High Stakes Chattel Read Online Free PDF Page A

Mrs. Blake muck out his stalls. She’d accepted his edict with surprising grace and didn’t seem to mind the work at all. Her silky auburn hair had come free of most of its pins, tumbling around her shoulders and face in a bright nimbus of color. With every thrust of the rake into the old straw, her trousers lovingly cupped her bottom and her shirt strained across her chest.
    He could gladly watch her work all day.
    “I know I can still win the contest. I don’t need him to do it. I have to win,” she said aloud as she dumped a large rakeful of hay into the wheelbarrow.
    He smiled at her determination, his ang er all but gone. Lovely little farm girl. Whatever was he going to do with her? He thought of the desperation that had driven her to come to him.
    This afternoon had been a revelation to him. Her company intrigued him, and for the first time in nearly a decade he’d enjoyed the game that had once defined him. A few weeks, she’d said. Perhaps he really should take her under his wing and do whatever he could to help her. He’d been cooped up alone with his experiments far too much lately. What would it hurt to have her around for just a little while?
    Mind made up, he pushed off the wall and started toward her. “Having fun?” he asked with a grin as he approached the stall.   
    “Hello , my Lord,” she said, giving him a nervous smile as she tried to bring some order to her hair and rubbed her sleeve across her sweaty face. He couldn’t believe how attractive she was in this condition.
    “I have decided I will mentor you,” he told her before he could change his mind.
    Her lovely green eyes widened. “Truly?”
    He nodded, trying hard to contain another smile at her excitement.
    “That’s wonderful,” she cried, jumping a little in the air in a victory celebration.
    “But only during breaks from my research,” he hastened to add. He attempted to give the air of a strict schoolmaster. “I cannot guarantee any specific time of day since I work day and night. If you’re here when I’m ready, we can play. If you’re not around when the moment strikes, I’ll probably just go back to my work.”
    “I don’t understand,” she said, some of her excitement fading. “It’s such a long distance from my house, nearly eight kilometers. Do you want me to make the trip every day and wait around, hoping you’ll make time for me?”
    “You’re the one who wants my help,” he reminded her. “Surely you don’t expect me to change my schedule.” The solution had already come to him, but he didn’t intend to make this easy on her.
    “Of course not,” she said, blushing. “I’m very grateful, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t see how I can possibly make the journey twice a day, especially in this cold weather.”
    “I suppose there’s no other option than for you to stay here during the mentorship, ” he told her, hoping she wouldn’t refuse.
    Her blush intensified. “Surely you know that would be completely unacceptable. What’s left of my reputation would be destroyed.”
    “I have very discreet servants and virtually no guests. Your secret will remain within these walls.” He paused and turned to pet one of the horses.
    “Don’t you trust me?” He wasn’t actually sure that he could trust himself to keep his hands off of her.
    She licked her lips nervously. Watching her little pink tongue was having a powerful effect on him. “I don’t know. I really want to. I just—”
    “I’ll have John take you home,” he said, anxious to have the matter settled. He was used to giving orders and taking charge. “There’s nearly a month before the next contest, so make sure you pack everything you’ll need.”
    He turned away, but she reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. “Thank you very much,” she said, staring at him with those earnest green eyes. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
    “Don’t get too excited,” he told her roughly. “All I