Page 34 of Riding High

Mick hauled in a deep breath and Eden knew she was on the verge of blasting her brother.While she appreciated her support, she didn’t want to be the reason Mick and Jed fought.‘It’s okay, Mick,’ she murmured, briefly squeezing her arm.

Mick huffed her displeasure.‘God, you’re annoying.Not you, Eden.Jed.’

‘Stay out of it, Mick,’ Jed repeated, his words full of steel.Before she, or his sister, could reply, Jed nodded at the kitten.‘Cute.Where did you find him?’he asked.

Mick scowled at him.‘Don’t BS me, Ugly.You know that Gem found it in a cardboard box on the doorstep this morning because you put it there!’

Jed lounged in his saddle, looking thoroughly at ease, like he’d spent his whole life in it.Which, in fairness, he probably had.‘I went to the village and heard it mewling.It was stuck between two bins and had lost its mum.’

After checking to see that the kids weren’t watching, he pulled his thumb across his throat, silently telling them the mommy cat was dead.

‘You should’ve asked me if the kids are ready for a kitten, whetherI’mready for a kitten.I’m a single mum working in a bloody busy practice, Jed, and I barely have time for all the shit I need to do, never mind adding a pet to look after.’

‘Then you shouldn’t have joined the organising committee for the charity polo match,’ Jed replied, sounding unsympathetic.

‘You volunteered me, you berk!’Mick yelled.She lifted her mug, and Eden knew she was thinking of throwing her wine-filled cup at his head.

He dug his heels into the pony’s side and backed two steps away.‘Not that I think you would be able to hit me if you let fly,’ he said, confirming her suspicions.‘But you might hit Padmé and that would piss me off.’

‘I’d never hurt an animal!’Mick shouted.‘God, you’re such an annoying shit!’

‘Mum, do you want to go sit on the naughty step?’Liam demanded, lifting his chin and looking like a wizened old man.‘You’re not allowed to yell, and you’re not allowed to swear!’

‘You owe us at least five pounds,’ Gemma added, reaching up to take her kitten from Eden.She immediately felt the loss as the kitten settled into Gemma’s neck.Eden knew the kids would start a world war if Mick tried to relocate the kitten.

Mick seemed to come to the same conclusion and sent Jed a look hot enough to burn through steel.‘I will get you back for this, you bastard!’

‘That’s six pounds.’

Jed smiled at his sister, his mouth curving up at the corners and showing a hint of a dimple deep in his left cheek.His smile was a punch to the stomach, a kick to the head.On seeing it, Eden felt wobbly and off balance, like the world had shifted off its axis, knocked off course.And with the disorientation came heat, lovely and liquid, sliding through her veins, burning a path to her womb and to her long-neglected lady parts.

This was attraction, deep and dangerous.She finally understood how men could be lured off the rocks by the siren call of mermaids, because, damn, when Jed Harris smiled like that, she’d follow him anywhere.And hoped that there was a bed on the way.Lots of beds.

Or walls.

Desks.

Hell, any flat surface would do.

‘See you later, guys’ Jed said, his big hand stroking Padmé’s strong neck.Eden could not believe she was jealous of a horse.A horse that would make her sneeze and erupt in spots.

And because this was her crazy life, she released a series of explosive sneezes.When she stopped, seven or eight embarrassing seconds later, she raised her watering eyes to look at Jed.Damn, he was still there.

‘I’ll see you around, Sneezy.’

Great, now she had a nickname.She was vastly, ridiculously, stupidly, insanely attracted to a man who thought of her as one of Snow White’s dwarves.

Excellent.

‘It’s a good thing I’m leaving tomorrow,’ she muttered, watching him trot away.

‘What?’

Oh, crap, she didn’t mean to say that out loud.Right, now she needed to explain to Mick that her time at Elmsleigh House had come to an end.She’d tell her Croatia was calling, that she’d made plans and needed to stick to them.

She wouldn’t tell her she was so, so tempted to stay and that given the smallest excuse, just might.

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