His gaze lingered on her face…from her eyes to her lips, and she knew if he kissed her, she would never be able to resist.
“I can teach you to swim.”
Ella swallowed hard. It certainly wasn’t what she expected him to say. “I…I don’t know.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. But you’ll have to make it back to the rocks on your own.”
“You wouldn’t,” she gasped.
His face remained stoic. Frantic, she tightened her hold around his neck. “Please…” But she knew her words would mean nothing to this man, this barbarian. And part of her, a tiny bit, actually wanted to learn.
“Fine, teach me.”
A slow grin spread across his lips. Two smiles in one day? Was the man actually improving? He leaned forward, his mouth brushing against her ear and sending shivers over her skin. “Trust me.” His hands, warm and strong, moved to her waist.
She stiffened, her eyes going wide. No one had dared touch her so intimately. She knew her shift would be as clear as the stream and the frantic need to cover herself overwhelmed her.
“Lay back,” he demanded.
She did what he said, her breathing harsh, her body hot, realizing that through her wet shift he could see parts of her no man had seen.
“Just relax and you’ll float.” His hands supported her body.
Relax? Impossible!
Ella closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Water lapped against her in a soft lull. She focused on the nature surrounding her. Sunlight filtered through the branches above, spotting her eyelids with gold. She felt Leo remove a hand, yet still she floated.
“Stay relaxed and move your arms.” His voice was muffled through the water, as if she dreamed of him. Perhaps she did.
Slowly, she lifted her arms, stroking the water as she’d seen him do earlier. His other hand slid away, and she sank, water covering her face.
She came up sputtering.
“Good.” He pulled her close, into the safety of his embrace.
“Good? I nearly drowned, again.”
“You exaggerate.”
She gasped. He didn’t seem to notice but merely took her hand and tugged her toward the bank. She jerked away from him as her feet curled around the rocky bottom. Without looking back he started out of the pond. The water lowered to his waist, and sunlight hit his back. Ella started to turn away when she spotted the white lines crisscrossing his back. Shock held her immobile. Scars, long and thin.
When his backside came into view, she sucked in a breath and spun around, resisting the urge to watch him emerge naked and wet from the pond. How had he received such scars? They were old and faded but made her heart clench all the same. Did Lord Roberts know about the wounds?
When minutes past, she slowly turned.
He sat on the boulder, watching her. No boots on his feet, no shirt over his broad chest, but, thank God, he wore trousers.
“Could you not look, please?” she asked politely.
His lips quirked slightly, and she was sure he would refuse. After staring into her eyes for more time than what she deemed appropriate, he finally turned.
She scampered up the boulders onto dry land. The warm air swept over her body, heating her wet shift. Not waiting to dry, she tugged her bloomers into place. She reached for her corset when Leo grabbed the piece.
“Excuse me!” she cried. “Give that back.”
He turned, his gaze sweeping up and down her body. Her breasts grew heavy under his attention and for a moment, she had the insane desire to let him look his fill. Propriety invaded, a sharp slap to her brain. Quickly, she crossed her arms over her chest.
“You don’t need the garment. They are ridiculous contraptions.” He tossed the piece into a creek that led from the small pool. Her corset started to float downstream.
“No!” she cried, taking a step toward the water. Leo’s hand shot out and his fingers wrapped around her ankle, the touch burning her skin.
“Don’t.”
She swallowed over her unease. “Do you realize how much it will cost to replace?”
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
Ella frowned. “You can’t traipse around doing whatever it is you wish. You can’t make decisions for people.”
He removed his hand, leaving behind a trail of heat. “Why not?”
Ella stumbled over the words. How could she respond to such a ridiculous question? “Because…because everyone has a right to decide their own lives.”
“But you?”
She stiffened. “What do you mean? Of course I’m in charge of my own life.”
“Are you? If you could be anywhere, do anything, would you have agreed to this charade?”
“Perhaps,” she said softly, lowering to sit on the boulder. It wasn’t fair to ask her that question now. Not when she felt cool and relaxed, surrounded by natural beauty. Not when she had a man looking at her with such heat, such intensity it made her toes curl. She plucked a daisy that grew through the rocks, feigning interest in the bloom.
“Perhaps now,” he said. “But at the time, if you’d had the choice, you wouldn’t have agreed. Control is an illusion that we all strive for, but none have.”
“But for the strong and rich,” she mumbled and tossed the flower to the pond, watching it float away.
“Not really, for there is always someone stronger, someone richer who comes along.”
“So what are you saying? We should settle back and allow everyone else to make the decisions involving our lives?” Suddenly, she felt the pupil and he the teacher, and she didn’t like it one bit.
“The most we can do is fight,” he said.
“Sounds exhausting,” she muttered and picked up her gown. She pulled the material over her head before she lost all sense of decency. “We should go back.”
Without argument, he dressed. Once again he didn’t bother to wait for her as he made his way to their mount. Ella stumbled down the rocks, cursing him under her breath. She had a feeling he’d left her on purpose, merely to bait her. She’d barely reached the horse when he wrapped his hands around her waist and tossed her onto the beast. He settled behind her, and she resisted the urge to sink into his strength.
“My uncle was going to teach me to swim,” she admitted as they made their way down the trail. “But he never returned.”
She felt his muscles tighten and his interest spike. Twisting her hands into her damp skirt, she slid him a glance. His face was unreadable, his gaze focused straight ahead.
“When did he go?” he asked.
“I don’t remember. I was around seven years of age. He sent letters for a while, but then nothing.”
They came out onto the field, and Leo nudged the mount into a gallop. The rest of the way was traveled in silence. Yet, when the castle came into view she felt a strange sense of disappointment. Truth was, she hadn’t felt so free or relaxed in years.
Leo slowed the mount in front of the stables.
“There you are.” The stable master called out. “We wondered what happened to you when Sally returned with an empty saddle. The lad said he saw the young lord here come to your rescue.”
Ella blushed. Did they know? Had they seen them at the waterfall? Surely they wouldn’t have followed.
Leo