Cloud Riders(40)

Kayden put his hand up and in it he held a jacket. ‘One step ahead of you, sweetheart. We’ve never had a woman with us before so I’ve told the guys not to look in case I have to cover you up.’ He didn’t sound too convincing as to what would happen.

While he bridled Zoltan, the men grumbled that Kayden was spoiling their fun but as instructed they all turned away politely while Kayden lifted her onto his horse. Cassie watched as everything around her lit up; the glow was quite intense. There was a moment of nothingness like she was floating, and then the light dulled and she glanced down, quickly making sure she was covered.

‘I look like Cinderella, only they forgot to add all the material. These horses are so naughty.’ She put her hand up to her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Kayden was in a trance as he watched her transform into the most gorgeous creature he had ever envisaged. Cassie’s gown was of the softest, sheerest of all materials: totally unearthly. The top of the dress was cut low and definitely showed off her perfect shape, making her perky and seductive. The dress fitted faultlessly, showing off her gorgeous slim waist, opening to reveal soft leather sandals that were laced and criss-crossed up to her thighs and showed off her long and shapely legs. Damn! Does she even have knickers on with this? It slit right up her thigh. He glanced back up at her face and hair. She looked like a model with perfect makeup and soft and silky hair that swept up into white-beaded clips. No way was he covering any part of her up. She was more than a little hot and the men would perve but so could he. It was in his arms that she would be.

Cassie turned pink with unease as she looked down at the scanty dress she had on. However, her shyness eased as she saw the approving look on Kayden’s face. ‘You look like an angel, honey. You look beautiful,’ Kayden murmured, mesmerised.

The rest of the team turned and gave her a few complimentary whistles.

‘Wow,’ Woody commented. ‘Who would have guessed a female would look that good? I would have insisted one come along every trip!’ he said, trotting his horse up beside them and poking her in the arm as she had done to them a few minutes prior. ‘Just checking she’s real.’ He chuckled, moving away, copping a playful punch from Kayden before he mounted the horse to sit behind her.

The glow he produced put a tingle through Cassie and he felt her quiver. The way she looked he wanted to make her do more than that. He smirked at the thought. When the bright glow subsided, Cassie twisted in the saddle and grinned. ‘You’re not just hot, babe, you sizzle.’

That’s my girl, he thought. Still likes me best. He grinned back at her and gave her a quick peck. ‘Now, let me focus, sweetheart or we’ll never get to our destination.’ He shook his head and tenderly pulled her back against him as he took the reins and trotted Zoltan back to the paddock where the portal to a new world awaited her.

Before they went through, Cassie turned with eyes lit up in anticipation. Her face relaxed and her lips parted slightly. ‘I’m ready to see your world this time.’

‘You’re one gorgeous looking woman, Cass. How I’m ever going to concentrate tonight, I have no idea.’

She giggled and wiggled comfortably into him—maybe a little closer this time—and he groaned quietly and closed his eyes, knowing her well enough to know she had deliberately done it.

‘You little devil woman,’ he whispered and the depth of his tone tingled through her. They both laughed quietly at their secret bit of fun as Zoltan headed toward the portal.

Silence fell around them and a strange sensation of going into another dimension took over Cassie’s thoughts. She watched as the clouds began to swirl into blue, green, red and purple laser-like shapes. A pattern emerged and changed; the colours twisted and turned into star shapes until finally a hole appeared in the centre of the star. She felt mesmerised as the colours all swirled into one, enlarging the hole until there was no star left, just a swirl of mixed colours and the opening which they glided through.

She whispered how incredible this was to Kayden. She’d never dreamed anything like this existed. They came out on a cumulonimbus cloud that extended up thousands of metres, and while gliding within the cloud, magic flashed before her, the explosion of pastels puffing out around her like cotton candy, soft and calming. After a while the colours ran together until another star shape as bright and pretty as you could imagine formed before them. The centre swirled as they moved closer to the opening; the circle enlarged and they flew out the gateway into the atmosphere where the stars were.

Cassie blinked her eyes, adjusting to the brightness and clarity that burst into her vision. Once her focus was clear she took the opportunity to look around, curious to see what earth looked like from up there. Gone were the clouds they had come on, replaced by a pretty night sky that sparkled and glowed with planets, moons and stars. The atmosphere was clean and fresh: it stimulated the senses.