‘Well, yes, perhaps I did rather outstay my welcome.’
‘You were there for two years, Fox.’
Then suddenly Tobias’ face lit up with a flash of inspiration. ‘The Gate House! That’s it.’
‘What?’ replied Seamus and Dylan in unison.
‘Combine my business with the estate. Renovate the Gate House and sell it. It could fetch a fortune.’
‘Bloody hell, you’re right,’ agreed Seamus.
‘Sounds like a plan to me,’ said Dylan. He’d always loved the Treweham Hall estate and its many places they had played in as youngsters. It was here, right in the old stables, that he had first developed his love of horses. After encountering the Cavendish-Blakes’ thoroughbreds, he had been bitten by the bug and had longed for a career involving these magnificent animals. His grit, pure determination and natural competitive streak had led him to the world of horseracing. On impulse, he longed to go back to where it had all started.
‘Do you mind if I take a look at the stables?’ He also couldn’t resist sizing up other people’s horses. Plus there was a rather nice blonde he’d noticed earlier, sweeping up in the yard. Not waiting for a response, Dylan stood up and left the room, leaving Tobias and Seamus looking at each other in amusement.
As luck would have it she was still there tending to the horses when he jumped over the fence and made his way to the stables. She recognised him immediately. ‘Hello, Mr Delany,’ she gushed.
‘Please, call me Dylan,’ he smiled, giving her the full benefit of his white teeth and gleaming eyes. She blushed.
Embarrassed, she blustered, ‘Would you like a ride? Erm, my name’s Flora.’ He looked at her pert bottom in tight jodhpurs, and cleavage spilling out of a partially unbuttoned check shirt.
‘I’d love a ride,’ he answered, looking her full in the face. Flora gazed back in admiration; Dylan had been her hero since Pony Club. Now, at twenty, she was working in the stables as a groom and loving every minute, especially with the chance of meeting Lord Cavendish-Blake’s close friend the one and only Dylan Delany. And he was here! He moved closer and asked quietly, ‘Anyone in those stables?’
The penny dropped. Startled yet thrilled, she slowly shook her head.
‘No,’ she replied huskily. He pulled the band out of her hair, making it tumble over her face. She pulled it back hastily. ‘But I’m expecting Lord Cavendish-Blake to arrive any moment.’
Dylan, however, knew better. ‘Not for some time yet. He’s busy at the moment.’ Flora turned her head sharply towards the Hall, as if willing Lord Cavendish-Blake to suddenly appear, and her hair swung over her face again in a silky blond wave.
He found it incredibly sexy. He could just about see her eyes through the blond waves, her pupils had dilated and she was breathing deeply, making her chest heave up and down. He was home and dry.
‘Could you show me inside the stables?’ he whispered in her ear, gently licking her lobe. Flora’s sensations swam, totally mesmerised, yet she tried to hesitate.
‘I’m not sure, what if…’ But Dylan gently took her hand and guided her inside.
It was dark and warm. Hay bales were piled up against the walls. He took two and placed them on the floor. Turning to her, he slowly began unbuttoning the rest of her shirt, sighing with delight at the creamy breasts bursting out of a red silk bra. He dipped his head and kissed one, his tongue seeking the nipple and flicking it hard, making her gasp. His hands found their way inside her jodhpurs and stroked the pert bum he had so admired earlier.
‘Now, about that ride…’
