They arrived at the field and Seth looked at her to see her still sitting on her horse.
“Are you going to be able to get down? We have to leave the horses here and walk.” Seth stared at her, squinting against the sun that haloed around Ryan’s silhouette on the dappled mare.
“I’m so sore. I hate to move.” Ryan shook her head, her raven hair catching the light as it swayed across her shoulders. She shifted uncomfortably in the worn leather saddle.
“Did you use the salve I gave you? “
“Yes, but apparently not enough. My butt hurts and to even think of swinging my leg over...” She winced, gripping the saddle horn tighter with her slender fingers.
“You should have said something.”
“Why? So, you could give me a rough time about it? No, thank you.”
Seth dismounted, his boots landing with a soft thud on the edge of the field. He dropped the reins and walked to her horse, the mare’s coat gleaming with sweat.
“How about I just lift you down?”
“Okay.” Her voice wavered slightly. “What do I do?”
“Just slip your feet from the stirrups, lean over toward me and I’ll get you down.” He walked closer, his shadow falling across the horse’s flank as he positioned himself beside theanimal. The scent of horse and leather mingled with the earthy air.
“Slip my feet from the stirrups?” Her knuckles whitened around the horn of the saddle.
“Yes. Just take your feet out of the stirrups. As long as you don’t nudge her, she won’t move.” Seth raised his arms, his hands ready to hold her waist.
Ryan nodded; her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She slowly moved both feet from the stirrups and looked down at him with apprehension, darkening her blue eyes.
“Drop the reins,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring.
“No!” Panic flashed across her face. “What if she bolts?”
Seth shook his head. “She won’t. She’s trained to be ground-tied. Now, once you do that, lean over the saddle toward me. Put your hands on my shoulders and I’ll grab your waist to hold on to you.” He stared into her eyes. “Come on, Ryan.”
He watched as she took a deep breath, dropped the reins with trembling fingers, leaned toward him and grabbed onto his shoulders as he pulled her to him. When the horse moved to shift her weight, the saddle creaking beneath her, Ryan panicked and practically jumped into his arms, making them both fall to the ground with Seth taking the brunt of it. His hat fell off when he landed flat on his back with a muffled grunt, the soft earth cushioning his fall, as she landed on top of him, their faces inches apart, her hair falling around them like a curtain.
****
Ryan slowly raised her head and stared into his eyes, those mesmerizing eyes that seemed to darken at the edges like a forest at dusk. She saw his gaze shift to her lips, lingering there for a heartbeat before returning to meet hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. The air between them felt charged, electric, as if the slightest movement might spark a flame.
“Are you going to get off me, or... kiss me,” he whispered, his voice husky and low against the quiet of the air.
“Which one are you hoping for?” Her own voice sounded foreign to her ears, breathless and daring.
His long, gloved fingers threaded through her hair at her temples, the gentle scrape of his glove against her scalp sending shivers down her spine as he pulled her face down to his. When his lips finally pressed against hers, warm and surprisingly soft, she gasped at the contact. She knew it. She knew he would kiss like this, confident, unhurried, and thorough. She sighed into his mouth.
Ryan removed her gloves, cupped her hands around his lightly stubbled cheeks, as she kissed him back, pouring unacknowledged longing and the electric tension that had crackled between them since their very first meeting. When he rolled her onto her back in one fluid motion, the weight of his body settled perfectly between her thighs. He nudged them apart with a gentle pressure, his mouth never leaving hers, his tongue slowly sliding into her mouth.
She slid her arms around his waist, feeling the taut muscles of his back flex beneath her fingertips, silently praying that reality would keep its distance just a little while longer.
When Seth lifted his gaze to hers, the regret was plain in the tight set of his jaw. She saw him close his eyes for a few seconds as he muttered a curse under his breath, then push to his feet and pick up his hat, placing it on his head. He turned away, hung his head, hands pressed against his hips as though bracing himself against an invisible weight.
Ryan scrambled to her feet, her boots scuffing the dusty path, and reached out to touch his arm. He flinched, snapping back like a startled deer.
“You’re angry,” she said, voice small in the open air. He spun on her, the brim of his hat casting a shadow over his eyes.
“Damn right I am.” He sighed.
“But why? I thought it was a great kiss.”
