Luke grabbed her arm, steadying her.
She nodded thanks to him and continued forward with a small leap to the next rock.
She was halfway across the river when Luke hissed, “Nessa!” She turned to look at him and he waved her down. She followed his example and crouched low on the rock. The river rushed by the boulder she stood on, churning around her. The hem of her skirt floated in the water. She scanned the banks of the river behind them, but could not see the cause for Luke’s warning. She glanced at Luke. He was absolutely still, staring behind them at the shore.
Nessa waited. And waited. Finally, uneasy and confused, she whispered, “What is it?”
“I thought I heard something.”
Nessa looked at the bank, anticipating one of Urien’s men rushing out after them or Urien to emerge brandishing his sword.
A bush rustled.
Nessa gathered her skirts closer, preparing to flee.
Suddenly, the shrub erupted and a deer rushed out. Nessa gasped. The deer paused for a moment; the animal seemed as startled by them as they were of it. Then, it hopped elegantly away.
Nessa’s heart slammed hard in her chest. Her mouth was open in relieved surprise. She glanced at Luke. He was still crouched down on the rock, his expression a mirror of her own. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was evaporating fear, but laughter bubbled up from her throat. A joyful release churned inside of her and she leapt over the remaining boulders with ease. At the last boulder, she paused to look back at Luke. He slammed into her, unable to stop his momentum. She felt herself falling.
In one swift movement, Luke seized her around the waist and spun, pulling her close to him. He simultaneously tossed his armor onto the shore and landed on his back on the bank of the river, Nessa on top of him. Smiling, she boosted herself up to look down at him. All her jubilant feelings vanished as she stared at him. He was smiling a breathtaking, white-toothed grin that took her breath away. She was close to him, very close. She could feel the length of his hard body along hers, feel his breath fan against her skin, against her lips. Her gaze shifted to his lips. She had the sudden desire to kiss him. To see what kissing him would be like.
His smile disappeared and his gaze moved slowly over her face to her lips.
A strange tingling sensation followed his gaze. It was as though he had touched each spot on her skin that his gaze had lingered on. Nessa’s lips suddenly felt full. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to know what it was like to kiss him. She leaned forward. With a sudden gasp of realization, Nessa rolled off Luke and shot to her feet. She wanted to kiss Luke and she almost had! Horrified, embarrassed, she stepped back two steps and brushed at her skirt. He was to marry Mel! She couldn’t even look at him. What was she thinking? “We should go.”
Luke stood up. “Are you all right?”
“Of course,” she insisted. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Luke was silent for a long moment, and still she couldn’t look at him. But not for the reasons she thought. Not because he was to be married to Mel, but because he might look at her with pity or with humor. She would always be Mel’s little sister, want what Mel wanted. That was how he would see her.
“This way.”
Nessa followed him without a word. The problem was, she had always loved Luke. She had thought with his absence, her feelings would disappear, but apparently they hadn’t.
