lab confirmed we are related.’Troyden touched Eden’s shoulder.‘But I didn’t need the tests.As soon as I saw her, I knew: she looks just like my younger brother.’

Jed recalled the photograph of the Castle brothers in Troyden’s study.If he looked past their different eyes and colouring, he could see the subtle resemblance between Eden and Troyden.It was in their smile, the way they both lifted their chin when pissed.He closed his eyes and dropped his head.Right…fuck.

Troyden had a niece?A blood relative?And he couldn’t help feeling hurt– juvenile, but still– that Troyden had been looking for more family.Weren’t he, Mick, Kael and Alistair enough?Was blood really that important?It hadn’t been to the Duke…

‘So, I’ll take that apology now.’

Jed blinked at the steel-hard voice and opened his eyes to see Eden tapping her foot.He wasn’t the type of guy who took orders, so he simply looked at her.It was galling to admit that, in her position, he’d demand an apology too.But that didn’t mean one would easily roll off his tongue.

‘You accused me of being a gold-digger.’Her words held all the outrage of a Victorian maiden who’d been asked to join a threesome.In his defence, there was precedent and he hadn’t conjured the possibility out of the ether.

He jerked his head in Troyden’s direction.‘He keeps bringing them home.I try to scare them away.Some run; some stay.’