“What is it?” he asked.
“There’s something important I have to do first.” She pulled back enough to withdraw the string necklace from the bodice of her riding habit. She’d made this necklace so she would always have the key to his chains on her person at all times. She took one wrist at a time and unlocked him, and then moved off the cot and knelt in front of him to remove the chains around his ankles.
As she straightened, Ryder slowly stood. His wide brown eyes held a glimmer of moisture, but his smile was wide. He grasped her hands and brought them to his lips. Her heartbeat jumped with happiness as he kissed her knuckles. Then he wrapped his strong arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath touched her skin and tingles of delight ran rapidly through her. Closing her eyes, she relished this feeling, and especially the closeness they were sharing. If only they could continue like this for the rest of the day. The weather was perfect for cuddling in front of a fire... Then again, they’d need a fire, first.
“Thank you,” he whispered in a tight voice.
“Can you ever forgive me?” She kissed the side of his head.
He lifted his head and looked at her. “Of course I can. You were under a spell. In fact, if you wish, I shall help you confront Prince Ormond about his trickery, since I was the one who witnessed the meeting between him and the witch.”
“No. What I need you to do instead is to find her and put a stop to her spells. There must be a way to keep her from ruining people’s lives like this.”
“Your wish is my command, princess.” He winked.
“However,” she ran her fingers across his groomed goatee, loving how soft it was, “I do like the idea of us working together.”
His brown eyes twinkled, and his grin stretched. “As do I.”
In silence, she gazed into his eyes...so enchanting, so very desirous. She could scarcely hold herself back from flinging her arms around him and kissing him soundly on the lips one more time. He moved the palm of his hands up her arms to her neck. His strong, but very gentle, fingers stroked the skin at her throat. Heavens, but he was making her weak in the worst possible way. Between his tender touch and the simmering emotion in his eyes, she struggled to keep from swooning with anticipation right now.
“Rissa,” he said in a low voice, “there are many things you and I could work together in doing...starting with this—”
He knelt on one knee and held her right hand. “Rissa, the love of my life, will you make me the happiest man in this kingdom by marrying me?”
Her heart soared as she nodded. “Yes!”
Ryder jumped to his feet, took her in his arms again, and brought his mouth to hers for a very passionate kiss. Releasing a sigh of satisfaction, she held onto his strong body. She moved her mouth with his urgently, not being able to get enough of his sultry kisses.
Why had she ever doubted her feelings for him? Obviously, the spell had been that strong, and yet...she wondered if her heart had been fighting it the whole time. Her heart had wanted Ryder, not Ormond. That could have been the reason for her headaches, because right now, there was no pain in her body at all. Only a growing love for this wonderful and forgiving man.
She could have kissed him all day. Unfortunately, until this witch was stopped, she’d have a hard time trusting people in her life.
Hesitantly, she pulled away. When his gaze met hers, she smiled and stroked his cheek. “As much as I’d love to stay in here and kiss you for hours, we have a witch to stop.”
He grinned and nodded. “Indeed, we do.” He glanced toward the window and his smile disappeared. “But the question is...will we make it back to the palace before the storm comes?”
“I had forgotten about the storm.” She sighed and leaned against him. “I suppose if we do happen to get caught in the storm, we’ll have to stop somewhere along the way to get out of the rain...and cuddle together.”
He looked down at her with dreamy eyes. “Now that sounds like the perfect solution.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “And I must say, I’m very grateful you still care about my health.”
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. Her heart wrenched. She slipped her hands into his and squeezed. “Oh, Ryder. I promise that from now on, I shall trust you without question.”
“Let’s just hope you don’t fall under another enchantment.”
She shook her head. “The only enchantment I will be under is yours.”
His expression relaxed and he gave her another kiss. This one wasn’t as long, but still, it was just as effective.
When he broke the kiss, he moved to gather the baskets of food. She grabbed the satchel of books and the blanket. He didn’t say anything more as he led them down the stairs. She, too, was eager to return home, only so she could set things right. Her first order of business would be talking to her father and informing him of Ryder’s intentions, and especially what Ryder had discovered while spying on the witch.
As they reached the bottom level of the tower, a strange eeriness swept over her like a cold chill. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it. But as she scanned the meager floor and walls, she couldn’t detect anything that was wrong.
She slowed her steps and concentrated on her feelings. If this place was haunted with ghosts as she and Ryder had discussed yesterday, what were the ghosts trying to tell her?
Before Ryder reached the door, he turned to look at her. His forehead creased, and he frowned.
“What is amiss?”
