"Not too fast. Take it slow or you'll faint. Take a deep breath."
"I am breathing!" Her response was oddly muffled. Her head was buried in her knees for God's sake! "At least I'm trying to breathe." She pushed back against the strong hand and this time felt gentle release. Everything tilted crazily as she moved too quickly. She snapped her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the unsettling motion. Her head seemed to think it was still astride the horse, while her body was firmly earthbound.
"You had a good knock on the head. Take another deep breath."
Elyse gritted her teeth. "If you say that one more time..." The threat ended abruptly as she finally recognized her rescuer.
"You!"
"I've been called a great many things," he admitted with faint cynicism, "but usually something more memorable than that."
Elyse groaned as she tried to sit up. "Give me a moment, I'm certain I can come up with something."
"Undoubtedly you can," Zach assured her.
"What are you doing here?" she groaned, her sudden movement sending pain knifing through her head.
"It seems I'm picking you up off the ground."
He was dressed all in black, the only contrast being windblown waves of golden hair that spilled recklessly over the collar of his elegant shirt. Elyse jerked away as he reached to help her stand.
"I can do quite nicely for myself." She struggled to her feet, then suddenly thought better of her remark as the ground tried to come up to meet her again. Gloved hands immediately seized her arms and guided her to the tree she'd jumped only moments before.
"You seem to have a penchant for being unsteady on your feet, Miss Winslow." A smile produced a faint dimple at the corner of Zach's mouth. She'd given him a scare with that jump, but she was obviously feeling much better now. "Everything seems to be in its right place," he said, his gaze warming appreciably. "There don't seem to be any broken bones."
Elyse's head came up. "I suppose you're going to tell me you're a physician as well as a pirate," she commented, remembering their argument the night of the ball.
Devilment danced in his gray gaze. "I haven't been one recently."
He was playing along and with maddening charm. "But then there hasn't been the need until now."
Elyse's eyes narrowed. There was something different about him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Or maybe she had taken a worse knock on the head than she'd thought.
Retrieving a handkerchief from his coat, Zach wiped at a smudge of dirt on the end of her nose. "Are you always so reckless when you ride?"
"Do you always run people down?" Elyse responded tartly. Just speaking set her head to pounding.
"I didn't exactly run you down. Until that last jump, you seemed to be doing quite well. You almost lost me at that hedgerow." His smile flashed white amidst dark, bronzed skin. "At any rate, you didn't seem to be about to stop, and I did want dreadfully to see you again."
He was being a perfect gentleman. But the teasing light in his eye hinted at something else. "I don't suppose it occurred to you to call on me at my grandmother's house," she suggested.
"That thought did occur to me," he admitted with a rueful smile. "But it also occurred to me that after the other evening you might not see me."
"That depends." She looked up at him from beneath the curve of the hand still at her forehead.
He leaned forward, resting his weight on one arm propped against his knee. One booted foot was braced beside her on the fallen tree. His smile softened dangerously, and there was a languorous air about him that could only be described as unsettling.
"Onwhat does it depend?" His voice was faintly husky as he leaned very near her, his gray gaze holding hers with subtle persuasion.
Elyse tried to swallow. She'd been afraid of whoever might be following her, then vaguely relieved to find it was someone with whom she was acquainted. Now the fear returned as a faint warning that tingled across her skin. But this was an entirely different fear. Letting out a slow steadying breath, she moistened her lips.
"It would depend on whether or not you returned, the pendant." He watched her, something unreadable in his eyes.
"Ah yes, the pendant." With maddening calm, he stepped away from her and went to check his own horse. Her horse was nowhere in sight.
Elyse placed a cool hand on her aching forehead. At least now she was seeing only one of everything.
"I assume that's the reason for this little encounter." She watched him closely as she waited for his answer. Yes, a pirate, she thought as she watched him check the cinch strap. An elegant, handsome pirate with that flash of black eye-patch covering one eye. He swung effortlessly up into the saddle.
