Actually, the truth of it was, Apollo led it and I went along for the ride, totally about him and what he was doing to my body. No hang ups. Nothing but him and me and what I could make him feel and what he was making me feel.
I’d done things with him I’d never done with Pol, never even considered doing with anybody.
At the time, I didn’t care.
Now, it mortified me.
Because I barely knew him.
I didn’t know about the sexual strictures on this world but considering women still covered their ankles, I really, really hoped he understood all about whatever that tea was so he didn’t think I was a big floozy.
“Maddie, are you awake?”
I made a mental note that I sucked at fake sleeping and realized the heaviness around my back was his arm holding me to him when it tightened.
“Poppy, you’ve stirred. Are you awake?”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
“Come here, dove,” he muttered back and I didn’t know how much more “here” I could get but I still shifted up, tipped my head back and gave him my eyes.
He looked down at me with tenderness in his.
I’d seen that before but it had been so long, and it was so beautiful, I felt my breath leave my lungs.
“How are you feeling?” he asked gently.
The truth of it was, I ached and I was still kind of fatigued. Fucking someone’s brains out took it out of you.
I didn’t share that.
“Fine,” I told him.
“Are you hungry?” he inquired.
I was. I didn’t have breakfast. I mean, it was served to me but I didn’t eat it.
“I could eat,” I answered.
“Good,” he murmured and looked ahead.
I did too, again realizing that his arm was around my back and it hadn’t moved. He was still holding me to him and doing it in a way that he wasn’t going to let go.
I decided this likely had to do with the fact that cuddling together was a whole lot warmer than sitting apart.
We were riding through pines that were set far apart but he steered the horses closer to one and he did this speaking.
“I’ll take care of the horses. You unpack the sandwiches, yes?”
“Okeydokey,” I mumbled and his arm gave me a squeeze and didn’t let go so I was fit more snuggly to his body.
Okay.
What?
He pulled back on the reins and the horses stopped. Taking me with him, he leaned forward and draped them on a hook in front of us then turned to me, still holding me close.
I looked up at him just in time for his gloved hand to cup my jaw and his head to descend. He brushed his lips against my parted-in-surprise ones and murmured, “I’ll be back.”