Harper's heart was racing faster than Dolly was galloping. She could hear Colton's horse catching up to her. Her mind scrambled to make sense of all that had happened that evening. Her brain was screaming to just keep riding as far away as she could, but her heart seemed to be making all the decisions tonight.

It wasn't fair. She was just a normal girl, and the guy pursuing her was a fucking sex-god. She'd tried so hard to keep her distance, recognizing the dangerous pull to the larger-than-life persona the minute she'd met him. Colton King was a dangerous man. He may not be a murderer or thief, but sure as shit, he was doing a good job of trying to steal her heart.

She'd spent the last three weeks watching him from a distance. In the beginning, she'd expected him to be an arrogant asshole. When he'd turned out to be quite personable, she'd reasoned it was all part of his lover-boy routine. But even that wasn't adding up with his assertion of his celibacy where the contestants were concerned. Although, that might explain the growing hostility of the women, not against each other as she'd expected, but towards her.

Dolly had just come alongside the white fence that marked the final leg of their race. She had a big enough lead. She should race into the yard and declare victory, say her good-nights and stay the hell away from the American royalty. What she wanted to do was pull on the reins, let him pass and win her as his prize.

What she did do was slow just enough to let him catch up. She glanced sideways as he pulled along side her, his face hard with a competitive determination that surprised her. They raced the final hundred yards side-by-side, rushing into the paddock, their horses neck and neck.

"I won!" he shouted with a victorious laugh.

"It was a tie," she corrected.

The horses snorted and whinnied as they worked to catch their breath after their race. Colt dismounted first before coming to assist her. The second her boots hit the ground, he crowded her, trapping her between his hard body and her horse, leaning close enough that she could smell a hint of his shampoo and cologne. He was pure man, and she wanted him bad.

"Now, I think we had a deal, Ms. Gardener," he teased, so close she thought he might kiss her again.

"You didn't beat me."

"But I didn't lose either."

"You're splitting hairs."

"I'd like to split something else," he whispered against her ear suggestively, sending shockwaves through every inch of her body.

"I can see I shouldn't have been worried about you." The voice of a strange man coming from the other side of her horse startled her and annoyed Colt.

He mouthed the words, "I'm sorry," to her just before releasing her. The cold evening air jolted her out of her sexual haze as Colton stepped away from her body.

"Van, what the hell are you doing back up here?"

She didn't know who Van was, but she owed him one. His arrival had saved her from making one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Harper turned, moving quickly to take off the saddle and put Dolly away for the night, so she could dash off to her room for some privacy. She couldn't help but hear the men's conversation as she worked.

"Gavin called earlier. Said you weren't feeling well, and he thought you could use a friendly face."

"So he called you?" She could hear humor in Colt's tone and suspected the men were friends.

"Har-har. Looks like you're feeling better. You gonna introduce me to your lady friend?"

"Nope."

"Ah, come on. I won't bite."

A movement from the corner of the stable caught her eye. It took Harper a minute to focus on the shadow, but when she did, her heart lurched, wondering just how much of their arrival the cameraman hidden in the corner had caught of their exchange. She couldn't risk being caught on camera in a compromising position. She'd watched enough reality TV shows to know that should that happen, she'd be turned into the villain of the season, and the contestants, who had been so rude to her, would be spun to look like innocent victims.

Charlie Finnegan arrived just as she was removing Dolly's bridle. She hated to impose, but she needed to slink away while Colt was still distracted.

"I hate to ask, but would you mind brushing her down for me, Charlie? I have a bit of a headache."

The wise man eyed her suspiciously, but if he suspected she was lying, he kept it to himself. "I don't mind at all, Miss Harper. It's just so nice to have folks using our stables again. I hope to see you back again tomorrow night."

She remained non-committal. "I'll try. Tell Cecelia goodnight for me."

"You aren't going to go up for a cup of tea like normal?"

"Naw, not tonight. I'm heading off to bed. See you tomorrow."

Harper left the stables through the far end, avoiding having to walk past Colton and Van as the men were deep in conversation. With any luck, she'd make it to her apartment before he noticed her gone.

Once outside, she hustled across the stone driveway, shortcutting through the expansive lawn. She didn't dare turn around, but she felt eyes on her, as if she were being watched. Whether by people or a camera, she wasn't sure which.

The lights were on in the pool house as they often were at this time of the evening. The production crew liked to hang out in the hot tub or at the bar, but tonight, a quick glance around found the space empty. She was relieved. She didn't want to talk with anyone.

Only when she was safely behind her closed door did Harper fall apart. The events of that night were threatening to overwhelm her. The intensity of her attraction to Colton alarmed her. If it were just sexual, she could understand, but it was so much more than that.

She'd been unprepared to like the guy. Between his playboy reputation, the fact that she knew next to nothing about major league baseball, and that she found it morally repugnant that he could even consider signing up to date six women at the same time while on camera, she was baffled as to how he'd broken down her defenses.

She just needed to hold out a few more weeks, and then they'd never see each other again. That couldn't be so hard.

