Page 25 of Kobalt

“What? It did look good. That ass was just bouncing, all firm and juicy. Shit, got me hard right now just thinking about it. I can’t wait to get inside of there.”

I giggled. “That’s not happening any time soon, sir.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he replied and licked his lips.

The sight of him doing that caused my thighs to clench in response to a flash of desire that hit me low.

We rode for a little while longer and made small talk. The conversation about the miscarriage yesterday was still on his mind. It reflected itself in the periods of silent reflection throughout the morning and this afternoon, as well as in the ways I often caught him staring into the distance as though lost in thought.

We came to a stop in the middle of the orchard.

“Wait there. I’ll help you down.”

I nodded and remained on Shadow until after Kobalt had dismounted and walked over to my side. After he assisted me, he grabbed some buckets from a stack of them and handed one to me and took one for himself.

“I think that I needed this. Being on this farm has been so refreshing for my soul. Everyone needs a time of reflection in a place as serene and as beautiful as this.”

“I agree. Too bad most people will never experience a place like this in a lifetime or even understand what it can bring.”

“You sound like you’d be interested in making this place open to the public.”

He smirked. “Not quite, but I’ve considered buying a farm not too far from here to do just that. Magnolia Orchard is too private, too intimate, and it’s always where I feel closest to my grandma. We spent a lot of wonderful summers up here as kids, and the memories that we made are special to me. That’s not something I want to let go. Bringing others up here would ruin that for me.”

“I can see what you mean. Is there a farm for sale close by?”

“I’ve heard there’s one about ten miles down the road, but I’ll have to check it out when I finish the training camp.”

“Let me know if there’s anything that I can do—design wise, I mean.”

“Of course.”

We spent about an hour picking apples before I started collecting colorful autumn leaves that scattered the ground and placed them into my sweater pockets.

“What are you gonna do with those?”

“I’ll make pressed art for hall and gallery displays in one of my client’s houses. The leaves around here are better than any I’ve ever seen in the city. They are larger, sturdier, and more colorful.”

When I looked up from the leaf in my hand, Kobalt was staring at me.

“What?”

“You’re so beautiful, Kai.”

I smiled shyly and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Thank you, handsome. You’re not so bad yourself.”

He chuckled and exhaled loudly.

I grabbed his hands and stared into his eyes. “Baby, say what’s on your mind?”

“Will you ever want to have kids again?”

I dropped his hands like someone poured hot grits into mine and shoved them into my pockets, careful not to crunch the leaves. In an attempt to find my voice, I cleared my throat.

“Uhm, yeah. I want them, but honestly, I’m afraid to try again. What if . . . what if I can’t conceive, or what if my body fails me again?”

He cupped my chin and stared into my eyes. “Your body didn’t fail you, baby. The stress of a new business, me going away, and then learning you were pregnant was too much. I failed you.”

“No, you didn’t. You had no idea, and if you knew, you would have come back home. You deserved to have a fair shot at giving and getting your best from your dream career.”