The ones he loved…

Did he love me? Mr. Finnegan seemed to think so, even if he didn’t frame it in those exact words. Ivan was honest though, if he felt a certain way, he would probably not be shy about saying it. I knew he wanted me here. He’d told me many, many times by now. He also said it again last night as he was kissing me to sleep. The ultimate in swoony moments of all tim—

A hard, blunt nudge from something big poked me right in the ass!

“Ooooh!” I squeaked just before I heard the deep laughter I’d come to know quite well by now, coming from… above me? I whipped my head around so fast my hair hit me on the other side of my cheek, only to find Ivan sitting on top of Pontus in riding clothes and wearing tall leather boots.

“Sorry, kitten, it was too perfect an opportunity to pass up, and you were so very focused on admiring those little flowers, you never heard us coming.”

“Uh-huh, a likely story,” I said, shielding the sun from my eyes with my hand as I looked up and studied him. The man could sit a horse well. And those tall riding boots… and his long hair… and the riding pants. Was he wearing his polo uniform? I felt my mouth start to water, and I swallowed deeply before reaching out to stroke Pontus from his long black forehead down to his muzzle. “That wasn’t very gentlemanly of you, Pontus, but I don’t blame you, sir. Your master is back to being a depraved lord again, and I can see he put you up to it.” I smirked up at Ivan. “How are you going to make it up to me now, Lord Rothvale?”

He grinned back at me, looking far too handsome for his own good, and owning that too, as well as his prank on me. “Oh, I have a few ideas, Miss Hargreave, but first I need to get off this beast and come down there where you are and give you a kiss.”

“Please, my lord.”

He hopped down easily from Pontus’s great height as if he’d done it a thousand times and stalked forward, reaching me in two long steps.

He loomed over me, our bodies very close but not quite touching, as he stared down at me with an expression I’d come to know and to crave. His lordly look of dominance and control sparking harshly at me from deep within his green, green eyes.

I took in a sharp breath because I’d forgotten to breathe, and my lungs needed a bit of oxygen to keep going. The beauty of him made me forget to breathe.

He reached out a hand and gathered up my hair and pulled it back, exposing my neck as he liked to do and kissed me with all the fervor and lust and possession, he was so expert at doling out. His tongue speared into me deeply, holding me captive as he took his time owning my mouth and exploring unhurriedly with his. Eventually he retreated his tongue to focus on soft bites and nibbles at my lips, and then below my ear at my jaw. I could go back to breathing again, but sadly, he wasn’t inside me anymore.