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A huge smile covered my face, the wind swept through my hair, and the tall grasses brushed my legs as Ouji galloped at dizzying speeds. His muscled neck dipped forward in rhythm with his pace and tugged against the reigns. My healing tattoo cooled and the lingering pain dulled almost completely. I couldn’t even think about the events of last week if I wanted to. Behind me Kohaku chased us at full speed, alongside a slower and slightly uncomfortable Kasanoda riding atop Utsukushi, a mare named after her beauty. He rode in an English saddle and I rode bareback, because it really helped me understand a horse. Ouji and I had just met two days ago at a horse and cow rescue farm, where I made my first executive decision as a billionaire to buy a rescue horse. Kasanoda followed in suit and purchased Utsukushi in order to be my riding partner.

We approached a treeline. I slowly sat up and pushed my heels down against Ouji’s white-speckled flank to slow us to a trot, then a walk. He led us to the shade of the trees probably more for his sake than mine. “I don’t blame you,” I said out loud. His ear swiveled back to catch my voice, while the other listened to Kohaku’s trot as she arrived, panting and tail wagging furiously. “You run so fast! And you’re cute to boot.” I pushed a hand up and down his warm neck and flipped his mane over to help him cool off.

Just as I slid off onto the ground, Kasanoda and Utsukushi cantered up behind us. Utsukushi whinnied at us upon arrival to express her happiness. Kasanoda, on the other hand, had a squinted face of either rage or pain- I couldn’t be sure. I raced over to him after hitching Ouji to a nearby tree to socialize with Kohaku. “What’s wrong? Are you ok?”

He ever so slowly dismounted, occasionally grunting. “Horse riding is not easy on the… you know…” Now in addition to the pain, a tinge of red spread across his face. He looked anywhere but at me.

I refrained from laughing so he wouldn’t feel too bad. “It’s ok, you get used to it.” I ran fingers through his neon red hair, which had assumed an upright position while riding. “You looked great up there! I can’t believe you bought a horse just to spend time with me.”

He blushed some more and shrugged, shoving hands into his pockets while I fixed his hair back to normal. “Well… what else am I supposed to do?” he grumbled. “Run behind you with Kohaku?”

I laughed and he finally smirked, able to look at me again. “I guess that would be impractical.” I took the reigns of his horse and hitched her close to Ouji, but far enough they had personal space. Kohaku trotted over to me with a big grin, fur covered in grass from a good barrel roll a few seconds earlier. She walked quite close to me as Kasanoda and I found a nice tree to lean against. Even though I just got her a few days ago, she’s stuck to me like glue. She didn’t seem to have any split loyalties between me and Kasanoda, although we got her together and she’s seen him pretty much every day since. But she never strayed from my side. Even when I went to the bathroom, she either sat outside the door or insisted on coming in with me. Which I consider very weird.

She would even defend me against Kasanoda just like he was anyone else. If I approached him- no problems. But if he approached me… she would growl when he got too close, unless I touched him or made it obvious that I didn’t mind. She almost didn’t even need to be trained. So I took Kasanoda’s hand, interlaced his fingers with mine, and led him with me to the nearest tree. Kohaku followed, no growls to be heard. “These are oak, I think. Some are pine. Good for climbing. Race to the top?”

I looked up into the leaves with excitement. This one is definitely pine. The fresh air smelled sweet and damp. Kasanoda glanced up, then back at me. “After the mountain climbing incident, I didn’t think you were this outdoorsy,” he said. A competitive grin slid onto his face. “I’m sorry you have to lose to me.”

My eyebrows raised and I laughed. “I didn’t know you could see the future.” With that, I released his hand and jumped up onto the closest limb, which was pretty close to the ground. He grunted and hustled to follow me. But in seconds I had already climbed nearly a quarter of the tree. The branches became thicker, all sticky with the sap leaking from the bark. A couple of birds flitted away at my intrusion. Down below I heard my opponent huffing and puffing, climbing as fast as possible. I glanced down to see him three or four branches away from me. He glared back up with determination. I just waved and continued up. A minute or two later, I reached branches that would start to creak under my weight, so I stopped to admire the view. There wasn’t much of a view actually. Just a sea of leaves and pine needles. I panted as I listened to the wind up here, soft and comforting. Moments later Kasanoda arrived next to me, also panting with effort. He shifted onto the branch with a leg on either side.

“Ok… fine…” he breathed heavy with heaving shoulders. His pushed his hair back with a hint of irritation.

“Let me help you.” I took the band off my wrist and combed fingers through his hair, dragging it away from his face and into a short ponytail. It’s so red. And so smooth. My eyes raked over his hair, to his face, to his lips, and finally to his eyes. I felt my face getting almost as red as his hair. “There,” I mumbled. I fiddled with his shirt collar and glanced down at my feet and the drop below. Kohaku stood at the base of the tree staring up at the two of us. “All better.”

“Thanks.” He whispered it. Now his hands were in my hair. On my neck. I looked back at his brown eyes and he took this chance to close the distance between us. His cheeks tinged red, and I closed my eyes when he closed his. I felt him breathe on my neck, warm over my face, whereas mine hitched in my throat. He kissed me once. It was short and sweet. When I opened my eyes, his looked back at me from hooded lids. He scooted closer to me and kissed me again. This time his lips parted mine. My body tingled and my toes curled within my shoes. His held my shoulders like he was afraid I’d fall out of the tree, and mine lay on his chest. Tongues clashed, hearts raced, and butterflies twisted my stomach into knots. His tongue grazed a spot on the roof of my mouth that sent a jolt through my body and forced out a high pitched moan.

I pulled back from him and covered my mouth in embarrassment. What just came out of me?? I felt my face heat up as he turned even redder. But all his inhibitions and usual nervousness were out the window. His eyes raked my face and the hint of a smirk formed on his own. He leaned in and kissed my hand, his open eyes never leaving mine. “I already told you,” he whispered and pulled my hand gently away. “Don’t hold anything back from me. I want to know everything you’re feeling.” He interlocked our fingers and reconnected our lips quickly. His tongue searched for the same spot desperately. He found it, and suddenly my chest heaved with the rush to my head. He didn’t let up, and I began to writhe in my seat, unable to sit still while the pit of my stomach churned with the feeling. Another moan escaped me, and he groaned into it as well. His tongue targeted only that spot now, and I couldn’t do anything. I was completely incapacitated, only able to squirm in my spot on the branch.

Finally I mustered enough resistance to lean my head back, breaking the kiss. We both panted, our breaths mixing in the air. He opened his eyes and nuzzled my nose, eager to resume. “I… I can’t…” I can’t even form a sentence! I spoke between deep breaths. “You can’t do that… all at once…”

Kasanoda breathed slowly to calm his racing heart. He pulled away to make some space. A few strands of his hair had come out of the ponytail, giving him a rugged and determined appearance in his jacket and jeans. “Ok,” he whispered. Then a smug and conniving smile covered his face. “We can pick up where we left off later.”

Oh Lord. What have I gotten into?