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The sound inside the room rose, and people began moving to crowd in behind where we were standing. The intercom system announced the Churchill Downs race. Trev moved in behind me, as if keeping others from getting too close.
“Do you have a favorite?” he asked.
Smiling, I knew my answer would throw him. “Shakespeare,” I replied.
He would think I’d looked him up and I was giving him this answer to flirt. When, in reality, I didn’t know the name of any other horse in this race.
His lips curled up slowly at the corners in a way that made my stomach flutter. “Did you do some research last night, Lollipop?”
Lollipop? I wasn’t sure I wanted to be called anything but my name. But then again, Lollipop was nothing like princess. I shivered, remembering things I tried to forget. That was behind me. I would move on and be stronger for it. Shoving those memories as far back in my head as I could, I focused on the here and now.
“Why would I do that? I was the one who ran off.”
Keep that ego in check, Trev. I’m not going to stroke it. You’re wasting time with the wrong girl.
“And I’m still wounded. Another kiss might make it better.”
I laughed. If only wounding this man’s ego was that easy.
A loud horn went off, and I turned my attention back to the track. The race had begun. I grabbed the rail in front of me as the energy in the room began to build.
“Which one is Shakespeare?” I asked, wishing I had paid more attention to Garrett earlier.
“Did you bet on Shakespeare?”
If he only knew how ridiculous that question was for someone with my lifestyle. He assumed I had money to bet on horse racing.
“No,” I replied with a laugh. “I don’t bet. But I do want him to win.”
“And why is that?” he asked, oozing of swagger that I was sure got him laid easily.
I shrugged, leaning in to see the horses rounding a corner.
“That one.” He pointed, caging me in with his body as he leaned over me. “The one in the lead.”
“Maybe I should have bet,” I teased.
The speaker’s voice caught my attention. “And it is going to be Shakespeare to win.”
The cheers went up inside the mansion, and I clapped my hands, then turned to hug Trev, caught up in the moment.
“If I kiss you, will I get slapped?” he asked.
I moved back away from him, but he didn’t take his hand from my waist.
“Most likely,” I replied but smiled to soften the warning.
He sighed with a look of mock defeat. “You going to tell me why you wanted Shakespeare to win?”
“Why? Did you want another horse to win?” I asked.
He smirked and studied me for a moment. “Come on, Lollipop. Let’s go down to the winner’s circle.”
Part of me wasn’t ready for him to know who I was. Having him flirt with me felt nice. Mom and I always traveled so much that it wasn’t until this past year that I’d had a real relationship with a guy. One that lasted six months. Pushing thoughts of Tyde out of my head before I went to that dark place, I focused on Trev and what had to be done. We could be friends, but even with that, I’d have to be careful. For all our sakes.
Three
Trev
Damn, she even smelled good. I leaned down a little closer and inhaled. I swore it was like a cupcake—or was it vanilla and lavender? Whatever it was, I liked it. I wanted more of it. She could pretend she hadn’t gone back to her hotel and googled me last night, but she’d given herself away with the fact that she knew Shakespeare was a Hughes horse. Maybe whoever she was here with had told her.
And who was that exactly? She’d run off before I figured out what man had brought her. He’d better be some fucking old dude. Both times I’d found her, she’d been alone and completely secure with that. Another thing I liked about her. She didn’t need people around her. She was fine with being alone. There was something badass about it that turned me on.
My dad was already at the winner’s circle with some new blonde I hadn’t met. I’d seen her on his arm last night. He’d mentioned a new girlfriend and wanting the family to meet her. Guessed this was going to be our meeting. He’d brought her to Kentucky. She must have come on a different plane. She hadn’t been on ours. Had he let her fly commercial? I found that unlikely. It was getting serious if he was introducing her to us, which meant she had probably gotten here on the smaller private jet. I might be getting a new mom soon. It had been a while. I guessed it was about time.
