“You’re laughing at me,” Evelyn gasps breathlessly as she slides down from her third failed attempt to get into the saddle. “This is harder than it looks!” Her hair catches in the gentle breeze, lifting away from her face and making her wide smile even more prominent.
My heart squeezes.
“Yes, tell the experienced rider that getting on a horse is harder than it looks.” I chuckle.
Evelyn pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m not built for this. I’m a woman who likes cars and maybe, at a stretch, bikes. Horses are a whole other deal.” She casts a nervous look toward the gentle filly I chose for her first ride.
Marie is an old horse and usually the one we give to children when they’re about to embark on their first grown-up trail ride, so I thought she would be perfect for a ride with Evelyn. It seems she’s more awkward than I first realized, though, and things aren’t going to plan.
Not that I’m concerned. After breaking down in Evelyn’s arms in the barn yesterday, I’ve been trying to shake this foolish feeling that drapes over me like a shawl. A ride with Evelyn feels like the perfect cure. We deserve to be out in nature, exploring the ranch and spending time with her with a few treats I’ve gathered in the bag hanging from Parsley. If Evelyn can get onto the horse.
“Do you want to try again?” I ask as she readies herself for another attempt, but there’s defeat clinging to her brows, and I’d rather not start this day off with disappointment. “Or ride with me?”
Evelyn’s eyes light up, even as she chews slightly on her lower lip. “Your horse can take two of us?”
“My horse can take me,” I point out. “You will barely be felt.”
“Okay.” She doesn’t even try to hide her eagerness.
I laugh and offer her my hand, which she takes, then I lead her across the paddock to where Parsley stands, chewing lazily on the grass at her feet.
“You ready, Parsley?”
She lifts her head and snorts softly, pulling slightly at her reins. I keep one arm around Evelyn and then lift her up bridal style to set her right down on the saddle. She lands with a squeak and immediately clutches at Parsley’s mane. I pull myself up behind her and scooch forward until I’m mainly on the saddle and Evelyn is in my lap, then I take the reins in one hand and keep one arm around her waist.
“Oh!” Evelyn squeals as I nudge Parsley into movement. “Don’t let me fall!”
“You won’t fall,” I assure her, murmuring low in her ear. “I promise.” I tighten my grip around her waist to show her that I have her, and the ride starts—after I call to Ma that Marie can go back to the stables.
The ride is everything I need it to be. Evelyn is tense at the start of the journey, so I ensure Parsley keeps a slow, steady pace through the ranch and toward the forest. As Evelyn relaxes against me and grows more comfortable on the horse, I pick up the pace until we’re trotting comfortably along the trail toward the lake. The air is thick with the scents of pine, floral mixtures, and dirt warming in the early afternoon sun. Birds chirp, trees whisper and creak in the wind, and a few squirrels chitter over the branches above us. The stress of the city melts away, and suddenly, I’m a teenager again, just exploring with my horse. Nothing else matters. I keep Evelyn close to me, and she’s mostly silent, except for a few gasps of awe and murmurs of how cute the other animals are.
When we reach the lake, she’s much more vocal.
“Holy shit.” she gasps as I slide from the horse and then help her down from the saddle. “This is beautiful!” Evelyn takes a few steps away and then winces, clutching at her thighs. “Oh, my God, ow.”
Laughing, I unhitch my bag and then firmly secure Parsley to a nearby stake in the ground. “Sore?”
“So sore,” she whines. “What the heck?”
“Welcome to horseback riding.”
“Oh, my God.” Evelyn waddles down the path toward the sandy beach that lines the beautiful, deep blue lake that stretches out as far as the eye can see.
There’s a scattering of boats in the far distance, but we’re secluded enough that I don’t mind. Following her, I remove a picnic blanket from my bag and toss it down onto the sand.
“Sit and rest,” I instruct, moving toward the water’s edge. As Evelyn situates herself, I gather water for Parsley as well as some feed, then take it back to her so she can eat her fill while we relax. Parsley snuffles in gratitude, and I pet her nose, then kiss her. Moving back to Evelyn, some of the other items in the bag are the ingredients to a gorgeous picnic, and Evelyn’s aching pain is quickly forgotten.
