Free Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries

complained.
    â€œBecause it’s not a courtship if the two people never court.”
    She shot him a startled look. Then, nervously glancing back at the groom listening to every word, she urged her mare closer to David’s black gelding. “It’s only a pretend courtship,” she said in a low voice.
    Perhaps. Perhaps not. “That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. It’s a beautiful day, and we’ve got a whole estate to explore. Try to enjoy it, will you?”
    They rode a few moments in an uncomfortable silence. Then David asked, “How do you find your mount?”
    â€œPerfect,” she muttered.
    His hands tightened on the reins. “You don’t sound pleased.”
    She sighed, then patted the mare’s withers as if to reassure the creature. “Oh, but I am. She has enough spirit tobe enjoyable, but a yielding temperament that makes for pleasant riding.”
    â€œSo why the long face?”
    Fixing her gaze on the path ahead, she squirmed in the saddle. “I’m just…annoyed that you knew precisely what sort of horse to pick for me.”
    â€œYou hate not being the only one with a good eye for horses, don’t you?” he teased, determined to lighten her mood.
    A small smile curved her lips. “Exactly.”
    But that wasn’t the real reason for her annoyance. The chit didn’t want to approve of anything he did, yet she couldn’t help herself sometimes. Thank God.
    The path suddenly opened out into a long road between two fields of barley. At the end stood a forest they used to play in as children. David flashed her a challenging smile. “Want to race to the woods?”
    She eyed the dirt road, then him. “Only if you promise not to call me a nasty name when I win.”
    â€œI promise.” He grinned. “But you’re not going to win.” And with that, he goaded his mount into a run.
    She followed him with surprising speed, impressing him with her skill. But she’d pricked his pride already once this morning. He meant to show her that he wasn’t the lecherous twit she took him for, who dressed badly and spent his days lolling about in luxurious debauchery. He rode to win, putting every bit of his horsemanship to the test.
    She nearly bested him anyway. But just as they neared the part of the road that bisected the forest, David pushed his gelding to his limits and thundered past the line of trees ahead of her. With a laugh of pure triumph, he pulledup and turned toward her in the saddle. “Good show,” he said, trying not to gloat.
    â€œI see you gave yourself the faster horse,” she grumbled.
    He laughed at her, not the least daunted by her ill humor. “Why, Charlotte Page, you’re as bad a loser as I am.”
    Her irate gaze shot to him, and she opened her mouth as if to protest. Then she gave a weak laugh. “I suppose that’s true. I despise losing.”
    â€œGood of you to admit it,” he said as she continued down the road. He pulled his gelding into step beside her. “Feel free to call me a nasty name if that will make you feel better. I hear that Monkey is taken, but you could try, oh, Garish Goer. Or Mr. Fast and Loose. Or…Wait, I have the perfect one: the Debauched Devil.”
    â€œPerfect?” Her brows arched high. “You’d consider that one a compliment. You and your friends, strutting about, bragging of your wickedness.”
    â€œI never brag. Don’t need to.” He grinned over at her. “My wickedness is self-evident.”
    She laughed outright. “I swear, you’re incorrigible, Mr. Masters.”
    Delighted that he’d made her laugh at last, he pushed his success further. “Come now, can’t you call me David? Surely even your pretend fiancé deserves that.”
    â€œMy pretend fiancé is stretching the rules of propriety,” she chided, then gave him a pretty smile that took the sting