“I’m glad you think so,” Crow laughed softly. He met her lips as she kissed him, wrapping his arms tightly around her and closing his eyes serenely. When they parted, he leaned his head against hers, focusing on the steady rise and fall of her chest. After a day of vigorous activity—sparring, training with the bow, and being with her—he was ready to go to sleep. His breathing slowed as he began to drift off.

Suddenly, he felt Penelope shift in his arms. He lifted his head and blinked tiredly, watching as she moved to put her dress back on. While he wanted nothing more than to lay back down and keep sleeping, he knew she was probably doing the wise thing by preparing in case they needed to leave unexpectedly. He sat up with a yawn and followed her lead, locating his clothes on the ground and slipping them back on.

“Mm?” he grunted absently when Penelope asked if she had met his expectations. Glancing up to meet her gaze, he thought for a moment about how to answer her question. In spite of her lighthearted tone, he could see a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, and he knew she was worried about how she compared with the other women he had slept with. He wanted to put her mind at ease.

Standing up from where he sat on the hay bale, Crow stepped over to Penelope and wrapped his arms around the small of her back, holding her close to himself. He smiled down at her, gently brushing a lock of hair away from her face, “Darling, it’s been over a year for me. You could have laid there motionless and it would have been enough.” He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “Honestly, you were great, but you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone else. You just can’t. Being with you is so different for me.” He sighed, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I’ve never loved anyone else the way I love you. That alone made this night my best by far.”

Tilting her chin up, he met her lips once more in a fleeting kiss and then pulled back to wink at her slyly, “Besides, it takes practice to get good at this, and I’d be more than happy to help you learn.”