He smiled, his eyes filling with compassion as he laces his fingers with mine. “It’s like riding a bike. Come on.”

I go willingly and when we enter the barn, I am completely astonished. It is state of the art and the most posh barn I’ve ever seen. There are about six horses, all tucked in their little living quarters. Their stalls are bigger than my room, big troths are full of fresh veggies, and then there is one with water. It’s so nice that even I wouldn’t mind living here.

When a pair of boots and socks appears in front of me, I reach for them before smiling up at Declan. He’s gushing with excitement, and it fuels my own. Dropping the boots, I lean over to slide the socks and then boots on. When I stand, I am pleased they fit.

“Good?” he asks.

I nod. “Perfect fit.”

“Awesome, okay, let’s go,” he says, leading me down to a stall that holds a gorgeous, white gelding. I smile when she comes towards me, running her nose along my face for a kiss. My mom loved horses, said when she was younger she wanted to own a billion of them and love each one. She never got the chance, but that didn’t mean we didn’t ride a lot. Those were some of my favorite memories. We’d all pack lunches, go rent some horses, and spend the day riding before having a nice lunch by the lake. It was fun. With my throat tight, I look over at Declan to catch him watching me.

“You okay?”

I nod. “Sure.”

“We don’t have to ride. We can go somewhere else if you like.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s not that. I did this with my mom and dad a lot. I was just thinking of them.”

“Oh, that’s awesome,” he says before wrapping an arm around my shoulders. He brings me in close before placing his lips on my temple.

“Yeah, it was.”

He moves his nose against my temple, and my eyes drift closed. He feels so good against me, and I never want him to stop touching me. I don’t get what I want because he pulls away, opening the gate and letting the white horse out. Suddenly, three people are around the horse, getting her ready to ride as Declan looks back at me. “This is Belle, Lena’s horse. She’s a good girl, huh, Belle? So pretty.”

I reach out, running my fingers along her silky skin. “Hi Belle.”

She lets out a happy horse noise, and Declan grins back at me. “She likes you.” When he reaches for me, I gasp as he brings me in close. “So do I,” he whispers against my lips. Before I can smile, his mouth is on mine, and I swear it’s heaven being kissed by this man. When I hear someone clear their throat, I pull away. I can’t believe I forgot that three people were in the room with us.

“Mr. O’Callaghan, do you want us to suit up Cathmor too?” one of them says, and Declan nods.

“Yes, please, thank you,” he says it so sternly, but when he turns, there is a smile on his face. “So you know how to get on right?”

I laugh as I go around Belle, reaching for the saddle to pull myself up. “I have a feeling you just want an excuse to touch my ass.”

Declan’s cheeks warm with color before setting me with a look. “You’re onto my master plan, I see.”

“I am.”

He laughs. “Are you sure you can get up there?”

I send him a look that tells him not to doubt me before pulling myself up and settling into the saddle. I give him a smirk, and he laughs.

“Okay then,” he laughs before walking over to where his horse waits for him.

“Is that all, Mr. O’Callaghan?” the same one from before asks. He is an older man, while the two other men are young, my age even.

Declan nods. “Yes, thank you.”

“Thank you,” I say, and then they all look up at me. They look so shocked that I thanked them, but soon they are smiling at me.

“Sure thing, ma’am. Have a nice ride.”

I smile just as Declan says, “Ayea, Cathmor.”

His beast of a horse starts out the door and I guess Belle is used to following, because she does just that. Soon the warm, setting sun is shining on us as I follow Declan away from the barn. It’s so beautiful out here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my aunt’s land, but Declan’s is awe-inspiring. It’s so beautiful with lush greenery and big trees that cover most of the grounds. The lake is off in the distance, and I love the way it looks with the sun setting along it. I can see the massive castles, too, with smaller castles behind it. It’s an intimidating thing, seeing all this, but when Declan’s eyes meet mine, none of it matters.

All that matters is him.

When we are a good distance, he looks back at me again, sending me a grin before clucking his tongue at Belle. She trots towards him, and he grabs the reins to stop her beside him and Cathmor. “Ready to ride? Belle is fast.”

“Sure,” I nod, my heart racing a bit from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. It feels great with this beast beneath me, but I’m nervous to ride her to full power.

He laughs. “You don’t look ready, mo stór.”

My brow goes up. “Did you just call me a store?”

He shakes his head, chuckling before he reaches for my hand, bringing me close to him. “No, never, it’s something my da calls my ma. It’s Irish.”

That sends chills down my spine. Leaning closer, I run my nose along his, squeezing Belle with my thighs to stay on. “What does it mean?”

He cups my chin and smiles, his eyes holding mine. “My treasure.”

Yup, warm and fuzzies go nuts inside me as I get lost in his eyes. As he presses his lips to mine, I close my eyes and think how freaking romantic this is. The sun is setting and I’m on horseback with a freaking prince. How the hell does this happen to someone like me? Pulling away, Declan kisses my nose before letting me go. We share a smile before he says, “Right then, let’s go.”

I nod as excitement fills me. Declan hollers something, and then Cathmor is off. The next thing I know, Belle is racing through the countryside right along with him. Breathless, I hold on tightly, my hair flying as the wind whips me in the face. I know I’ll have crazy hair once we stop, but I don’t care. This is exhilarating! He was right when he said it would be like riding a bike, it is, and I love every second of it. We cut around the pond, riding fast, and soon I pull ahead, but only for a second before Declan cuts me off, sending me a grin before kicking Cathmor to go faster. I kick Belle and she digs in, hauling ass as we race for what seems like hours.