When the chips are down, there's nobody there. Willowy blond Daisy Matthews has survived the Chicago streets with this mantra but is unprepared for the much older Nick Underwood’s urgent pursuit. The wealthy businessman receives a thoroughbred in payment for a bad debt and is thrust into Daisy’s world. She teaches him about horse racing; he teaches her about love. When Daisy’s seamy brother-in-law threatens Nick’s safety, she doggedly tries to stop him by herself, but flees to the familiar streets when he attacks. Can Nick find her in time – and if he does, will she still want him?
Award winning author Adriana Kraft
When It’s Time to Heat Things Up
PUBLISHED BOOKS
SERIES
RIDERS UP Romantic Suspense novels
Book One Cassie’s Hope
Book Two Heat Wave
Book Three Willow Smoke (forthcoming, September, 2014)
Book Four Detour Ahead (forthcoming, January, 2015)
SWINGING GAMES Erotic Romance novellas
Book One Anticipation
Book Two Hook-Ups
Book Three A Tempting Taste
Book Four Complexities
Book Five The Adventure Continues
Book Six Who’s the Coach?
Book Seven Dare to Adventure
Book Eight Pushing the Limits
Book Nine Too Close for Comfort
Book Ten Triple Play
Book Eleven Summer’s End
Book Twelve Foursomes and More…
COLORS OF THE NIGHT Erotic Romance novels
Book One Colors of the Night
Book Two Aria Returns
PURGATORY POINT Erotic Romance novels
Book One The Mistress of Purgatory Point
Book Two Return to Purgatory Point
THE DIARY Erotic Romance novels
Book One The Diary
Book Two Writing Skin
STAND ALONE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS
The Heist Romantic Suspense novel
The Unmasking Romantic Suspense novel
Cherry Tune-Up Erotic Romance novella
The Reunion Erotic Romance novel
Atlantis Woman Found Erotic Romance novella
The Best Man Erotic Romance novel
Santa’s Boss Erotic Romance novella
Through the Mirror Erotic Romance novella
Sheila’s Pre-Nups Erotic Romance novella
Full Circle Erotic Romance novella
SHORT STORIES IN ANTHOLOGIES
Accidental Contact, in Sapphic Planet
A Taste of Ginger in The Cougar Book
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT ADRIANA KRAFT
Romantic Suspense
Heat Wave (Riders Up, Book 2) Five stars at Goodreads Heartfelt with mystery and hope…made me cry. Spot on interplay between the main characters…well written and extremely enjoyable to read. Donna H.
Cassie’s Hope (Riders Up, Book 1) Five Stars at Goodreads An emotional roller-coaster, with twists and turns you never see coming! …I feel I know them, I took their journey with them. I felt their pain, their sadness, their struggles, and most of all their love. And that is the mark of a truly good book. Faith
Erotic Romance
The Reunion, Winner of the 2014 Bisexual Book Award for Erotic Fiction. This book sizzled as two incredibly sexy women and one gorgeous guy form a super hot triad, eventually. These three are by far and away the best smoldering trio I have read about. Oh, bring on more of this, but read this one first! JJ, Rainbow Reviews
The Best Man, Top Pick at The Romance Reviews. Five Stars at Amazon Kitty and Jared are my new favorite characters. I love this book. It kept me on edge because Kitty was so unpredictable, which gave this story its twist and turns. Cheryl B.
Riders Up
Book Three
Willow Smoke
by
Adriana Kraft
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Riders Up: Book Three
Willow Smoke
By
Adriana Kraft
ISBN: 978-0-9907476-0-4
Copyright © 2014 by Adriana Kraft
B&B Publishing
1970 N. Leslie St. #560
Pahrump, NV 89060
Cover by
Rebecca Poole
Dreams2Media.com
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Riders Up
Book One: Cassie’s Hope
Chicago, 1996
Available now
Book Two: Heat Wave
Iowa, 2000
Available now
Book Three: Willow Smoke
Chicago, 2002
Available now
Book Four: Detour Ahead
California, 2004
Release Date: January, 2015
Dedication
This book is dedicated to
Amanda Clarke
and
Benjamin Franklin Burns
Great-grandparents we never met,
whose courage in the face of social stigma
continues to inspire us.
Chicago,
2002
Chapter One
“I won’t let anything hurt you.” Daisy Matthews finished wrapping the ankles of the chestnut mare and sat back on her haunches to evaluate her work. The mare’s ankles were cooler than they had been two hours earlier.
It wasn’t easy to convince a horse to stand in buckets of ice, but after three years of being a groom and an exercise rider, she could do it about as well as anybody at Arlington Park. At least that was what her boss said when he promoted her to assistant trainer.
Daisy grinned. There wasn’t much prestige associated with being an assistant trainer for a fellow with a string of only twenty-some claimers and allowance horses, but it was something, particularly for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks.
