The Consummation (Unexpected Circumstances 3)

“Yes.” Branford’s smile was more genuine. “He rather liked the last one.”

“Sir Branford?” The timid, feminine voice from behind us startled me. When we looked, a young girl wearing a white apron held a basket in her hands. Branford took it from her without a word, and she scurried out of the stables and back toward the castle. Branford strapped the basket behind Romero’s saddle as the horse danced back and forth on his hooves, eager to go. A few minutes later, I was atop the massive stallion, riding sidesaddle with Branford’s arm wrapped around my middle. He held me tight against his chest as Romero walked us both out of the stables and into the field.

“I usually take him up into the hills,” Branford said as he pointed to the woods on the other side of the field. “He’s used to riding pretty hard, but carrying

two will probably be a decent workout for him. Do tell me if you get uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want you to be sore later on tonight.”

Romero carried us across the wide grazing field where other horses gathered in small groups, gnawing at the new spring growth on the ground. Branford dug his heels into the horse’s sides, and we moved to a trot as we entered the forest on a wide, clearly marked trail. I bounced along with the stallion’s movements as he expertly avoided the roots and fallen branches along the trail. Before long, we reached the deep part of the forest and a hillside covered in gigantic trees with mossy trunks. Branford spurred the horse on a little faster to make it up the steep incline. He leaned forward, tightening his hold around my waist and pushing us both down toward the horse’s neck until we reached the top of the hill. When Branford sat back in the saddle, he still held me close. I felt the tip of his nose as he ran it over my cheek and up to my ear. He nuzzled against my hair and inhaled deeply.

“You smell good,” he said softly into my ear, “like flowers in a spring meadow. It was the second thing I noticed about you.”

“What was the first?”

“Your blush,” he said as he dropped the reins and ran the back of his fingers over my cheek. As if to prove the point, I could feel my face rise in flames almost instantly at his touch. “I noticed your eyes as well, so I suppose it was really the third thing.”

“Shouldn’t you hold on to him?” I asked as I nodded toward the reins. Branford shook his head, and I noticed Romero did not appear to have altered his course.

“I have to ride him while fighting,” Branford said. “Many times I must let go of the reins in order gain the advantage. If I could not control him without, I would be at a serious risk.”

“How do you control him?”

“With my body, especially my legs,” Branford said. To prove his point, he sat back in the saddle and Romero came to a stop. I felt Branford’s legs shift under me, and the horse turned around in a complete circle and then started to move ahead as Branford shifted forward again. “It takes a lot of practice, but there are many things I can do when my hands are otherwise occupied.”

Branford punctuated his point by pressing his lips to the edge of my jaw. He left a trail of kisses up to my ear, and I could hear him inhale deeply before he let out a long sigh.

“I don’t usually ride with a companion,” he said. “I’ve never had a woman on my horse with me before.”

“That’s surprising,” I said and immediately regretted my comment. “I mean…I would have thought…maybe at a tournament or something…”

Branford laughed softly and kissed my jaw again.

“No, I wouldn’t have taken any women on my horse at tournaments.”

“Why not?”

“Because Romero is very…special to me. I’ve never had a woman in my life that I would honor with such a privilege.”

I was sure I blushed again, either from his comment or from the way his thumb stroked gently against my abdomen as we rode on up the hill and off the path. I turned my head to see his face.

“You said there is another tournament soon?”

“Yes, in Sawyer’s lands. He is hosting the spring tournament this year.”

“Will I…will I go with you?”

“I would like you to accompany me, yes,” Branford said. His deep eyes gazed at me. “If you would be agreeable.”

“Yes, please,” I said, for the idea of being here in Silverhelm with Kimberly and Nelle but without Branford was not something I desired. Flashes of tournaments held in Hadebrand invaded my head, ending with the image of Branford on the ground with his helm knocked away. I gasped.

“What is it, my wife?”

“What if…what if you are hurt?” I said in a breathless whisper.

Branford chuckled.

“I’ll be fighting with some of my kinsmen,” Branford said. “It’s not a fight to the death.”

“But you could still be hurt.”