CHAPTER 72: A FLIRTATIOUS MORNING

It was almost noon when we finally woke up the next day. Christian stayed true to his promise and didn’t let me sleep until the first rays of light were seen peeking through the window.

The entire bedroom was a complete mess. Blankets, pillows, and towels were scattered across the floor.

"Good morning, beautiful."

He reached over and kissed the back of my shoulder while his hands fondled my breasts playfully.

I turned around to face him, feeling the soreness of my body in the process.

"Good morning," I smiled back.

"Last night was a lot of fun, we should do that again sometime."

I rolled my eyes. "You say that as if you didn’t already plan on doing it again."

His grin widened. "You caught me! I certainly do!"

I shook my head. His desire for me was insatiable, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

"You should congratulate me," I smiled.

I watched Christian’s face visibly freeze. "Congratulate you?"

His cautious demeanor caused me to burst out into laughter.

"Yes, congratulate me on successfully keeping other women out of your bed all night!" I giggled.

He burst out into laughter, "Yes, you did a wonderful job. I should hire you to do this full time!"

"Hmm, I’m not sure that even the great Christian Vittoria can afford my rates," I teased.

He scooped me up into his arms, "I’m willing to go into debt for you. Please," he whispered sensually into my ear.

"Mm, fine. Since you’re so sincere, I’ll make an exception for you," I smiled.

-

We took our time lying in bed and chatting about anything and everything. It was only when my stomach growled did we finally got up.

"I’m starving too. After all of that exercise, I’m not surprised," he said.

We both rinsed off in the shower before getting dressed. Today, I chose to wear a light natural linen dress that I felt was fitting for the island environment.

When I finished getting ready, I made my way downstairs only to be surprised by a beautiful assortment of food.

"Since it was a bit later in the day, I wasn’t sure what kind of food you were in the mood for, so I ordered brunch to be delivered. There’s a good mix between sweet and savory."

My eyes sparkled, and I ran up to Christian, giving him a big hug.

"Thank you so much! You’re really spoiling me with all of these wonderful treats," I said happily.

So far, this trip has been life-changing for me. It was the first time I was able to experience a full day without being controlled by my parents.

"No, Leslie. You’re the wonderful treat, and I’m the one who’s thankful to you. I’ve been to this Island nation many times, but this is the first where I’ve enjoyed it so much, and it’s only been a day."

We walked over to the table, where Christian pulled out a seat for me. After I got seated, he walked over to sit across from me.

The table was filled with fresh-cut fruit, waffles, bread, eggs, and salads, making it as colorful as the buildings in the city.

I quickly filled my plate with fresh fruits and ones that I’ve never tried before.

"How are you feeling? Do you have enough strength to go out for a little sightseeing today? Be honest, I don’t want you to go if you’re hurting. I did go a little overboard last night."

I looked over at him teasingly, "Oh, so you know that you went overboard? Why do you sound proud instead of regretful?"

He averted his gaze, "Babe, you see....it’s just one of those things. Listen, do I know that I went overboard? Yes. But would I do it again? A hundred times, yes."

"Haha!" I burst out into laughter. He was so cute, trying to explain himself that I couldn’t hold back. "I admire your honesty."

Christian smiled as he nodded, "With you? Always."

His words brought a smile to my mouth. Returning to his earlier question, I nodded, "As for how I’m feeling, I feel good. An excursion sounds like a lot of fun, and I would love to go."

"Perfect, then after we finish our meal, we can head out," said Christian cheerfully.

-

After we finished eating, I followed Christian to the car. He didn’t tell me exactly where we were going, except that it would be outside and that there was some walking involved.

We drove once more through the city and then down towards the forested areas until we finally arrived in front of a large pasture with horses.

"Horses!" I said excitedly, stepping out of the car.

In my youth, I had to take horse riding lessons, but once those were done, I was rarely allowed to go riding again.

"Have you ridden a horse?" asked Christian.

"Yes, but it’s been a while. Though I’m sure if I got on one, it wouldn’t be a problem.

"Perfect, because today, we will be riding horses through the woods down to the beach."

My eyes lit up! I was so excited that I quickly ran over to the entrance of the pasture.

-

Inside, the stablehand was brushing a very robust yet beautiful chestnut brown horse.

"Welcome, are you here for a nature ride?" he asked, walking over to the counter.

"Yes, we have a reservation. Last name, Vittoria," answered Christian after a brief greeting.

The stablehand nodded and invited us into the pasture. Here are all of our ready and available horses. Take your time to greet and choose the ones you want to ride.

As soon as he finished talking, I walked over to the beautiful chestnut brown horse that was being groomed when we first entered.

At first, the horse was cautious of me, but after a few moments, it allowed me to approach.

"Young Madame! Be careful, that one has a bit of a temper. He’s not one that I usually let guests ride."

I blushed slightly at the way he addressed me.

"Aww, but he’s so handsome. Look, his coat matches my hair color perfectly," I replied as I gently ran my hand across its body.

"Well, well. Would you look at that! Lark seems to like you! If he didn’t, you would’ve been tossed aside by now!" he laughed.

"Lark, what a nice name. How would you like to go for a walk?" I asked the horse as I continued to pet it.

The stablehand heard me and scratched his head, surprised at Lark’s peaceful demeanor.

"Well, I don’t know. How about you try to ride him here first, and if that goes well, I’ll let you take him out," he said after some thought.

I nodded my head with excitement and gently walked Lark over to the open field.