Page 105 of A Sweet Destruction

Esme’s smile didn’t drop, just mellowed into a pleasant—if not slightly confused—expression as I walked up to her and kept going until we were chest to chest.

My hands came to her face, fingers brushing away her hair before curling around the back of her head.

It struck me—not for the first time—how precious she was. Both to me and life itself.

And to have her look at me with an openness in her expression, after everything I’d put her through, only made that thought strike harder.

I stroked one thumb over her cheek and the corner of her mouth jumped, as if pulled into a smile by my touch.

I lowered my chin slowly, giving her a chance to back away. When she didn’t, I dropped one, soft kiss on her lips.

I hadn’t wanted our first kiss to be about a lie, though that was how the cards fell. It had been overwhelmed by a great deal of unrestrained passion on my end, and if I thought too hard about how easily Esme had risen to meet that intensity, it took my mind in a wayward direction.

While the fervor was certainly the loudest, behind it all, there was a deep, pressing desire to soothe the anger and the pain and the resentment with tenderness. To give Esme—and myself—something soft and comfortable.

It was why I allowed myself only the barest brush of lips, a physical manifestation of the way her uninhibited smile had made me feel.

When I pulled back, Esme’s eyes had turned to honey.

“What was that for? Is this something we’re doing now?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes. And I don’t need a reason,” I said, lightly teasing. “But that was because you smiled at me.”

The most adorable little crinkle formed between her brows. “And that’s special?”

I nodded, stroking her cheek again just to see that little jump of muscle. “We have a habit of scowling at each other.”

Esme snorted a laugh. “I appreciate that you made that mutual.” This time it was her turn to each up and pass her fingers lightly down my face, right over the scar. “Though it was never a bad look on you. Made the whole big grumbly man thing really hit.”

“Come on,” I said through a laugh, jerking my chin at Sky’s lingering form behind her. “I think Sky is a little jealous. Let’s get going before he knocks me on the dirt again.”

Esme had one foot in the saddle when turned over her shoulder. “You said that before. Does he have a habit of knocking you over?”

“He was just protecting you. At least it wasn’t a hoof to the chest.”

“You, my sweet boy, are the best thing in the world,” Esme said, nuzzling her head into Sky’s neck. He snorted happily, his leering stare softening.

He didn’t even grumble when I took a step towards them while Esme swung up onto his back. I checked her saddle, though I knew it was going to be perfect, then patted the back of her leg before jumping onto Shadow’s back.

“What?” I asked, when I realized Esme was looking down at her leg.

She jerked up, caught in the act. A fierce blush was high on her cheeks.

“Oh no,” I tsked, cutting off whatever dismissive thing she was about to say. “I want to hear what caused that blush.”

“It’s just,” she swallowed, then restarted, “I don’t think you’ve ever touched my leg before. Not like that, anyway.”

Several lurid thoughts slammed into me from all sides.

“Okay, now I want to know what caused your blush,” Esme said. I didn’t think I’d ever blushed in my life, but this was a good a time as any to start. Expected, even, given there was a very clear image of Esme’s leg hooked over my shoulder clear in my mind.

“I’m thinking of a lot of different things I’d like to do to you,” I said, my lower stomach tightening nearly to the point of pain.

Our eyes held for several, heavy seconds where I was sure both of us were debating jumping off our horses. I knew I was ready, but it was Esme’s green light I needed.

I was the one to break the moment. “Get going, sweetheart.”

Esme nodded blindly, probably not even sure what she was agreeing to. Sky understood me, taking off in a healthy trot. Shadow moved happily to follow him, and once we had a little distance from the town, they both started to take off towards the tree line at a gallop.