breath, Ella stood. Her mount took a nervous side step.
“No, no, come here, love.” The sudden thunder of hooves sent fear racing into the horse. Her mount fled back up the hill so quickly, Ella didn’t have time to stop her. “No!”
A shadow fell from the sky. She spun and waved the dust away from her face.
“Are you injured?” Leo asked, looking thoroughly unconcerned. She felt arrogance and impatience, but wasn’t sure if the emotions were coming from Leo or his mount.
“You frightened my horse away.” She swiped the dirt from her pale lavender gown, her only good dress.
His face remained passive, but she knew he heard her, the blasted man!
Ella put her hands on her hips. “Well, I wouldn’t have raced after you if you’d stayed for your lesson. But I had the situation under control, until you thundered up here.”
There was a slight tightening of his jaw, and annoyance skittered over her skin. This time she knew the emotion was not coming from the horse.
“However, you are forgiven,” she quickly added.
He turned his mount.
“Wait, where are you going? You can’t just leave me here!”
He nudged his mount forward and took off.
“Ohh, you pompous ass!”
She spun around, hiked up her skirt, and stomped back up the hill. A sudden thumping of hooves made her stop in her tracks. She turned. Leo was coming straight at her, his body bent low over the beast, his intense gaze locked on her. Frozen in fear, Ella could merely stand there. Without losing stride, he reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and lifted. He slammed her down sidesaddle in front of him with a thud that jarred her teeth.
Across the fields they raced. The wind tugged at her hair and clothing, bringing sweet relief from the humid day. Fear gave way to excitement. Her heart thundered in her chest, matching the rhythm of the horse’s hooves as they beat on the ground. She closed her eyes and allowed the breeze to caress her skin, allowed her body to become one with the beast. This was not the jerky, uneasy movement of her mount, but a smooth, gliding sensation of flying…of freedom.
Slowly, she became aware of a deep aching need that spread from her core, down. She became aware of Leo’s body pressed against hers, the muscles in his chest as hard as granite, yet warm. His heart beat steady and strong against the side of her breast. Swallowing, she glanced through her lashes and studied his face. His features were the same as always, stoic and unreadable. But this close, she could see the gold flecks in his eyes and the pale and auburn streaks barely visible in his dark hair.
“Stop staring at me,” he snapped.
Her face heated, and she dropped her gaze. She didn’t dare delve further into his emotions, for fear of what she would find.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “Where are we going?” She asked as much to change the subject as to know the answer.
“If you want to come with me, you’ll cease your prattle.”
She managed not to argue. Really, his conduct was beyond rude. It was…reprehensible. She tilted her chin, determined to remain quiet for the rest of the journey. He slowed the mount as they neared a cluster of trees. The horse meandered down a dirt trail, and the soft roar of flowing water interrupted the serene chirp of birds.
“How is it you do not know how to ride?” His breath was a warm caress against the side of her neck.
She tilted her chin, ignoring the shivers that raced down her spine. “Am I allowed to speak now?”
He sighed, long and loud.
As much fun at it was, she decided not to further test his patience. “At the orphanage we had no money for horses.”
“Orphanage? Is that where my grandfather found you?”
She blushed and averted her gaze. No good orphan leech! Lady Buckley’s eldest daughter’s voice whispered through her head. It was her favorite phrase to throw at Ella, over and over again. “No, Lady Buckley took me in when I was a young girl.”
He didn’t question
“No, no, come here, love.” The sudden thunder of hooves sent fear racing into the horse. Her mount fled back up the hill so quickly, Ella didn’t have time to stop her. “No!”
A shadow fell from the sky. She spun and waved the dust away from her face.
“Are you injured?” Leo asked, looking thoroughly unconcerned. She felt arrogance and impatience, but wasn’t sure if the emotions were coming from Leo or his mount.
“You frightened my horse away.” She swiped the dirt from her pale lavender gown, her only good dress.
His face remained passive, but she knew he heard her, the blasted man!
Ella put her hands on her hips. “Well, I wouldn’t have raced after you if you’d stayed for your lesson. But I had the situation under control, until you thundered up here.”
There was a slight tightening of his jaw, and annoyance skittered over her skin. This time she knew the emotion was not coming from the horse.
“However, you are forgiven,” she quickly added.
He turned his mount.
“Wait, where are you going? You can’t just leave me here!”
He nudged his mount forward and took off.
“Ohh, you pompous ass!”
She spun around, hiked up her skirt, and stomped back up the hill. A sudden thumping of hooves made her stop in her tracks. She turned. Leo was coming straight at her, his body bent low over the beast, his intense gaze locked on her. Frozen in fear, Ella could merely stand there. Without losing stride, he reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and lifted. He slammed her down sidesaddle in front of him with a thud that jarred her teeth.
Across the fields they raced. The wind tugged at her hair and clothing, bringing sweet relief from the humid day. Fear gave way to excitement. Her heart thundered in her chest, matching the rhythm of the horse’s hooves as they beat on the ground. She closed her eyes and allowed the breeze to caress her skin, allowed her body to become one with the beast. This was not the jerky, uneasy movement of her mount, but a smooth, gliding sensation of flying…of freedom.
Slowly, she became aware of a deep aching need that spread from her core, down. She became aware of Leo’s body pressed against hers, the muscles in his chest as hard as granite, yet warm. His heart beat steady and strong against the side of her breast. Swallowing, she glanced through her lashes and studied his face. His features were the same as always, stoic and unreadable. But this close, she could see the gold flecks in his eyes and the pale and auburn streaks barely visible in his dark hair.
“Stop staring at me,” he snapped.
Her face heated, and she dropped her gaze. She didn’t dare delve further into his emotions, for fear of what she would find.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “Where are we going?” She asked as much to change the subject as to know the answer.
“If you want to come with me, you’ll cease your prattle.”
She managed not to argue. Really, his conduct was beyond rude. It was…reprehensible. She tilted her chin, determined to remain quiet for the rest of the journey. He slowed the mount as they neared a cluster of trees. The horse meandered down a dirt trail, and the soft roar of flowing water interrupted the serene chirp of birds.
“How is it you do not know how to ride?” His breath was a warm caress against the side of her neck.
She tilted her chin, ignoring the shivers that raced down her spine. “Am I allowed to speak now?”
He sighed, long and loud.
As much fun at it was, she decided not to further test his patience. “At the orphanage we had no money for horses.”
“Orphanage? Is that where my grandfather found you?”
She blushed and averted her gaze. No good orphan leech! Lady Buckley’s eldest daughter’s voice whispered through her head. It was her favorite phrase to throw at Ella, over and over again. “No, Lady Buckley took me in when I was a young girl.”
He didn’t question
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