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They walked toward one of the low barns and when they reached the paddock, Ed opened the gate. Logan rubbed the filly’s neck then sent her inside. She trotted around the perimeter, her ears up, her nostrils sniffing the air.
“What’s her name?”
“I call her Tally,” he said. “Her official name is Quinn’s Tally-Ho Wallaroo. But maybe the new owners will give her a different name.”
“She is a beauty.”
Logan nodded. “Yeah. She’s the first colt born on the farm, the first I raised from a baby. Hell, I feel like she’s my kid and I’m sending her off into the world.”
Ed patted him on the shoulder. “I expect letting the first one go is always the hardest. I’ve set up a stall in this barn here,” he said, pointing over his shoulder. “You can pull your campervan around to the back. Just inside the door there’s a loo and a shower.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“Yeah. I picked up something along the way. Once I have Tally bedded down, I’m going to turn in, too. I’m knackered.”
“Well, I’m up at sunrise. I’ll bring you some breakfast before you leave.”
Logan nodded. “Thanks. For everything. I really appreciate it.”
“No worries,” Ed said.
As Ed walked back to the stable, Logan turned his gaze out to the chestnut filly in the paddock. He’d always thought that Tally would be the center of his breeding program at the farm. He’d never imagined that he’d have to give her up. Just the thought of turning her over into someone else’s care caused an ache deep in his gut. But horse breeding was like roulette. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and other times you walked away with nothing.
He braced his arms on the top of the gate and rested his chin on his hands. He’d had a choice. Keep the horse or keep the ranch. Without the filly, the ranch would survive. Without the ranch, he had no place to keep his horses.
Hell, maybe another filly like Tally would come along. Though her sire and dam had produced two males in the past two years, the odds were good that he was due a filly. But what were the chances that she’d be as perfect as Tally? He’d hate to think that his one-in-a-million horse had come at a time when he couldn’t keep her for himself.
A quiet curse slipped from his lips. This trip wouldn’t be any easier if he continued to drown in sentimentality.
“Nice horse.”
The sound of her voice startled him. Logan turned to find a woman standing beside him on the lowest rail of the gate. The sun was behind her and he had a hard time making out her features, so he stepped back from the gate and pulled down his sunglasses.
The beauty of her profile, outlined by the setting sun, hit him like a ton of bricks. Flaxen hair gleamed in the golden light, the strands falling around her face in delicate curls. She looked as if she’d just crawled out of bed.
Her eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. She wore a loose-fitting T-shirt and the bottoms to a hot-pink bikini that barely covered her backside. The soft curves of her breasts were outlined by the thin cotton, and he could almost imagine the body beneath the shirt. His gaze drifted back up to her face and he took in her lush lips.
A tiny smile twitched at the corners of that sensuous mouth. “What’s next? Are you going to want to check my teeth? Maybe run your hands over my withers? I can take a turn around the paddock if you like.”
He hadn’t realized his stare was so obvious. He turned away and fixed his gaze on Tally. “You—you startled me.”
“Good,” she said. “I always like making a memorable first impression.”
He laughed softly. She was teasing him and wasn’t trying to hide it. But to what end? “Well done, then,” he said. “I’m impressed.” Logan glanced over at her. “Who are you?”
She held out her hand. “Lucinda Grant. My father owns this place.”
He took her hand and gave it a quick shake. Her fingers were long and slender and tipped with shiny red polish. His mind flashed an image of those hands, skimming over his naked body, touching him in places he hadn’t been touched for a while. Logan swallowed hard. Yeah, right. No chance a pretty little rich girl was going to waste her time on guy without a penny in his pocket.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Grant,” Logan said.
“Oh, please. You stared at my arse. I think we’re beyond Miss Grant. You can call me Sunny.”
“I thought your name was Lucinda.”
“It is, but everyone calls me Sunny. With a u. Actually, it really should be an o. My father always wanted a boy so he called me Sonny with an o until I was five. My mother changed it to Sunny with a u.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sunny with a u.”
She pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head and turned her green-eyed gaze his way. “It’s usually customary for you to tell me your name. You really do have the worst manners.”
“Are you always such a smart-ass?” he asked, starting to enjoy the little game they were playing.
That brought a laugh. “I developed the talent in my teenage years and have perfected it since then. It’s one of my best qualities.”
He saw the glint in her gaze and Logan shook his head. He’d known girls like her, girls who weren’t afraid to push the boundaries, girls who would say anything that came into their heads just to get a reaction. He usually made it a point to stay away from that type. They were impossible to figure out.
But there was something about Sunny, something more than just a quick wit and a sharp tongue. He saw something more…vulnerable behind that bold facade. He could see it in those eyes, those incredibly beautiful green eyes.
Logan rubbed his hand on his faded jeans before holding it out to her. “Logan Quinn.”
She stared down at his hand for a long moment and Logan wondered if she didn’t want to touch him. But then, she reached out and ran her finger along the length of his forearm. The feel of her nail scraping his skin sent a shiver through his body. She glanced up at him and smiled coyly. “You have nice hands, Logan Quinn.” Her gaze turned toward the filly, who was now watching them both with a suspicious eye. “Is she yours?”
