She looks up at me and beams. And I beam back.
We reach the stables and Boris waves. Earlier, I had one of the staff instruct him to have Nikita and Milan ready for a ride so they are both standing in the courtyard, saddled up and ready to go.
I stand back while Cindy climbs onto Nikita. Even after just one ride she is already so much more confident. I get onto Milan and turn to Cindy. “Are you ready to go or do you want to do a few laps of the courtyard to get a feel for Nikita again?”
“I’m ready to go,” she replies excitedly.
Her cheeks are flushed with excitement and her smile is full of childlike innocence. It is clear she loves riding. I have definitely rekindled an old love within her. She needs a horse of her own. A gentle mare.
I tap my feet on Milan’s sides and steer him out of the courtyard and onto the path leading to the creek. I can hear the clip-clop of Nikita following behind me. I dig my heels into Milan’s sides again and he starts to canter, and I hear Nikita do the same. As soon as the path widens out, I maneuver my horse so that we are riding next to each other.
Cindy surprises me then. She shouts yah and digs her heels into Nikita’s sides. She stands up in the stirrups and laughs as Nikita breaks into a gallop. For a second, I’m left behind, shaking my head in wonder at Cindy.
Then, I spur Milan on until we catch up to them. We gallop side by side through the fields. Cindy’s hair billows out behind her and she laughs, a sound filled with pure delight. She looks free, like she’s flying, and I love seeing her like this. She looks as if all of her worries have been lifted. There is almost no resemblance to the business-suited, utterly professional woman I saw at The Macau.
I recognize the lightness in her. It’s the same lightness I always feel when I kick back and ride fast. We gallop into a small orchard and Cindy slows down. She looks around at the blooming apple trees, exclaiming at the beauty of the place.
To me, it’s just part of our land, but I try to see it through her eyes and suddenly I see the beauty in it. Maybe she will change me. Maybe she will teach me the secret to seeing the beauty in the everyday stuff.
“Turn left as we leave the orchard,” I shout over the rushing sound of the wind as we fly through it.
Cindy pulls on Nikita’s reins, turning her to the left.
We ride for another few minutes before I start to pull up on Milan’s reins when the creek comes into view. Cindy slows Nikita down too and we approach the creek at a canter.
“It’s beautiful,” Cindy says, her voice filled with awe.
She looks around her, taking in the scattered trees dripping with pale pink blossoms that coat the ground like a blanket. She looks out at the slowly trickling creek and the little Japanese wooden bridge across it.
Even though I have seen this place a hundred times, more maybe, I see it anew through her eyes.
“You look lost in thought,” Cindy says as she dismounts from Nikita and waits for me to get off Milan.
“I was just thinking of Babushka. This is her most favorite place in the world. Until she was too ill to ride she used to come here all of the time. Sometimes she has Valeriya bring her out here on bright sunny days, but it’s become a bittersweet journey for her now. It reminds her of the fact she can no longer ride.”
I take the reins Cindy holds out to me and I lead the horses to the creek for a drink. I tie the horses to a post and Cindy and I walk away a little and sit down on the grass. “In the beginning I was a bit worried that Babushka would see through our act.”
“She doesn’t want to see through it,” Cindy says. “Even if she had her suspicions, she would swallow them down, because she wants to believe you’ve found someone who makes you happy.”
“Well that part isn’t a lie,” I say.
“I do?” she asks, her blue eyes huge and shining.
I grin. “You do.”
“Er … when you say happy … what exactly do you mean?”
I cup her cheek with one hand and look deep into her eyes. “You make me happier than I’ve ever been,” I admit.
“Do you want to know a secret?” she whispers.
I suppress my smile. I love this version of Cindy. So irrepressible.
“No one has made me feel the way you do,” she confesses.
I lean forward and kiss her. A deep, sensual kiss, the melding of two people who are crazy about each other’s bodies. She pulls back.
“Have you ever had sex outdoors, Alex?”
