Leo stood and drew her attention to his tall form. When his hands reached for the buttons on his shirt, she jumped to her feet. “Wh…what are you doing?”
His gaze locked on hers, but he offered no response. Slowly, his fingers traveled down his chest until the shirt hung open and loose. With a quirk of his brow, he tossed the garment aside and stood before her bare-chested. Heat raced to her face. Had it warmed outside? Really, it was uncomfortably hot today. She slid her finger between her neck and collar, pulling the material from her damp skin.
“Leo, this is not very proper,” she said in a breathless whisper. “You really should—” Her voice caught as his hands went to the waistband of his trousers.
Blimey, no.
He couldn’t…He wouldn’t.
He did.
Ella spun around and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard the distinct swoosh of material and resisted the urge to peek.
“Leo, I know you do not understand English society, but this is most definitely not proper.”
A splash broke through the air. She turned. Leo stood in waist-high water. Never had she seen a man without his shirt on. Mesmerized, she could only stare, watching drops of water slip over each muscle, until trailing down below the surface. He raked his long, wet locks from his face and smiled up at her. It was the first time she’d seen him truly happy.
For a split second, she swore her heart actually stopped beating in her chest.
He held out his hand. An invitation her body begged her to accept. But her mind said no.
She shook her head, her eyes wide and unblinking.
He quirked a brow.
“It…it wouldn’t be proper,” she replied in a hoarse whisper.
“No one will see.”
His words thrilled, delighted, and frightened her. It would be so easy to be seduced by this man and his eerie eyes.
“Come,” he urged.
Her fingers curled into fists as she resisted the urge to comply. “No.”
If someone found them, she’d be fired for sure. He was…dear God, he was naked, she realized, taking in the clothing scattered across the rocks. Socks…shirt…trousers…yes, definitely naked. Blimey, she was going to faint.
“Ella,” he demanded. “Come.”
She tilted her chin, ignoring the pulsing desire that muddled her mind. “No,” she snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“If you swim, I promise to come to my dance lesson tomorrow.”
She hesitated and took her lip between her teeth, mulling over the offer.
“If you don’t, I’ll be gone before you wake. That is the offer. It can be easy tomorrow, or it can be difficult. How badly do you want me to learn? How badly do you need this position?”
Ella’s mouth dropped open. “You…you are trying to blackmail me!”
He didn’t smile.
She narrowed her eyes, wanting so badly to tell him to go to hell. “Fine.”
The moment the word came out, she groaned. What in God’s name was she thinking? She jerked the boots and stockings from her feet before she could dwell on the inappropriateness of the situation. She refused to blush. Gingerly, she picked up the hem of her dress and stuck her toe into the water. Bitter cold shot through her like a needle.
“It’s freezing!”
“You’ll grow accustomed.” He leaned back and slowly moved his arms through the water, stroking backward, his gaze focused on her.
She frowned. “Turn around then.”
He sighed and turned his back to her. With her attention on him the entire time, she slipped her necklace over her head and placed it in her skirt pocket. Then quickly, she pulled the dress from her body. Only her shift, bloomers, and corset remained.
Dare she?
A shiver of anticipation caressed her skin. No one would know. Not Lady Buckley, not her small village, not Lord Roberts. How many times, during the heat of summer, had she wished to swim? She dared another glance toward the trail. The horse was attempting to eat its reins, but no other movement caught her attention.
Deftly, she undid her corset and dropped the contraption to the boulder. She took in a deep breath, her pinched lungs expanding. Leo moved toward the falls, his back still to her. Taking advantage of his lack of attention, she pulled the bloomers out from under her shift. A cool breeze blew up under her skirt, caressing her thighs like a lover’s touch. She sighed even as heat pooled sinfully in her stomach.
Leo disappeared under the water. Ella took her lower lip between her teeth. Surely the water was shallow enough. Steeling her courage, she jumped. The cold water stung her skin and she shrieked. Frantically, she tried to gain her balance on the slippery rocks, but her body had grown numb and useless. She only had time to suck in a deep breath before going under. Her shift, a white ghost, floated around her, binding her legs and drawing her further down. Above, sunlight glistened on the water’s surface seemingly so close, yet she couldn’t seem to reach it.
