Page 39 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

‘Yep.’ He didn’t pretend not to understand her meaning. ‘Joel would rock up in the morning with these disgusting vitamin juice drinks...’

‘I made them for a while,’ Carmen said with a snort. ‘When I first came to the States I got a job in a juice bar. They’re disgusting.’

‘I used to feed mine to Homer.’

‘Who’s Homer?’

‘My horse before Capricorn,’ he said, and then frowned, trying to fathom why he felt that she ought to already know that. Had she really only been here for a couple of weeks? ‘My parents always come for a final.’

‘Will they be there tomorrow?’

‘They’ll be there,’ he said. ‘The first time they’ll have been to a match since—’ No, he was definitely not looking forward to tomorrow. ‘You’re not coming?’

‘Someone has to stay back.’

‘Blake said he offered to get in a casual.’

‘I told him there was no need for that. I’m more than happy to stay.’

Elias leant back on his forearms and turned his head to look at her, but it was as if Carmen refused to look back at him. ‘You don’t want to see what all the fuss is about?’ he asked.

‘Not really.’ Carmen shrugged.

Elias wasn’t sure if it was her shrug that irked him, or his own disappointment that she wouldn’t be there tomorrow to watch him play. ‘You’re really not interested in watching a polo match?’

‘Not particularly,’ Carmen stated, staring out at the rolling waves and wondering why, on a hot Malibu night, she could be so cold. She was unsure too as to why her defences were suddenly up. ‘Anyway, I doubt I’d get to see much. It sounds like the grooms are kept rather busy.’

They loved it, though, Carmen knew, but there was something gnawing at her that kept her from relaxing.

She turned and gave him a tight smile. ‘What happens if you win tomorrow?’

‘We make the grand final. It’s being held the following week.’

‘I know that. I mean what happens after the match?’

‘Oh.’ He thought for a moment. ‘There’s an after-party at Ramone’s—though I suspect it’ll be our opponents celebrating.’

‘Ramone’s?’ Carmen frowned. ‘Isn’t that quite a formal venue? I thought Laura said everyone usually just headed to a bar.’

‘The grooms do their own thing. Still, there’s a grand ball after the final, for all the teams that took part. The grooms go too.’

Carmen pulled a face. ‘Well, if you make it, I’ll be putting up my hand to stay back for the final too. I don’t exactly have a ballgown stashed in my backpack. Anyway, I hate formal functions,’ she told him. ‘What about you?’

‘I don’t mind them. It’s part of the tournament.’

‘You looked pretty miserable the other week.’ She glanced over. ‘Both youandyour partner...’

He stared ahead in silence and Carmen knew she’d crossed a line few would dare.

‘I wouldn’t call her that.’

‘What, then?’

He didn’t answer for a very long time. In fact, when he spoke he didn’t answer at all. ‘You ask a lot of questions.’

‘I’m just making conversation.’

But Carmen knew then what was really churning her insides.

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