RainbowBlaze took a step forward. “I know.” Daisy groaned. “Step one: pay attention. Sorry, I got lost daydreaming. You’re right. Taking care of you is an important job.” She chuckled. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.”
“Hey kid, do you always talk to horses?”
The horse reared and pawed. “It’s okay, girl.” Daisy kept her voice soft and ran her hand slowly along the mare’s neck.
When the mare had stopped trembling, Daisy stepped out of the stall, shaded her eyes from the sun and faced the interloper. She scowled at the man’s new sneakers, monogrammed shirt and neatly pressed slacks. He looked liked he’d be more at home on a sailboat than in a barn.
The man peered over wire-rimmed glasses like he knew something she didn’t. Or was he appraising her? Why? His dark hair set off a chiseled face; it was difficult to guess his age, but she could see a few gray hairs at his temples. He was money. Understated, but money. Probably the stock market. What was he doing in her barn?
She thrust her jaw at him. “So who the hell are you? Don’t you know better than to sneak up on someone who’s working with a horse?”
The man frowned and sputtered before speaking. “Sorry, kid, I didn’t mean to put you in danger. Don’t know a damn thing about horses. I’ll be the first to admit that.”
Daisy exhaled slowly. “Okay, so why are you here?” She shifted her weight from foot to foot. An odd sensation swept over her—one she didn’t like. This man, although ignorant as hell about horses and barn etiquette, had
an air of confidence that suggested he knew he belonged—whether in the board room, on a sailboat, or even in her barn. His staring made her uncomfortable, and she didn’t like being uncomfortable.
She knew how to protect herself from males; she’d been doing that for years. That wasn’t the problem. The guy was probably old enough to be her father. But he was dangerous; she just didn’t know how, yet. “And do you have a name? Who let you in here? You know you got to have a pass to be back here.”
“Good God kid, do you always welcome people by putting your dukes up first?” The man dug a visitor’s badge out of his pocket. “Will this help?” he asked, handing it to her. “The name’s Nicholas Underwood. My friends call me Nick.”
Daisy examined the badge as if it contained the stranger’s DNA. She handed it back. “You should wear it so it shows.”
- o -
Underwood grunted an expletive under his breath. He studied the combative young woman. If only his employees were as protective of his plant as this woman was of her horse.
How old was she? Maybe twenty-four, twenty-five. Too young. He scanned her tight, willowy frame. Damn, was she blushing?
Who would have guessed that a slight overbite could be so attractive? It set off an angular face and a slightly oversized nose; yet all was in balance as if sculpted by a skilled craftsman. Strawberry blond hair fell to her shoulders and swept across her forehead. She stood tall and lanky with medium breasts.
Not the kind of woman that usually appealed to him. He’d never been attracted to younger women, preferring women with experience.
So why was this willowy kid with straw sticking in her hair leaving him tongue-tied like some damn adolescent? Maybe the overly pungent horse odors clogged his good sense.
Nick breathed deeply and clipped the identification badge to his shirt pocket. “If that satisfies you, maybe you can help me. I don’t think I’m lost. The guy at the gate said Barn D. By the way, what’s your name?”
She pursed her lips as if he’d just asked for her most closely guarded secret.
“You know my name and have me at an advantage, kid. So who are you and what were you doing with that horse? I didn’t know horses wore socks.”
The young woman giggled. It was a low pitched sound that did nothing to soothe Nick’s nerves. He’d obviously said something funny.
Willow, he decided he’d call her Willow.
She brushed hair away from her eyes before responding. “I’m Daisy. Daisy Matthews. I’m assistant trainer for Sam Gallagher.” She crossed her arms across her mid-section. “They’re not socks. I just finished wrapping her ankles to help bring some heat down.”
Nick nodded. There was a lot to learn if he wanted to take horseracing seriously, which he wasn’t convinced was desirable. He wouldn’t be here at all, if it wasn’t for Michael Barnes going belly up on him. Daisy Matthews. He shook his head. All he had to do was locate the damn horse, arrange for its sale and get the hell out of here. No more horses. No more Willow.
This niggling indecisiveness was bad and so out of character for him. Cool. Collected. Poised. Skilled. Powerful. That was how he saw himself, and it’d better be the way others saw him.
He plopped down on a bale of hay in the shadow of the stable. The woman frowned at him. Wasn’t that why the bales were there? He’d seen people sitting on them once at the state fair.
“I think I should have worn a hat,” he said in way of explanation. “It must be ten degrees cooler here in the shade.”
“It gets hot and muggy in July in Chicago. A hat would’ve been a good idea. And if you ever come back, shoes or boots are better than sneakers. On shedrow you never know when you’ll be in a position for a horse to step on you.”
“I’ll try to remember—if there is a next time. So tell me, where can I find a horse named RainbowBlaze?”
“RainbowBlaze!” Daisy gasped and glared at him again. “Why? What do you want with her?”
