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Chapter Seven
“Hannah,” Stephen said, his voice gravelly. He cleared his throat and tried again. “How are you feeling?”
She was gaping at him. Brown eyes wide, she blinked once, then twice. Then attempted to sit up.
That woke Stephen up fully and he grasped her elbow. “You should keep resting, Hannah.”
“I’m fine,” she told him, her voice strong. She resisted the pressure on her elbow and pulled herself into a sitting position. “What are you doing right here?”
“Don’t you remember?” he asked her. Her hair was an unruly mess around her face and Stephen wondered if she knew how endearing it was. She didn’t bother to push a few of the strands out of her face, staring at him with a frown of confusion. “You asked me to stay with you throughout the night.”
“I did?” she gasped, her eyes growing so wide that it threatened to overtake her face. “Are you sure?”
“Quite so. You had a terrible fever last night, and you were delirious. I had to stay with you to try to keep it down.”
Her gaze drifted over to the bowl of water still sitting by his feet, the cloth hanging partially out of it. “Oh, right. I…I think I remember that. Did I say anything crazy?”
Stephen raised a brow, amusement tickling him. “Crazy like what?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, running a hand up to her shoulder. “Hearing that I was delirious and talking last night means I could have saidanything, right?”
“You didn’t say anything out of the ordinary, don’t worry.”
Other than the fact that you were taught how to ride horses at a young age. What commoner has access to horses like that?
“Good. Wonderful.” She released a breath, her shoulders sagging. Hannah finally pushed her long hair behind her back. “My ankle is still hurting badly.”
“Which is expected,” he told her. Stephen dragged himself to his feet and wiped the exhaustion away from his eyes. “Your fever broke a little before dawn did so I thought it was best you get some sleep while you could. I think I should look for a physician now that the storm is over.”
She looked outside and nodded. “Ah, I’m just noticing that the rain stopped. Wait.” She stopped, head whipping around to face him. “You?”
“Yes, me. Is there anyone else who can do it?”
It was crazy how innocent and beautiful she looked when she stared up at him, her lips parted slightly. It took everything in him not to take her into his arms and kiss her.
“You’ve already done enough,” she said, shaking her head vigorously. “I can’t let you go out of your way any more than you already have.”
“Then what will you do? Go yourself?” Unable to help himself, Stephen sank to her side. He wanted to take her hand, wanted to feel her skin beneath his fingertips, but he resisted the urge. During the night, he couldn’t get enough of her, of her laugh and her breathy murmurs as she talked about everything under the sun, and how perfectly his hand fit over hers whenever he took it, hoping to comfort her through the pain.
Now that she was back to her senses, Stephen wondered how she would react if he were to take her hand again.
“I…I don’t know,” she said softly. “But—”
“Don’t worry about it, Hannah. I’m only going to fetch a carriage and bring the physician here. It won’t be long and then once I know you’re all right, I’ll stop bothering you.”
Her eyes didn’t move, didn’t even waver, even as a hint of a blush enveloped her cheeks. “I never said you were a bother.”
“Now I can head to the physician with a pep in my step.”
He smiled broadly. She didn’t. She put her hand over his, curling her fingers into his palm. Stephen’s heart began to beat rapidly, unable to break their eye contact. “Thank you,” she whispered to him, “for everything.”
“This might be the fifth time you’ve told me that,” he whispered back.
“I just need you to know how grateful I am that you’re being so kind to me.”
Stephen didn’t know what to say. Every time she thanked him during the night, she’d gaze into his eyes, as if her mind had suddenly become much sharper just so she could say those words. And he felt the strength of it, the sincerity behind them, and the way it affected him seemed to grow stronger every time.
He couldn’t stop himself and by the time he realized what he was about to do, it was too late. Stephen pressed his lips against hers, his blood boiling at the tiny gasp she let out. She didn’t move and he, spurred on by the flame incited through that small contact, pressed his lips harder against hers.
