She stepped into his arms and rested her hands against his shoulders.
He bent his head close to hers, nuzzling her ear with his nose. The whiskers at his jaw caught in the fine hairs at her temple.
"I thought you were saving your boons to collect later," she whispered as a delicious shiver ran down her spine.
He pressed his face into her neck. "Later is coming too soon," he murmured.
Wasn't that the truth?
And then he moved back slightly and looked into her face. He smiled slightly. "For luck."
And he kissed her.
Everything fell away. There were no other riders. No day- and night-long ride waiting for her. No difficult decisions.
Only Adam.
Only his hands firm on her waist. Only the press of his mouth against hers. Only his scent in her nose and his strength beneath her hands.
She wanted more than this moment. More than today.
She wanted forever.
It was she who broke away this time, pressing her face into his shoulder to hide the sudden tears that filled her eyes.
Somehow he knew, because one of his hands moved to cup the nape of her neck, his fingers sliding into the braid there.
"It'll work out," he whispered against her temple.
He gave her a moment to compose herself and then set her away, though he kept his hands at her waist.
"I want a new wager," he said.
She wiped her cheeks with both hands, afraid he'd see a remnant of her tears. Then she placed her hands on his forearms. "What kind of wager?"
"You've carried me this far in the race. I think you should race this last leg on your own, no city boy holding you back."
She narrowed her eyes. "You mean you're going to try to beat me?"
There was a definite ornery sparkle in his eyes—one she'd come to recognize from her brothers—as he smiled down at her. "I suppose you could say that."
She felt a grin coming on. One she couldn't suppress in the face of his own contagious smile.
"And if you win?" There was no way she was going to let that happen, but let him think it was in the realm of possibility.
"If I win," the merriment faded from his face. "You'll come to Philadelphia with me. On a trial basis," he added quickly when she opened her mouth to protest.
Or had she been going to agree?
"If you hate it, or if you tire of me, then I'll pay for a train ticket to send you home."
She started to shake her head, not even sure what she was disagreeing with. Maybe that crazy notion that she could ever tire of him.
But the riders around them began moving in earnest toward the door.
Out on the street, there would be a small crowd waiting to send them off.
She arched up on the toes of her boots and kissed him one more time.
