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Farah was incredulous “What did you say to her?”

He gave Ablah a stern look “That I was upset with her because she wasn’t nice to you, that you’re the woman I crave”

“That’s supposed to make her more amenable toward me? I bet that’s why she wasn’t nice She’s jealous as hell”

He huffed a chuckle “She’s a horse, Farah”

“She’s awithin a hundred- to flip down her sunglasses “Though I’d be appalled to think every fe their whiskers at me, I’ll snap this up as the compliment I’m sure you ue He laughed, pinched her cheek softly “I can assure you Ablah won’t try to get rid of the competition But if you’re not comfortable, I’ll ride her, and you can ride Barq” He patted the neck of the other horse, which a stable hand had just led up to the the reins in Shehab’s hand “He’s taken with you”

Farah looked at Barq, a nificent black stallion who looked decidedlyher out with interest She looked back into the e there, then she shook her head “Nah, I think I’ll get acquainted with Ablah I’, one lady to another”

His s the unexpected”

“Yeah, let’s just hope I don’t really do the unexpected and spend my sabbatical in traction Say, what does Ablah ’”

Farah eyed the hed “And she knows it, too And if Barq’s naood choice I opted to ride Ablah”

He gathered her to him, tilted up her face to his “You do knoouldn’t propose riding either if I wasn’t certain you’d be totally safe?” She nodded, smiled her total trust up at hi a leg up “Up you go”

She put her foot in the stirrup, grabbed the saddle and let hiive a distressed whinny when she landed on her back

“Oh, c’hs ave her lips an involuntary lick “…seventy pounds, at least So quit pretending you’re about to keel under ht”