me, I am beyond pleased!” I said, my eyes basically sparkling. Pointing at my dress, I sighed. “But I’m not exactly dressed for riding. Not with the stiff underskirt.”
Kalon watched me for the better part of a minute, his eyes drilling into me. I knew the wheels were turning somewhere behind them, as he figured out a solution. I would’ve been utterly disappointed if I didn’t get to ride Midnight. She seemed to have been made for me. Her gentle gaze conquered me, almost instantly.
“Do you trust me?” Kalon asked.
I cleared my throat. “With what, specifically?”
A smile tried his lips. “With getting you up on that Vision, without the need of a riding outfit.”
At least he didn’t express offense at me not fully trusting him, in general. His honesty was refreshing, making me chuckle. “I trust you, then.”
“I apologize in advance, but it’s the best and fastest way,” he replied and knelt before me.
“What are you…”
My body stiffened as Kalon’s hands slipped under my skirt. I wasn’t sure whether I should scream or maybe just rip his head off, but part of me asked for a sliver of patience. My heart jumped in my throat as his fingers found the upper hem of the crinoline underskirt.
I briefly glanced over my shoulder, noticing the golden guards out by the main entrance. I couldn’t tell if they could see what was happening or not, but I decided I was better off not knowing.
“There we go,” Kalon muttered as he unsnapped something.
I was melting and dangerously close to burning as I felt the crinoline frame slip from beneath my waist. A second later, it fell on the marble tiles at the bottom of the stairs, and I stepped out of it. “Oh, this feels better,” I breathed, having regained most of my mobility.
“I never understood the purpose of these things, to be honest,” Kalon replied, his hands behind his back once more. “Again, I apologize, but you said you trust me.”
There was no point in telling him that my skin was still rippling, overcome with millions of tiny electrical shocks, as I’d felt his fingers brush up my thigh while he was removing the crinoline. It had been such a fleeting touch that it couldn’t be mentioned. It meant more to me than it probably did to him, anyway. Then again, he might’ve done it on purpose, which would’ve highlighted his masterful ability to steal a touch so swiftly that it made it impossible for the woman to determine whether it was accidental or premeditated. As the wheels turned in my head, I began to think I was dealing with an expert heartthrob. That made him dangerous.
“I… Yeah…” I couldn’t think of a better reply.
“Shall I help you mount Midnight?” Kalon asked, another smile stretching across his face. It hit me then that he was enjoying all this awkwardness, and I was feeding him material for decades to come.
In the blink of an eye, my composure came back, my ego unable to take another blow while Kalon was enjoying himself at my expense. With the crinoline off, I could do much more than just get up on a horse. But I decided to start with that, just to shut him up.
“I’m good, thanks,” I replied, approaching Midnight.
Kalon mounted Lightning quickly, holding the reins and watching me with devilishly handsome interest, while I gently stroked Midnight’s neck, allowing her to get to know me a little better. Like Lightning, she was bigger than Earth’s horses, and I was willing to bet, based on her muscular frame, that she could run as fast as a Dodge Challenger, if given the opportunity.
Midnight was a beast, despite her gracious, dark beauty, and she had to be handled with the utmost respect and reverence.
“Today, maybe?” Kalon sighed, looking amused.
There it was! The mischievous arrogance. The snark. I knew he’d had it handy, just for occasions like this. “Hold your horses,” I shot back, aware of the pun. It flew right past him, since he didn’t know what horses were. Mere seconds later, I finally felt as though Midnight was giving me her approval.
With one swift move, I firmly gripped the saddle and got up, throwing one leg over her back as gracefully as possible. Midnight and I had been made for each other, I thought, as I settled, my thigh muscles stretching with sheer delight. Taking hold of the reins, I decided to test her first.
I clicked my teeth, and she shook her head, gradually becoming restless. She