“You did all this for me?” she asks between bites of cracker and camembert.
“Life’s about embracing the little things,” I say, popping a tomato in my mouth. “Plus, you deserve it.”
“Wow. Mr. Scary Killer Mafia Man has a soft, romantic heart involving horse riding and picnics. Whatever must your enemies think?” Evelyn teases, rolling her eyes slightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say there’s two different people in that head of yours.”
“It’s not like that, Evie,” I reply, catching the way she blushes slightly at the nickname. “The city makes us hard. You have to do what you have to do, and my mother’s legacy is important. But I won’t forget what I enjoy in life. Besides…” Brushing crumbs from my leg, I move closer to her on the blanket. “This is all for your benefit.”
“Mine?” Evelyn lifts one brow. “What did I do?”
“You need rest, and there’s nothing better than the air of real nature to get you back to a hundred percent.”
“I’m already a hundred percent,” Evelyn teases with a smirk, and she cups my face with one soft hand. “That private jet did wonders.”
“Is that all it takes?” Closer and closer we get. “Some luxury and your batteries are recharged?”
“If I were at home right now, I’d be eating four-day-old corn out of a can and pretending it was popped.” She groans. “Trust me, luxury is healing.”
“What about this?” I close the last inch and kiss her gently. “Is this healing?”
Evelyn glances away in exaggerated thought and hums. “I don’t know, I might need a bigger sample.”
Another kiss and she winds an arm around my neck, drawing me in. I follow the movement, and each kiss gently pushes her down flat onto the blanket. “How about now?”
“Jury’s still out,” she murmurs against my lips. She runs her fingers through the shorter hairs at the nape of my neck, sending shivers down my spine, and when she moans, my heart skips a beat.
“Well, the jury can take all the time it needs. I’m not finished. You should look in the bag.” I break away from kissing her lips and move down to the warm juncture of her neck. I lavish her pulse point in soft bites and gentle kisses, and Evelyn hums softly as she reaches for my nearly empty bag and rummages around for the last treat inside.
When she finds it, she gasps and pushes at my shoulder. “You didn’t…”
I pull back and smirk. “Too intimidating for you?”
Evelyn’s eyes narrow and she pulls out one of the toys I brought with us. It’s a coral-blue clitoral stimulator. Holding the box up, she taps the edge. “Do I want to know where you got this?”
“You really should have looked deeper around the jet,” I reply, kissing across her collarbone. “I have a whole collection.”
“Wow.” Evelyn laughs. “Are you a bit of a slut, Mr. Gifford?”
I pause my kissing and lift myself over her, bracing on one arm. “Why, are you a bit of a prude, Miss Morris?”
Evie’s eyes twinkle up at me and she pops the tab on the box. “Not at all.”
“Excellent.”
We dissolve into deeper kisses this time after removing the toy from the box. My entire focus becomes Evie and everything else melts away. I let my mouth lead, mapping a path over her body and slowly removing her clothing, allowing me to kiss over her breasts, suckle on her nipples, and gently kiss the freshly healing scar beneath her ribs.
Each kiss draws a breathless noise of joy from Evie. Her hands fist in my hair, caress my jaw, and even vanish to clutch at the blanket as I make my way lower and lower. Her pants come off swiftly and her underwear joins the heap until she’s a gorgeous, writhing, naked beauty in front of me. A blush creeps over her abdomen, sweeping her ribs in the moments I just admire her, and when our eyes meet, she smiles almost shyly.
“What?” Evie asks, and she shifts as if to cover herself up.
I catch her thighs in my hands and immediately spread her legs wide, pinning them lightly to the blanket so I can gaze down and admire her glistening pussy. “You’re beautiful.”
“Don’t—” Her hands shoot to her face. “You’re gonna make me explode.”
“Why?” I ask softly. “Can’t handle a compliment?”
“No…”
“Is it because I’m admiring you? That you’re completely naked and I can hold you like this and see how wet your pussy is? Or is it that I’ve got you on display and I can feel that you’re not even resisting me?”
