The Vásquez Mistress

His gaze was lazily amused. ‘A strongly worded request.’

She could hardly breathe. ‘I have a job to do. I’m working until ten.’

‘I’ll arrange for you to have the evening off.’

Just like that.

The power of a billionaire, Faith thought helplessly. ‘No. That wouldn’t be fair on the others.’ She was swamped with disappointment and suddenly wondered what she would have said if she hadn’t been working. Would she have gone with him? Her insides fluttered with nerves. ‘I’m afraid we’re going to have to postpone my Cinderella moment for another occasion. It’s Eduardo’s night off and we have a mare due to foal any minute. I can’t leave the yard.’

The humour died in his eyes and her words were met by a tense silence. ‘One of the mares is due to foal?’ Easy seduction was replaced by sharp efficiency. ‘Which one?’

‘Velocity.’

He inhaled sharply and ran a hand over the back of his neck. ‘If she is foaling then Eduardo should be here.’ His cool declaration punctured her bubble of happiness.

‘Well, thanks for that vote of confidence. Nice to know you trust me.’

‘It isn’t personal.’

She gave a short laugh. ‘You mean you’d feel like this about any woman?’

His eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Velocity is my most valuable mare. This is an enormous responsibility,’ he said softly, and she lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye.

‘I can handle responsibility. I don’t spend my days straightening my hair and applying my make-up. I’ve trained for seven years so that I can meet the responsibility head-on.’ Suddenly she felt angry and frustrated. Maybe she’d been wrong to think she could pursue her career in this part of South America. It was an uphill battle to get anyone to take her seriously. ‘I can handle the work. What I can’t handle is dealing with men who don’t think women are capable of having a career.’ She was so upset she was afraid she might burst into tears. And that would undermine her credibility even further. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.’

Trying not to think about Raul Vásquez, she worked in the stables until ten. Then she went to check on the mare, Velocity, one more time before returning to her room in the staff quarters.

A single glance was sufficient for her to see that the mare was in difficulty.

The groom was in the corner of the stall, his hands shaking as he fumbled with his mobile phone. ‘I can’t get hold of Eduardo. He isn’t answering.’

‘You should have called me, not Eduardo.’ Faith dropped to her knees beside the horse. Cursing herself for relying on them to let her know how the mare was progressing, she reached for her stethoscope.

The groom was sweating. ‘You better not touch that horse. She’s the boss’s favourite mare. If anything happens to her…’ He broke off, panic in his eyes. ‘We need to get hold of Eduardo somehow. If anything happens to the animal, Raul Vásquez will hit the roof. I’ll lose my job.’

Faith gritted her teeth. None of the Argentine grooms had faith in her.

‘At the moment I don’t care about the boss’s temper or your promotion prospects, but I do care about the horse and you need to do as I tell you.’ Keeping her voice calm so it didn’t disturb the animal, Faith gave him a string of instructions but he just stood there, staring at the horse with terrified eyes.

‘If that mare dies—’

‘It will be my responsibility,’ Faith said coldly and then she sighed. ‘Oh for goodness’ sake, just get out. If you can’t work with me, fine, but I need you to find someone who can. I need help and I need it now.’

‘I will help you.’ Raul Vásquez stood in the doorway of the box and the groom shrank into the shadows, too intimidated to even defend himself.

Faith was too worried about the mare to feel intimidated. With barely a glance in his direction, she told Raul what she wanted him to do and he immediately dropped to his haunches next to the mare and spoke to her softly in Spanish.

Faith had no idea what he said but his words had an immediate effect on the frightened animal and finally she was able to concentrate, which was just as well because it was the most difficult foaling she’d ever attended.

Finally the mare heaved a sigh and the foal slipped out onto the straw.

‘Clever girl,’ Faith breathed quietly and glanced up, suddenly aware that Raul was watching her intently.

‘I think you are the clever girl,’ he murmured quietly, a thoughtful expression in his dark eyes as he scanned her face with disturbing intensity. ‘I underestimated you and for that I apologise.’

The atmosphere in the box was charged with tension and for a moment they just stared at each other. Then she suddenly realised that he was wearing a dinner jacket. ‘I’m sorry I interrupted your evening,’ she said stiffly, hating herself for caring that he’d clearly found another woman with whom to spend his evening.

It could have been her.

Remembering the sleek, beautifully groomed women who had vied for his attention during the polo match, Faith wondered which of them had caught his attention. Then she gave herself a mental shake. It could never have been her. Men as rich, successful and handsome as Raul Vásquez wanted trophy women, not career women.

Descending back to earth with a bump, she gave a tired smile. ‘Your mare is going to be fine, Raul, but I’ll stay with her tonight just to make sure. Thanks for your help. It made all the difference.’

‘You are planning to sleep in my horse’s stall?’ At some point he had undone his top button and she caught a glimpse of bronzed male skin and a hint of curling dark hair.

‘Yes.’ Faith looked away quickly. He was impossibly masculine. ‘That way if anything happens, I’ll be here.’

He frowned sharply. ‘You have been working since six this morning.’

‘I’ll take tomorrow off. I don’t want to leave until I’m sure she’s all right.’ Her attention was back on the mare and her foal. ‘You should understand that. From what I’ve heard, you’re the original workaholic.’

‘That is different.’

‘Because you’re a man and I’m a woman? Don’t start that again, Raul.’ Suddenly exhausted, she just wanted him to leave so that she could stop dreaming. ‘I won’t leave halfway through a job. And you were obviously in the middle of dinner or something, so perhaps you’d better go back to the woman in question in case she gives up on you.’

There was a long silence. ‘You hide behind your job, don’t you?’ Raul asserted. ‘Why is that?’

‘I don’t hide. But I love my job, if that’s what you’re asking.’ She glanced at him briefly and then looked away again, her heart thumping and her mind spinning fairy-tales.

‘This thing between us—’ his voice was soft ‘—it frightens you, doesn’t it?’

She was too honest to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. ‘Yes, it frightens me. Because it’s not real. The mere idea of you and I is—’ She waved a hand. ‘It’s crazy. I mean, we couldn’t be more different. You’re used to women who spend all day making themselves beautiful. I’m a working girl. I love my career and I definitely don’t want a relationship.’

‘If you don’t want a relationship, then you are my perfect woman,’ he drawled softly. ‘What about fun, cariño? Do you object to having fun?’

The colour poured into her cheeks. ‘Raul—’

‘Why are you blushing? When it comes to your job you are supremely confident, but whenever we are alone…’ He stroked a leisurely finger down her cheek. ‘Why is it that you are so confident with my horses and so shy with me?’

‘Blame it on the testosterone again. I’m not used to macho men.’ She tried to make a joke, but he wasn’t smiling. Instead his gaze was curiously intent.

‘You are very inexperienced, aren’t you?’

‘I’ve had boyfriends,’ she muttered defensively and a smile played around his firm mouth.

‘But what about men, cariño? Men are a whole new experience for you, isn’t that right?’

She gazed at him, her heart pounding and her mouth dry. ‘What does “cariño” mean?’