I woke up this morning to a man who couldn’t get enough of me. He’s told me so many times over the past few nights that I have all of him. That, combined with the memory of feeling his hands all over my body, makes my center tingle. He’s the one that makes me feel everything - with his touch, his voice, and his smile.
Even just my thoughts of him.
The sun wasn’t even up when he woke me up, kissing my shoulder and neck. After two rounds of love-making, the smell of bacon and voices and movement downstairs stopped us from a third.
Every time I look at him, my heart wants to beat out of my chest. I didn’t think it was possible to feel so deeply for one person, I think I love him, which I almost said, but I don’t want to be the first to say it. It would break my heart if he didn’t say it back, I don’t think I could handle that kind of rejection.
“Ready?” Hallie asks. She’s already in the saddle on Maisie and is waiting for me.
Pulling myself up onto Felix, I get settled in the saddle, noting the soreness between my legs, and click my tongue to turn him around. It’s a beautiful day, and the sun is shining on our bare shoulders as we make our way around the pond to cross the stream in the shallow part.
We ride in silence for the first thirty minutes, enjoying the sway of the horses under us as we move through the trail that Felix knows better than any of us.
“We should probably turn around, I told Mason and Jax that we would only be out an hour.” I say over my shoulder to Hallie.
“So soon? Can we at least go to the big spring up ahead? The one we went to last month?”
It will only add another five or ten minutes to the ride, so I agree and turn Felix toward one of our largest springs. There’s a wall of rock up one side that’s probably about ten feet, and a small, open grassy area on the other side. It really is beautiful.
When we get there, we get down for a few minutes to give our butts a rest and let the horses munch on some grass. Hallie and I sit on one of the big rocks by the water and soak up the sun for a few minutes. It’s a sunny day and the slight breeze feels good on my face.
Glancing at my watch again, I sigh, it’s almost four, and I told the guys we would be back around five. I glance at Hallie, who still has her eyes closed and her face tipped to the sun, her auburn hair almost looks red in the sun, and I can see the beginning of a sunburn on her pale cheeks and shoulders.
Kicking her foot with mine makes her drop her face to look at me. She closes one eye and squints at me through the other. I say, “We gotta go, I don’t want to piss anyone off.”
“Ugh. Fine.” She scoots to the edge of the rock and drops onto the soft grass, I do the same and walk toward Felix.
“Hey! Is that a hickey on your neck?” Hallie’s normally alto voice is high pitched and close to my ear. I spin around toher face just inches away from my back and slap my hand over the back of my neck.
I don’t remember Jax giving me a hickey, but he had me seeing stars so many times that he could have, and I wouldn’t have even known.
“No! Where?” My own voice is several octaves higher, and my head is hotter than it was before.
Hallie cocks her hip out and sets her hand on it as she tilts her head to the side, humor sparkling in her eyes, her brows in the middle of her forehead. “Move your hand and I’ll tell you.”
Slowly, I lift my hand from my neck, and she looks at me like she’s trying to see a train wreck through a crowd of people.
“Yep, that’s definitely a hickey.” Her smile splits her face as she steps back. “Did Jax give you a hickey? Are you guys doing the… you know.” She makes an O with her fingers on one hand and pushes the finger of her other hand through it.
Jerking my head back, I curl my upper lip in outrage. “Jesus, Hallie, can you be any more crude?” I can’t hide the slight laugh that comes out with the question and my whole head turns scarlet.
Turning on my heel, my ponytail swinging over my shoulder, I walk away from her. I forget sometimes how young she is. But I can’t deny that she has all the blood in my body rushing to my head in embarrassment.
She sucks in a gasp and is right on my heels. “You are! You and Jax are knockin’ boots! How was it?” She puts her hand up next to her mouth like she’s about to tell a secret. “Is he big?”
Grabbing Felix’s reins, I turn him toward the trail. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”
Hallie grabs Maisey’s reins and leads her to the trail behind me. “Well, can you at least tell me if you love him, or is it just a friends with benefits thing?”
Hooking my hand over the saddle horn, I pull myself up on Felix and gently sit on the saddle. I watch Hallie do the same and she looks at me with the biggest smile on her face, waiting for me to answer him. I can’t hide my smile anymore and I adjust my ball cap before I say, “I’m pretty sure I love him.”
She squeals like a teenager, which makes me laugh. “It’s still new, and private, so don’t say anything to anyone.”
Her smile is stuck on her face, and she raises her hands in surrender. “My lips are sealed. It’s between me, you and the horses. I think it’s awesome, though, he’s been watching you as long as I’ve been at the house. The two of you make a cute couple.”
Pulling Felix around, I click my tongue for him to go, but I don’t say anything.
“But if you want to keep it a secret, you going to have to ixna the ickeysha.”