Evelyn whimpers behind her hands, and her abdomen concaves slightly as she pants. Suddenly, her thighs tense as if she’s trying to close her legs but she’s not strong enough to break my hold.
“Lower your hands, Evie.”
The blush on her body deepens and a burst of slick drips down from her pussy lips. She is turned on from this, and I haven’t even done anything yet. She doesn’t lower her hands, though, instead trying to shift on the blanket and roll over.
“Evie.” I lower my voice and deepen my tone. “Lower your hands. Let me see your face.”
There’s a moment of silence with only the birdsong and lapping water at the lake for company. Then Evie lowers her hands to show her deep red blush.
“Good girl.”
“Oh, God,” Evie whines and she instantly hides her face. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Do you not like it?”
“No, it’s… I do. I don’t know why, though.”
“Evie. Hands.”
She obeys again and drops them from her face.
“Not everything that makes us tick needs an explanation,” I say softly, holding her gaze. “Sometimes, something clicks and it just… is.”
“I’ve never had someone do this before,” she whispers. “Just… look at me, I mean.”
“Then they missed out on a work of art,” I say. If she rolls her eyes, I miss it because I’ve left her waiting and wanting long enough. Leaning down, I release my grip on her thighs so I can settle between them and bury my face in her gorgeous pussy. The first contact of my tongue against her core makes her moan loudly and her thighs close quickly around my head. Her fingers bury in my hair, and I lose myself in my favorite activity, eating her out.
From her clit to her entrance, no inch of her goes untouched. I lick and suck for all I’m worth, scarcely coming up for air because she is my lifeline. Every slick fold of skin is lavished in love. I write my desire for her in patterns across her clit and then thrust my tongue deep inside her to taste her most intimate corners. Her moans and gasps are music to my ears. I give her free rein, letting her writhe and twist above me while I chase her toward her orgasm, and when she comes with a scream, pride swells in my chest.
But I’m not finished.
While she’s still in the throes of her orgasm, twitching and gasping through the wave of pleasure, I take the toy and slick it with saliva and her juices. Then I slide the stimulating mouth over her clit and turn the toy on as I pin her left thigh with one hand and her right with a gentle press of my knee.
Evie screams, her eyes flying wide open, and she reaches for me but can’t quite make contact.
“Holy fucking shit!” Arching off the blanket, her body makes a beautiful bow shape as she twists and writhes against the sudden rapid onslaught of pleasure. Her stiff nipples could cut glass from how they stand out, and I can’t resist leaning down to take one in my mouth and bite.
“Cormac!” She moans my name like a prayer while her hips jolt and rock, trying to escape the toy, but I make sure it doesn’t move. Through pure clitoral stimulation, I get the privilege of watching her build up and then explode from a second rapid orgasm. The full-body blush seems to ripple over her skin like crimson waves, and she comes so hard that her eyes roll back and her body is rigid for the better part of fifteen seconds.
By the time she comes down, she’s panting harshly, and I ease the toy away. Then I lean down and drag my tongue over her swollen clit. She whimpers and moans, then sighs blissfully.
“Wow,” Evie murmurs. As I set the toy aside, I kiss my way lazily back up her body but pause at the scar. It’s so fresh that one wrong touch and it could re-open, and such a sudden thought makes my chest ache.
“I promise,” I say, kissing her ribs. “Nothing else will hurt you, understand?”
Evie cups my face as I slide up her body, and she kisses me breathlessly. “I believe you.”
“I swear it.”
“But you…” She wets her lips, and her eyes dart back and forth between mine. “Do you see a future here?” Her voice is wispy. “Or is this just a bit of fun for you?”
I kiss her deeply, sliding my tongue into her mouth and consuming her until the need for air forces us apart. “I don’t have fun,” I say simply. “Look at what you’ve witnessed with me. Have I ever half-assed anything? When I commit, I commit.”
She smiles so widely that her cheeks dimple, and she moans softly, closing her eyes. I move to rest next to her, cuddling her close, and when she opens her eyes again, I see a cheeky twinkle in them.
“You brought other toys, right?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Any you can leave in while we ride back?”
