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"Oh, but he will, just give him a chance," she pleaded and the expression on her face nearly broke my heart and all the walls I had built around it. Did she think I would send the horse away if he didn't accept me?
"I think Samju already has a master he loves," I said quietly.
"He has a big heart," she argued.
"Perhaps," I allowed and grinned, "but I think his mistress would miss him too much. Besides, if you are going to stick to your bargain and stay by my side, you will need a horse. So you might as well keep him."
Her eyes widened even more as hope sparked in them, and I swear I saw golden stars explode. The smile that spread across her lips rushed straight to my cock, and I realized I needed to claim her body soon, otherwise the barely suppressed predator inside me would come out and then not even the gods would be able to save her.
"Really?" she breathed out. Her lips parted, and my cock jerked, wanting to be enveloped by her.
Instead, she first hugged her horse. "Did you hear that Samju?"
Then she moved around and slung her arms around my neck. "Thank you."
To my utter surprise, she rose on her tiptoes, leaving me no choice but to lower my head, and kissed me! In the courtyard, in front of my warriors, courtiers, and servants.
I didn't think about who watched us though. All I could think of was thatshewas kissingme, unprompted, unrequested, and that awakened a sensation inside me I had never experienced before. Well, maybe once, when I tamed my first wild horse. But this was more, so much more. It gave me a glimpse of what could be, and my heart constricted at the primal recognition that I wantedthat, I wanted her.
I held still at first, relishing the softness of her lips, before I lifted her by her waist, and bent her into a crushing embrace with a kiss that left her breathless.
"Get him saddled kallini, let's go for a ride," I suggested with a grin, ignoring the voices inside my head telling me I needed to take a full account of Bertram's tributes to the empire, divide off what belonged to Gryck, our khazar, and organize scouts to see if they could find a trace of the tribe of Udruns I was looking for earlier.
All these voices, though, faded at the sight of her happy face. She tossed Samju's reins at me as if I were a stableboy and rushed into the stables to find a saddle.
"Help Lady Alahna and saddle a horse for me," I ordered, aware I had just announced Alahna's new status from tribute to lady, to all my subjects, and not caring in the least.
After the long ride this morning, Vespa needed his rest, but I would make do with one of the many other horses I owned.
"Do you want your guard to get new horses too?" Cassair inquired.
I waved him off. "We won't need guards, I'll only take her down to the beach."
"Warlord, the Udruns sightings—"
I cut Cassair off with a wave of my hand. I knew he meant well, but we had just been there all morning without finding a trace of our irritating foe. Besides, I had already told him we wouldn't ride far.
"What about your arm?" Cassair nodded his chin toward my still-bleeding bicep.
"It's nothing."
Cassair shook his head, aware of when to cut his losses. He grabbed a small rag from a stack of clean ones and slapped it against my wound, not caring when I jerked from the pain, and fastened it with a strip of leather.
I ground my teeth when he cinched it just a tad too tightly, grinning a challenge at me in which he dared me to complain.
"That'll do," I nodded, satisfied with my makeshift dressing. I was fairly certain I would need stitches later, but for now it would stop the bleeding, so I could enjoy an afternoon ride with the human kallini who had so unexpectedly captivated me.
It didn't take long for our horses to be saddled and when I stepped to Alahna's side to help her mount, she beat me to it and swung herself up the giant horse with an ease I was only used to from my warriors, not a kallini. I checked her straps to make sure the saddle was secure before I swung myself up onto the horse the stableboys had saddled for me.
From somewhere within the stables, Vespa whinnied as if he knew I was setting out without him, but it couldn't be helped; he already had a long ride this morning and needed rest.
"Ready?" I asked Alahna.
The smile on her face said it all. She held the reins like any good horsemale would and with a grin, I turned my horse, expecting her to follow my lead.
"Where are we going?" she wanted to know as she sidled Samju up next to me.
"I thought you might enjoy the beach," I suggested and again her face lit up with so much happiness it melted more of the ice around my heart.
