Her Three Liberators [The Hot Millionaires #6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (7 page)

“Morning, Steffi,” Harry said cheerfully. “Lovely morning.”

“It was,” she muttered beneath her breath.

She was furious when her gaze drifted toward Jonny without her permission. He looked so goddamned sexy in his sculpted-on jeans and cowboy boots, good enough to eat. Except she had no interest in eating any part of him. He tipped his hat to her, a complacent smile playing about the lips that had so efficiently kissed her the night before. A dangerous light glinted from his eyes, implying he knew a damned sight more about the morning to come than she did.

“Haven’t you guys got businesses to run?” she asked, gathering up Hamlet’s reins and swinging lightly into the saddle.

“Nope,” Brad said, mounting the chestnut tethered to her right.

“All taken care of,” Harry said.

Predictably, Jonny said nothing. He was probably trying to project an image of brooding moodiness, she thought sourly, assuming she was shallow enough to be so easily impressed. Aware that she’d never get rid of them, even if she said she didn’t want their company, she turned her horse in the direction of the path that led to the lower pastures and set off at a brisk trot. Hamlet was immediately flanked by the brothers. Proficient horsemen, all three of them effortlessly kept pace with her. She gave her horse its head as soon as they got to the flat expanse close to the river. She still couldn’t shake them off. Damn them, she loved the isolation of riding alone, enjoying the rich diversity of the Virginian countryside. They were intruding on her personal space and she wasn’t the least bit happy about it.

Except they weren’t intruding—not really. They didn’t speak and allowed her to set the pace. Their presence felt protective rather than intrusive, but she refused to be placated. She didn’t need protecting—not from them, or anyone else. She just wanted to be left the hell alone.

They reached a plateau where she usually dismounted, gave her horse a rest, and admired the view. She obviously couldn’t do that now. They’d think she wanted their attention. Once again they preempted her by leaping from their horses’ backs and letting them free to graze. She’d never get Hamlet to go back alone. He’d want to join his buddies and make the most of the spring grass. With little choice left to her, Steffi dismounted and turned Hamlet free.

Ignoring her posse of protectors, she wandered a short way away from them and sat down in a hollow, leaning her back against a large rock. In spite of her best efforts to ignore them, anticipation roiled through her. She forgave herself for that. She was only human. Steffi was pleased not to have exchanged a single word with them since leaving Porlock, but since most of that time they’d been riding at a breakneck pace, that wasn’t any great achievement.

“The view hasn’t changed much,” Harry said, resting one booted foot on the rock next to her leaning place and glancing with obvious appreciation over the surrounding countryside.

Steffi said nothing.

“I can smell rain in the air,” Brad said, throwing his head back and sniffing like a bloodhound.

Steffi ignored him.

“Makes you wonder why we don’t come home more often,” Harry observed. “All this at our disposal, but we’re too busy to find time for it.”

Steffi glared at the view without seeing it, wondering if and when Jonny would join in this transparent attempt to make her say something. She almost smiled when it occurred to her that none of them were used to being blanked.
Welcome to the real world, guys.
They were far too full of themselves and needed to be made aware that not every female on the planet was vulnerable to their questionable charms.

“Yes, sir,” Brad said. “You can’t buy this sort of tranquillity. All this communing with nature shit is good for a man’s soul.”

If he has one.
Steffi’s thought remained unspoken. She could see Jonny in the periphery of her vision, staring into the distance, taking no part in his brothers’ guileless chatter and even less interest in her.

“Sure makes you wonder about stuff,” Harry the geek said, leaning close enough that she couldn’t fail to see his wink.

Steffi closed her eyes, not about to fall for that one. It did the trick and Brad and Harry finally stopped making inane comments. A tense silence, broken only by the jingling of the horses’ bridles as they chomped at the grass, ensued. Steffi refused to break it. They’d invited themselves along. It wasn’t up to her to entertain them, and if she continued to ignore them, then presumably they’d eventually get the message that she wasn’t interested.

“How’s Daniel this morning?”

The sound of Jonny’s deep voice caused Steffi’s eyes to fly open.

“Tired after last night,” she said. “He has his lawyers coming this morning.”

“Hope they don’t keep him long,” Brad said.

“Daniel sets his own agenda,” Harry reminded his brother. “Whatever he wants to talk to them about, he probably has it all set up.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Harry stretched his arms about his head and yawned. “Thanks for sending the medical records through, babe,” he said. “I’ll get onto that this afternoon.”

Harry had chosen
the
only subject guaranteed to get her attention. “Do you think there’s any hope?” she asked anxiously, relieved to be able to share her concerns over Daniel with others who cared probably more than she did.

“There’s always hope,” Harry said, “but I’ll know more when I’ve spoken to my buddy.”

“Speaking of knowing more,” Jonny said, sprawling his long body on the grass beside her. “You have something to tell us.”

He smelt of fresh air and musky aftershave, except he hadn’t shaved. There was a day’s growth on his chin that suited him. She wondered if it would feel abrasive, rasping against her face as he kissed her, as he…
Hell, don’t go there!

“Do I?” she countered coolly.

“Richard,” he said in a hard tone. “The guy you think is screwing things up for your precious horse.”

“Ah, yes, him.”

Steffi took a deep, fortifying breath, aware of three pairs of intelligent eyes regarding her with deep intensity. No way could she get out of telling them. It couldn’t hurt anyway. Besides, they wielded power, and if Richard was up to nasty tricks, then they might be able to help. All that was important was that Marius be a success here at stud, and if that meant embarrassing herself by relating past events she’d prefer to forget, then so be it.

“In your own time,” Jonny said, leaning up on one elbow and thrusting his face into her personal space.

“Richard Blake is my cousin,” she said, twisting her lips into a disdainful grimace. “Unfortunately.”

