Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“Wipe the stupid smile off your face,” Dev grumbled. “Look, I’m still almost positive this guy’s a duplicitous, scheming fraudster bent on destroying everything you’ve—we’ve—built…”
“But?”
Dev pushed past me to grab a currying comb. “But… he reminded me that maybe I should reserve judgment, that’s all. Sometimes people do things because they don’t think they have a choice.” He shrugged, his back to me. “Besides, Trigger likes him.”
“Oh, well, if Trigger likes him…” I rolled my eyes.
Dev shot me a look over his shoulder. “Go figure out what this guy’s story is, Sebastian. What’s his endgame? Why the fuck is he doing what he’s doing? And,” he warned, “for god’s sake, do it without listening to his project pitch. You’re already in way too deep with a guy you barely know. The only way you could make this clusterfuck worse is by getting into business with him, too.”
“I wouldn’t!”
“You would. If I know you—and I do—you’re already dying to know what his project is all about and whether it would be a good fit for Sterling Chase. Am I wrong?”
Damn it. I set my teeth. “Curiosity is not the same as commitment—”
Dev shook his head, clearly amused, and turned away again. “You wanted more time with the pint-sized liar, so go have your day in the sunshine. But I’m warning you, it’s not gonna last forever.”
SEVEN
ROWE
I freaking loved polo.
There were parts of the match that I hadn’t entirely followed—bumps and hooks and how the penalties were determined since, in my opinion, the blue team were a bunch of animals and the red team had been robbed. But by the final chukker, I’d been so excited that I’d pushed to my feet on the slanted roof, cheering my red players as they galloped down the pitch toward the goalposts in the final moments. Only Bash’s quick reflexes had saved me from tumbling to my doom Humpty-Dumpty style.
“Oh my god!” I exclaimed as he pulled me down by my waistband and my ass hit the metal roof. “Somebody needs to revise the Top Ten Most Amazing Feats in Polo History video with new footage because that was epic. Can you believe it?”
“Believe that you just attempted to jump up and down on a pitched roof while wearing those shoes? Fuck no.” Bash scowled, breathing hard, his hair glinting in the sunshine. “What were you thinking?”
“I… may have gotten a little caught up,” I admitted. “I do that sometimes.” I paused and considered for a moment and admitted, “Possibly all the time.”
“I didn’t know you were such a Kingmakers fan,” Bash said.
“A… what?”
Bash shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching up like he was trying to fight a smile but couldn’t. I really loved that look.
“The red team.” He lifted an eyebrow. “The ones you almost killed yourself over?”
“Ohhhh. The Kingmakers. Right, right.” A warm breeze ruffled my hair, and I wondered if I’d just done something unforgivably un-Sterling.
In fact, I had all sorts of questions. Like, which team was Sterling Chase supposed to have played on in the match today? Who’d covered for me? Where was my polo horse? Why hadn’t Bash mentioned any of that?
It was frustrating that I couldn’t ask without giving everything away.
“Er, I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, per se. I don’t follow the rankings. I just like to see an underdog win.”
“Me too.” Bash’s leg bumped mine, and my heart, which was already galloping from the thrill of the game, began to beat even faster with a very different kind of excitement. “The Kingmakers have a novice on their team this year, of course, which brought down their handicap.”
“Mmm.” I nodded sagely, like I hadn’t learned about polo handicaps mere hours before.
“I’m curious, though,” he went on, “how you knew they were the underdogs if you don’t follow the standings.”
“Oh. Their posture when they took the field.” I shrugged. “Kinda nervous and determined but subdued. And the first time they scored, they were really excited. You could see how unexpected it was.”
Bash’s smile spread and softened slightly. “You’re very unexpected, Rowe.”
The furious beating of my heart must’ve been contagious because my stomach began swooping and dipping like it was doing the tango. I couldn’t look at Bash without staring at his mouth, so I forced my attention back to the field, where the spectators milled around in the sunshine.
“Yes. Well.” I cleared my throat. “Unexpected in a good way, I hope.”
“I hope so, too,” Bash said cryptically.
I frowned and glanced at him, but he was already eyeing the roof’s access door. “You ready to go? I think it’s time for us to discuss a few things.”
A few things?
As in, things on my Quirky Billionaire to-do list for the coming week? Or as fraudulent identity things? Or as in… things that might come after the kiss in the barn earlier?