I shrug. “Of course.”
She bites her bottom lip. “Well, I haven’t.”
I don’t take my eyes off that bottom lip. “Then we’ll have to remedy that right away.”
“I totally agree.”
She reaches down, grips her t-shirt, pulls it over her head, and carelessly flings it from her. Still grinning at me, she sends her bra the same way as her t-shirt. I moan low in my throat when I see her topless. Her breasts are white compared to her tanned stomach. Her nipples stand to attention as I push her onto her back and reach down and roll her nipples between my thumb and my fingers.
She closes her eyes, a smile playing across her lips.
I kiss that delicious mouth and she responds passionately, wrapping her arms around my neck and holding me in place, she kisses me deeply. Her tongue slips into my mouth, hooking my tongue and lightly sucking it back into her own mouth. I feel a jolt in my cock.
Releasing her mouth, I kiss her cheek, her jaw, her neck, then I trail kisses down her body. I run my tongue over every inch of exposed skin and feel the goose bumps erupting on her skin at my touch. As soon as I reach her leggings she kicks off her shoes and lifts her ass off the ground. I laugh at how eager she is, but it doesn’t stop me from pulling down her leggings and her panties and yanking them off her feet. I lean down and kiss her belly.
Grabbing her hands, I pull her into a sitting position so she is taking her weight on the palms of her hands. Then I open her legs wide. She has never had the sun on her pussy and she sighs softly when the warm rays hit her most secret part. I kiss her again as I push my fingers inside her dripping wet lips. Her head falls back and her body arches with pleasure. I move my fingers around her clit slowly, bringing her near orgasm, but not close enough to actually climax.
Her thighs tremble and she makes a moaning sound when I start to move my fingers faster. She jerks her hips, pressing herself harder against my fingers and makes that now familiar ‘ahh’ sound as I move my other hand to her pussy and slip two fingers inside of her. I finger fuck her while simultaneously working her clit. In seconds she begins to gasp and the writhing of her hips speeds up. She is almost there, ready to climax and I don’t hold back. I grip her body securely and work her like my life depends on it, moving my fingers faster and harder until I hear her suck in a breath and let it out in a scream. I watch with satisfaction as her orgasm blossoms through her. I feel her pussy clench around my fingers, her clit pulsing.
It’s just beautiful. As long as I live I will remember this moment by the creek, the sun shining down, and my fingers buried inside this beautiful woman.
I wait for half a second, my fingers still and then I press down on her clit and her g-spot and she screams again. Her pussy clenches so tightly that for a minute, I can’t move my fingers and I feel her juices coating them, coating my hand. I wait until she’s really come undone and then I start to lap up the sweet juices pouring out of her.
She pants for a moment, her head still hanging back and then she lifts her head and smiles at me. I move upwards and kiss her and she kisses me back eagerly. She pulls away suddenly, and pushes me onto my back.
“Condom?” she asks, sitting astride my thighs.
“Left pocket,” I say shortly, while my eyes take in the beauty of her bare body in the sunlight.
She jams her hand into my jeans pocket and pulls it out triumphantly. Tearing it open impatiently with her teeth she unzips my jeans. Then, lifting herself off the ground, she quickly pulls my jeans together with my b
oxer shorts down to my knees. Then she rolls the condom on to my hard cock and straddles me, sitting across me so I can feel her wet pussy pressing down on my cock.
She leans forward, her nipples on mine before she impales herself onto my cock. I groan as I feel her warm, wet pussy take me in. It’s a huge turn on seeing Cindy take control. She begins to move. Slow, sensual movements that drive me wild. With each movement, she takes me all of the way inside of her and then she comes up so high that I almost slip out of her, but not quite.
She moves her hands sensuously over her body as she rides me and I am mesmerized by her movements. She rubs her stomach, her sides, and then she moves her hands to her breasts. She kneads them. Her eyes are closed and she’s breathing slowly and heavily, her cheeks are flushed. She looks like a goddess, the goddess of ecstasy.
