And then he was on his own horse, the baskets slung on the back for easy transportation, and he raised his eyebrows at her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She’d wanted it to be more cutting, but her body was already relaxing on the horse, in the afternoon breeze. They set out from the stables toward the wide hills on the outer parts of the grounds, and as Raed picked up speed, so did Lise. Thank God she’d learned to ride early in life so that she didn’t have to share his horse. And beyond that—it was fun. The rhythm of the horse matched her heart, lifting it and clearing away some of the hurt that had settled there.
A laugh spilled from her lips. It was like when they’d gone riding in the New Forest, racing under the trees and across the pasture.
“You still ride in that English style,” he called over the wind, eyes sparkling. He’d teased her about it back then, too, pointing out her hands on the reins and her rising trot, so different from the endurance-style riding Raed preferred.
“What other style would I use?” she teased, unable to keep a small smile off her face.
“This way,” he called, and turned to the right, toward a stand of trees. Through those trees, she could see the silvery glimmer of a lake. A few minutes later they dismounted at the lake’s edge, and Lise took it in—the clean ripple of the water, a boat rocking at a nearby dock, and a lovely green lawn reaching down almost to the water’s edge. A thin strip of sand formed a boundary between the lawn and the lake. Jake would love to put his toes in and walk around.
Raed came up behind her, and she turned as he set out a sturdy blanket and the baskets, then flopped down next to them and opened them up. It was even more embarrassing how much she liked the sight of him there on the ground, pulling the picnic out with amusement on his face. “If the ride here didn’t remind you of the New Forest, the food certainly will.”
Lise took a spot at the edge of the blanket, her mouth watering. Raed had brought out sausage rolls, cheddar cheese, and scotch eggs. The palace picnic set came with real plates and silver, and when he handed her the little plate brimming with the things she’d loved in the UK, she couldn’t help herself. She dug in.
“I very much enjoy riding with you.” Raed’s voice held both an admission and an apology. “I...didn’t feel good about the way things went after my video conference.”
“I didn’t either.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, then took a bite of sausage roll. The silence brimmed with meaning. Lise couldn’t find the words to answer. Raed shifted on the blanket. “I wanted to ask you—would you like to ride together in the mornings?”
What? “When you take Jake out?”
“No.” Raed’s dark eyes flicked to hers, and the heat in his gaze matched the glow low in her belly. “No. Us together, riding alone.”
Flame licked up to her chest, colliding with a wanting ache there. She gazed out over the lake, trying to tame it. Lise had to protect herself. She had to protect her son and her reputation. How would that square with morning horse rides? People in the palace would talk.
But—
Out here, away from most of the prying eyes, she felt good. Relaxed, for the first time since they’d come to Qasha. It was nice, being with him, when he could talk to her without constantly calculating how it would look to everyone else. Even Raed’s shoulders had come down an inch. He watched her with open curiosity, as she could see from the corner of her eye. A curiosity he might not show if there were other people watching. Not after things had gone so badly on that conference call.
He grinned at her, and it drew her full attention back to his gorgeous face. “Have I broken you with the idea?”
“No,” she shot back, laughing. “I forgive you for the conference call, I suppose. For now. And I’ll ride with you as many mornings as it’s possible.”
He sat up, satisfaction lighting his face. “You’ll need your own horse. I have just the mare in mind, a lovely chestnut Arabian.”
Lise set her plate down. “Raed, you cannot buy me a horse. That’s too much.”
“Is it?” He stood up and reached for her hands, and in spite of herself, she let him pull her from the ground. “Nothing that makes you smile like that could possibly be too much.”
She became aware of her own wide grin the same moment he put his fingertip to her lips and traced the outline of her smile. The touch was charged on her sensitive skin, and when his fingertip made its way back to her bottom lip she parted for him, letting him just barely into the heat of her mouth.
He sucked in a breath.
And then he was leaning down, his lips meeting hers, and the kiss was a shock like a lightning strike. She was electrified at the taste of him, at the warmth of him against her. Raed’s strong arms came around her waist and she melted.
It was so good—better than before. He explored her with his tongue, taking his time, one hand rising to cup her cheek, and Lise gave herself over to the kiss. This was Raed, then. Bahir had been impulsive, but he’d left her without a backward glance. This man wouldn’t do that. She knew it from the way he kissed her, needy and worshipful at the same time. And kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her.
8
Raed whooped in the passenger seat of the Porsche as Lise guided it to a stop on the track, a successful loop around the royal driving course completed. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and Lise found herself smiling wider than she ever had.
A driving lesson. Who would ever have thought? Nenet had arranged her first one with the captain of the guard, who had spent the last two days teaching her how to handle a car. Then Raed had taken over. And he was impressed.
“You’re incredible,” he said. “I knew you’d take to it. And every single move.” He leaned back in his seat, pushing a hand through his dark hair, and then hopped out, coming around to take Lise’s hand. “I’m bursting with pride.”
“Are you really?” she laughed. “It’s just driving.”
Raed tugged her off the track and behind the royal garage, which housed a full repair shop and stored some of Raed’s favorite racing vehicles. The very moment they were out of sight of the crew, she was in his arms, pulled close and tight and hard.
“It’s not just driving.” Raed’s voice, low and urgent, stoked the excited heat in her. “Driving is the best thing in the world.” And then his mouth was on hers, as urgent as his voice had been. She kissed him back with abandon, nipping at his lip and fighting against him with her tongue.
He dropped his mouth to her neck and traced a hot path down the flesh there, and Lise let her head drop, biting back a moan. It was a loss when Raed straightened a moment later, eyes burning, and let out a hard breath. Her heart sank a little, though it had been flying with the euphoria of his compliments and the successful driving. They could share these kisses, all right, as long as they were hidden kisses.
Stolen moments.
What if she didn’t want stolen moments?
Lise pushed the thoughts out of her mind as they went back to the business wing of the palace, winding through hallways she was coming to feel at home in. As they approached the final turn onto the wing, someone’s whisper rose to the ceiling and abruptly cut out again. It drew her out of her brooding thoughts about how Raed only kissed her when there was no one to witness it and how, if they had something real, it would be out in the open.