Page 113 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

“Horses.” Charlotte said.

“No. I don’t really trust them.” Maddie replied.

“How come?”

Maddie shrugged. “They have a mind of their own, it doesn’t matter how well trained they are, you can never guarantee they won’t do something you don’t expect. You’re never fully in control.”

“You sound just like Cole.” Charlotte said laughing.

“She’s not wrong.” Cole stated.

“Come riding with me. Just once. I promise I can change your mind.” Charlotte said.

Maddie looked from her to Cole and she could see he was curious about her response.

“Fine but I don’t have any riding gear, no jodhpurs, no boots, not even a hat.”

“Pfft, I can get you those.” Charlotte said.

“Where and when?” Maddie asked.

“Next week, after the ball. We can meet at the club and borrow a couple of their ponies and just go for a nice hack. Promise you you’ll be a horse girl in no time.” Charlotte declared.

“Promise you she won’t be.” Cole muttered and Brandon laughed.

“Not tempted to join us?” Maddie asked him and he shot her a look that warned her he might just hit the switch again.

“Cole doesn’t ride. Not anymore.” Charlotte stated.

“So you used to?” Maddie asked him.

“He didn’t tell you? He used to play Polo. He played for Guards.” Charlotte said before he could answer.

“What’s that?” Maddie replied.

“One of the best clubs in the world.” Charlotte stated and Cole sipped his drink meeting Maddie’s eyes but saying nothing. Of course he played Polo, she thought, it was so Cole-like, so elite, she should have seen it before.

“So how come you don’t ride anymore?” Maddie asked him.

He shrugged. “I don’t have the time. Work keeps me busy.”

“Pfft, you’ve not found the time but now…” Charlotte said glancing at Maddie like she was some kind of answer to his issue.

He shook his head. “I run a company with six separate subsidiaries beneath it. I barely have time to think some days, barely have time to focus on anything other than what they need to function, what they need to succeed.”

Maddie frowned. She’d never heard him talk about it, about being CEO, he always just seemed to handle it, to manage it with no comment as though he were Atlas with the world on his shoulders but not feeling the weight of it.

“Don’t you find it tiring?” She asked him and he looked at her as if neither Brandon or his sister were there.

“Yes. But that’s my job. Black Industries would not exist without me. It didn’t exist before I made it what it is and if I stop, if I don’t keep pushing then it will fail.” He stated and she bit her lip wondering how he had time for it all, and more than that why he was spending some of it messing around with her. Surely he had better things to do, better things to focus on. And then she wondered if she was some kind of release for him, some way he let his hair down and that was why he was so demanding, so controlling, that she was essentially his hobby and he was determined to enjoy it his way.

“You are so certain of your own ability?” Charlotte said and Maddie frowned then glancing at her.

“Always.” Cole smirked.

“Enough serious talk for one night, let’s open another bottle.” Brandon said and Charlotte grinned.

Charlotte went to sit back out on the terrace and Brandon grabbed a bottle and fresh glasses to join her.

Cole still sat there watching Maddie and she tilted her head waiting for him to say something. He got up and walked around the table and she stood up.

“Do you mind?” He asked her and she frowned.

“Mind what?” She asked.

He shrugged. “The dinner party, more drinking.”

“Do you?”

He smirked. “I was thinking they’d be gone by now.”

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