She takes her nipples between her fingers and works them, tugging on them, rolling them between her fingers. Her lips part slightly as her breathing speeds up, and still, she moves slowly on my cock, making me feel every nerve in it. I am on the verge of coming just watching her so I try not to focus too much on the sensation of her slippery pussy sucking me in. I don’t want this show to end.
I know I’m fighting a losing battle when she releases her nipples and moves one hand slowly down her body to her clit. She rubs her clit slowly in time with her thrusts and I swallow hard, my breath catching in my throat.
Moaning she brings herself to orgasm and I feel her pussy clenching around me, a warm flood of liquid coating me. I catch her by the waist as she sways on top of me. Then she opens her eyes and looks at me. We are looking into each other’s eyes as she comes again. That is the moment I can’t hold back any longer.
I grab her hips in my hands and fuck her senseless, bucking my hips furiously. Within seconds, I am on the edge and I let myself go over, calling out her name as I come inside of her. I close my eyes for a moment, but then I remember the way I felt so connected to her when she looked me in the eye as she came, and I want to be able to do the same thing for her.
I open my eyes and look at her as I come hard, pleasure flooding me and making me call out to her even as I look her in the eye. She holds my gaze and when my cock slips out of her, she leans forward and grazes her lips over mine. She deepens the kiss, kissing me like she wants to consume me, like she wants to taste me.
I reach up and wrap my arms around her and she flattens her body as we explore each other’s mouths with our tongues.
I know something has changed between us. It’s something I can’t put into words, but it feels amazing, like we’re connecting on much more than just a physical level. The warmth of the sun on us, the weight of her body on top of me, the dull steady sound of her heartbeat, and the smell of the grass beneath me … feels almost unreal.
The sensation is so weird and so without precedent I am unable to speak. Then I realize she’s fallen asleep. I should wake her so we can head back up to the house, but I don’t have it in me to disturb her, to ruin this rare and precious moment. Instead, I close my eyes and let myself drift away too.
I wake up to Cindy gently shaking me and laughing. I open my eyes and instantly close them again as the sun blinds me. I lift my hand to shield my eyes, then open one eye, and peer up at her. She’s fully dressed again and she’s smiling down at me.
“I just woke up. It’s after eleven. I thought we’d better be getting back for lunch,” she says.
I push myself up onto my elbows, fully awake now.
“Or we could just stay here and eat each other,” I say. And I’m not joking.
She laughs and stands up before I can make a grab for her. “As tempting as that is, I’m kinda starving.”
Reluctantly, I begin to button up my shirt. Standing, I pull my boxer shorts and my jeans up and fasten them. “Are you thirsty?”
She nods, and I beckon her closer to the creek. I crouch down and cup some water in my hands and drink it.
She raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s safe to drink?”
“If you mean have we had health inspectors out to test it, then no, probably not,” I say. “But I’ve been drinking it all of my life out here and I’m still alive to tell the tale.”
She laughs and copies me, cupping some water in her own hands and drinking it down. She smiles. “It’s really good.”
The water is always crisp and cool here, even in the middle of summer. “Come on. Let’s head back.”
I go and untie the horses and after another drink for them, we mount them and set off back towards home. I see Cindy shifting uncomfortably in her saddle.
“Bit sore?” I laugh, teasing her.
“I’m pretty sure you know the answer to that one,” she laughs back.
“What will happen to all these apples?” Cindy asks as we get to the orchard.
“The staff make apple cider. You can try some later.”
“I’d love to,” she says with a laugh. “I was thinking of asking Babushka if she would like to come out for a short walk with me after lunch.”
I smile broadly, pleased that she’s making such a big effort with Babushka.
