she cried out in amazement and a little pain. But she still kept up the patter.
‘Don’t go to the front too early.’
‘Going too firm for you?’ countered Shade, giving a few more thrusts. Then he pulled out and rolled on his back, pulling her on top of him, giving her two very, very hard slaps on her bottom.
‘Ouch!’
‘Stop playing silly buggers then and prove you’re good enough to ride my horse.’
‘It was a done deal,’ hissed Amber, burying her teeth in his shoulder, ‘a ride for a ride, or I’m going home.’
‘OK, OK,’ conceded Shade, as she began to move, crouching low over him, thrusting and driving, muscles gripping his cock with all her strength, riding the finish of her life.
She was gratified to see his heavy eyelids closed, to hear the groans of pleasure, as she kissed the bite mark on his scented shoulder and tried to read if the tattoo said ‘Olivia’.
Suddenly, he wriggled out from under her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he made her kneel between his legs, ramming his cock into her mouth, shoving with real violence until she gagged. Thank God she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She couldn’t scream.
Just before she choked to death, Shade had changed positions, making her lie back on the bed, tipping her legs right over in a U-turn. Her knees rested on her shoulders, her toes against the leather headboard, so he could ride his own finish, forcing deep inside her, then, ramming a long finger up her exposed anus to tighten the fit, he exploded inside her. For a moment he let his full weight collapse on her, then he rolled away.
‘I thought you’d rammed the winning post up me as well,’ gasped Amber.
Shade laughed or, rather, flashed his teeth.
‘Well done, definitely winners enclosure.’ Then he added brusquely, ‘Now get dressed. I’ve got a conference call from Beijing,’ he glanced at his vast watch, ‘in a few minutes. Use the bathroom in there, then hop it.’
Amber didn’t move. ‘A ride for a ride. I need proof.’ There was steel in her voice.
‘I gave you my word.’
‘Doesn’t mean a thing.’
For a second they glared at each other. She was so beautiful, so golden against his dark blue silk pillows, and so fearless. Shade was more jolted than he cared to admit.
‘My mother’s a very dangerous journalist,’ said Amber. ‘My father works for the BBC. You don’t mess with us, Mr Deadly Night Shade.’
She wasn’t moving. Shade was in a hurry. Even though it was the middle of the night, he reached for his mobile and punched out a number. The other end took some time to answer.
‘H-H, good morning. Change of plan. That new Irish horse running at Wincanton next week, what’s it called? Oh yes, Bullydozer. I want you to put up Amber Lloyd-Foxe.’
Amber could hear the howl of protest rising to a crescendo at the other end.
‘It’s my fucking horse, I say who rides it.’ Shade hung up.
‘Bullydozer is a very good name for its owner,’ said Amber.
‘Did you enjoy that?’ Once more Shade’s hand slid between her legs.
‘Not a lot. There is something called the clitoris, in case you’d forgotten.’
‘I know. Tonight was for me. Next time, I’ll make you yell your head off. Now bugger off.’
Rafiq was all delicacy, Shade all brutality, she reflected.
As she drove out through the gates, she heard his helicopter revving up, and swore as she realized she’d left her lucky pants behind.
96
Amber was terrified Shade would rat. Declarations have to be in by ten o’clock on the previous day, reaching the Racing Post website around lunchtime. Checking with shaking hands and pounding heart, Amber yelled with joy. Ten horses were entered in the 3.15 Edward Thring Cup at Wincanton tomorrow, including Bafford Playboy ridden by Killer, Rogue on History Painting, Awesome Wells on Count Romeo and Amber Lloyd Foxe (who had the 7-lb advantage of being a conditional jockey) on Bullydozer.
If only Dora was in England to tell all the world. Amber rang her father, who was thrilled.
‘I’ll try really hard to get down there. Saturday afternoon’s a bit of a bugger. So much going on.’
Amber was gratified to be emailed by an agent nicknamed ‘Special’ Donaldson, who she’d been pestering for months.
‘Good luck in the Edward Thring. Let’s do lunch.’
The big time – at last. If only she hadn’t left her lucky pants at Shade’s.
Marius, who’d been to Sandown the previous day and stayed overnight to look at a couple of horses, was going straight to Wincanton.