Page 69 of Riding High

He grinned at her poor American accent.‘Don’t give up your day job to become an actor, sweetheart.’

She chuckled, loving the fact that their banter could range from sexy to ridiculous in the blink of an eye.And back to sexy, as he took in her dress with its deep cleavage, showing the smallest sliver of a lacy bra the same colour as her dress.

‘But’—man, she hated that word—‘there’s no way I’m going to risk you sneezing and welting because of me.I’ve been on a horse or around horses since this morning.’

She was vain enough not to want to arrive at the garden party not only late, but sneezing, red-eyed and spotty too.She wrinkled her nose.Pooh.Jed opened his front door and gestured for her to precede him.‘I can take a shower and then get you off,’ he casually offered, tossing his phone onto the hall table.The hall table he’d made.Because the man had amazing hands and an even more talented mouth.

And yeah, she wanted an orgasm.Like right damn now.‘What about you?’she asked, her voice scratchier than she liked.God, she sounded horny.Okay, she was, but she really needed to up her cool game.

He tapped her nose.‘I can wait.Unlike you, I have a modicum of control.’

Bastard for teasing her.She stepped closer to him and placed her hand on his bulge, and he hardened beneath her, strong and sure.Yeah, that was more like it.‘Control, huh?’

He closed his eyes and pressed her hand against his shaft.‘Five minutes to shower and then I’m going to take you fast, Eden.You up for that?’

She felt a sneeze building and nodded.‘Hurry,’ she told him.

He swiped her lips, his tongue doing a too-brief slide against hers.‘Dress up, panties down,’ he ordered and turned to run up the stairs.

‘You touched me so don’t forget to wash your hands,’ he yelled.‘Your eye make-up is too pretty to sport allergy red eyes.’

Fair point.

* * *

Bythesea Hall and gardens was everything a ducal country house should be: huge, imposing and bloody impressive.Eden, standing in the rose garden– behind her was a maze and a knot garden– looked up at the Hall looming over them and shook her head.‘I’m glad I’m not the one who has to clean those windows,’ she murmured.‘How many are there, Henry?’

Henry, dapper in a grey suit, patterned vest and an open-neck white shirt, slid his hands into his pockets.‘Far too bloody many,’ he morosely replied.

‘How many bedrooms?’she asked.

‘Twenty-six,’ he reluctantly admitted.‘Most of which are closed up.’

‘You have twenty-six beds in that house?’

‘That’s about twenty-three too many,’ Henry said, and Eden saw frustration flicker across his face.

‘Only a duke with a massive house on a huge farm could say that,’ she said, thinking that she’d grown up in a two-bedroom flat and never once had had the room to herself.She’d always been expected to share her room with a child, or two, who needed a bed.

‘It’s not as wonderful as you think it is,’ Henry told her, raking his hand through his hair.‘It’s a bloody burden, to be honest.’

Yeah, because how hard could it be to have that much room?She patted his arm and grinned.‘You poor thing, being an actual duke with an actual title and an actual bloody great mansion to your name.’

Henry forced a smile and Eden frowned.Come on, surely he knew she was teasing?‘Did I say the wrong thing?—’

He shook his head, took her hand and squeezed.‘No, it’s okay,’ he replied, raking his hand through his hair.‘Sorry, it’s just been a long week.’

Eden’s eyes drifted over the hundred or so guests who stood around, sat on sofas, lounged in deck chairs or on garden benches.Waiters circulated with trays of nibbles– sushi and teeny-tiny sandwiches, one-bite sausage rolls and quiches– and endless trays of champagne.Soft drinks and hard liquor were available from the bar set up under the white, exquisite nomad tent.Staging this party had to have cost a fortune, Eden mused, but it was great publicity for next weekend’s polo match.

Inevitably, it would take a hefty chunk out of Henry’s bank account, but the publicity value was through the roof.She was so grateful, so she stood on her heels, took his hand and kissed his cheek.She squeezed his fingers.‘Thank you for doing this, Henry.You’re pretty amazing.’

He sent her an uncomplicated, friendly grin.‘I think you’re pretty amazing too.’

How could she feel absolutely zero for such a good-looking guy, when Jed just had to look at her and she melted into a puddle at his feet?Like earlier… After his shower, and super quick, freakin’ mind-blowing sex, he’d dressed swiftly.When she took in his outfit, her jaw had dropped a little.Okay, maybe a lot.

Jed in jodhpurs and jeans was sexy, but clean-shaven, and wearing beige trousers, an open-collared white shirt under a milk-chocolate linen jacket and trendy trainers, he looked like he’d stepped out of a photoshoot.A blue-and-brown patterned handkerchief peeked out of his jacket pocket, and she was reminded that, while he loved being in the saddle and his workshop, he’d grown up with wealth and was stylish to his core.

Talking of Jed, where was he?Her eyes scanned the crowds.He was tall, so he wasn’t hard to find.Footballer, footballer, footballer’s wife, fashion designer, Vince and Tara.