“Damn, you’ve got to be the most protective woman I’ve ever encountered. If you must know, she’s my horse.”
Daisy opened her mouth as if to speak. She glanced quickly at the chestnut mare. “There must be a mistake,” she stammered. “RainbowBlaze belongs to Michael Barnes.”
Nick crossed his legs and leaned against the stable wall, giving Daisy Matthews a slow satisfied smile. He’d found his horse. And he had a new employee. This could be more interesting than he’d imagined.
Furthermore, being his employee made Matthews safe to be around. He had a firm rule against personal involvements with employees. He flashed a look at the slender woman’s nipples that showed faintly through an orange tank top. Didn’t she know what she looked like?
Too young. He closed his eyes. He might be old enough to be her father. His eyes sprang open and he appraised her again. Maybe, maybe not.
“The horse did belong to Michael Barnes.” Fright flickered across the blonde’s face and quickly disappeared behind a steely gaze. “Mike’s fallen on bad economic times. Turned out he couldn’t pay his debts. Showed up at my office with a bill of sale for some damn race horse and begged me to take it to clear what he owed me. Against my better judgment, I agreed.” Nick raised his open palms upward. “So, here I am.”
Daisy’s hands, resting at her sides, curled into fists.
“You look like you’d like to slaughter me for your supper.” Nick stood. Ignoring the woman, he pointed at the horse with the oversized socks. “So I take it this is RainbowBlaze.” He glanced back over his shoulder at the woman. She gulped and nodded. “Is the horse any good? How much can I get for her?”
Daisy sputtered and Nick suppressed a laugh.
“She’s a damn good mare. She’ll run her heart out for you, if you treat her right. But she won’t work just for anyone.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a thing for my horse, kid.”
“Suppose so.” Daisy studied the dirt at her feet. “I’ve known her since she was foaled. Was there to help her mother give birth. I’ve been there every step of the way when Rainbow was with Cassie Travers, and then when Michael Barnes bought her it was with the understanding that she’d come to Sam’s barn and be with me.”
When the woman stopped to catch her breath, Nick said, “You didn’t answer my question. How much is she worth?”
Daisy shrugged. “Maybe,” her voice quaked, “fifty thousand. Maybe more.”
“Hmm. Michael said a hundred grand.” He watched the spirit flow out of the young woman. Her glistening eyes grabbed at something inside him that he hadn’t experienced for a long time. Not thinking, he reached for her chin.
“That horse,” he said softly, “means a lot more to you than a hundred grand, doesn’t it?”
Daisy nodded, pulling away from his fingers and rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. “She’s family,” she mumbled. Then her watery eyes hardened. “But she’s your horse, your property to sell or do with whatever you want.”
“Exactly.” So why did he feel like some kind of lowlife because he wanted to sell his own horse?
He glanced up and down the barn area where men and women were brushing, bathing or walking horses. The place was alive; he liked that. He kept his eyes on the strawberry blonde fighting desperately to maintain her composure. He wondered what it would feel like to be loved as much as she loved that four legged beast.
Hell, he’d always prided himself on being a risk-taker. He didn’t have that much to lose, really. And maybe he could have some fun and learn a few things at the same time. He already liked teasing his newest employee—that was worth something. She tried so hard to be tough, yet he bet she had a heart the size of Texas. He smiled. Wasn’t that a horsey thought?
Meeting Daisy eye to eye, he said, “Okay kid, I’ve got a deal for you.”
“I couldn’t come close to buying Rainbow if I lived to be a hundred.”
Nick let his chin fall against his chest. “That’s not the kind of deal I had in mind.”
Daisy rolled her eyes and
reached for a pitchfork sticking out of a nearby hay bale. “I’m not that kind of woman, old man. You’re old enough to be my father.”
“What?” Nick wrenched the fork away. “That’s not what I had in mind either.” He let out a ragged breath. “I might be old, but I wasn’t that precocious.”
He scowled at her. He half expected her to stick her tongue out at him. “What I had in mind was this kind of deal. If you can convince me why I should get involved in horseracing as a serious venture, then I won’t sell Blaze and you can keep her in your care.”
Daisy bristled. “Her name is Rainbow.”
“Her name is RainbowBlaze. You call her what you want. I’m calling her Blaze. If she takes after her trainer at all, then I think that name is quite appropriate.”
Daisy shrugged. “So what do I have to do?”
“Don’t sound so excited. I don’t know. How would you sell me on horseracing? Show me the place.”
“Haven’t you ever been to a race track?” He shook his head.
Daisy rolled her eyes skyward. “Then you haven’t lived.”
Nick laughed. “Apparently I’ve lived many more years than you, according to your own assessment.”
Blushing, Daisy asked, “How long do I have? If I accept your deal.”
“By the end of the day.”
“What? That’s not possible.”
“I’m a busy fellow.”
Willow Smoke Page 1