“What does this cousin have to do with Marius?” Harry asked.

“Nothing anymore. It was him who sold the horse to Daniel.”

Brad frowned. “I don’t understand. Why does he want to see him fail?”

“It isn’t about Marius,” Jonny said when she was slow to respond. “Unless I miss my guess, it’s all to do with Steffi.”

“Yes.” Steffi dropped her head. “He knows what Marius means to me and is using him to get to me.”

“Why?” Harry and Brad asked together.

“Because he’s a creep.”

“Start at the beginning,” Jonny said, sounding as though he was losing patience.

“Okay.” She took a deep breath and got right to it. “My parents died in a car crash when I was twelve. My mum’s sister and her husband took me in.”

“Richard’s parents?” Jonny asked.

“Yes. They lived in Wiltshire and ran a small stud farm. I was devastated about my parents, but being with the horses helped me get over it. My uncle let me get completely involved and the only person who was unhappy about that was Richard. He now had competition for his parents’ affections, you see, and didn’t like that one little bit. He’s been lazy and not very clever his entire life. I showed him up in all those areas, not deliberately. I was too young to understand that by trying to please my adoptive parents I was making an enemy out of their only child.”

“Was he interested in the stud?” Harry asked.

“Nope. Richard was only ever interested in Richard.”

“There has to be more to the antipathy than that,” Jonny said.

“As I grew up he…er—”

“Tried to jump your bones,” Brad said, scowling.

“Something like that. I think he wanted me fighting in his corner against his parents and didn’t much care what he had to do to get me on his side.”

“Why do you say that?” Jonny asked, his tone soft and compelling.

“Why else would he look at me?” She noticed the brothers share a prolonged glance. They probably thought she was a real basket case. “Anyway, I rejected him and made an enemy out of him as a result. He obviously thought I’d be grateful when he deigned to notice me because Richard was popular with the ladies.” Steffi stared off into the distance, lost in the past. “He thought that if we were an item, his father would ease up on him.” She sighed. “It didn’t happen and he and his father remained at odds, right up to the day of his death. He couldn’t hide his disappointment in his son but never gave up hope that he’d improve.”

“Did he work at the stud?” Harry asked.

“Yes, when he finished at university he came home and Uncle Jack put him in charge of publicity. It was a role he was good at. He got to wine and dine potential clients and work his charm on them.”

“What charm?” Brad asked, his scowl intensifying. “He sounds like a prize jerk.”

“Oh, he could be charming when it suited him. He’s good looking, too, which didn’t hurt when he wanted to make an impression on strangers.”

“That still doesn’t explain this continued vendetta against you,” Jonny said.

“My uncle got sick and Richard took over control of the stud. Uncle Jack wanted us to share the responsibility, but I knew that wouldn’t work. Besides, I preferred to spend my time directly with the horses. When I realized that Richard was cocking it all up, I did take over a lot of the administrative duties that he sucked at. That’s why I was able to step in and help Daniel when he could no longer cope.”

“He’s lucky to have you.”

Brad touched her shoulder as he spoke. She appreciated the supportive gesture when talking about events she preferred not to revisit, which was the only reason why she didn’t shake his hand off. There was something sensual about the feel of his long fingers softly caressing her taut muscles, but she didn’t dwell on that. Instead, she closed her eyes for an expressive moment and forced herself to relax. As though sensing her capitulation, his fingers increased their pressure.

“Richard’s a gambler,” Steffi said, opening her eyes again. “It became an addiction and he depleted the stud’s coffers to finance his love affair with poker. Uncle Jack found out and there was a huge row. Richard thought I’d tattled on him and our relationship never recovered. From his perspective, I’d spurned his advances and then dropped him in it with his father.” She furled her brow. “He isn’t the type to forgive or forget a slight.”

“Sounds like he deserved it,” Harry said.

“When Uncle Jack died, Richard received a real wake-up call. He assumed he’d inherit everything, but that wasn’t the case. I’d loaned the money my parents left for me in trust to Uncle Jack several years previously so the stud could expand. I assumed Richard knew that but it seemed he didn’t. I offered to take Marius and leave him with everything else, but he didn’t want it that way. I think he realized how valuable I’d become to the stud and he wanted me to stay.”

“The bastard wanted to have his cake and eat it, too,” Harry said on a growl.

“Something like that. Anyway, I knew I couldn’t stay and Richard was too arrogant to back down. He said in that case he’d have to sell Marius, assuming that I’d cave in and stay rather than see the horse go.”

“But Daniel bought him and you got to stay with the horse,” Harry said with an engaging smile. “You won.”

“I took no pleasure in getting the better of him, if that’s what you mean. The stud had to be wound up after Marius went.” Steffi sighed. “Richard had sold his prime asset and could no longer compete. Besides, his heart wasn’t in it, and he kind of drifted into playing poker for a time, blaming me for the downturn in his circumstances.”

“So how is he putting potential clients off on this side of the pond?” Jonny asked.

“I’ve no idea. He has no contacts here, which is why it never occurred to me that it could be him. How would he know which mares Marius was due to cover?”

“Technology,” Harry said. “I’m betting he’s hacked into the stud’s systems somehow.”

“He wouldn’t know how.” Steffi shook her head emphatically. “He’s not clever enough.”

“Perhaps not, but there are plenty of people for hire who are.”

“I never thought of that.” Steffi plucked at her lower lip. “I suppose it’s possible. I can’t think of anyone else with a grudge to bear. I kinda thought it might have been one of Daniel’s business rivals.”

“Unlikely.”

“I’m gonna head back and see if I can trace the hacker, if he exists,” Harry said, the light in his eye indicating that he relished the challenge.

Jonny’s cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and had a brief conversation, obviously with Daniel.