Page 29 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

They were chatting about little Josefa as Carmen approached the yard.

‘Emily sent you some videos,’ Alejandro was saying.

‘Yes, I meant to message and say thank you.’

‘Please do!’

She heard the slight edge to her brother’s tone. ‘I am working, Alejandro. And I’m very busy. As well as that, I have to cook for everyone tonight.’

‘God help them.’

‘Do you know how to make paella?’ she asked.

‘Easy,’ Alejandro said. ‘You call the chef and say you would like paella.’

That did make her laugh, but her smile was soon wiped off her face as he turned the conversation to Elias.

‘I’ve just been looking up your new boss, Carmen. Steer clear,’ he warned. ‘He has a worse reputation than I used to...’

‘Lo dudo!’she joked.I doubt it.

She shrugged and laughed again as she guided Winnie into the yard and dismounted, nodding her thanks to John, who took two of the set from her.

‘Believe me,’ Alejandro said, ‘he’s even worse than Sebastián was. From what I can tell, he has a regular date for functions, but—’

‘I don’t need details,’ Carmen interrupted. Did she halt him so abruptly because she knew that already, or because it stung? ‘Anyway, he’s hardly going to look at a stable hand.’

‘True!’ Alejandro laughed. ‘Still, even if he knew who you were it wouldn’t make much difference. I don’t think it’s conversation he’s after...’

Elias wasn’t after anything. In fact, he was actively avoiding the new stable hand—or trying to—but Carmen seemed to be everywhere.

The team adored her—possibly because she was one of the few people bold enough to feed Domitian. Elias had called her out on it a couple of times, when he’d seen her coming out of the stallion’s stable. He’d been discomfited to notice that the flag the staff generally used to get him to stay back was still hanging by the door.

‘What are you doing?’ he’d demanded.

‘Feeding Dom,’ she’d responded.

‘You’re supposed to just put the bucket down and get out.’

‘Don’t you like a bit of conversation with your dinner?’ Carmen had asked. ‘Does your maid just put down your food, wave a flag in your face and leave?’

There was an air of insolence about her, and he couldn’t help but like it—especially when it caused her to shoot him a daring look from under her brows.

And this morning he saw that look again.

His warning to Blake had been right—she was overly confident, blithely chatting away on her phone as she gave Winnie a light tap on her rump to guide her into her stable.

Elias had no choice but to call her out on it.

‘Carmen!’ He strode over. ‘Be more careful,’ he warned. ‘Don’t forget they kick.’

‘Donkeys kick,’ Carmen said, laughing.

She closed up Winnie’s stable and returned to her conversation with Alejandro as she turned to go and check on Capricorn.

But it would seem Elias hadn’t got her joke.

‘Carmen!’ he said. ‘Could you get off your cell phone when I’m talking to you?’

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