Seth

Confused and still half-asleep, Seth fumbled for his phone, which buzzed relentlessly on the nightstand. He sighed when he saw who was calling.

"Yes?"

"How's that brilliant new project of yours going?" Tom's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"It's taking longer than I thought."

"Well, get your damn act together. You told me this had nothing to do with me, but I'm still getting calls day and night from your investors and project managers," Tom snapped, irritation sharp in his tone.

"I know, I know. It's hard to get them to cooperate. And now they're threatening to go to the media," Seth admitted, his voice betraying a slight tremor. He swallowed hard, forcing the uncertainty down.

"Christ, Seth. If this goes public, the whole thing's screwed. No investor will touch you again." Tom's frustration was obvious. "Charm the damn woman, then. Get her on board."

The line went dead with a click.

Seth stared at the phone, his jaw tight. The weight of Tom's words pressed down on his chest, but the thought of trying to win over Freya felt like trying to tame a wildfire.

Charm her? He nearly laughed. Yeah. Like that was ever going to happen.

He tossed the phone onto the bed and ran a hand through his hair.

He exhaled slowly, the weight of failure pressing hard against his chest. If this fell apart, everything he'd worked for-his freedom, his reputation-would go up in flames.

But maybe... maybe charm wasn't the answer. Maybe he needed something else. A challenge. A way to force her hand without begging for her approval.

The idea flickered to life in his mind, wild and reckless. He dismissed it instantly. Then again... maybe that was exactly what they both needed.

He headed down to the stable, hoping to find her before it was too late. But she was nowhere in sight within the three stories of the stable building. He stepped onto the courtyard, his eyes flicking toward the house. If he knew her at all, she wouldn't be inside. He couldn't picture her lying on a couch, not with everything at stake.

He peeked into the hay shed-empty. His nerves tightened with every step. She wouldn't agree to his plan. Why would she? And if she was as tough as she seemed, he wasn't sure he had the guts to follow through. His own idea, his own plan-it scared the hell out of him.

His boots crunched on the gravel path as he headed for the paddocks, each step heavier than the last. Then he saw her-dark-blonde hair hunched over in one of the enclosures. His heart pounded faster the closer he got.

"Hey."

She jumped, spinning around. "Jesus-don't you know you're never supposed to sneak up on a horse?"

"Well, you're not a horse."

"No, but Nova could've gotten scared."

"But he didn't-you did."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. What do you want?"

He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling up. Why did he always have to argue first? Damn it.

"Have you gone to the media yet?" he asked, praying he wasn't too late.

"No, I have a meeting with the paper this afternoon. They're coming for an interview," she said, avoiding his gaze.

Good. He still had a chance.

"Can you postpone it? I have a pro-"

"Postpone it? Not a chance."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. If she'd just let him finish a damn sentence...

"I have a proposal for you."

She didn't turn around, didn't even flinch.

"A bet-the loser walks away from the land."

His pulse hammered.

"A bet?" she echoed, finally facing him.

He nodded. "Yeah. Winner takes the stable."

She scoffed. "If I had the money, don't you think I'd have bought it already?"

Desperation clawed at his chest.

"Fine. If you win, I'll back out of the deal."

She narrowed her eyes. "You have my attention. But what stops the next rich asshole from coming along and ruining everything?"

He was going to regret this.

"If you win, I'll buy the stable for you. I'll put the contract in your name and throw in enough to keep the place running."

He was a goddamn idiot.

"Why the hell would you do that?" she asked, disbelief etched into every word.

"Because I won't need to. I'm going to win this bet," he said, locking eyes with her. "And when you lose, you back off. No more fighting, no more threats of going to the media. You pack up, take your horse, and let me be."

"What's the bet?" Her voice was low, cautious.

"I learn to ride your horse. You learn to ride my bike."

Freya

She let out a short laugh. "Do you realize it can take years to master horseback riding?"

"Then we'll need a deadline. Four months. Whoever does better by then, wins."

Her mind raced. She had to admit it-her opponent wasn't an idiot. In fact, he was annoyingly clever.

"You understand you'll have to ride Nova on your own, right? All gaits-from a walk to a full gallop. And you'll need to master jumping, too."

"Jumping?" he asked, frowning.

"Yeah, clearing obstacles."

His eyes dropped to the ground, doubt flickering across his face. For the first time, hope sparked in her chest. Maybe, just maybe, she had a shot at saving her home, the horses, and everything they loved.

"But you know what you're up against, right?" he said, his voice low and steady. "You'll need to handle winding roads and hit high speeds on the straights. We're talking 150 kilometers an hour."

Her heart plummeted at those words. She'd been so focused on him failing to ride Nova that she hadn't fully considered her end of the bet. She didn't even like driving a car. How the hell was she supposed to handle a two-wheeled death machine?

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. Every instinct screamed at her to say no, to walk away from the insanity. But walking away meant giving up-and she couldn't do that.

"Of course. I'm not afraid of a little speed and adrenaline," she lied, her voice barely steady.

Seth's lips twitched into a faint smile, but a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes gave him away.

"So, you're in?"

She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"For the next four months, we focus on learning each other's sports?" she clarified.

"Yeah. I'll delay all meetings, all plans, and all demolitions. Four months."

Her chest tightened, but determination flared in her eyes. She thought of Nova, of the stable, of the life she refused to let slip away.

"I'm in."