AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The only people I saw were the members of the staff. I wasn’t going to ask them where he was.
I walked past a huge window in a drawing room and paused when I noticed light snowfall outside. It was beautiful, and the sight suddenly made me want to go out. I felt cooped up, but I wasn’t going to go far. Just a short walk on the castle grounds. The snow made this seem like the perfect time to do it.
Heading to the front door, I spotted a coat hanging on a hook. It was too big for me, but I slipped it on, anyway. The thing fell to my ankles, but that was fine. It enveloped me in warmth as I stepped outside.
The snow had mostly remained undisturbed on the grounds of the castle. It was beautiful, seeming to almost sparkle in the sunlight.
As I strolled aimlessly, my gaze swept across the landscape, and a sense of tranquility enveloped me. I hadn’t taken much notice of the castle’s exterior since my arrival, but now I could fully appreciate its breathtaking beauty. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.
For once, I didn’t feel anxious or vulnerable being outside, so I allowed myself to revel in the walk without any nagging worries in my mind.
It worked for a while.
I came upon a pond on the property, its surface frozen. Tentatively, I placed the toe of one ballet flat on the ice, testing the strength. When it seemed solid, I held my breath and stepped onto it, sticking to the edge and prepared to jump backward onto the snow-covered grass if I needed to. But it didn’t crack.
Being on the ice like this conjured up a memory of Fiona. She’d brought me a frozen lake once when we were younger. I was twelve, and we’d skipped school one cold January day to go ice skating. Of course, we were poor foster kids, so we didn’t own ice skates. Instead, we’d slid around on the ice in our thread-bare boots, holding onto each other and laughing. Then, we had a snowball fight. The day ended with us going back to the group home and sneaking hot chocolate to our room, even though it was against the rules.
It was a good memory, but it made my heart ache. I missed my sister so much.
Sadness threatened to overwhelm me, but I forced it back down. I needed to stay strong and stick to the plan.
I was just grateful that Sebastian hadn’t asked me anything about my past. If I could get through this breeding contract without having to divulge my dark history, all the better. There were some things that I never wanted to think about. A small part of me was also afraid of Sebastian’s rejection if he realized how many men had used me. My past tainted me, and I didn’t want to see the look of disgust on his face when he realized it.
Not that he’d ever choose me to be more than a mere body to produce a child.
I swallowed hard and reminded myself that Sebastian was just a means to an end for me. I needed to make sure my heart didn’t get involved in all this. Just like he made sure to protect his own.
Mid-thought, the sound of an animal snorting directly behind me jolted me from my reverie. I spun around and saw that Sebastian had approached on horseback. I hadn’t heard the hoofbeats on the thick snow, and its sudden proximity startled me enough that I stumbled on the ice. Frantically trying to steady myself, I threw out my hands, convinced I was going to topple backwards onto the unforgiving surface. But then, a large leather-gloved hand enclosed my wrist and prevented my fall.
Sebastian had reached down and stopped me from falling. I tried to catch my breath as my gaze travelled up his arm to his face. He looked so good in the natural light, dressed all in black.
My mind flashed to what we did last night, and I felt myself blush.
My eyes darted away from his as he released my wrist, and I took in the sight of the horse. I’d never seen one in real life before, and it was huge. Black with a single patch of white on its face between the eyes, it was intimidating but gorgeous, much like its rider.
“Get on,” Sebastian said.
I blinked at looked up at him stupidly. “What?”
I felt a wave of confusion wash over me as I looked at the horse. I had no idea that Sebastian owned one. Perhaps it was kept somewhere on the property. It wasn’t entirely unexpected that I was unaware of its existence, since I had barely explored the castle.
“Get on the horse. I’m not leaving you out here alone.” He scowled before I could read too much into that statement. “I don’t want anything jeopardizing your health before you have my baby.”
Right, of course.
“I don’t know how to get up there,” I said.
Sebastian pursed his lips, as if I was purposely being obtuse. “Put your foot here.” He pointed.
I put my foot into the stirrup where he pointed, having to stretch my leg uncomfortably high. Sebastian grabbed onto me again, and I pushed with my foot as he lifted me into the air. I found myself seated in front of him on the horse. My stomach twisted when I saw how high we were off the ground. Falling from this height would hurt.
But then Sebastian wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. A sense of security erased my fear. I also couldn’t help noticing the way his erection pressed into my back.
I smiled slightly and took a deep breath through my nose. The scent of him went straight to my head: sandalwood, rosewood, and leather. It made me feel dizzy in the best way.
As he started the horse moving, I was surrounded by him. His chin rested gently on top of my head and his grip around my waist was tight. His other hand held the reins as he guided the horse forward. I reached out, running my fingers over the grooves of his leather glove. His hands felt so good on my body last night, and I wanted to feel his touch again.
We changed direction, and I looked up, excitement coursing through me as we rode around the castle grounds. I thought the view was amazing before, but there was an increased thrill to seeing it from the back of a horse. I’d never ridden one before, and I never expected that I would.
