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“Do you know how to ride?”
I shook my head. “I had a lesson when I was five years of age. The horse threw me and I never got on another again.” That was Emiana’s story, not mine. I knew how to ride, or... I think I do?
“Are you still afraid?” Alisdair gestured at Riordan’s stables. “Or would you like to learn?”
“You’ll teach me?”
Smirking, he backed away—lightly kissing my fingertips as they slipped out of reach. “I intend to teach you a great many things.”
He crossed to the stables, leaving me a smoldering pile of lace and satin.
Eadaoin whistled, falling in at my side. “My lady, don’t take this the wrong way, but I deeply regret that I was never chosen to be one of my lord’s companions. The man exudes sex, and he’s exuding it all over you.”
“Ew,” I cried, giggling. “That phrasing did not conjure a sexy image.”
We cracked up.
“But truly.” She bumped my shoulder. “I am happy to see this change. You both look so happy. Not that you didn’t look happy before,” she mused, cocking her head to the side. “It was obvious to everyone watching how much you two enjoyed riling each other up. Bet it made the sex delicious. Be honest, how hard did he fuck you the night you told the whole court he had a hairy mole on his cock and bursts into tears when he completes?”
“Oh, Meya,” I groaned. “I think you and I could stand to be less honest with each other.”
She laughed that growly, tsking laugh. “You never did tell me. How did you do it in the end? How’d you get him to fall in love with you?”
“I haven’t.” My reply was instant. “I mean, he hasn’t said that he does. Assuming his feelings didn’t work out well for either one of us, so I refuse to repeat the mistake.” I lifted my chin, nose high. “If and when Alisdair has something to tell me, he will,” Emiana said. “I won’t be the lovesick fool—nipping at his heels and making sappy declarations that are never returned.”
“Oh, my lady.” She slipped her hand into mine. “I’m sorry.”
Emiana’s consciousness faded as the sympathy left Eadaoin’s lips, giving me an opportunity to clarify her harshness and say that I didn’t mean it that way.
The opportunity passed without a word from me. If it was possible for Alisdair Shadowsoul to be mostly right, it was also possible that Emiana wasn’t always wrong.
The last time Alisdair broke my heart, we nearly killed him. It wouldn’t be amiss for me to keep my heart in my chest this time around, instead of giving it to him to crush in his clawed fist.
“Are you ready?” Alisdair called, drawing my head back up.
Eadaoin winked. “Don’t get into too much trouble out there— Actually, what am I saying? If you don’t come back limping even worse than you are right now, don’t come back at all.”
“I was being generous when I called you a wicked minx!”
She took off, laughing. Eadaoin didn’t need to stick by my side when Alisdair was around. No one did. He proved he was all the army I needed.
I entered the stables and went directly to the sweet brown mare who listened while I hogged her stall and bawled my troubles. Alisdair bent to help me up.
I halted. “Wait, I’m not sure about this.”
“What’s wrong? You said you wanted to learn to ride.”
“I do, but maybe it’s not a good idea to have another great big animal bouncing between my legs, after the first one left me so sore, I can barely walk.”
He hummed. “Well then, you’ll never learn to ride, because this great, big animal will fuck the sense out of you tonight, and every night that you’re mine.” Alisdair smiled wide, holding out his laced fingers. “After you.”
Sniffing, I placed my foot on his palms. “Your mouth is as filthy as you are handsome.”
“That as may be, but after you got on your knees and did what you did to my cock this morning, we can safely say your mouth is filthier.”
I told him something filthy he could do with a horse, which set him off laughing. “You will not distract me with that naughty mouth for a second time today.” He pointed. “On the horse.”
“You’re commanding me now?”