“For now,” Logan said.
With that, she crawled over the gate and dropped down on the other side, her bare feet causing a soft thud in the dirt. As she walked toward Tally, Sunny turned back to him. “Come on,” she said. “I want to hear what you have to say about her.”
Logan followed her over the gate and hurried to catch up. As he walked beside her, he risked a glance at her face again. God, she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. And the oddest, as well. She didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that she was wandering around in a T-shirt that was just thin enough to reveal what was underneath. Maybe she’d spent the day sunbathing…topless… . He swallowed hard as a vivid image flashed in his mind.
When they got within ten feet of the filly, Sunny stopped and held out her hand. “What’s her name?”
“Tally,” he said.
“Hey, there, Tally,” she murmured.
Logan reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a biscuit, then handed it to her. “She likes these.”
“Anzac biscuits? Me, too.” She took a bite from the biscuit, then held the treat out to Tally. The horse immediately walked over and snatched the biscuit from Sunny’s fingers.
Gently, she grabbed her halter and led the horse in a wide circle. Logan watched Sunny, his attention completely captivated by her long, slender legs and her lithe body. He felt a current of desire skitter through him and he drew a long breath.
Sunny carefully examined the horse, smoothing her palms over Tally, slowly taking in her conformation. And when she was finished, she motioned him over.
“Give me a knee up,” she said.
“You’re going to ride her?”
“Why not?”
Logan linked his fingers together and she slipped her knee into the cradle. He boosted her up and Sunny gracefully straddled the horse. Tangling her fingers in Tally’s mane, she gave the filly a gentle nudge, and Tally moved forward.
The sight of them both, a beautiful woman and an equally beautiful horse, was enough to take Logan’s breath away. His pulse quickened and he found himself searching for his next breath. As she urged Tally into a gallop, he groaned, trying to keep his mind off the images running around in his head.
It had been months since he’d enjoyed the company of a woman in his bed. Hell, in any bed. Life on the ranch was filled with plenty of time for self-reflection. When it came to women, he didn’t have much of anything to offer besides a really good time in the sack. After buying feed for his horses, he usually didn’t have much left for himself, so even a dinner out or a movie would be out of the question. But the sale of Tally would keep him solvent for another year and perhaps available for dating.
He fixed his attention on Sunny. There was no way a woman like her would want a bloke like him. No way. But that wouldn’t stop him from using her as fantasy material. His fingers clenched as he thought about touching her—her hair, her face, her beautiful body.
Sunny brought the horse to a stop in front of him and slid off. “Whatever Daddy offers you, ask for 50 percent more. And don’t back down. He admires a man who sticks to his principles.” She started toward the gate. “I’ll see you later, Logan Quinn.”
“Wait!” he called. He took off after her and caught up with Sunny after she’d crawled over the gate. “She’s not for sale. Tally isn’t for sale—at least, not to you—or your father.”
Sunny gave him an odd look, her forehead furrowed. “Then what are you doing here?”
He drew a deep breath. “Just…passing through.”
Silence spun out around them, and his gaze drifted to her lips. He wanted to kiss her, just once, just to see how her mouth felt on his, how she tasted and how she reacted. It took every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from pulling her into his arms. But the gate stood between them, as great a barrier as anything else that separated them.
She sucked in a sharp breath and, suddenly, the silence was broken, along with the spell that had overcome them both. “She’s still a beautiful horse,” Sunny murmured.
Logan watched her walk away, her hips swaying provocatively. He’d never met a woman quite like her. So tantalizing, so sexy. “Forget it, mate,” he muttered to himself. “That’s the first and last time a woman like that is ever giving you a second look.”
SUNNY STARED UP at the ceiling above her bed. She measured her breathing, trying to fight back the surge of tears that had been threatening for the past hour. Grabbing her pillow, she hugged it to her body, but nothing seemed to ease the emptiness inside of her.
Her thoughts wandered back to the argument she’d had with her father earlier that evening. He’d phoned from Sydney to check up on her plans to participate in an equestrian event that weekend in Brisbane. When she told him she had no intention of riding, the call escalated into a cold recitation of all of her flaws as both a daughter and a human being.
She pinched her eyes shut, cutting off the source of her tears. Nighttime was the worst. Her mind just wouldn’t shut down. The same things replayed over and over in her head, and though she tried to make sense of it all, she couldn’t.
She’d worked for years to get to London, to be a part of the Olympics and to show her father that she could be just as good as the son he’d always wanted. All the training, all the travel, competing in equestrian events all over Australia.
Three years ago, she’d stepped up to international competition, all with an eye to the Olympics and her crowning achievement, a gold medal in show jumping. When she made the world team two years ago, her father had been delighted but reserved. When she made the Olympic team, her father had been proud, ecstatic even. And that’s all she’d ever wanted from him. Just a simple recognition that she was someone worth loving.
But what had come next had been so unexpected. She’d landed in London with a strange sense of foreboding, a dark cloud hanging over her. The pressure to succeed just seemed overwhelming at times and she found herself fighting off panic attacks.
