Page 45 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

‘She’d love it if you did. You can be so damned selfish, Carmen. Emily doesn’t have any family.’

‘And if you break up? Am I still to ring and wish her Happy Birthday next year?’

‘Why do you always have to assume the worst?’

Because it was all she knew.

Carmen’s day didn’t get better after that, and the news that the team had won the match did little to improve her mood.

For all the excited chatter that came with the win, there were still tired horses to be unloaded and cared for.

‘You should have seen them!’ Laura was beaming. ‘They won every chukka. Elias smashed it.’

‘Fantastic!’ Carmen beamed back.

‘Elias said we can have the coach for the night, so we can party anywhere we like...’

John, like Carmen, was perhaps a little tired of hearing Laura rave about their super-talented and generous boss, because he snapped, ‘We get the coach, and he’s getting suited up for the after-party at Ramone’s.’

‘We’re in the final!’ Laura just laughed at his grumpy mood. ‘Win or lose, next week we’re going to a proper ball.’

‘Lucky us,’ John muttered.

As they all headed off to get changed, Carmen pushed out a smile as she once again declined Blake’s kind offer to get someone in so she could join in with the celebrations.

‘No need. I want to go to Santa Monica tomorrow, and I don’t want to have a hangover on my day off.’

‘Fair enough.’

She wasn’t just cross with Elias, Carmen realised as her colleagues left, all showered and scented and ready to party... She was fed up with being seen in either dirty jodhpurs or scruffy shorts. She’d always loathed dressing up, but tonight Carmen found that she missed it—and that made her even more annoyed. She was tired of being a grubby stable hand and embarrassed at the thought of facing Elias again, having practically accused him of cheating on her after a mere look.

Carmen opened the fridge and ate a leg of chicken, then headed up the stairs to the attic and looked out towards the ranch, wondering if he was in there, celebrating with Wanda...

Of course he was, Carmen decided.

So what if he’d told her she accompanied him to formal functions but they weren’t in a relationship? He hadn’t denied that they were sleeping together, had he?

Or was she a media and family-friendly front to hide his appalling reputation?

Alejandro had had Mariana for events like that, and they certainly had been sleeping together. Sebastián hadn’t even bothered with a regular date for appearances’ sake; he’d been an unashamed playboy where women were concerned.

Her brothers’ past behaviour was part of the reason why Carmen didn’t want to get close to Emily or Anna. They mightappeardifferent now, but who was to say that they would stay faithful to their wives?

She stomped to the shower, peeling off her filthy, smelly clothes. Of course there was no hot water left, after the whole team had showered and gone out, and a cold shower did nothing to cool her temper down.

Pulling on a denim skirt and vest top, she lay on the saggy bed and tried to take deep, calming breaths. She picked up her phone, put a smile on her face and made the necessary call.

‘Cumpleaños feliz...’she sang, and Emily laughed. She knew Alejandro would get the joke, and laugh too, because singing was so unlike Carmen.‘Cumpleaños feliz...’she sang again, but then felt herself choking up.

And now Emily was crying too.

‘Thank you,’ she tearfully said. ‘It’s so lovely to hear from you. How is it there?’

‘Oh, you know...’ Carmen shrugged, but of course Emily didn’t know. How could she? ‘Emily, how did you—?’ She stopped herself from asking, how shy, sweet Emily had dared risk her heart in the hands of a playboy and instead asked, ‘How are you celebrating?’

‘Didn’t Alejandro tell you?’ Emily said. ‘We’re in London!’

‘Oh? When did you get there?’

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