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“Okay. If you insist.”Alex shrugged.
We finished lunch with some hot apple cider and ventured to the living room.
I pulled Alex onto the couch, and she snuggled into my arms. Declan draped a blanket over her legs and pulled her feet in his lap as he sat at the end.
The staff had lit a fire in the living room, making the area nice and cozy. We sat in silence for a while, staring at the fire, Declan and I aimlessly caressing her.
“This house is so beautiful. Jessie mentioned you had it redone when you bought the property?”
“We gutted the inside of the main house and added a few touches from home when we remodeled. The rest of the place, we started from scratch.” Declan looked around and smiled.
We were both proud of the home we built.
“I figured since you were Dukes you lived in a castle growing up, but nothing around here feels castle-y. What parts of home did you bring here?”
I chuckled. I was sure castle-y wasn’t a word, but I liked it. “We did live in a castle. Almost every generation we know of has had the place redone when they took it over. This last time, our parents put a more modern twist to it, but there are some things that were never changed. Like the fireplace, for instance.” I pointed across the room.
“We had stones flown in from Cosland, and we used them around the house. The fireplace, the columns in front of the house, and the showers are a few of the places we could add into the design,” Declan added.
“No way.” Alex gasped and worked herself free of the blanket to get up and inspect the fireplace. “This is beautiful.”
“The majority of the stones are granite, anhydrite, gneiss, and marble. Some used more in certain areas than others. All of which were and still are used around the castle.” We were grateful we were able to bring pieces of home with us.
Alex turned and smiled. “What else?”
“We have some family items scattered around the house… some crests and paintings and decorations we took with us. But other resemblances are the foyer and our bedrooms and our offices. We copied the layout of those from home.” It had been a long time before everything was done, but it was worth it. Every time we came home, the place made us feel more comfortable.
“Do you miss home?” Her voice was quiet as she stroked the stones.
“Not really. This place is our home. It’s still not finished, but we hope it will be soon enough,” Declan answered.
I wanted to kick him when she looked at us with her eyebrows furrowed. The house wouldn’t be finished until the woman we married had put her finishing touches on it, but Alex didn’t need to know that.
“Don’t mind him. There are always places to improve around here.” I waved her over so she could settle on the couch again.
This time, she switched and curled up in Dec’s lap. He gave her a soft kiss, stroking her hair back gently. Their kiss deepened, and I felt the need to reach out and touch her, but I held myself back.
I was content to watch as well.
I removed the pillows from the couch and chair and threw them on the floor. Then I grabbed another blanket from the chest in the corner and spread it in front of the fire, making a place for us to rest. Declan carried Alex over and laid her on the nest I’d made.
It wasn’t long before Alex was straddling Declan, and I rid her of her clothes. There was something romantic about being near the fireplace that had us going slow with each other and enjoying how our bodies fit. Alex rode Dec slow, giving them both the sweet release they needed.
She turned to me, and I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. I pulled her to me and wrapped her in my arms, content to just hold her and let her rest. I knew I’d have my turn later.
When I woke from our nap, a tray of hot chocolate had been placed on the coffee table. Mrs. Roberts must have delivered it while we were sleeping. If someone had walked in on us pleasuring Alex, she would have been mortified. I was going to have to figure out something soon, so we wouldn’t have to worry about being caught if we decided to christen another public room.
ALEX
My butt was sore from sitting in the saddle.
I’d reported to Blake first thing in the morning and discovered Grace and Jessie waiting for me, too.They were all so sweet. Instead of going for a ride like they planned, they all wanted to teach me to ride again. With their enthusiasm and my deep desire to learn how to ride, I gave in and let them teach me.
At first, I was nervous to have them all there to watch me fail, but they never made me feel bad. Each one of them cheered me on as I worked with Blake and her horse, Artemis. The mare was white with a dark gray muzzle. She was beautiful, and I fell in love with her instantly.
Too many people assumed that because I was a vet and knew how to medically handle a horse, I could ride. While it was useful, I’d never needed to use that skill for my job or in my personal life, but as I glanced at the main house, I wondered if that might be changing. I jerked my head back to listen to Blake walk me through the basics. Even with her there, I needed to keep my wits about me, and not paying attention could be dangerous. Jessie and Grace had joined me in the arena, each of them riding their own horses. Blake coached from the ground, giving instructions, and the girls demonstrated everything on horseback.
After an hour, I had a good trot going. I stuck with a western saddle, since that was what I grew up with. With a huge smile stretched across my face, I was happy to say it was all coming back to me, but my muscles weren’t used to it. I had to remember to keep my heels down and get my legs to stop being so floppy.
