The two white mares continued to come forward, their long, elegant manes and tails being swished by the wind. They were gorgeous beasts, pure white coats with black eyes and muzzles. Just add in a single swirly horn to each forehead and they’d be mythical creatures fit for a fairy tale. “Beautiful… just out of this world beautiful.” Nothing else needed to be said. I leaned into the fence and waited for the horses to approach, hoping like hell they would allow me to pet them.

“Indeed,” Ivan said softly as he focused on me, looking every inch the aristocratic lord, he’d been born. I still found it strange knowing he was so entrenched in the old aristocracy of England. When I thought of earls and barons, I pictured middle-aged men in tweed jackets and wool caps who cared for nothing beyond the next pheasant shoot. If I caught a glimpse of the House of Lords on television doing their thing in chambers, they appeared in robes with ridiculous collars arguing about something dull nobody cared about, much less understood. Ivan didn’t fit my perception of either stereotype. He was young and sexy, and even more so, charming and interesting. There was nothing dull or simple about him. It impressed the heck out of me to know he helped make arguments for important legislation and contributed his expertise as a public servant.

And I’d bet he had no trouble at all looking incredibly hot in his parliamentary robe either. I filed away the image in the secret fantasies portion of my brain. Maybe I could get him to wear it for me sometime. My inner nerd wouldn’t know what to do with herself when presented with so much sexy at one time.

I understood his “indeed” wasn’t referring to Silver and Pearl as I was. Rather it was a veiled compliment that only served to pull me in deeper with him, into wherever this thing between Ivan and me was leading.

He says I’m beautiful.

But he was crazy beautiful for a man.

What in the hell am I doing here with a man like him? Ivan Everley, House of Lords, Baron, Olympian, Greek god, Parliamentary Cabinet Minister to the PM, Romanovs for relatives… and probably more I don’t even know about yet.

I was unable to contemplate our situation anymore. My emotions were too taxed to reason out the logic or sensibility of being in an intimate relationship after such a long time of not. I was dreadfully out of practice.

And I’d never been very good to begin with.

“The horses, here in this setting—it is simply incredible, Ivan. I don’t think I’ve ever seen horses so magnificent.” I stroked the soft velvet of first Silver and then Pearl, allowing them to smell me before attempting to reach for their necks. I’d been taught that good manners were always appreciated, and animals were no different. Both horses rewarded me with nuzzles, giving me carte blanch to their foreheads so I could rub on them to my heart’s content.