She felt his strength, his presence right before he appeared. Leo wrapped his arms around her waist, and together they burst through the surface. Fresh air forced the water from her lungs, and she coughed water all over his chest.
“Do you not know how to swim?”
She shook her head between coughs and clung to his broad shoulders.
“I thought you said you loved the ocean!”
She felt his worry, icier than the water, pierce her heart. Despite the frigid temperature, the realization that he cared made her body warm. “One does not swim in the ocean.” She coughed again. “One frolics with one’s clothing on.”
Leo’s hands clenched her upper arms, keeping her balanced. “Of all the bloody stupid—”
She glared up at him. “I had no choice. You practically forced me.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, annoyance, worry, and something else flashing. Heat seemed to pass between them, and instantly she was reminded that he was naked, completely and utterly naked. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and his jaw clenched. Ella couldn’t seem to breathe. She felt it…the need within him…for her? He wanted her?
He growled low in his throat and grabbed her hand, stepping away from her. “Come.”
She tried to ignore her disappointment. Surely she didn’t desire his kiss. Preposterous. But blast it all, what was that aching desire she felt when he looked at her? He pulled her toward the center of the small pond. The water rose to her chest and her panic flared.
“Leo, it’s getting deep.”
“Hang onto my neck.”
She slipped her arms around him and pressed her chest to his back. His body was stiff, his mind uncomfortable with her touch.
She
was uncomfortable touching him. Surely he could feel her nipples, hard as diamonds. The thought made her want to run back to the house and hide in her room. She started to pull away, but he latched onto her wrists, holding her close. Before she could argue, he leaned forward and skimmed through the water. The waves lapped up against her bare arms, tickling her flesh. Ella laughed. She felt his mind relax, and with it, she too seemed to calm.
He stilled next to the falls. Water cascaded over moss-covered rocks and sprinkled Ella with a fine mist. Before she could pull back, he turned in her arms so her breasts crushed to his chest. His lips were a breath away from hers, so close she had merely to tilt her head and her mouth would be on his. An aching need pulsed through her body, or his? She wasn’t sure and didn’t care.
His gaze lingered on her face…from her eyes to her lips, and she knew if he kissed her, she would never be able to resist.
“I can teach you to swim.”
Ella swallowed hard. It certainly wasn’t what she expected him to say. “I…I don’t know.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. But you’ll have to make it back to the rocks on your own.”
“You wouldn’t,” she gasped.
His face remained stoic. Frantic, she tightened her hold around his neck. “Please…” But she knew her words would mean nothing to this man, this
barbarian
. And part of her, a tiny bit, actually wanted to learn.
“Fine, teach me.”
A slow grin spread across his lips. Two smiles in one day? Was the man actually improving? He leaned forward, his mouth brushing against her ear and sending shivers over her skin. “Trust me.” His hands, warm and strong, moved to her waist.
She stiffened, her eyes going wide. No one had dared touch her so intimately. She knew her shift would be as clear as the stream and the frantic need to cover herself overwhelmed her.
“Lay back,” he demanded.
She did what he said, her breathing
harsh,
her body hot, realizing that through her wet shift he could see parts of her no man had seen.
“Just relax and you’ll float.” His hands supported her body.
Relax? Impossible!
Ella closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Water lapped against her in a soft lull. She focused on the nature surrounding her. Sunlight filtered through the branches above, spotting her eyelids with gold. She felt Leo remove a hand, yet still she floated.
“Stay relaxed and move your arms.” His voice was muffled through the water, as if she dreamed of him. Perhaps she did.
Slowly, she lifted her arms, stroking the water as she’d seen him do earlier. His other hand slid away, and she sank, water covering her face.
She came up sputtering.
“Good.” He pulled her close, into the safety of his embrace.
“Good? I nearly drowned,
again
.”
“You exaggerate.”
