His face was tight as he searched the porch, then his eyes relaxed when he spotted me. “Baby, there you are.” He breathed a sigh of relief. Just hearing that endearment spill from his lips made me feel so alive and my heart began to race.
“I came to watch the sunrise and hear the birds sing,” I said, and he shook his head, smirking, walking straight to me, scooping me up in his arms, pressed an owning kiss to my lips and sat me down on his lap. I stiffened in shock at the bold gesture, but Ky did not feel it or downright ignored it.
His hands immediately went into my hair and he pressed his lips to the side of my neck. I had to clench my thighs together at the explicit feelings his touch stirred in my core. Ky must have sensed my reaction, for his nostrils flared with need, and our eyes met, the same magnetic attraction evident between us.
A cough sounded, and we both met eyes with Elysia. “Nice to see such a scene, big brother, but remember I’m your sister and there is such a thing as too much!”
Ky mock saluted and my head fell to his chest. I could not help but remember the life Ky had lived, losing his mother, being brought up to believe that being loving toward a woman was wrong. Robbed of his childhood, his life was filled with violence and war. I realized, in these respects, we had not been so different after all. I felt even closer to him this morning, discovering aspects of his life, him holding me in his arms and never letting me go.
Without conscious thought, I reached down and took his hand in mine. I could feel the shock in Ky at my gesture, but he simply wrapped his fingers around mine.
I could get used to this, I thought. I could get very used to this.
A sense of limited time filled me with unease, and Prophet David’s teachings tried to break through. But I refused this day to submit to the part of me that held steadfastly to my faith.
I simply wanted to be held and cherished for the first time in my life.
“So what do you wanna do for the next couple of days?” Elysia asked.
Ky shrugged and looked down to me.
“Just be,” I said. “Just be.”
Ky smiled at me and winked and I could not help but smile back. I could not believe what I was feeling toward him. Warmth. There was an extreme feeling of warmth in my body.
Sia exhaled a long sigh beside us and rose from her seat. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night out in that barn, so I’m gonna hit the hay for a few hours.” Sia headed inside of the house, but laid a hand on Ky’s shoulder. “Take Lilah to the barn to see the colt. He so damn cute.”
Ky patted Sia’s hand, and his sister entered the house, the door shutting behind her.
“She likes you,” Ky said, and held me closer still.
“I like her,” I said and got to my feet. Turning to a shirtless Ky, I dipped my head to hide my blush at his muscled and tempting torso, and held out my hand. “Will you show me the horse?”
Ky got up and threaded his hands through mine, guiding me from the porch. Just as I hit the last step, Ky spun around, and pressed his mouth against mine.
I moaned against his mouth as he caught me by surprise and I gasped as he broke away too soon. Ky’s head tipped the side, his blue eyes on my lips and he ran his thumb over my mouth. “Perfect damn lips.”
Pulling me back into step, we headed to a large red barn, and once inside Ky took me to a stall. Reaching over the door, my hand flew to my mouth seeing a new foal standing near his mother and my eyes filled with tears.
“He’s so beautiful,” I whispered, stretching out my hand, running my fingers over his soft brown and white coat.
Ky did not say anything, just wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. Being here, at this ranch, in this stable, almost made yesterday’s attack seem like just a bad dream.
“You doing good, baby?” Ky asked his warm breath ghosting over my face.
“Yes,” I replied, and smiled as the foal began feeding from his mother. The action made me think of the conversation I just had with Sia, and I placed my hands on top of his.
“Sia told me about your mother and father this morning,” I said quietly, feeling Ky tense behind me.