“Fine, fine, prove your worth, and only then might I forgive you.”
“I will do my best to become your lover again.”
His gentle laugh makes a smile bloom across my face. I really don’t understand how I was lucky enough to have this man become so special to me. I feel like every moment with him is a blessing. But I also know he comes with many risks. It’s like I’m holding this breakable glass in my hands that everyone around me wants to crush. My world fell apart when I lost everyone… honestly, I don’t know if I could handle going through that again if I lost Riley.
I press my head against his, and he bites my ear.
“You’re getting lost in your head,” he says.
“I am not.”
“I can tell by your facial expression,” Riley says as Kit nips my nose.
“Ow! You are both evil!”
Kit chitters, thrilled with the assault, and leaps onto my head, tail wrapping around my eyes.
“Oddly enough, the very thing that has allowed you sight has taken it from me,” I say as I pull Kit’s tail down, but then I’m stuck nearly eating her tail, so I position it around my neck while I carry Riley out of the garden.
“She gets whatever she wants,” Riley announces. “If she wants your eyeballs, I have to give them to her. She’s just so cute I can’t help it.”
“Then we have these things,” I say as I flick a soul. It bobs away from me and back over to Riley, like it wants to be comforted because I pestered it.
“Don’t bully my souls.” Riley hugs it, then lets out the biggest sigh. “Torin… what does it mean to be Death? What does it mean to be a horseman? I feel like I’m being told I’m one thing, but… it just doesn’t connect. It doesn’t feel right. I still feel like… Riley.”
I squeeze his legs that I’m holding. “That has to be so hard. I don’t even know how it would feel to go through all of that. But at the end of the day, you are you, no matter what comes your way.”
“I’d just rather ride on your back than a horse. You can be my horse,” he decides. “I’ll even give you sugar cubes and carrots.”
“Oh joy,” I say, not quite sure I’m interested in either. Maybe lobster or steak?—
He kisses the side of my head. “And kisses.”
“I do like that.” I turn a corner and am delighted when I see that my power has reached out to this point.
I cover Kit’s eyes as I hurry over to the spot and place Kit on Riley’s shoulder before setting him on his feet, revealing the sight to him. Riley looks around while I stand here, proud as can be, like I grew all of this shit… which… I guess in a roundabout way, I did. My power returning to me is what allowed it to return to life.
“This is absolutely gorgeous,” he murmurs in awe while he gazes at the vines wrapping around an old pergola some villagers had built. Bell-shaped purple flowers hang down from the vines, coloring the whole area in a magnificent light.
“Isn’t it? And look here,” I say, plopping him down on a bench. “There is a sex bench.”
That makes him laugh. “Ah, of course. The most important part,” he teases as he hooks his legs around me and pulls me until I’m hovering over him.
My eyes flick down to his lips. “Am I permitted to kiss you this time?”
“Depends on whether you’re a good enough kisser,” Riley taunts.
“Is that a challenge?”
“Might even be a threat.”
I chuckle before setting a knee on the bench and leaning down to kiss him as my fingers sink into his hair. I nip his lips when they don’t automatically part for me, and he makes a contented sound.
I press my lips against his again and this time, I feel the lightest brush of his tongue against mine. It’s so teasing, like he wants to show me what’s waiting for me but is refusing to let me take a bite. I lift him up before I straddle the bench and pull him onto my lap while one hand trails up his bare back, fingers tracing over his skin.
“You are just so tantalizing,” I murmur.
“Well, you’re still evil for making me lose,” he jokes.
