as they moved, and Harrison didn’t press her. The next minute or two wouldn’t be pleasant for her.
He kept her walking until she could continue without his support, and he pretended not to notice the glistening of frustrated tears in her eyes.
“I’m okay now,” she said, pulling away from his arm. “Thank you.”
Harrison nodded, but he kept in step with her as she walked through the stable grounds and down the path to the house. She moved more easily now, although she still appeared shaky, and her face was strained.
“I said I was all right.” She gave him an annoyed look over her shoulder.
“I heard you.”
He followed her into the house. At the foot of the long formal staircase, he saw her pause almost imperceptibly. Without a word, he slid his arm around her again, making sure it was bracing rather than affectionate. This time she didn’t pull away.
He would have carried her, but she’d object, so he didn’t offer. They walked slowly up the stairs, and although it was difficult for her, not once did Marietta whine or falter.
When they reached the top, she stopped and looked up at him for the first time. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
“I don’t know what happened. I mean, I thought I was in good shape. I felt all right until I got off.”
“You just rode too long before you were ready for it. The muscles you use and the position of your legs are different than walking or riding a bike.”
Her gray eyes were huge. “You don’t think it’s because… I mean, you don’t think it’s my legs…”
“No. It’s normal. With horseback riding, it’s best to start off slowly.”
She let out a shaky breath. Her hands gripped his shirt, but she hadn’t seemed to notice. Her gaze dropped. “I was scared,” she admitted so softly he could barely hear. “When I couldn’t make my legs move. I was scared.”
“I know.”
She met his eyes with uncharacteristic shyness. And Harrison’s arms, which had lightly rested at her waist, tightened around her.
A flood of hunger swept through him—but this time it wasn’t so much the desire to claim her as an aching need to take care of her. His head lowered and her lips parted in that delicious way they always did before he kissed her.
“Is she all right?” Andrew called out, running up the stairs.
Harrison dropped his arms, and Marietta stepped back. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice a little hoarse. “Please don’t be worried.”
“He could stand to be worried a little more often,” Harrison muttered, loud enough for his brother to hear.
Andrew ignored that and peered at Marietta. “I feel like an ass for not thinking about how long we were riding.”
She smiled at him. “Well, don’t. I feel fine now. Later, I’ll race you around the gardens just to prove it.”
“Right now, you’re going to rest.” Harrison put a hand on the small of her back and nudged her toward her room.
She gave him an exasperated look he figured was mostly habit. Before she closed the door to her room, she placed a gentle hand on his chest in a silent thank-you.
Harrison started back downstairs, trying to ignore Andrew’s curious look.
“I didn’t pop in at an inopportune time just now, did I?” Andrew asked at last, looking rather hopeful.
“Of course not.”
“Because it looked like you two—”
“She was weak. I was bracing her.”
Andrew arched one eyebrow in a way that always annoyed Harrison. “Is that what it was?”
Harrison refused to be put on the defensive. “It really never occurred to you that two hours was too long for her to ride?”
“I already apologized to her, and I’ve already received the obligatory lecture, too. I think I’m covered on that front.”
“He gave you a lecture? How did he find out so quickly?”
“He’s got spies everywhere. And I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that the lecture turned into a formal denunciation of me and all my sins.”
“That bad?”
Andrew
He kept her walking until she could continue without his support, and he pretended not to notice the glistening of frustrated tears in her eyes.
“I’m okay now,” she said, pulling away from his arm. “Thank you.”
Harrison nodded, but he kept in step with her as she walked through the stable grounds and down the path to the house. She moved more easily now, although she still appeared shaky, and her face was strained.
“I said I was all right.” She gave him an annoyed look over her shoulder.
“I heard you.”
He followed her into the house. At the foot of the long formal staircase, he saw her pause almost imperceptibly. Without a word, he slid his arm around her again, making sure it was bracing rather than affectionate. This time she didn’t pull away.
He would have carried her, but she’d object, so he didn’t offer. They walked slowly up the stairs, and although it was difficult for her, not once did Marietta whine or falter.
When they reached the top, she stopped and looked up at him for the first time. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
“I don’t know what happened. I mean, I thought I was in good shape. I felt all right until I got off.”
“You just rode too long before you were ready for it. The muscles you use and the position of your legs are different than walking or riding a bike.”
Her gray eyes were huge. “You don’t think it’s because… I mean, you don’t think it’s my legs…”
“No. It’s normal. With horseback riding, it’s best to start off slowly.”
She let out a shaky breath. Her hands gripped his shirt, but she hadn’t seemed to notice. Her gaze dropped. “I was scared,” she admitted so softly he could barely hear. “When I couldn’t make my legs move. I was scared.”
“I know.”
She met his eyes with uncharacteristic shyness. And Harrison’s arms, which had lightly rested at her waist, tightened around her.
A flood of hunger swept through him—but this time it wasn’t so much the desire to claim her as an aching need to take care of her. His head lowered and her lips parted in that delicious way they always did before he kissed her.
“Is she all right?” Andrew called out, running up the stairs.
Harrison dropped his arms, and Marietta stepped back. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice a little hoarse. “Please don’t be worried.”
“He could stand to be worried a little more often,” Harrison muttered, loud enough for his brother to hear.
Andrew ignored that and peered at Marietta. “I feel like an ass for not thinking about how long we were riding.”
She smiled at him. “Well, don’t. I feel fine now. Later, I’ll race you around the gardens just to prove it.”
“Right now, you’re going to rest.” Harrison put a hand on the small of her back and nudged her toward her room.
She gave him an exasperated look he figured was mostly habit. Before she closed the door to her room, she placed a gentle hand on his chest in a silent thank-you.
Harrison started back downstairs, trying to ignore Andrew’s curious look.
“I didn’t pop in at an inopportune time just now, did I?” Andrew asked at last, looking rather hopeful.
“Of course not.”
“Because it looked like you two—”
“She was weak. I was bracing her.”
Andrew arched one eyebrow in a way that always annoyed Harrison. “Is that what it was?”
Harrison refused to be put on the defensive. “It really never occurred to you that two hours was too long for her to ride?”
“I already apologized to her, and I’ve already received the obligatory lecture, too. I think I’m covered on that front.”
“He gave you a lecture? How did he find out so quickly?”
“He’s got spies everywhere. And I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that the lecture turned into a formal denunciation of me and all my sins.”
“That bad?”
Andrew
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