Page 77 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
She gazed around the familiar room, thinking deeply.
The parlour, at The Willows. A room she had seen a thousand times before. A familiar space that she had sat in, many times over the years, since she had moved here. She could close her eyes and know every piece of furniture within it.
But it felt different, now. Something had changed. It was almost tangible, as if she could reach out and grasp it.
“It feels like peace,” she replied.
Chapter 29
“That’s it, boy! Well done!”
Jasper’s voice rang out into the training corral. He was watching Thor trotting around. The colt’s gait was sprightly, and he couldn’t help thinking that the horse looked very pleased with himself.
On his back sat Susannah, gripping the reins tightly. She looked very pleased with herself, too. Her smile was so radiant, as she led the colt around, that it was almost luminous. She was having the time of her life.
Jasper smiled slowly, staring at them both. Only one short week ago, he had never imagined that this would be possible. Everything had been volatile, then. He had still been healing from his head injury, impatient with his progress.
Susannah had been in the midst of arranging her plan to get Leonard Green to confess to his crimes. It had been a hard time, fraught with tension, and fear, and anger. It had been hard for him to see how they could ever get through it.
His smile widened. And yet, here they were. The simple joy of it exploded in his heart for a moment.
He glanced up at the sky, feeling the sunshine warming his skin. It was a beautiful day, the sky a clear turquoise blue. A beautiful day to finally get out onto the property after his convalescence. He had been so eager that he had almost bolted to the stables as soon as he had exited the house.
The fact that Susannah had decided to join him was simply the icing on the cake.
It had been a carefree, easygoing morning. They had decided to work with Thor. After an hour of leading him around the corral, Susannah had suddenly turned to him, saying that she wanted to try to ride the animal, for the first time.
He had been hesitant, at first, not wanting to see her thrown off, and hurt. But she had laughingly insisted, saying that he washercolt, after all, and she could make any decision she liked regarding him. Even against the wishes of her master of horses.
“I have a very tough skin,” she had said slowly. He had seen the challenge in her eyes. “Nothing has broken me yet, and I am adamant that a colt is not going to do it, either.”
He had bowed mockingly. “The stage is all yours, ma’am.”
He shouldn’t have doubted her for even a moment. By the end of the first circuit around the yard, Thor was eating out of her hand. It was almost as if she had been born to ride the colt.
He gazed at them now. Susannah was indeed radiant, but the horse was starting to tire, just a little. He could tell by the way it was foaming slightly around the mouth.
“I think that Thor would like a break,” he called out. “And you should probably have one as well … ma’am.”
She poked out her tongue at him, but did as he suggested, slowing the horse to a halt. He grabbed the reins, and she slid off the colt’s back, landing with a thud.
He glanced around quickly, to see if anyone was around, but David was busy with Blitzen in the stables, and there were no other staff on site. They had just a little bit of time.
He pulled her into his arms, a little roughly. The next minute, before she could say anything, his lips had descended on hers, claiming her with a fierceness that spoke of all his pent up desire.
As her lips moved beneath his, enflaming him further, he reflected that he simply could not wait to make love to her again. It had been too long since the morning he had first taken her and made her his, in the barn. He had been too focused on his recovery, and then they had been too focused on finally dealing with Leonard Green. There had been no time or opportunity to do anything in that regard.
His loins leapt, feeling her against him. Her hips, and her breasts, and her thighs …
He pulled away, reluctantly. They couldn’t kiss forever, here. It was too public a place; anyone could saunter in here and see them. And while most of the staff at The Willows suspected there was something going on between their mistress and the horse master, they still had to observe basic propriety. She was still officially a widow, after all, and he was merely her servant.
He pulled her to him, for one last, lingering embrace. A very appreciative servant, indeed.
They walked out of the yard, leading Thor. For a brief second, Susannah leant her head against his shoulder, sighing.
“I still cannot believe it is all over,” she said, her eyes shining. “That we are able to do something as commonplace as working in the stables again.”
He smiled. “I am still pinching myself, too. And yet, it is true.” He gazed around. “We are here, on this beautiful day, doing something that we both love. Life is good again.”
