Page 87 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Oh yeah? I think I can fix that,” he says before giving me a soft kiss. “How about now? Did that save you from this icy torture?”
“It’s debatable. My ass cheeks are cold.”
Arturo laughs as he pinches my ass. “Surely that helped.”
“It sure did,” I joke.
I wrap him up and kiss the side of his head, loving every minute of this. “What book did you bring today?”
“It’s a good one.”
“Do you want to go read it so we don’t freeze to death? I’m questioning whether I have legs or not, they’re so cold.”
He pats my thigh. “Oh look. I think you do. I didn’t know you didn’t like the cold so much.”
“Does anyone like this?” I ask, not sure it’s possible.
Arturo grins as he flips onto his back and starts floating toward the shore. “I happen to think it’s rather nice.”
“I happen to think you’re lying. No one could possibly think this is nice.”
He reaches for me. “Allow me to save you, my dear.”
“Thank you. I had crystalized and couldn’t move my limbs.”
“I know the perfect thing to warm you up.”
“Yeah?” I ask, interest piqued.
“A good book.”
I laugh while I let him pull me to shore. At least the sun is warm, so after finally drying off and laying the saddle pad down, we use it to sit on and Arturo starts reading a section from the book to me. I love hearing him read. I don’t even care what he’s reading, I could listen to it for hours just so I could hear his voice and simply be with him. I sink down until my head is on his lap and lie there with my eyes closed as I listen. He sets the book on my forehead after a bit.
“Am I a book stand now?”
“My hand was getting tired and your forehead looked like the perfect place.”
“Anything for you,” I say.
“If you could turn the pages as well, that’d be fantastic.”
“I can’t even see the pages! I can see nothing but the cover quite closely.”
“I’ll just poke you every time I need one turned.” Arturo demonstrates this by poking me in the side, leaving me to fumble to turn a page I can’t even see.
“If you have the ability to poke me, you have the ability to turn them yourself!”
He laughs and starts reading again, but he doesn’t move the book. Apparently… this is now his favorite book stand. But I put up with it because he’s cute and I’m too in love to complain.
“‘He snatched up the amulet and dashed for the stairs just as…’” He trails off, and I open my eyes. The book slides off my face, and I look at Arturo who is staring off into the trees. I can feel the tension in his body.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing. Sorry. I have to go. I won’t be able to see you for a few days because of the party. Please be careful. I love you,” he says before he jumps up and just runs into the trees without another word.
“I can give you a ride back?” I call after him, but he never replies. He didn’t even take his book with him. It still lies by my side, pages splayed open. The way he adores his books, he’d normally never let the pages get bent like this.
Slowly, I sit up and look around to see what spooked him. Although… if it was scary enough to run off, he wouldn’t have left me alone with it. Did he forget to do something and needed to get back in time to finish it? But… was it so urgent he had to rush off like that? I pick up the book and flatten the bent pages before holding it to my chest. I’d much rather hold him, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
