The Acostas Box Set: The Shameless Life of Ruiz Acosta / The Argentinian's Solace / A Taste of the Untamed / The Man From her Wayward Past / Taming the Last Acosta / Christmas Nights with the Polo Player. Susan Stephens
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up under the protection of brothers like that, she thought briefly, but then she added wryly, how terrible. With four warriors watching over her it was no wonder Lucia Acosta had felt the need to break away. The Acosta brothers were such a formidable force it would be easy to be eclipsed by them.
When the match had been declared a draw and the players awarded their medals, they cantered off the field. Holly felt weak with longing, and tense with anticipation at the thought of this first meeting. She left her seat to go and find Ruiz. The teams were coming into the yard by the time she arrived, steel horseshoes clattering across the cobbles. The men made quite a sight—all of them muscular and rugged, with shoulders wide enough to carry an ox. She stood beneath the shade of some trees, watching discreetly as the men chatted to each other as if they hadn’t been mortal enemies only minutes before. Ruiz had his mallet resting on his massive shoulders, and was holding the reins casually in one hand. He was so achingly familiar, and yet a stranger in so many ways. Thinking herself hidden in the shadows she exclaimed out loud when he looked straight at her and came cantering over.
‘Welcome to Argentina, Holly Valiant,’ he said.
She gasped with surprise when he dipped out of the saddle to kiss her cheek. ‘I’m glad you decided to accept my invitation,’ he said, staring down at her with all the knowledge and humour in his eyes she remembered.
She hoped she mumbled something vaguely polite in return as Ruiz sprang down from the saddle. Handing over his sweating pony and mallet to a waiting groom, he turned to face her. ‘Did you enjoy the match?’ Her heart thundered in response as Ruiz removed his helmet and ran one hand through his wild black hair.
‘It was fantastic. You were fantastic …’ Her voice tailed away. She felt incredibly self-conscious all of a sudden, and realised that Ruiz must receive such unsophisticated compliments all the time.
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it,’ he said, a sincere smile planting an attractive crease in his cheek. ‘Did you see my goal?’
‘Yes, I saw it,’ she confirmed, realising that even national heroes needed reassurance from time to time. ‘It was brilliant.’ And now she was smiling. How could she not smile when Ruiz was around? She had lost the art of playing it cool where Ruiz Acosta was concerned—if she had ever had it in the first place.
Ruiz’s massive shoulders eased in a self-deprecating shrug as he glanced after his horse. ‘I owe it all to my pony. I saved my best horse until the last chukka.’
‘I think it might have something to do with your skill too,’ she suggested dryly, growing in confidence because Ruiz was so relaxed.
Her heart bounced as he stared intently at her. ‘Are you attempting to flatter me, Señorita Valiant?’
‘Maybe, Señor Acosta,’ she agreed. To have Ruiz teasing her again in that warm, husky voice was alarming and yet strangely reassuring too. It was as though nothing had changed between them, as though they were still close, and had always been close, and only she had imagined the yawning gulf growing between them.
‘Come on,’ he said, taking hold of her arm.
‘Where are you taking me?’
‘Does it matter?’
Ruiz’s gaze was dark and disturbing, and she had to remind herself that this was a research trip. ‘Not one bit,’ she said. ‘Your driver told me you and your brothers own some of the top ponies in the world …’ Not the best conversational opening gambit she had ever come up with, but she had to try something to distract her wandering and highly erotic thoughts.
‘Have you ever wondered why there isn’t a polo world series?’ Ruiz demanded, staring down at her.
She looked into the dark, compelling gaze. ‘I’m sure you’re going to tell me.’
‘Argentina would clean up every time. We have the best ponies in the world. And the best players.’
‘The most modest too,’ Holly observed dryly.
‘You’re right,’ Ruiz agreed, his eyes dancing with shared laughter. ‘We’re just about perfect.’
She hadn’t imagined it would be so easy to relax with him. But she mustn’t read too much into it, Holly warned herself. Tensions had never existed between them for long and she was Ruiz’s guest in Argentina.
‘I notice you’re not taking notes?’ Ruiz observed, adopting an expression that made her smile even more.
‘What notes?’ she said, frowning. And then she laughed again, knowing her reputation for work.
‘I was led to understand that the only reason you agreed to accept my invitation to come to Argentina was because your boss at ROCK! told you it would be a good idea to write a polo feature for the magazine.’
‘Correct,’ she said. That was the only reason.
‘And there was no other reason?’ Ruiz probed in his deep, husky voice.
‘Should there be?’ If she couldn’t fool herself, what hope was there of fooling Ruiz?
‘You tell me,’ he said.
* * *
‘This is my family home,’ Ruiz told her as they approached a grand old house.
The building had an air of permanence and was much loved, Holly decided, noticing it was immaculately maintained. When they went through the impressive entrance she found herself in a large hall crammed with people. ‘Too many people for proper introductions,’ Ruiz determined, leading her towards an impressive sweeping staircase. ‘You should have some privacy now so you can rest up and take a bath before you meet everyone. You might even like a sleep to recover from the journey?’
‘I’ll be fine. I’m far too excited,’ Holly admitted, which drew a sharp glance from Ruiz. ‘If you can just give me half an hour or so to take a shower and change my clothes …?’
‘But no face masks,’ he said dryly.
‘Promise,’ she said, trying hard to curb a smile.
‘I need to freshen up too,’ Ruiz pointed out, breaking what had turned into a long moment of mutual inspection and assessment. ‘Then I’m going to take a tour of the stables to check on the ponies.’
‘Can I come with you?’
‘If you promise not to bring your phone or your notepad.’
‘I haven’t even switched it on yet.’ And only now remembered her oversight.
‘Then do so,’ Ruiz prompted. ‘You should let people know you’re safe. Though your working hours at the estancia will be between one and four in the afternoon while I’m taking a siesta.’
She laughed. ‘So I work while you rest?’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Ruiz observed with another heart-stopping flash of humour.
‘And what am I supposed to do for the rest of the time?’
‘Live a little?’ Ruiz suggested.
I will, she thought as he turned to go.
She had so much research material already and she’d only been here five minutes, Holly reflected as she leaned back against the heavy wooden door in her bedroom. Decorated in shades of palest coral and cream the room Ruiz had chosen for her was light and sunny, and beautifully feminine in a way Holly had never had the luxury of enjoying before. There was lace on the bed and silver on the dressing table, with a clutch of satin cushions on the elegant chaise longue positioned to take in the view over the ponies in the paddocks beyond the formal gardens.
The scent of beeswax tickled her senses as she waited for the data to upload on her phone. It was then that she noticed the family photographs arranged on the antique chest of drawers. There was a shot of the brothers as teenagers with their much younger sister, all of them smiling and instantly recognisable—dangerously