front of
me and lowered the other to the hard thigh behind me. My eyes drifted
closed. Anything to anchor me, to keep me from losing my way as my own
feelings flooded my system and overwhelmed my ability to think. My heart
was pounding, my breath came in rapid little pants.
Hands
smoothed over my shoulders, my waist. Strong fingers massaged me through
my tank top. They were laying soft, open-mouthed kisses along my jaw and
down my neck.
Fingertips
tipped my head back and firm lips settled over my mouth. A gentle
exploration, kisses across my lips. The tip of a tongue made me gasp
softly and I moaned at the feeling of that same tongue licking into my mouth
without force. Pulling back and kissing my lips again.
Another
hand under my chin, turning my face to the side, another mouth dropped to mine,
another careful exploration. By the time I’d been switched from one to
the other twice more, I was unsure if I could function.
I’d
been maneuvered to the wall just outside my room and they stood shoulder to
shoulder in front of me, leaning on forearms over my head. My hands were
on their waists though I didn’t remember putting them there.
Jonas,
I think, asked softly, “Are you alright, Ellie?” I nodded and felt heat
climb from my chest to my face. “What a pretty blush. We have to
get you downstairs, Ellie.”
With
that, they lifted away but took me with them. Jonas smoothed back my hair
and Jordan lifted the strap of my tank top back in place.
One
in front, one behind, they led me back to the patio. My mother was in
heaven, devouring Si’s crepes piled with fresh cream. “Ellie! If Si
doesn’t give Cook the recipe for this manna from heaven, we are going to
have words.”
“You
know how he guards his recipes, Mom. Are you kidding?”
“Don’t
you have it?” my mother’s brow lifted haughtily.
“Yes
but I’m of the inner circle. If you spar with him I bet he’ll let you
have it.” I winked at her cheekily and she laughed at the image.
“I’d
likely break a hip at my age.”
That
made me laugh loudly, “Yeah right, there isn’t anything brittle about
you. You’d probably kick his butt.” She pulled me down in the chair
beside her and stroked the back of her hand over my cheek. As usual, I
felt like she could see into the heart of me.
“You
look so pretty, Ellie. More relaxed than I’ve seen you in years .”
She suddenly grinned, “Your daddy had the stable hands exercise Sarafina all
last week so you could get back in the saddle. Sarah and Thadias said
Cameron is asking them constantly about when you’ll ride.”
“I
can’t disappoint Cameron. We can go for a short ride today. I’ll
grab my boots.” Padme set them beside me with a smile. Laughing, I
tugged them over the socks she’d placed inside and pulled my hair into a
ponytail.
Bianca
said she’d let Robyn know I’d left for a little while since Katie was napping.
I rose and kissed my mother, leaving her to another plate of crepes that Si
placed in front of her with a wink in my direction.
I
watched as Mom slipped a bit of crepe to Diva under the table. I raised a
brow and she raised one right back which cracked me up. “You’re going to
spoil my dog.” She nodded but said nothing because her mouth was stuffed
with Si’s delicious offering. “Love you, Mom.” Using exaggerated
sign language, she let me know she loved me back.
Dad
headed for his horse and I followed him through the back gate. We walked
side by side toward the stables. “Thank you, Dad.”
Chuckling,
he wrapped the arm not holding his bay’s reins around my shoulders. “The
world is your oyster and such simple things please you, Poppet.” I
laughed. It had been years since he’d called me the pet name.
I
glanced around but didn’t see his security team. He and Mom had doubled
security but it was rare to catch a glimpse of the professionals who
me and lowered the other to the hard thigh behind me. My eyes drifted
closed. Anything to anchor me, to keep me from losing my way as my own
feelings flooded my system and overwhelmed my ability to think. My heart
was pounding, my breath came in rapid little pants.
Hands
smoothed over my shoulders, my waist. Strong fingers massaged me through
my tank top. They were laying soft, open-mouthed kisses along my jaw and
down my neck.
Fingertips
tipped my head back and firm lips settled over my mouth. A gentle
exploration, kisses across my lips. The tip of a tongue made me gasp
softly and I moaned at the feeling of that same tongue licking into my mouth
without force. Pulling back and kissing my lips again.
Another
hand under my chin, turning my face to the side, another mouth dropped to mine,
another careful exploration. By the time I’d been switched from one to
the other twice more, I was unsure if I could function.
I’d
been maneuvered to the wall just outside my room and they stood shoulder to
shoulder in front of me, leaning on forearms over my head. My hands were
on their waists though I didn’t remember putting them there.
Jonas,
I think, asked softly, “Are you alright, Ellie?” I nodded and felt heat
climb from my chest to my face. “What a pretty blush. We have to
get you downstairs, Ellie.”
With
that, they lifted away but took me with them. Jonas smoothed back my hair
and Jordan lifted the strap of my tank top back in place.
One
in front, one behind, they led me back to the patio. My mother was in
heaven, devouring Si’s crepes piled with fresh cream. “Ellie! If Si
doesn’t give Cook the recipe for this manna from heaven, we are going to
have words.”
“You
know how he guards his recipes, Mom. Are you kidding?”
“Don’t
you have it?” my mother’s brow lifted haughtily.
“Yes
but I’m of the inner circle. If you spar with him I bet he’ll let you
have it.” I winked at her cheekily and she laughed at the image.
“I’d
likely break a hip at my age.”
That
made me laugh loudly, “Yeah right, there isn’t anything brittle about
you. You’d probably kick his butt.” She pulled me down in the chair
beside her and stroked the back of her hand over my cheek. As usual, I
felt like she could see into the heart of me.
“You
look so pretty, Ellie. More relaxed than I’ve seen you in years .”
She suddenly grinned, “Your daddy had the stable hands exercise Sarafina all
last week so you could get back in the saddle. Sarah and Thadias said
Cameron is asking them constantly about when you’ll ride.”
“I
can’t disappoint Cameron. We can go for a short ride today. I’ll
grab my boots.” Padme set them beside me with a smile. Laughing, I
tugged them over the socks she’d placed inside and pulled my hair into a
ponytail.
Bianca
said she’d let Robyn know I’d left for a little while since Katie was napping.
I rose and kissed my mother, leaving her to another plate of crepes that Si
placed in front of her with a wink in my direction.
I
watched as Mom slipped a bit of crepe to Diva under the table. I raised a
brow and she raised one right back which cracked me up. “You’re going to
spoil my dog.” She nodded but said nothing because her mouth was stuffed
with Si’s delicious offering. “Love you, Mom.” Using exaggerated
sign language, she let me know she loved me back.
Dad
headed for his horse and I followed him through the back gate. We walked
side by side toward the stables. “Thank you, Dad.”
Chuckling,
he wrapped the arm not holding his bay’s reins around my shoulders. “The
world is your oyster and such simple things please you, Poppet.” I
laughed. It had been years since he’d called me the pet name.
I
glanced around but didn’t see his security team. He and Mom had doubled
security but it was rare to catch a glimpse of the professionals who
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