“Do youreallywish to know?” came the rather infuriating reply.
“Isadora,” Evan lowered his tone, articulating each word very slowly now, “if I did not want to know, I would not have asked.”
He did not understand why she made him jump through so many hoops just to answer a question. Especially when he found himself more curious than ever to know the answer.
Something in her demeanor shifted then. A little more openness.
“Horses.”
“Horses?” he shot back.Was that the big hobby she had?
“Yes. I love them.” Her tone grew excited as she spoke, and suddenly, Evan forgot that there was even something to be frustrated about. “I have, ever since I was a child. Riding them. Caring for them. They have always been a solace to me. I suppose it must sound terribly silly, but?—”
“It does not,” Evan cut in smoothly. “Go on.”
Encouraged, she exhaled, a small smile tugging at her lips. “There is something about them. Their strength, their grace. But also, their trust. A horse does not yield to you because you demand it—it must be earned. They are intelligent creatures, but they do not scheme or deceive. They listen if you know how to speak to them properly.”
Her voice had lifted now; it was animated in a way he had not seen before.
“And riding,” she continued, “it is the closest thing to freedom. When you are galloping across the fields with nothing but the wind at your back, the world feels different. It is quiet but not lonely. It is…” She trailed off, searching for the words. “I do not know how to explain it properly.”
Evan’s lips curled at the corners. “I think you explained it perfectly.”
“Did I?” Isadora looked up at him with wide eyes. “I… I suppose I tend to get a little carried away whenever I speak on the subject. It’s…”
Endearing,Evan thought to himself. “It is rather amusing,” he said instead.
“Are you just saying that to be nice to me?” Isadora asked, unconvinced.
“Have I ever done that before?” Evan countered, stepping closer to her so that the distance between them was closed even further.
Isadora stumbled on her words. “I…” She did not quite know where to look, so instead her gaze darted all around the room. Anywhere except on Evan himself. “I suppose that… you have not….”
“Yes, so what incentive would I have to start now?” Evan said, his gaze dipping to her lips. He had not noticed before just how plump they appeared, how they jutted out when she was in the middle of explaining herself.
“I suppose you make some sense,” she admitted finally. “Well, then, are you actually interested in hearing me speak about horses?”
“Why is that so unfathomable for you?”
Isadora twisted her fingers together, pursing her lips together. “Well, no one has ever really… expressed an interest before.”
She said the words so casually, but they nearly broke his heart.
“That is criminal,” he chided, positioning himself so that he was hovering over her now. “Or should be.”
“What should be?—?”
Evan moved before he could second-guess himself, his hand rising to cup her cheek, his thumb barely brushing her skin. His touch was warm. And then, just as her breath caught in her throat, he leaned in and kissed her.
His lips pressed against hers with quiet certainty. The kiss was softer than he had thought it would be. Isadora exhaled softly, her fingers twitching at her sides before lifting, hesitating for just a moment before resting lightly against his chest.
She was letting him kiss her.No,she was kissing him back. It was such an innocent gesture but one that set his entire body aflame.
One that made the reality of his actions all too real.
No.
Evan pulled back abruptly, and Isadora was left staring at him with wide eyes, bringing one of her fingers to touch her lips where his own had just been. It took him every ounce of restraint he had to look away.