One stumble in the qualifying rounds had led to another and by the time the preliminary competition was over, Sunny’s confidence was in shreds and her hopes for a medal were gone. She had hesitated when she should have been aggressive; she had tried to make up for her mistakes by taking silly risks. And her sweet horse, Padma, didn’t understand what she was supposed to do, the unfamiliar signals causing the mare to react nervously and refuse gates that she’d always nimbly jumped over.
A tear streaked down Sunny’s cheek and she brushed it away. Who was she if she wasn’t an equestrian? Where was she supposed to go from here? She wasn’t prepared to do anything but ride. Her life was a total car wreck with no one there to help her fix it.
With a long sigh, she closed her eyes. The image of Logan Quinn drifted through her thoughts and she groaned softly. She’d been thinking about him all night long. If he knew who she was, he didn’t mention it. And if he didn’t, then he must have been living on another continent for the past six months. The media had been brutal right after the games, with all sorts of rumors about partying and drugs and men.
None of it had been true, but that didn’t make it any less painful. She smiled to herself. It had felt good to talk to Logan, to tease and laugh again, as if nothing had happened. Part of the attraction was his body, lean and muscled, hidden beneath faded, comfortable clothes. And he had that rugged, self-assured look about him, as though he could survive for a month in the outback with just a paper clip and a piece of string. He had a quiet confidence that was reassuring.
For the first time in months, Sunny found herself interested in something other than her own troubles. And though seducing a handsome stranger probably wouldn’t change her situation all that much, it would be nice to feel close to someone. It would give her something else to think about at night other than all her failures.
Sunny rolled onto her stomach and pressed her face into the pillow. What if he wasn’t interested? What if he didn’t want anything to do with her? Leave it to Sunny Grant to fail on both a worldwide and a personal scale.
Sunny sat up in bed and tossed the pillow aside. She had to stop doing this to herself. It was time to move on. She’d made mistakes and hadn’t been prepared to handle the pressure, but there was no going back and fixing it. If she ever expected to be happy again, she needed to—
“I need to get out of this house,” she muttered, raking her hair away from her face.
Scrambling out of bed, Sunny grabbed a robe and shrugged into it. Silently, she slipped out of her room and hurried down the hall. The house was dark and only the dogs, Wendy and Whip, noticed her passing, their heads rising as she opened the kitchen door.
She drew a deep breath of the warm night air, then ran across the damp lawn to the stables. A yellow bulb on each end of the building offered a faint light and she hurried to Padma’s stall and pulled open the door.
The horse turned and looked at her with her big brown eyes. Sunny hadn’t ridden her in the three months since she’d returned from London, knowing how she’d failed. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, tears filling her eyes. “I’m so sorry. You’re the only one who has ever loved me, unconditionally and without any expectations. And I let you down. I embarrassed us both.”
Her father had talked about selling Padma after Sunny had vowed never to ride again. The horse was well trained, an experienced competitor in the prime of her jumping career. But she was still here, in her usual stable. Though her father could be cold, he wasn’t entirely heartless.
“You’re going to be just fine,” she murmured, stroking the white blaze on Padma’s forehead. “I need to take a little more time away and then I’ll be back and we’ll start all over again. I promise. We’ll get back to the top and get our gold medal.” She pressed her face against the soft muzzle of the horse, then gave her a kiss. “And this time, I won’t mess it up. You’ll be proud of me.”
She stepped out of the stall and pulled the door closed. When she turned, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. A gasp slipped from her throat, but when he stepped into the light, she recognized Logan Quinn.
“You scared me,” she said.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just checking on Tally and heard you talking.”
He was dressed in just his jeans, the top button undone. Like her, his feet were bare. He’d shoved his hands in his front pockets and he watched her warily. “It’s late,” she murmured.
“I couldn’t sleep. It was too stuffy in the campervan.”
“Me, too,” she said.
“It is kind of warm tonight. I thought maybe we’d get some rain.”
She smiled to herself. He looked so sweet standing there, his dark hair rumpled, his chest bare. Though he looked as if he were in his late twenties, he had a boyish quality she found undeniably attractive. “Are we really talking about the weather?”
“No,” he said.
Sunny held out her hand. “Come with me.”
He tucked his hand into hers and walked with her toward the house. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” she said.
There was a formal garden in the rear of the house, surrounded by a tall iron fence. She unlatched the gate and then stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. They walked along a narrow brick path and, suddenly, the lush greenery disappeared and he found himself staring at a huge swimming pool.
“Oh, hell. Now, that’s a nice-looking pool.”
“Come on. Take your jeans off and jump in.”
“Ah, I don’t have anything underneath,” he said.
She reached for the tie of her silk robe. “You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.” Sunny spun around in front of him. “And I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before.”
With a laugh, she dove into the pool, slicing neatly into the water and swimming beneath the surface to the other end. When she came up for air, he was no longer standing on the deck. She glanced around and then, a moment later, he popped up in front of her.
“What are your parents going to say if they catch us out here?” he asked.