She gasped. He didn’t seem to notice but merely took her hand and tugged her toward the bank. She jerked away from him as her feet curled around the rocky bottom. Without looking back he started out of the pond. The water lowered to his waist, and sunlight hit his back. Ella started to turn away when she spotted the white lines crisscrossing his back. Shock held her immobile. Scars, long and thin.
When his backside came into view, she sucked in a breath and spun around, resisting the urge to watch him emerge naked and wet from the pond. How had he received such scars? They were old and faded but made her heart clench all the same. Did Lord Roberts know about the wounds?
When minutes past, she slowly turned.
He sat on the boulder, watching her. No boots on his feet, no shirt over his broad chest, but, thank God, he wore trousers.
“Could you not look, please?” she asked politely.
His lips quirked slightly, and she was sure he would refuse. After staring into her eyes for more time than what she deemed appropriate, he finally turned.
She scampered up the boulders onto dry land. The warm air swept over her body, heating her wet shift. Not waiting to dry, she tugged her bloomers into place. She reached for her corset when Leo grabbed the piece.
“Excuse me!” she cried. “Give that back.”
He turned, his gaze sweeping up and down her body. Her breasts grew heavy under his attention and for a moment, she had the insane desire to let him look his fill. Propriety invaded, a sharp slap to her brain. Quickly, she crossed her arms over her chest.
“You don’t need the garment. They are ridiculous contraptions.” He tossed the piece into a creek that led from the small pool. Her corset started to float downstream.
“No!” she cried, taking a step toward the water. Leo’s hand shot out and his fingers wrapped around her ankle, the touch burning her skin.
“Don’t.”
She swallowed over her unease. “Do you realize how much it will cost to replace?”
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
Ella frowned. “You can’t traipse around doing whatever it is you wish. You can’t make decisions for people.”
He removed his hand, leaving behind a trail of heat. “Why not?”
Ella stumbled over the words. How could she respond to such a ridiculous question? “Because…because everyone has a right to decide their own lives.”
“But you?”
She stiffened. “What do you mean? Of course I’m in charge of my own life.”
“Are you? If you could be anywhere, do anything, would you have agreed to this charade?”
“Perhaps,” she said softly, lowering to sit on the boulder. It wasn’t fair to ask her that question now. Not when she felt cool and relaxed, surrounded by natural beauty. Not when she had a man looking at her with such heat, such intensity it made her toes curl. She plucked a daisy that grew through the rocks, feigning interest in the bloom.
“Perhaps now,” he said. “But at the time, if you’d had the choice, you wouldn’t have agreed. Control is an illusion that we all strive for, but none have.”
“But for the strong and rich,” she mumbled and tossed the flower to the pond, watching it float away.
“Not really, for there is always someone stronger, someone richer who comes along.”
“So what are you saying? We should settle back and allow everyone else to make the decisions involving our lives?” Suddenly, she felt the pupil and he the teacher, and she didn’t like it one bit.
“The most we can do is fight,” he said.
“Sounds exhausting,” she muttered and picked up her gown. She pulled the material over her head before she lost all sense of decency. “We should go back.”
Without argument, he dressed. Once again he didn’t bother to wait for her as he made his way to their mount. Ella stumbled down the rocks, cursing him under her breath. She had a feeling he’d left her on purpose, merely to bait her. She’d barely reached the horse when he wrapped his hands around her waist and tossed her onto the beast. He settled behind her, and she resisted the urge to sink into his strength.
“My uncle was going to teach me to swim,” she admitted as they made their way down the trail. “But he never returned.”
She felt his muscles tighten and his interest spike. Twisting her hands into her damp skirt, she slid him a glance. His face was unreadable, his gaze focused straight ahead.
“When did he go?” he asked.
“I don’t remember. I was around seven years of age. He sent letters for a while, but then nothing.”
They came out onto the field, and Leo nudged the mount into a gallop. The rest of the way was traveled in silence. Yet, when the castle came into view she felt a strange sense of disappointment. Truth was, she hadn’t felt so free or relaxed in years.