The woman’s glittering gaze met his, and her lips curved in a small smile. “Thank you, Mr. Notley.”
Despite the unanswered questions and the threat from whoever was still out there, Leo felt a moment of sheer, unbridled relief that Miss Smith was sitting before him, whole and alive.
“I do not accept your resignation,” he grunted, pulling a set of furs over his lap.
Her lips thinned and her mouth opened, but it swiftly snapped shut. They jolted into motion, and her complexion paled.
“Miss Smith?”
She began to pant, and Leo cursed. The woman looked like she was going to faint.
“Juliana?”
Her eyes glazed.
Damnation. He set aside the curtains of one window and slid the sash, then repeated the same on the second window. The openings weren’t large, but he hoped that the wind brought in enough fresh air for her not to feel trapped.
He reached across the carriage and clasped her chilled hand. “Juliana?” He waited, but she showed no signs of calming. “Oh, hell.”
Crossing the carriage, he joined her on the front-facing seat and encircled her in his arms, both in an attempt to offer comfort and to quell the feeling of helplessness inside him. “We have men following on horseback, and my coachman is driving at a steady, manageable pace,” he assured her. “You are safe with me.”
* * *
The cold sweatthat had formed between Juliana’s breasts and along her spine increased as images from the carriage accident flashed horrifyingly through her mind. In her ears echoed thecrackof wood…the horses’ screams. Even the harsh, metallic scent of blood filled her nose.
Her face and hands began to tingle, and her gut churned as they slid in a turn.
Mr. Notley’s arms tightened around her, offering security that she greedily soaked in.
Hold fast, Juliana, she reminded herself. This was not the same driver, and it was not the same night. Mr. Notley’s men surrounded them, ready to lend their aid if anything unfortunate should occur. They were as safe as they could be while in flight from a madman whom she’d just injured.
A waft of cinnamon and coconut reached her senses before a set of soft, searching lips brushed across hers. It was scarcely a touch, but Juliana chased it, tilting her chin toward him.
Keeping just out of her reach, Mr. Notley peered into her eyes with an assessing gaze. “Are you well, Miss Smith?”
She cleared her throat and nodded once. “I believe so. Thank you.”
Blinking, she registered where she was, and felt a moment of embarrassment.
His arms tightened around her once more, and his blue gaze warmed in the dim lantern light, his hair moving with the icy wind. “I will hold you for as long as you desire.”
Juliana’s stomach swooped. The man was an enigma. He’d not wished to engage in lovemaking with her earlier that evening, but he was willing to offer affection and emotional aid now. Not only was theofferof comfort from a man somewhat jarring, but receiving it was unprecedented. She was nonplussed.
“Th-thank you,” she whispered, shivering as wind whirled past them through the opened windows. Gooseflesh spread over her skin, and her teeth chattered slightly.
His arms tightened again in response.
“If you are…” Mr. Notley cleared his throat. “…uncomfortable, Miss Smith, I would be glad to return to my—”
“No,” she spoke over him, pressing deeper into the warmth of his neck.Stay with me, she wanted to say.I need your comfort. But she couldn’t. It felt too deep, toonaked, and certainly too dangerous to speak the words aloud.
She ought to have pushed him away, preserved her pride, and requested that he return to his seat. But she couldn’t. Despite her mortification over having her overture rejected, she relished the comfort and heat of his embrace.
The space between them grew silent, but heavy with what was left unsaid. Snow crunched beneath the carriage’s wheels and the horses’ hooves, the equipage rattling and sliding uneasily over every lump and through every turn. Shivers skittered down her spine, and Juliana pulled the collar of Mr. Notley’s coat up further around her ears.
She knew what was to come. He was giving her time, now, to withstand the journey and to recover from her encounter. But Mr. Notley would demand honesty from her soon. She was just glad that she had but a few more moments before the truth came crashing down around her.
CHAPTER12
