thorn bush and Ellenor instinctively grabbed his leg for balance. She reached down to lift her skirts and legs out of the way but it was too late. Cole’s quick maneuvering had avoided most of the bush, but one prickly arm still swiped her leg and grazed her hand.
The scrapes on her calf burned, and she could feel a trickle of blood roll down her leg to her ankle. Sucking on the raw knuckle, she decided to give up her attempts at being ladylike. Hiking up her gown, Ellenor pulled her knees to her chest, and then let the heavy emerald material settle around her legs, covering them with the exception of her feet. The tips of abused green slippers rested on the back of the horse’s mane.
The new position was still surprisingly comfortable because of the animal’s broad back and frame; however, it was also highly unstable. Cole realized it about the same time she did and once again wrapped his arm around her waist. This time he didn’t let go.
Ellenor took a deep breath and tried to relax. Then his thumb grazed the bottom of her breast. Her heart began to pound erratically. Her response to his inadvertent touch was so strong she feared that any second he would realize the power he had over her.
“You can let go,” she said with as much indifference as she could muster.
Cole’s throat constricted. He didn’t want to explore the reasons why, but the last thing he wanted to do was let her go. “Only if I want to watch you fall.”
“I won’t,” Elle said too emphatically.
Cole released the breath he was holding. Relief filled him. Ellenor Howell was not impervious to him. She just wished she were. “Elle, be quiet and let someone help you for once.”
“Trusting someone—especially a man—is a mistake I won’t repeat. Now, let go of me.”
“No,” came the firm response and he gave her ribs a squeeze. When he eased up on his grip, his thumb slowly stroked her side as if to make sure he had not been too rough.
To Cole, the intimate touch was nothing more than a warning, but something inside Ellenor snapped. She tried prying his fingers off her, but they remained firm. Reacting on instinct, she waited for the air to leave Cole’s lungs and then sent her elbow swiftly back into his sternum.
Cole gasped and released her as he tried to catch his breath.
Jaime urged his mount closer and called out, “Commander, you all right?”
Cole waved him back, nodding that he was fine. The pain throbbing in the middle of his chest was beginning to ease and he was breathing again. “Ride ahead and join Donald. I need to have a private word with our guest.”
Jaime cocked an eyebrow, winked at Ellenor, and then urged his mount forward.
Cole looked down just in time to see the triumphant smile she had been sending Jaime. It lit up her face. She was radiant and he had never seen anything to compare. Possession hit him unexpectedly. He wanted to be the sole recipient of such beauty. His desire to see her smile at him hit him full force and he started to tickle her. If he had thought about it for even two seconds, he would have immediately squashed the idea. He hadn’t tickled anyone—or been tickled by anyone—since he was a young boy, but the sudden need to see her squirming and begging for help was too great to be denied.
In one deft movement, he looped the reins around the pommel and began a merciless attack. What he had not been ready for was Ellenor’s response. At first, she had been surprised but soon joined in on the assault, giving as well as she received. Minutes later, they were both laughing so hard tears were streaming from their eyes. Only sheer luck had kept either of them from crashing to the ground.
Unhooking the leather straps, he gave them a flick. Ellenor was now sitting sideways on his lap with her legs crossed and dangling. Her head rested against his shoulder and his arm was back in place, keeping her safe while he urged Steud into a lope to catch up to the rest of their party.
Softly,
The scrapes on her calf burned, and she could feel a trickle of blood roll down her leg to her ankle. Sucking on the raw knuckle, she decided to give up her attempts at being ladylike. Hiking up her gown, Ellenor pulled her knees to her chest, and then let the heavy emerald material settle around her legs, covering them with the exception of her feet. The tips of abused green slippers rested on the back of the horse’s mane.
The new position was still surprisingly comfortable because of the animal’s broad back and frame; however, it was also highly unstable. Cole realized it about the same time she did and once again wrapped his arm around her waist. This time he didn’t let go.
Ellenor took a deep breath and tried to relax. Then his thumb grazed the bottom of her breast. Her heart began to pound erratically. Her response to his inadvertent touch was so strong she feared that any second he would realize the power he had over her.
“You can let go,” she said with as much indifference as she could muster.
Cole’s throat constricted. He didn’t want to explore the reasons why, but the last thing he wanted to do was let her go. “Only if I want to watch you fall.”
“I won’t,” Elle said too emphatically.
Cole released the breath he was holding. Relief filled him. Ellenor Howell was not impervious to him. She just wished she were. “Elle, be quiet and let someone help you for once.”
“Trusting someone—especially a man—is a mistake I won’t repeat. Now, let go of me.”
“No,” came the firm response and he gave her ribs a squeeze. When he eased up on his grip, his thumb slowly stroked her side as if to make sure he had not been too rough.
To Cole, the intimate touch was nothing more than a warning, but something inside Ellenor snapped. She tried prying his fingers off her, but they remained firm. Reacting on instinct, she waited for the air to leave Cole’s lungs and then sent her elbow swiftly back into his sternum.
Cole gasped and released her as he tried to catch his breath.
Jaime urged his mount closer and called out, “Commander, you all right?”
Cole waved him back, nodding that he was fine. The pain throbbing in the middle of his chest was beginning to ease and he was breathing again. “Ride ahead and join Donald. I need to have a private word with our guest.”
Jaime cocked an eyebrow, winked at Ellenor, and then urged his mount forward.
Cole looked down just in time to see the triumphant smile she had been sending Jaime. It lit up her face. She was radiant and he had never seen anything to compare. Possession hit him unexpectedly. He wanted to be the sole recipient of such beauty. His desire to see her smile at him hit him full force and he started to tickle her. If he had thought about it for even two seconds, he would have immediately squashed the idea. He hadn’t tickled anyone—or been tickled by anyone—since he was a young boy, but the sudden need to see her squirming and begging for help was too great to be denied.
In one deft movement, he looped the reins around the pommel and began a merciless attack. What he had not been ready for was Ellenor’s response. At first, she had been surprised but soon joined in on the assault, giving as well as she received. Minutes later, they were both laughing so hard tears were streaming from their eyes. Only sheer luck had kept either of them from crashing to the ground.
Unhooking the leather straps, he gave them a flick. Ellenor was now sitting sideways on his lap with her legs crossed and dangling. Her head rested against his shoulder and his arm was back in place, keeping her safe while he urged Steud into a lope to catch up to the rest of their party.
Softly,
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