She took off her coat and started undressing as she made her way to the bathroom. A nice hot shower would make her feel back to normal.

She turned the temperature to hot and got in, letting the water wash away more than the grime of the day. Willing her feelings of attraction for Colton to spin down the drain alongside the soap, she didn't get out until she felt calmer.

It was still early for bed, but she hadn't been sleeping well since her arrival. She threw on a pair of panties and one of the camisoles she slept in and dove under the covers of her king-sized bed. But sleep was elusive, her mind refusing to focus on anything but how his kisses had made her feel. It had to just be his fame that had made the way he held her feel different than any other embrace she'd ever enjoyed.

Twenty minutes was spent trying to put him out of her mind before she finally admitted defeat. Just one little hit and she knew she'd sleep better. Harper rolled to the edge of the bed, opened the drawer to the nightstand and pulled out her vibrator. She'd be lying if she didn't admit that masturbating had become part of her nightly routine since her arrival in Connecticut. The part that alarmed her was that, each night, she'd become more obsessed with pretending it was Colton King moving inside her. He was officially her number one fodder for her sexual fantasies.

Feeling warm, she threw back the covers, letting her legs fall open as she lightly rubbed the silicone dildo up and down her slit through the gusset of her cotton panties, feeling the wetness drenching the thin material.

God she was so wet already.

Harper closed her eyes, making it easier to envision it was Colt there touching her. Other nights she'd let her imagination run wild, dreaming of the things his sexy hands could do to her body. But tonight, she remembered reality. The feel of his lips on her neck. His sucking her earlobe into his warm mouth, latching on and nipping her with his teeth. The press of his hard body and even harder cock against her as they'd kissed passionately.

The real memories were even better than her dreams had been.

She pulled the waistline of the panties lower, exposing her pussy to the chilled room. The feel of the toy rubbing her clit was perfect as she used her left hand to snake under the fabric of her top, squeezing and then pinching her breast much like Colton had less than an hour before. She loved that her nipple was still tender, proof that she hadn't imagined the whole encounter.

"Christ, you're fucking beautiful like that."

Her dream felt so real. It was almost like… Her eyes flew open, frantically glancing to the door, and praying it had just been her imagination.

The fact that Colton King was standing inside her apartment was shocking enough. It was the engorged cock he had in his left hand that grabbed her attention and wouldn't let go.

"Don't stop, baby. I was really enjoying the show."

She was mortified. Her hand flew away from her pussy as if it were on fire, thrusting the glistening sex toy under her pillow in an attempt to pretend he hadn't seen what he had seen.

It didn't work. In fact, he was in motion, moving closer to the bed as their eyes locked. The temptation to glance lower at his erection was almost overwhelming. She needed to get him the hell out of there.

"I can't believe you broke into my room like this."

"I didn't break in. I knocked softly. You didn't answer. I tested the door, and it was unlocked."

"Don't play games with me, Colton. You know you shouldn't be here."

"I was worried about you. You ditched out so fast when Van showed up."

She tried to get angry. That was preferable to the irresistible pull he seemed to have on her.

"I left because I wanted to be alone."

"So you could fuck yourself while thinking about me?" His words were shocking, and unfortunately true.

"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" she retorted.

"But I'm right, aren't I?" he gloated, taking another step closer to the bed.

She refused to stoop to lying, no matter how badly she wanted to. She let her silence answer for her, regretting leaving the small lamp on.

He didn't stop until he was at the foot of the bed. She now had the perfect view of him in all of his glory, and boy was he magnificent. His shaft was long and thick, his balls hung heavy. Like the rest of the package that was Colton King. He was perfect.

Their eyes met, and she saw pure sexuality trying to devour her. God help her, but she wanted him so bad in that moment she almost invited him into her bed.

Thankfully, he had another idea. "Slip your panties off. I want to see all of you," he instructed, slowly nursing his dick. It felt like an order, and she complied.

Once her undies were thrown to the floor, he gave his next instruction. "Open your legs wider. I want to see everything."

She was glad she was lying down because she felt lightheaded as she followed his direction. Despite the fact they had yet to touch, there was no doubt in her mind that she was in the process of making love with Colton King. The sexual heat of his gaze alone almost made her self-combust.

"Now, slide your fingers through your slit. Make sure to get them nice and wet for me." She did as she was told, in a trance, picking up speed as she rubbed her swollen clit until her hips started rocking up and down off the bed.

"Good girl," he growled, sounding almost pained. "Now, lick your fingers."

She faltered. Confused. "What?" she questioned.

"You heard me. Put your fingers into your mouth and tell me what you taste like."

Harper wanted to object, but even more, she wanted to hear him call her his good girl again. Moving in slow motion, she lifted her fingers to her lips, barely sticking her tongue out to lap at the wetness with timid licks.

"God, that's the sexiest thing I've ever seen. Open your mouth. Suck them in deeper now."

The parallel of her thrusting fingers in and out of her mouth to what she desperately wanted him to be doing with the hardness jutting out from between his legs was not lost on her. Her core contracted with a palpable need.

