turned toward the barn, nervous about seeing Enzo again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pilar open the door and let her dogs back out, apparently satisfied that Noni’s mongrels were safely away in the stables.
Antonia sighed, imagining the long hot summer ahead of her. With her brothers gone to London, there would be no buffer between her and Pilar. And she couldn’t even think about how things were between her and Enzo…
She had a sudden flash of Enzo’s eyes, dark with passion, as he pored over her body. She felt the heat rush to her face as she recalled the way his strong, rough hands had moved with such gentle assurance, teasing out reactions from her that made her squirm to remember.
She shook her head—trying to knock out the memories—and then looked toward the barn. She was sure he was already there. Maybe they could talk this through somehow…
* * *
Enzo sensed her presence before he saw her. He was alone in the office, looking over some new vendor information, when the air around him suddenly felt charged. He looked up, the skin at the back of his neck prickling in anticipation, and there she was, standing in the doorway, breathtakingly beautiful in faded jeans, work boots, and a low-necked gray tee. Her long silky hair tucked behind her ears. She was wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses, so he couldn’t tell if she was meeting his gaze or looking past him.
“Hello,” she said, excruciatingly polite. “How are you?”
He blinked. So she was going to play it like this. Pretend she didn’t care.
Her face was blank. He wished she would take off her sunglasses.
He suddenly wondered if she had been back in touch with her ex. He clenched his fists as he imagined her calling him from the hotel room, bereft, needing comfort, inviting him over…
He swore inwardly. If any of that had happened, he had only himself to blame, didn’t he? He was the one who left her there, upset and miserable. He was the one who walked out.
But then again, she was the one who had told him to go…
All of his intentions to keep a distance between them were suddenly pushed aside. “I feel like hell,” he said bluntly.
She finally took off her sunglasses, and the illusion of her being cool and in control was shaken by the dark circles under her eyes. She looked tired. And sad.
“Noni,” he said urgently, “I need you to tell me. Do you still have feelings for that man?”
Her face went pale. She bit her lip and stared at him, silent. He could see her struggling.
He took a step toward her. She took a step back.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. She looked away. “I should get to work.”
And she turned, shutting the glass door gently behind her.
He stood for a moment, imagining himself going after her, taking her into his arms, begging her to come back to him, saying all the things he had sworn to himself he would never say to her, truly making her his .
Instead, he allowed himself nothing more than a long moment of watching her walk away.
And then he turned back to the paperwork, more determined than ever to keep to himself.
Chapter Fifteen
A fter narrowly avoiding a bite from a temperamental stallion, Antonia desperately wished, yet again, that things had never changed with Enzo. She missed their old friendship, she ached to simply talk with him, and, at the moment, she needed their old work relationship as well. He usually helped her with the more sensitive ponies, holding their heads while she picked and shoed, soothing the horses that needed a little extra comfort.
But after what had happened in the office this morning, she could hardly ask for any version of his help.
She pulled the stallion’s hoof up between her knees and sighed. She had wanted to throw herself into Enzo’s arms when she had first seen him back in the office, tell him how sorry she was, what an idiot she had been. But just like in the hotel room, the specter of Jacob, and everything that had happened between them,
Antonia sighed, imagining the long hot summer ahead of her. With her brothers gone to London, there would be no buffer between her and Pilar. And she couldn’t even think about how things were between her and Enzo…
She had a sudden flash of Enzo’s eyes, dark with passion, as he pored over her body. She felt the heat rush to her face as she recalled the way his strong, rough hands had moved with such gentle assurance, teasing out reactions from her that made her squirm to remember.
She shook her head—trying to knock out the memories—and then looked toward the barn. She was sure he was already there. Maybe they could talk this through somehow…
* * *
Enzo sensed her presence before he saw her. He was alone in the office, looking over some new vendor information, when the air around him suddenly felt charged. He looked up, the skin at the back of his neck prickling in anticipation, and there she was, standing in the doorway, breathtakingly beautiful in faded jeans, work boots, and a low-necked gray tee. Her long silky hair tucked behind her ears. She was wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses, so he couldn’t tell if she was meeting his gaze or looking past him.
“Hello,” she said, excruciatingly polite. “How are you?”
He blinked. So she was going to play it like this. Pretend she didn’t care.
Her face was blank. He wished she would take off her sunglasses.
He suddenly wondered if she had been back in touch with her ex. He clenched his fists as he imagined her calling him from the hotel room, bereft, needing comfort, inviting him over…
He swore inwardly. If any of that had happened, he had only himself to blame, didn’t he? He was the one who left her there, upset and miserable. He was the one who walked out.
But then again, she was the one who had told him to go…
All of his intentions to keep a distance between them were suddenly pushed aside. “I feel like hell,” he said bluntly.
She finally took off her sunglasses, and the illusion of her being cool and in control was shaken by the dark circles under her eyes. She looked tired. And sad.
“Noni,” he said urgently, “I need you to tell me. Do you still have feelings for that man?”
Her face went pale. She bit her lip and stared at him, silent. He could see her struggling.
He took a step toward her. She took a step back.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. She looked away. “I should get to work.”
And she turned, shutting the glass door gently behind her.
He stood for a moment, imagining himself going after her, taking her into his arms, begging her to come back to him, saying all the things he had sworn to himself he would never say to her, truly making her his .
Instead, he allowed himself nothing more than a long moment of watching her walk away.
And then he turned back to the paperwork, more determined than ever to keep to himself.
Chapter Fifteen
A fter narrowly avoiding a bite from a temperamental stallion, Antonia desperately wished, yet again, that things had never changed with Enzo. She missed their old friendship, she ached to simply talk with him, and, at the moment, she needed their old work relationship as well. He usually helped her with the more sensitive ponies, holding their heads while she picked and shoed, soothing the horses that needed a little extra comfort.
But after what had happened in the office this morning, she could hardly ask for any version of his help.
She pulled the stallion’s hoof up between her knees and sighed. She had wanted to throw herself into Enzo’s arms when she had first seen him back in the office, tell him how sorry she was, what an idiot she had been. But just like in the hotel room, the specter of Jacob, and everything that had happened between them,
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