“Can you not speak?” he said, pulling back a fraction to look down at her as she clung to him. “If I knew a mere horse ride could rob you of your speech, I’d keep a stable full of wild ponies to silence you.”
The soft teasing seemed to break the spell over her. Blinking, she pulled back, though she didn’t release her grip on his coat. Her green eyes flashed with uncertainty.
“How can you—”
But the relief he felt at the return of her ability to speak was almost too much for Logan, who had feared that she might not shake the near-death experience, and he leaned forward to kiss her. Taken off guard, Faith pulled back at first, only to lean forward forcefully, her grip tightening to keep him from moving away from her.
Her lips were relaxed but parted as the velvet swipe of her tongue touched his, and he was overcome by a barrage of heat and yearning. Every muscle in his body reacted to her; every inch of skin begged to be touched by her slim hands. He was aflame as his mouth searched hers.Only a moment longer, he told himself, though every exquisite exhale from her seemed to pull him closer. His hand dropped to her breast, and he had begun unbuttoning the front of her dress when a set of hooves sounded in the distance.
Groaning, Logan stopped and tore away from her, leaving her to stumble slightly as he regained control of himself. They had waited too long to return, and he wasn’t surprised that someone had followed them, though, at that moment, he was brutally unprepared for the desperation that engulfed him.
Breathing heavily, he turned back to see her standing there, staring back at him slack-jawed as the distant noise came closer.
“Are you all right?” he asked roughly. Faith nodded, though she seemed unsure. “Say it.”
“I—I’m all right,” she said, her tone shaky.
Of course she wasn’t, but as Graham’s black horse appeared around the bend, there was little else he could do for her, so Logan tried to steady his breathing as his friend stopped.
Graham was off his horse in an instant, coming up to Faith.
“Thank the Lord,” he said. “You gave your sisters a right fright back in town.”
“I—”
“It wasn’t her fault,” Logan snapped, surprised at his anger aimed at his friend. “What the devil is she doing riding a horse meant for someone half her size?”
Graham’s brow lifted quizzically as he looked at his friend.
“I beg your pardon?”
“She’s too tall for that damn pony, and if she were riding a proper animal, not something so skittish, she’d not have taken off in the first place.”
Logan knew it was unfair to attack Graham, but he wasn’t sure how to express himself. He was angry, terrified, aroused, exhausted, and utterly frustrated, mostly by the fact that none of his feelings could be dealt with in the way he would wish.
“Now, see here,” Graham started, but Faith came forward, holding her hands up between the two.
“Please,” she said, her tone slightly steadier than before. “I am well. I just wish to see my sisters.”
Begrudgingly, Logan glared at Graham before reaching for his horse’s rein. In a swift, singular motion, he was back on the animal and moved it toward her, holding out his hand to her. She only stared at it.
“Come,” he commanded quietly. “You’ll ride with me. Graham can walk your horse back.”
With a tentative glance at her brother-in-law, Faith took Logan’s hand, and he pulled her up as easily as if she were a blanket floating in the wind. He wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her against him as they began to move down the wooden path at a snail’s pace, back the way they came.
After a while, they crossed the stone bridge and returned to the kilt shop where Faith’s sisters had remained. Both women were frantic as they caught sight of Faith, hurrying toward her with Arabella in tow. Though he didn’t wish to, he let Faith go, helping her into her sisters’ waiting arms.
“Oh, Faith, are you all right?” Hope asked. “My God, we were so scared.”
“I didn’t think Sweetness could move that fast,” Grace said, patting Faith’s hair. “Were you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Faith said as the two crowded her.
Hope’s eyes peered around Faith’s shoulder.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Harris. I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn’t been here to go after her.”
“Of course,” he said, brushing off the comment as Faith turned in her sister’s arms. His gaze locked with Faith’s. “I’m just glad she’s not hurt.”
