Leaping Hearts(64)

“Most people have,” Devlin replied.

She beamed, missing the point.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to dance with A.J.,” Devlin said.

“There’s time for that later,” Regina dismissed. “You really must come and meet—”

“A.J.?” He held out his arm.

Regina blinked as if she’d been addressed in a foreign tongue. “But surely—”

Devlin smiled and began to lead A.J. away.

As they left, Peter grabbed her arm. “You should make sure you’re here for the speeches. You might hear some news of interest.”

A.J. shrugged him off. With Devlin at her side, she had more important things to think about.

As soon as she and Devlin were on the dance floor, she felt familiar arms come around her and pull her close. Despite their clothes, her body responded as if they were skin to skin and she felt him harden. Heart in her throat, she allowed herself the dangerous pleasure of leaning into him and smelling his cedar soap.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he groaned against her ear.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She was too caught up in the moment, in him. She told herself they needed to talk first but the sensible voice was drowned out. Just for one dance, she thought. And then we’ll find someplace to go.

Too soon, the song came to an end, and he said, “Where?”

But before A.J. could answer, Regina stepped up in front of the musicians, spreading her arms wide and smiling like she was a featured act in Las Vegas. Devlin and A.J. got trapped by the crowd as it came forward.

“Thank you all for joining us here on this very special evening,” Regina said, beckoning to Garrett with a glittering hand. He joined her reluctantly.

“Garrett and I are so appreciative that you have graced us with your presence.” She said this even though no one in the room would have dared turn down the invitation and she knew it. A-list parties were A-list parties. You went or were never asked again.

The crowd began shifting and A.J. spied Peter working his way toward his mother. Someone was following close on his heels but she couldn’t see who it was. When they came into view up front, she saw that it was Philippe Marceau. Behind the Frenchman was an impossibly tall, leggy blonde with more highlights in her hair than her eyes. With Peter, the two joined Regina and Garrett in front of the audience.

“The Sutherland name has been tied to a great number of successes,” Regina was proclaiming. “And I’m proud that the next generation is following suit. My son, Peter, who has built up Sutherland Stables as a force to be reckoned with in the horse world, is about to announce an important new relationship.”

A.J. stopped breathing.

Peter took center stage. “I’m thrilled to introduce to all of you the new star of Sutherland Stables, the man who is going to take us to victory at the Qualifier, Philippe Marceau!”

There was a smattering of applause. Most of the people in the room were businessmen and, though there were some people from the horse set, they were owners, not riders. Only competitors would really care about the new addition to the Sutherland team and A.J. had to wonder why Peter was using her father’s birthday party to put out the message.

Unless it was to get at her.

And then it made perfect sense.





11


AS PETER’S eyes sought out A.J. in the crowd, she thought the happiness on his face was misplaced and wondered how long it was going to take for him to find out his new breadwinner was a booby prize.

“Sutherland Stables is more than a loose affiliation of riders and owners,” he was saying. “We are a family business in every sense of the word, because champions are all related in spirit. The bond between those of us who seek excellence is stronger than blood—which can be far less reliable.”

A.J. shook her head, surprised at his remarks. Marceau wasn’t known for being faithful. The man’s professional loyalties were no more constant than those he offered the women he bedded and discarded with the morning paper. He’d bounced from one stable to another since the day he’d turned professional, always because he felt his unique talents were being underappreciated. In fact, people on the circuit ran a betting pool whenever he started somewhere new. The winners typically put their money on dates within the calendar year. She could have sworn Peter knew all this.

But even if it was a bad idea for the stables, seeing Philippe Marceau standing under those lights with her stepbrother made her blood boil. To have been summarily thrown out with Sabbath only to be replaced by the notorious Frenchman was insulting. Subconsciously, she flexed her arm. It was still acutely painful and she’d intended to go back to the doctor’s in a few days, but now she felt an urgent need to get back to training. Courtesy of her stepbrother’s pronouncements, she was more determined than ever to win and she wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer.

Turning to Devlin, A.J. looked at him for a long moment. In spite of his intense expression, the eyes that met hers were steady and warmhearted. She wasn’t sure what the future held for their relationship but she knew she needed to go back to work. And she needed him at her side.

She told him, “I’m back tomorrow. And make sure there’s water in that ring.”

He nodded and she saw relief in the rugged lines of his face.