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Dante led off at a canter, issuing information and instructions as he rode. His facilities were world-class. She had a rough idea of what a set-up like this must have cost. Her brother maintained a vast and well-equipped stud, but Dante’s equestrian centre was on another level again. He had built a full-sized polo club that would have sat proudly in any country, and there was the best accommodation possible for visiting horses, riders and grooms. She already knew about the veterinary hospital and exercise pools, because Gabe had pointed them out to her, but now she discovered there was an Olympic-size swimming pool for their human guests.
‘You live in some style,’ she commented wryly when they finally reined in.
‘Don’t you approve?’
‘It’s not up to me to judge you.’
‘But you do judge me, don’t you, Karina?’
Before she could reply, Dante turned his horse and was soon lost in the distance, a silhouette against the vast blue sky. He was like a dark angel, brooding and powerful, and for now she was left in pursuit. Urging her horse forward, she caught up with him.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked, riding alongside him.
Turning to slant an amused look at her, he chose to ignore the question. ‘You still ride well, Karina.’
‘I always could keep up with you,’ she commented dryly.
‘But you never used to be so suspicious.’
‘And neither did you,’ she pointed out. ‘But that was a long time ago, Dante.’
When neither of them had cause to be suspicious of each other, she thought as his black stare levelled on her face.
Relaxing in the saddle with just one hand on the reins, he shifted his weight almost imperceptibly and his big black horse took off again.
Leaning low over her horse’s neck, she gave him his head. At least riding was as good as she remembered. Her anxieties and suspicions remained, as did the ghosts from the past, but gradually she was relaxing in a way she had never found possible in the city. Maybe the pampas was where she had to be in order to lay those ghosts.
‘There you are,’ he murmured, when she trotted up.
‘You have a bigger horse,’ she pointed out logically, finding the pride of her youth, where competing with Dante was concerned, was still one hundred per cent intact.
He shrugged. ‘Change horses and I’ll still ride faster than you.’
She weighed up his stallion. ‘Would you care to put that to the test?’
They dismounted.
The stallion’s acceleration was phenomenal. It was like sitting on a rocket...or on Dante. Her laughter was carried away on the breeze. She hadn’t felt like this for years. She was soon well in front, with confidence thrilling through her. How could she have forgotten how good riding with Dante felt?
‘What?’
She gasped with outrage when he suddenly appeared in front of her. ‘How did you do that?’
There was no chance he could hear her. He was half a mile ahead. Whispering in the stallion’s ear, she left the big horse in no doubt as to what he had to do. She hadn’t raced like this with Dante since they had been kids riding wild on the range, and she’d have to brush up her skills, as well as the tricks they used to play on each other, if she was going to stand a chance of keeping up. Doggedly, she turned his big stallion in Dante’s direction, and when she finally caught up they exchanged horses without a word.
‘There must be a lot of things you want to ask me,’ he commented as they left their reins loose and allowed the horses to choose the way for a while. ‘Well?’ he prompted. ‘Or are you concerned I might do the same to you?’
His stare on her face was level and hard, and she realised how tense she could so quickly become under his scrutiny. Having picked up the reins and shortened them as if for flight, she was gripping them as if her life depended on it. She wanted to say something, make some excuse, but words wouldn’t come, and with a last cold and knowing look into her eyes Dante gathered up his reins and rode away.
CHAPTER EIGHT
KARINA WAS HOLDING out on him, and trust was essential if they were going to work together successfully. He’d replayed the night they’d slept together over and over in his head, and he was more confident than ever that he’d done the right thing. He could maybe have dressed things up a bit better, but he’d been younger then, and impulsive.
‘Dante?’
Karina was looking at him with concern.
