I burst out laughing. “That wouldn’t surprise me.”
“I know my pack.”
We’ve been grazing for a while now, the moon rising high overhead, when he says, “I was deciding between this and a picnic in a field somewhere. But honestly, the thought of Brutus breaking out and finding us in the middle of a romantic moment worried me.”
“Oh God.” I press a hand to my mouth, trying not to laugh. “Can you imagine?”
“I’d rather not. That bull already wants me dead. If he caught me with you under the stars?” He shakes his head. “Carnage.”
“Good call on the fair, then.”
“I thought so.”
He refills my glass with sparkling juice. “I wanted you clearheaded for the surprises,” he says with a wink, and we talk more. About everything. About nothing. The conversation flows easily, naturally, like we’ve known each other for years instead of days.
At some point, I realize I’m not nervous anymore. The anxiety that usually lives in my chest, that constant buzz of worry about saying the wrong thing or being too much or not enough, it’s quiet. Kai makes me feel like I can just… be.
When we’ve eaten our fill and have been just sitting here talking, he stands and offers me his hand.
“Follow me.”
I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. “I’m not sure how many more surprises I can handle without my heart giving out from all the swooning.”
He laughs, his arm sliding around my back. “This is a night all about you, doll. I’m just getting started.”
He leads me toward the carousel, and now that we’re closer, I can see every detail. The horses are painted in bright colors, white and gold and rose, with flowing manes and jeweled bridles. The mirrors on the center column catch the lights and scatter them like diamonds.
Kai guides me up onto the platform, and I grip one of the brass poles as he moves toward the center mechanism.
“Hold on,” he calls back.
I hear him fiddling with something, hear the grunt of machinery coming to life, and then the carousel starts to move.
Slowly at first, then picking up speed until we’re spinning at a gentle pace, the horses rising and falling on their poles, the music swelling around us. The fairy lights outside blur into streaks of gold, and I’m laughing, gripping the pole, feeling like a kid again.
“This is insane!” I shout over the music.
Kai reappears, grinning. “Pick your horse, my lady. Which one should we ride?”
“Us? Together?”
“Obviously.”
I tap my chin, pretending to consider, then start walking through the rows of horses. They’re all beautiful, prancing stallions and gentle mares, each one unique. But then I spot a carriage, tucked between two horses, designed for two passengers. It’s going up and down with the rest of the ride, painted white with gold scrollwork.
I climb in quickly, the momentum making me slightly unsteady, and I flop onto the padded bench with a laugh.
Kai is there in seconds, sliding in beside me. It’s a tight fit, as he’s a big man, all broad shoulders and long legs, and we end up pressed together, his thigh against mine, his arm brushing my shoulder.
I turn to face him, to give him more room, and suddenly his hand is on my jaw, tilting my face up.
“You have no idea what you do to me, June.” His voice is rough, low, barely audible over the carousel music.
“Maybe I have some idea,” I breathe. “Considering what you do to me.”
He kisses me.
Not gently. Not tentatively. He kisses me like he’s been starving for it, as if he’s been holding himself back for days and finally can’t anymore. His mouth claims mine with a need that steals my breath, his hand fisting in my hair, angling my head exactly where he wants me.
