“So well I don’t remember a moment of it.”
“The best kind of sleep,” he said.
“Especially when I have you beside me.”
“Especially then.” He brought his hips into alignment with hers so she could feel his hard cock pressing against her.
“Hold that thought,” she whispered before sliding out of bed. She went into the bathroom to pee, brushing her teeth for good measure while she was in there, before climbing back into bed.
Flynn lay just where she’d left him, sheets tangled around his legs, cock still standing at attention. She crawled across the bed to straddle him, letting his cock rest between her thighs.
“Love waking up this way,” she said, rocking her hips against his.
“Agreed.” His fingers dug into her ass, sliding her up and down the length of his cock, igniting a fire inside her, concentrated in her clit, which throbbed at the contact.
She dipped her head and kissed him, nipping at his lower lip as their bodies moved together, letting the heat and the friction between them build. That was the best thing about morning sex, in her opinion. Everything was relaxed and unhurried, softened by the last remnants of sleep lingering in her veins.
They kissed as the sun crested the treetops outside, touching and teasing in its gentle light. Eventually, Flynn reached for a condom on the bedside table and rolled it on. She sank onto him, leaning forward so that her breasts brushed against his chest, creating a delicious friction as their bodies moved together.
This was another thing that came with time, knowing just how her body fit with his, what his lips tasted like first thing in the morning—the sharp spearmint of his toothpaste—and how the brown of his eyes seemed almost green in the morning light, a mossy color that sucked her in, locking her in his gaze as it liquefied the closer he grew to his release.
She rocked her hips faster, using the leverage of her position to grind her clit against him as she moved, and with a gasp, release rushed through her. Flynn thrust into her hard and fast, tensing with a groan as he came inside her.
She rolled onto the sheets beside him, snuggling her face against his chest as her heart rate returned to normal. “Now I’m awake.”
“Me too.” His fingers combed gently through her hair.
“Elle insisted on sending breakfast down to us this morning, so we can stay in bed as long as we like.”
“Brilliant.”
In the end, they snuggled in bed until their breakfast platter arrived, and then they ate apple-cinnamon French toast, poached eggs, and fresh fruit at the little table in the kitchen. She wore a green knit robe, and he wore only his boxer briefs.
She’d never lived with anyone the way she’d lived with Flynn these last few weeks. Probably, she would have thought she wasn’t ready for that kind of step, that she’d miss her freedom and independence, but she didn’t feel like she was missing either of those things when they were together. She just enjoyed being with him.
After breakfast, they showered and dressed. “Feel like going for a walk around the grounds?” she asked.
“I’d love to.”
So, they put on jackets and left the guest house. Outside, the October morning was cool and brisk, dew gleaming on the grass so that it seemed to sparkle in the sunshine. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, offsetting the gray of the castle walls. The flower beds around the fountain in front had been filled with mums in fall hues, purple, burgundy, and a deep orange, a more vivid version of the treetops in the distance.
“Let’s go this way first.” She led Flynn away from the castle, toward the pastures where several horses grazed and the walking trails beyond. “Jake rents the barn. He trains horses for a living. That’s his horse, Twister.” She pointed to a beautiful red-coated horse in the nearest pasture. Twister raised his head and whinnied, trotting over to the fence to greet them. “And the funny-looking little white mare in there with him is Bug. She came to us as a rescue horse in our Fairy Tails program, but Jake adopted her for Megan.”
Bug trotted over behind Twister, ears pricked and tail swooshing as she sized Flynn up. Her white coat was dappled with darker spots, her face and neck marred by dull pink scars from a dog attack before she arrived at Rosemont Castle.
Ruby walked to the fence. She stroked Twister’s face as he stood happily munching on a mouthful of grass. Beside her, Flynn reached out to rub Twister’s neck.
“I can see why you like it here so much,” he said.
“It’s so outrageous, but so perfect at the same time.” She took his hand, leading the way toward one of the many hiking trails that crisscrossed the property. “Good to be home, where I don’t have to wear a mask to go outside.” The air here on the castle grounds was about as clean as she could hope to find, a world away from downtown Paris. As beautiful as it was, a city was a city, as far as air quality was concerned.
Conversation was sparse as they walked, but it felt comfortable, a silence that didn’t need to be filled. In the distance, a car passed on the drive headed up to the castle. A dog barked. An airplane zoomed across the blue sky, leaving a white trail in its wake. The sights and sounds of home.
As they entered the woods, she took Flynn’s hand in hers. Dry leaves crunched beneath their feet, with the accompanying scent of the forest, slightly musty but not in an unpleasant way. Overhead, the trees provided a canopy of leaves, various shades of green, yellow, orange, red, and brown, a fall kaleidoscope of color.
“I love coming out here for walks,” she said. “Elle goes jogging on these trails. Jake rides his horse. Megan brings her camera and takes pictures. I just like to walk and soak it all in.”
“And I’m picturing how I’d landscape that hilltop over there to put in a rustic little cabin, tucked away here in the forest.” Flynn gave her hand a squeeze, his eyes dancing with inspiration as he looked around.