Cindy
Lunch is remarkably pleasant considering Petra joined Babushka, Alex, and I. We ate finger sandwiches and scones in the conservatory and we drank some homemade elderflower juice that Petra had picked up at the farmer’s market she’d been to that morning. If it wasn’t for the fact she was drinking it too, I would have been a tiny bit afraid she would have poisoned it. She was on her best behavior, speaking in English, and asking me questions that didn’t feel like disguised insults, but I was on to her now. After lunch, Alex excused himself as he had some calls to make.
I turn to Babushka once he is out of the door. “I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me,” I say to her.
She smiles at me but she shakes her head. “I’d like nothing more, dear, but my arthritis is playing up something terrible today and I was actually planning on having a lie down after lunch.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, trying to not show my alarm and hoping it is nothing serious. “Is there anything I can do?”
She smiles sweetly. “That is so kind of you, but no, dear. Valeriya will give me one of my pills and I’ll be out like a light until dinner.”
“I’ll take a walk with you,” Petra offers with a bright smile.
Oh shit. A half hour over lunch is one thing, but can I really stomach more time with her? I shake my head and smile politely. “Oh no, it’s fine. I can go by myself. I’m sure you have plans and I really don’t want to spoil your day.”
“Nonsense,” she replies. “I don’t have anything planned and a walk sounds like a great idea with the sun shining like that. I’d only end up in the drawing room reading, and I think some fresh air sounds much nicer.”
I can’t think of any other way to get out of it without being rude and so I find myself nodding. “Then that would be lovely.”
There can only be two reasons Petra is offering. Either she’s realized she was acting like an obnoxious brat and she’s now making an effort to get to know me a little better, or, the more likely scenario, this is another way of torturing me. If that’s the case I’m ready for her.
Valeriya appears and helps Babushka from the conservatory and I wonder for a second if Petra’s claws will come out now. It doesn’t happen though. Instead, she smiles pleasantly at me.
“Are you ready now or did you want a cup of tea or something first?” she asks.
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Great. Please wait here a minute,” she says and is gone before I can ask why. A few seconds later I start to wonder if this is her plan. To leave me sitting here like an idiot waiting for her when she has no intention of coming back. If that’s her plan, then the joke is on her because it’s really quite nice sitting here. I take my phone out and send a text to Star, Raven, and Rosa.
I look up when Petra returns. She pulls a bottle of wine and two glasses from behind her b
ack. “I thought it would be nice to have a glass or two of wine at the fountain down by the stables.”
I agree that it would be and we leave the conservatory. Petra asks me lots of questions about my life in London and I carefully divulge select pieces of sanitized information about my life. She hangs on my every word, smiling and nodding.
“I actually love London,” she gushes.
“You should come and visit Alex and me sometime,” I say just to get a reaction.
“I might just do that,” she agrees.
We both know she won’t, but she does a damn good job of pretending she will.
We reach the fountain and sit down on the bench in front of it. Petra opens the wine and pours two glasses. She hands me one and I wait for her to pour herself a glass. Only when she sips herself do I sip from my glass. It’s refreshing and fruity.
“Good choice,” I say lightly.
“It’s one of my favorites. I love the honey and blackberry accents,” she says. She puts her glass down on the bench and turns towards me. “I wanted to apologize to you, Cindy. I was such a bitch to you.”
“It’s okay,” I say quietly. She seems sincere, but I can’t let my guard down.
“It’s really not who I am,” she adds. “But I had already told myself before I met you that I would make sure I didn’t like you. Because if I didn’t like you then I wouldn’t care about what Alex is doing to you. But the thing is, I do like you, and I think you deserve to know the truth. I’m only sorry you have to hear it from me instead of him.”
Oh, here we go. I look at her innocently. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry to tell you this, because I can see that you are deeply in love with him.” She takes a deep breath. “He’s using you, Cindy. You’re just a pawn in a game you don’t understand. Once he’s duped Babushka, he’ll dump you.”
Petra can’t possibly know about our fake romance? So what the hell is she talking about? “Stop talking in riddles and just tell me what you want me to know,” I say, my voice harsh.
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