Sorry this chapter took a while! I wanted to make it a bit longer than the previous ones. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far!
It had been a few days since they began their new relationship, and David couldn't have been happier. Having the chance to hold her and kiss her instead of having to bury his feelings was amazing.
They lay on the grass together in the field on the opposite side of his house from hers. It was a warm, sunny day, and his fingers were intertwined with hers. He played with her fingers as he looked at her. She was on her back, eyes closed as she basked in the warmth of the sun.
David brought her hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it. A small smile crept to her mouth at the contact and she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the sight of the man next to her. "You're staring," she lightly pointed out.
A smile covered his face, lighting up his eyes. "I can't help it! You're just so beautiful that I never want to take my eyes off you." With that, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, kissing her as she giggled.
She rested her hand on his chest, drawing little circles on the skin where his shirt opened. "So," she said. "When was it that you decided I was completely irresistible?" She teased.
He laughed. "The day you came back from visiting your uncle."
"How specific," she said, resting her chin on his chest so she could look at him as he told her the story.
David herded the last of the sheep at three o'clock. He looked out across the landscape. He'd always loved his home. The green grass and expansive blue skies were beautiful. It had always just been him and his mom, Ruth, and he was really happy with his life.
He closed the sheep pen and stood next to it, looking across the landscape when he saw Rocinante cantering toward him, Regina on his back. A few moments later, they were beside him and Regina hopped off the horse before giving him a big hug.
"Hey," he laughed. "How was the trip?"
"Eh," she shrugged. "It was alright. It's always a bit tricky to maneuver around Uncle Midas," she said. "But I got to visit with Abigail, which was fun."
They walked around for a bit while Regina told him stories of the trip. She smiled the whole time, but it never truly met her eyes. "I really missed daddy, though," she said.
David had spent some time with Henry while Regina had been away. "He missed you too," he said.
The sun was beginning to set as they walked back to Rocinante, who was grazing. "I'll see you tomorrow, David," she said, turning to him.
Just then, the way the orange-pink light of the sunset hit her face, she looked as though she was glowing. Her dark eyes sparkled as she smiled. His heart beat faster in his chest, and the thought came to his head…
"She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," David finished.
She smiled and nuzzled into his chest, prompting him to hug her tighter. "You're pretty attractive, yourself," she said.
"David!" Ruth called from the house. Regina and David sat up and turned toward his mother, who was moving toward him. "Will Regina be staying for dinner?"
He looked at the girl to see what her answer would be. "I'd love to," she said with a smile. Ruth smiled back and patted her son on the head before making her way back inside.
"You can really stay?" He asked, lying back down and extending his arm to hold her once more.
"I can," she said. "Mother and daddy have some dinner party they have to go to."
"And you don't have to go?"
She suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, Daniel can't, and mother doesn't think it would be appropriate for me to go without my escort," she said.
David winced at the mention of the prince. He knew Regina didn't care for Daniel like she did for him, but the fact that Daniel would be kissing her and holding her sickened his heart. "You still haven't found a way to get out of this?" He asked gently.
"Unfortunately not. No matter what happens, Cora will be furious with me." She noted the sad look on his face. "But I'm not giving up," she said, scooting up to place a gentle kiss on his lips again.
He couldn't help but smile at the contact. He pulled her closer. "You're worth the wait," he murmured.
"That was delicious," Regina said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "Thank you so much for having me for dinner, Ruth." David's mother had always insisted that Regina call her by her first name. She had a special affection for the girl who reminded her so much of her young self. The girl had such a desire to be free, much like the older woman always did.
"Oh, Regina, any time," she said with a smile. "Besides, if you weren't here, I'd still be hearing about you constantly from David." She winked at her son.
"Mom!" David blushed as Regina giggled at the remark.
"He's completely smitten," Ruth said, ignoring her son's pleas.
"Well, I'm pretty smitten with him, myself," she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek as she stood to clear the plates.
"Oh, no, Regina, you are a guest. You will not be doing with the dishes."
"Please let me help," Regina said, picking up a plate. "I am never allowed to be helpful at home." She looked at the woman with puppy dog eyes.
Ruth huffed. "Alright, Regina." The girl smiled brightly and moved the dishes to the kitchen. David's mother sat at the table. "David, I need to talk to you about this."
"Mother—"
"No, please listen to me." She looked toward the kitchen, where Regina had put the dishes in the washtub and was scrubbing them and humming to herself. "That girl in there is extremely unhappy with her life. As much as Cora loves her, she doesn't always show it in the best ways."
"I know this, mother. She's been my best friend since we were babies."
"David." She took her son's hand in both of hers. "I love you very much. You are my life." She squeezed his hand. "But if you hurt that girl, I will never forgive you."
David smiled and stood, kissing her on the forehead. "You don't have to worry about that." He looked to the kitchen at the same moment Regina happened to look at him. They exchanged a happy smile before turning back to their subjects. "I don't plan on ever doing anything but loving her."
Ruth raised her eyebrows, surprised by David's word choice. "Already?" She asked. "Have you told her?"
"No, of course not. It's only been a week." Again, he looked toward Regina, who was elbow deep in dishwater, and then he turned back to Ruth. "But I love her. I think part of me has always loved her. Ever since we were kids. There was that one summer I told her she had cooties and I would always run away from her. Then one day she got really upset about it, and she sat down crying. So I went over to her and hugged her and apologized. I told her, 'You're my best friend. If you had the plague, I'd make myself get it just so we didn't ever have to be apart.' She stopped crying then and started running, making me chase her all over the field. She's my best friend in the world. Of course I love her."
Ruth's mouth formed a small smile at the almost decade old memory. She couldn't believe he remembered that day. "Go see your girlfriend. I'm going to get some sleep," she said.
He kissed her goodnight and she made her way to her bedroom. He looked at Regina, who was focused on scrubbing a particularly stubborn spot on a plate. He came up and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her hair. "Hello, dear," she said, leaning into him a bit.
"Hello, beautiful."
She smiled at the sound of his voice. "Ruth go to bed?" She asked, looking toward the table where they had just eaten.
"Yeah," he said. "She was tired."
She dried the plate and put it on the counter before spinning in his arms to kiss him. "Thank you for having me for dinner," she said.
"Well actually I wanted to get as far away from you as possible, but my mother insisted," he teased. She playfully hit his chest as he laughed at her mock offense. He kissed her again, and they both giggled through the contact, unable to control their laughter.
"I should probably go," she said, her forehead still resting on his.
"You probably should," he responded, his body contradicting his words as he pulled her closer.
"My parents will be home soon," she murmured.
"Yes, they will." He captured her lips hungrily in his, pushing her against the counter. Her hands on the back of his neck, she pulled him closer.
"God," Regina moaned, her head falling back as his mouth moved to her neck. "David," she whispered. "I really need—" He cut her off, pressing his mouth to hers again.
He pulled back from her. "I know. You have to leave," he pouted.
She laughed at his fake childishness. "Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow," she promised. "Have a good night, dear." She kissed him one more time and strode out of the house, making it home just a few minutes before her parents.
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