I am startled at his reciprocation of the embrace, but I shouldn't be. He has verbalized his intentions towards wooing me, and I have just given him an opportunity. I give him a small squeeze before pulling my face away, but my body remains suspended, pressed against his. He lifts his face to study mine. His lips are only a hair's breadth from mine, as I look into his unfathomable eyes. His deep brown eyes flit down to look at my lips, before returning to my eyes. Longing fills them. I wonder if my eyes have the same look.
"What are we waiting for?" I cut the tension, trying to break the spell of our pining. As the words leave my mouth, I hear the unintended double meaning. A clear laugh fills the air, as Étienne lowers me, knowing I was referring to riding, not kissing.
"We need to go on the other side of Elene. I will help boast you if you need it." He explains. I am grateful that he understood my words referred to riding the horses, and not intimacy between us.
"I will need your aide this first time." I step back and move to the front of Elene as Étienne follows.
"You are assuming that there will be more."
"It would be cruel to only give me a taste once." I look back at him with a smile.
He returns my gesture as he redirects my attention to the light horse. "Before you can mount you need to greet Elene. Follow my lead" He instructs. He holds out his hand towards the sky. Elene lowers her pink nostrils and sniffs his hand. Once she turns her head Étienne lifts his hand to stroke her face.
"Now hold out your hand." I imitate his actions as I raise my hand for the beast to evaluate.
She sniffs my palm, tickling it. The corners of my mouth lift at the sensation as I giggle, "She is tickling me!" She nuzzles my hand with her snout before turning her head, welcoming my caresses. I stroke her face, and she leans into my hand.
"So you are ticklish. That is interesting." I look over my shoulder at the knowing smirk that Étienne's lips are twisted in.
"How on Earth do you find that interesting?"
"Maybe one day I will show you." He teases me and understanding smacks me in the face. I whip my head away, not wanting to betray my bashfulness at his mischievous tongue. I keep stroking Elene, ignoring the man chuckling behind me.
His warm hand envelops mine, leading me to stroke with more force. "You are doing great. Now that she has accepted you, let's go to her side." I nod as he leads me around to her side. She is harnessed with a leather saddle.
"To mount you need to bring your right foot into this strap." He lifts a leather strap that is attached to the saddle on Elene's back. "Then swing your left leg back and stand with your right. Grab the saddle to pull yourself up as you jump. I will help you push off the ground to get your leg over."
I step forward, and follow his instructions, placing my foot into the stirrup. Étienne's hands clasp my waist as he stands behind me to my right. I turn back to face him at the intimacy of the gesture. I know that it is to help me mount but I find it rather scandalous. That smirk form earlier is still fixed to his seductive lips. I should knock it off. What would do the trick? Maybe a kiss…
I want to smack myself as I catch the train of my thoughts. His grin only expands as if he is reading my mind. I turn away grasping at the saddle. "Jump up on the count of three. One.. two.. three." He lifts me from my waits, as I swing my left leg over the horse. I settle into the saddle and I look down. I am greeted with the indecent sight of my own calves. I adjust my long skirts to better cover my legs, but I know the damage is done. Étienne surely saw them. What will he think of me? Will he see me as less worthy because of that shameful exposure.
I glance over to him, but he feigns ignorance, as if he wasn't close enough to touch me when my skirt went flying. I am grateful that despite his brazen words, he is discreet. "Where are we going?"
"That is part of the surprise, but first I am going to have to get you used to riding." I role my eyes at his mystery.
"Fine." I concede. He moves to the front of Elene grabbing her reins. He leads us down the street slowly. As he does so he explains how to move with the horse at different speeds. We turn around and he picks up the pace, making me apply his instructions. While doing so he explains how to use the reins to control the animal and how to kick to pick up speed. We complete several more passes down the street at various speeds to practice what he has explained in safety.