Why wasn't he coming into the bed? He had to know she was defenseless to reject him. He could take whatever he wanted from her, and she would gladly give it. She may regret it tomorrow in the light of day, but tonight, she was his.

A pained look furrowed his brow. "Take out your vibrator again."

She was not expecting their solo game to continue. "Colton…" she begged.

"I know, baby, but not yet. Trust me."

The odd thing was that she did.

Harper reached under her pillow, retrieving the vibrator that was diminished by the presence of the real deal just feet away. Regardless, she held it, waiting… wanting him to take the lead in the dirty dance they were about to share.

"Slide it up and down. Get the shaft wet, but don't turn it on yet."

The faint sound of him stroking himself mingled with the louder sound of the toy sliding back and forth through her wetness. Several minutes passed as they each made the climb closer to their climax.

"Turn it on, but don't you dare orgasm. I want us to come together."

The vibration against her now sensitive clit almost threw her over the edge. She pulled herself back just in time to keep from exploding. She noticed his left hand had picked up speed, rapidly stroking his hard-on faster until pearly pre-cum glistened at the tip.

"Damn, I want to be on that bed."

"So why aren't you?" she invited.

He looked pained, like it was hard to talk coherently. She understood.

"Things are so complicated."

That was an understatement.

She was so close. She could barely form words. "Mr. Obvious."

He groaned at her attempt at humor, picking up speed with his hand until the sound of his skin slapping turned her on so much she thrust her hips up off the bed, pressing the hardness of the vibrator against her clit in an attempt to ease her ache.

"Ready?"

"To come?"

"Not yet. But when I say go, you're gonna fuck yourself with that bad boy. You're gonna thrust your hips up again and take the whole thing as deep inside as you can. And when you do, you're gonna know it's really me moving inside you."

What the hell was this man doing to her? He hadn't even touched her, yet this was the single most erotic experience of her twenty-five years. She waited with bated breath, having turned over control of her body to the man standing several feet away.

"Now! Shove it in."

She heard her own scream as the vibrating shaft filled her core, lifting her hips up to meet the thrust. Colton continued his directions to her through now gritted teeth as he fended off his own eruption. "That's it, baby. Fuck yourself hard and fast. Just like I'm going to do to you one day very soon."

That was it. The promise of his flesh being inside of her was the final push she needed to lose control. She closed her eyes, crying out his name as the explosion of ecstasy overcame her. She collapsed, exhausted, to the bed just as she heard Colton's grunts, closer now. He growled his own release just as she felt his first spurt of warm jizz land on her exposed tummy.

She opened her eyes in time to see how magnificent he looked as he succumbed to the fiery heat they'd stoked together. Harper watched as ropes of white spunk baptized her.

It took a good minute for her heart rate to slow to anywhere close to normal. As her brain came back on duty, she waited for the guilt and regret to arrive, relieved when it didn't.

A small smile played at Colton's lips. She recognized it as his up to mischief tell.

"Don't move."

"Ah… okay."

He reached towards her on the bed, using his pointer finger to slowly scoop up a glob of his ejaculate, making sure he didn't touch her body. She watched, enthralled, as his finger moved higher until he gave his next command.

"Open up for me."

Her jaw moved slowly, knowing what he was about to do was so naughty, yet loving the thought of drinking him.

His wet finger invaded her mouth, barely brushing the cream on her tongue. For the first time, she didn't wait for his direction. Harper clamped her mouth closed, sucking his finger clean as she swallowed his essence, tasting the tangible evidence of their unique tryst.

Like a gentleman, he left her long enough to retrieve a warm washcloth from the bathroom. He'd taken the time to tuck his cock back into his perfectly tight jeans.

He may not have touched her skin yet, but his cloth-covered hand gently rinsed the residue of their combined excitement from her body. After all they'd experienced together, for some reason, it felt odd to have his larger-than-life persona caring for her in such an intimate way.

It was only when he placed the cloth on the nightstand and looked down on her from above that her tears threatened. She was exhausted. She felt vulnerable. She was afraid.

She fought the urge to beg him to stay, knowing they'd already taken so many chances at being caught. But the thought of him going back to the main house—to his bedroom just feet away from six other women who were vying for his attention—turned her stomach.

"I'd stay if I could." He'd read her mind.

Finally, he touched her, cupping her face gently as he leaned in for a chaste kiss. "Sleep well, Harper. I'll see you in the morning, and if at all possible, I'll meet you in the stables again tomorrow night. It might be a bit later, but I'll be there if I can."

She nodded, too emotional at the thought of being the other woman in this sordid little affair, yet angry at the idea of sharing him at all with the miserable excuses for contestants.

She watched him cross the room, glancing back with a parting smile just before slipping out the door.

She probably should panic, after all, she didn't see how this complicated situation was going to turn out well for her. But in that moment, she was too relaxed. Too content. She closed her eyes and fell into the best sleep she'd had in weeks, dreaming of a man who felt just out of reach.