She had a big impact on the locals, just as she had on my servants and Cleb. But nowhere did she have a bigger impact than on the heavy flutterings of my heart.
The locals wouldn’t let us pick the fruit and vegetables they were growing or help plant new produce—they thought it was below our station for some reason—but they did show us the “special techniques” they used to grow rapidly. Most of it was foreign to me but Bianca looked in her element.
I tried to imagine her on a farm somewhere and was surprised when I didn’t find it difficult. She wasn’t the girly type. I could imagine her slipping on her gear and trudging out into muddy fields.
The locals started a series of fires and placed cooking pots over them, and insisted we stay for a meal they cooked from scratch using their own freshly grown ingredients. They sent one boy back to their farm to collect some fresh meat. They couldn’t fail to miss the squeal Bianca emitted when they mentioned butchering one of the arjaths.
We stayed until the sun began to set and the stars came out. Cleb played with the other children. After eating, they fell asleep, curled up in the dozing arjaths’ soft fur.
“We should be getting back,” I said, getting to my feet. “We don’t want to leave too late.”
It was already too late. But our hosts divided the men in two, and half returned with the families, and the others escorted us through the woods. I was grateful for their kindness.
Once we reached the hard-packed earth of the path that wound through the last section of the forest, I knew my way. The men said goodbye and waved us off.
Cleb was already pooped. Bianca held him steady in the thick fur of her arjath as we walked the remaining distance home.
Home. It certainly felt that way with Bianca and Cleb living there with me.
I led Cleb’s arjath by the reins. The arjaths’ feet made soft clip-clopping noises that would have sent me to sleep if I wasn’t so focused on Bianca. She kept smiling and glancing at me. How couldn’t I feel good with someone like her looking at me that way?
“Thank you for letting the townspeople know who you were,” Bianca said. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to do that. Especially when you usually live like a hermit.”
I laughed softly.
“I saw how much you wanted to speak with them,” I said. “I just wanted you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” she said. “So, how was your day without work?”
She must have known how I would respond.
“Terrible,” I said. “I imagine the whole company has collapsed and now I’m destitute.”
“Would it matter if it had?” she said.
I thought about it. I put a lot of time and effort into building the company. If I lost it… I realized I would get to enjoy building it all over again.
“No,” I said, surprising myself.
“Will you work tonight?” she said.
I hadn’t thought about it. And that was another first. I hadn’t thought about work for the entire day. Even more surprising was realizing I didn’t want to.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Not today.”
We pulled up in front of the house. Waev came out and collected Cleb, who lay drowsy and asleep in his arms.
“Put him to bed without waking him,” Bianca said. “He’s too tired to do anything else.”
Waev nodded and carried Cleb up the steps. I handed the reins of the arjaths to a pair of guards who would return them to the stables. I led Bianca up the stairs and into the house.
It was quiet at that time of night. Entering the house like that, after being outside all day, I got to see it with fresh eyes. It was a beautiful building but it was also without life.
A house did not make a home. The people inside it did.
Bianca and I walked side by side in silence as we headed up the stairs. We shared a look and smiled at each other.
I didn’t know what to say. Neither did she.
And that was because there was nothing to say.
I wanted to hold her, kiss her, taste, and feel her. Words were not enough.
I wanted her. I made no bones about it. I wanted her more than I wanted anything my entire life. I was pretty sure she wanted me too.
Would kissing her goodnight ruin the whole day?
We reached her room. The walk felt very short, even with us dragging our feet to make it last longer.
“Well, here we are,” I said.
“Yep,” she said. “Here we are.”
“I had a great day today,” I said.
“I did too.”
“If you’re planning on going somewhere with Cleb at some point, let me know,” I said. “I’ll try to make some space in my hectic schedule.”
“Okay.”
Another pause.
This was it. I was going to kiss her. Right now.
The moment came…
And then it went.
“I guess I should let you get some sleep,” I said.
“I guess,” Bianca said.
“Night.”
“Night.”
I turned to leave and immediately paused. I turned back to her.
To hell with the moment passing.
I stepped up to her and scooped her up in my arms. I pressed my lips against hers. She tasted even sweeter than I imagined. She made a soft sighing sound and bit her bottom lip. We went in for round two. This time I pressed my body against hers and let my hands roam.
She didn’t stop me.
I swelled in my pants and ground against her. The door did not yield and made her feel every last inch of pressure.
Forceful, hungry.
Desperate.
Our lips parted but our bodies remained up close and personal.
“Taking you into my room will probably ruin the day,” Bianca said, unable to take her eyes off mine.
“Definitely,” I said. “I shouldn’t go anywhere near you. If I did, we would both regret it.”
“Definitely.”
She reached back and pressed the door handle down. I knocked the
