Page 30 of Horsemen and Hot Chocolate

Katrina’s lips pursed as the image disappeared once again. Her blonde brows pinched. “I thought you would be happier.”

“It’s not that I’m unhappy,” he said. “I’m… afraid of what I’ll find if this is true.”

She put her hand on his arm reassuringly, and a shiver ran through him at her innocent touch. “It’s all right. No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you. You’re not alone.”

As her eyes sparkled up at him, he cherished the sight. Katrina was right: For the first time in a long time, he was not alone.

“However, I think we should find the witch,” she said, removing her hand.

His insides coiled into a knot.

“No,” he said. “A woman lives there, but I’ve dared not cross into her abode.”

She tilted her head, and her voice lowered in a teasing tone. “You, of all people, are afraid to go near her? She must be terrifying indeed.”

“There’s something about her that I cannot explain, something troubling, and I cannot cross the area she has claimed for herself.”

“Then all the more reason why we should investigate her,” Katrina said. “Maybe she is the reason why you are here.”

“That is not worth the risk,” he said firmly. “I cannot cross into her territory. There’s magic that prevents me from crossing. You would have to go alone, and I cannot allow that. Something in my gut warns me she is not worth trifling with.”

For several moments, she considered him with a faint frown. “But I think it’s worth discovering who you are. This could be our only chance.”

Something sparked in his chest at her genuine desire to help him.

“Not if it involves your safety,” he protested. “I wouldn’t be able to carry on in this existence if anything happened to you.”

Color spread over her cheeks, and he wondered what he had said to inspire the lovely shade of pink. Something about the flush of her skin made him want to cradle her face in his hands.

He begrudgingly refrained, but to his surprise, she sought out his hands instead. His breath caught as her brilliant blue eyes peered up at him.

“Please,” she whispered. “We are so close to the truth—I can feel it. Let me do this one thing for you. If anything happens, I’ll run right back.”

“No.”

“But—”

“I cannot in good conscience agree to this.”

Her cool fingers wrapped around his hands, and his heart lurched. Whatever protests and fear he had silenced under her pleading gaze.

For a moment, he wondered if she possessed magic, for he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she’d bewitched him.

“I understand your concern,” she whispered. “But I want nothing more than to know who you are. I will do anything, even if that means going to the witch without you. So, you may accompany me, or I will go alone.”

The stubborn glint in her eyes told him she would not hesitate. She would find a way to go to the witch’s abode without him, whether he liked it or not. At long last, he sighed.

“All right,” he said, “let us seek out the witch together.”

Chapter seventeen

Katrina and the Horseman rode on Inferno through the forest. Thankfully, the Horseman had designed a tandem saddle, and Inferno was large enough to hold both their weight, so the short distance wouldn’t strain the animal. However, the steady rhythm of the horse’s gait did little to pull Katrina’s mind away from the strong arms around her waist. She eyed the gloved hands holding the reins in front of her and flushed at the solid chest pressing against her back. With every bump against the forest floor, her legs bounced against Inferno’s side, and the Horseman’s arms flexed over her to keep her secure.

Heat seared through Katrina’s cheeks.

Her heart fluttered like the leaves dancing in the wind as her thoughts strayed to the face she’d seen materializing on the Horseman. Although hazy, she couldn’t help but admire the straightness of his nose and the chiseled lines of his jaw. She wondered how handsome the rest of his features would be once he recovered his head.

Blinking, she shifted and mentally shooed the thoughts away. His attractive features should be at the bottom of the list of all the things she should be thinking about. Instead, she should be celebrating how far they’d come to discover the truth of his past and how close she was to White Plains.