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He spurred the horse forward, causing Lydia to lurch forward, searching for something to hold on to. Taking the reins in one hand, he wrapped the other around her waist. She cried out in shock at his brazenness.
“I’m just keeping you safe.”
The closeness of him made her feel dangerously overwhelmed. Her back rested against his chest and she could smell the scent of him. His hand on her waist made her feel safe but sent her heart racing. She could not help but suspect that Michael would try to be bold with his touches.
“You might relax a little,” he suggested, chuckling softly.
“I’m terribly afraid,” she admitted, laughing nervously.
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” he promised. “We will take it easy today. Just a slow, easy ride through the woods.”
She tried to relax against him, but as she slackened, she found herself pressed closer against him. He spurred the horse more quickly forward as they left the stable grounds, heading into the woods of the estate.
“Do you have somewhere in mind?” she asked.
“I wanted to show you an incredible view of the estate,” he said. “There’s a hill, not very far away, where we can relax for some time.”
“So much for being in view of the servants and family,” she laughed again.
She felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled.
“I’ve brought along a picnic,” he added. “But I assure you, I will be on my best behavior.”
Despite his reassurances, she felt very skeptical that he wished to be chaste with her. Even worse, she felt skeptical that she did not want him to, either. Warmth flooded through her body as he held her. She could hardly concentrate on the scenery around them, despite him pointing out landmarks.
“That low wall there,” he said, pointing with the reins, “Is said to be from ancient Roman times. It’s hundreds of years old.”
Just a few minutes later, he pointed to an old tree. “I used to climb that tree all of the time. Once, I fell, and Joseph ran all the way back to the house to get his father, as I had knocked the wind out of me. I think Joseph might have started trying to take care of me then, even as young as we were.”
Slowly, the path they followed started climbing up a hill, the slope getting steeper and steeper, spiraling toward the top. As they rode up the hill, she slid in the saddle, back against Michael. Despite how tightly she held onto the saddle, she could not help but press against him. Acutely aware of him behind her, she found it difficult to focus on the view around them.
She tried to calm her heart rate, but he made it more difficult for her by holding her tightly. Even if she thought she could pull away from him, even if she wanted to, he held her firmly, and safely, against him. Only when she had danced a waltz had she ever been nearly so close to a man.
She had been so preoccupied through the ride by his closeness that as they came near the top of the hill, she realized she didn’t really know where they were. She started craning her head around, distracting herself from his presence with the view.
She gasped once the ground fell away before them, overlooking the estate. From their vantage point, the patterns of the gardens were clearly visible, though the lake looked like a small dot below.
The manor looked much bigger than she would have thought. She was still drinking it in when Michael stopped the horse and dismounted, sliding away from her as he lowered to the ground. She took a deep breath, feeling a slight relief from the distance between them.
Turning back to her, he held out his hands, offering to catch her as she dismounted the horse. Clutching to the pommel of the saddle, she stared down at him wide eyed.
“I can’t,” she whispered, afraid of the height she might fall and also of giving herself up to his arms.
He reached out further. “I’ll catch you - I promise. You can trust me.”
Swallowing hard, she let go of her hold on the horse, sliding from the saddle into his hands. As she placed her hands on his shoulders, he took a firm hold of her waist, lowering her slowly to the ground. His hands felt steady, and she admired his strength as he held her.
Her hands slid to his chest such that she could feel the hardness of his muscles below her hands. Once she had her feet on the ground again, she felt embarrassed for her fear. However, Michael did not take his hands from her waist, even though she was safe on the ground. Instead, he was staring down at her mouth, longingly.
She didn’t want him to take his hands away from her. Seeing him staring at her mouth, she wanted him to lower his lips to hers. When he noticed her watching his face, though, he stepped back, withdrawing his touch, leaving her feeling rebuffed.
“Apologies,” he breathed, “I promised to be on my best behavior.”
“No apologies necessary,” she told him, wishing he wouldn’t.
He turned away, taking the reins of the horse, and staking them to the ground. She watched him quietly, trying to calm her breathing from her desire for him. He took the pack from the back of the horse and pulled out a blanket and a small pouch of food.
Realization hit her as he spread the blanket on the ground. He gestured down to it, saying, “Will you join me, my lady?”
