A Prince For Sophie by Morgan Ashbury Read Free Book Online Page B

be surprised if Andre, our stable master, already has a couple of horses saddled for us.”
    “That would be a bonus, then. We don’t have a lot of time before I have to return you to the bosom of your family.”
    Sophie looked at him and burst out laughing. “Despite the fact that I still live in my father’s house, I really do lead an independent life.”
    “Did I say anything different?”
    “You implied it.”
    “See? You were thinking as we drove here that you didn’t know me very well. And you’ve just proved yourself wrong.”
    Sophie thought it would be wise if she said nothing in response to that preposterous claim. Instead, she led the way to the stables. As she neared the structure, a soft whinny greeted her.
    “There’s my beautiful girl.”
    Her horse, a pretty chestnut mare, bobbed her head as if agreeing with her mistress’ assessment.
    “I pictured you as owning a midnight black Arabian named Diablo, a bewitched stallion whose duty, all these years, has been to protect you from the ravishment of mere mortal men.”
    “You have quite the whimsical streak, Your Highness. There are several Arabians in my father’s stable, some of them black, but I prefer this lovely quarter horse whose name is Chocolat . She was born in the United States on a farm in Virginia. So she is quite the well bread southern lady.”
    At just that moment, Andre led another horse out of the building. This one was Arabian, and pure black. She saw Stephan’s eyes light with pleasure. “Sorry to disappoint you. His name is Splendor, and although he was quite frisky once, I’m afraid he’ll never fall in love again.”
    Stephan’s laughter was a wonderful gift. She felt as if she had managed to do something quite extraordinary to spark it so many times in such a short period of time.
    It took little time for them to mount up and head off along one of the many trails that wound through the large estate. Sophie deliberately dismissed from her mind the thought that Stephan was the first man she’d ever gone riding with. The scoundrel was raking up a rather large number of firsts where she was concerned. She didn’t want to think about that either, or about the affect he had on her. She didn’t want to think about anything at all. She wanted to ride, to feel the wind in her hair and pretend, if only for a little while, that she was as free and unfettered as a creature of the woods.
     
    * * * *
     
    Stephan was astonished when Sophie reached up and pulled the clip from her hair. Letting it drop to the ground behind her, she let go of the reins just long enough to comb her fingers through the long tresses.
    With her hair up and neatly styled, she’d been the epitome of the elegant and aloof ice princess. With it loosed and hanging down her back, she resembled a woodland sprite, happy and free. Then the trail they were on opened up and a vast meadow spread before them.
    “Race you!”
    The challenge caught him off guard. She’d managed to sprint her mare several lengths ahead of him before he kicked his heels lightly, sending his mount into a full gallop.
    The sound of her laughter came to him on the wind, and he understood in that moment that for her everything had disappeared but the animal under her and the wind streaming through her long hair.
    Seating himself deep into the saddle, he leaned forward, urging the animal beneath him to overtake her. He let the beast have its head. If the meadow had been just a few meters longer, he believed they would have caught her.
    She was flushed and breathless when he pulled his horse up beside hers. He could no sooner stop himself from reaching for her than he could stop breathing. Vaulting from the back of his horse, he scooped her off hers and held her close.
    “What are you doing to me, Sophie de la Croix? Why can’t I keep my hands off you?”
    He gave her no time to answer. His mouth descended on hers, hot and hard. Did she taste the anger in his kiss? He knew there was a