As she floated down the stairs with her mind on ways to make the house more feminine, she suddenly heard someone banging at the front door. She jumped and stopped on the stair, looking toward the front door.
Trying to get control of the fear shooting through her, she made her way to the door and opened it. Her heartbeat quickly changed rhythms, and she stared at the man who wouldn’t leave her mind.
“Maverick? What are you doing—”
“There’s been an accident at the sawmill.” He grasped her wrist. “Come with me, please.”
Her heart sank, not knowing if the news of her soon-to-be-husband meeting up with an accident had affected her breathing, or if it was the incredibly handsome man she willingly gave her hand to as he pulled her out of the house and closed the door.
FOUR
Maverick pulled the very lovely Hannah toward his horse, trying to hide the smile that was slowly stretching across his mouth. Heavens, she was so pretty, and she smelled so good. Having her ride so close to him would be torture – but he welcomed this feeling of excitement more than anything in the world.
He and Hannah hadn’t been apart for very long, a couple of hours at the most, but he couldn’t wait to see her... even if it meant lying about his brother. Maverick felt like a complete heel as he’d hid in the cluster of trees near Bryan’s front yard, waiting until the man left the house. Maverick knew it would happen, only because he knew some of the imbeciles that worked with Bryan at the sawmill would inevitably need help. Sure enough, just like clockwork, Bryan was summoned to the mill. Maverick didn’t waste a moment before he made his move.
As soon as they reached his horse, she stopped and yanked her hand away. He looked over his shoulder to see her wide eyes as she stared at the horse.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “We’ve got to hurry.”
“But... where is your wagon?”
“Hannah, the horse will get us there quicker.”
“I’m in a dress.”
Indeed, she was, and he was having a difficult time taking his eyes off her loveliness. The lavender dress she wore was not made for Stumptown, and because of that, he liked her that much more. “Yes, I’m very much aware of that.”
Her green eyes met his stare. “But Maverick, I cannot ride sidesaddle.”
He chuckled and moved closer. “You won’t have to.” He rested his hands on both sides of her waist and in one quick movement, lifted her and placed her on the horse. She gasped and quickly gripped the reins. Before she could say anymore, he mounted the animal. After settling on the saddle, he lifted her again but placed her on his lap. His arms circled her as he took hold of the reins.
Ahhh... wonderful torture.
He urged the horse into a gallop, and just as he had planned, her body relaxed against him. There was no way she would be able to keep her rigid posture for very long, and he was relieved that it only took her a few minutes before she quit fighting what was meant to be.
Maverick didn’t lead the horse toward town. There was no way he wanted people to see that he was kidnapping Bryan’s bride. Maverick never had a malicious bone in his body, and his reasons for doing what he was doing were founded. He just hoped Hannah would understand and go along with him. After all, their heated kiss told him that she was attracted to him. If he had to remind her of that fact by kissing her again, he’d gladly do it.
But it wasn’t just the kiss and her beauty that had attracted him to her. When she shared with him parts of her past, he felt a real connection. He had never followed the straight-and-narrow pathway his parents wanted him to walk, and from what he gathered, Hannah had a rebellious streak in her, too. He liked that.
Gradually, the forest became denser, until he was satisfied that they wouldn’t be spotted easily. At that point, he slowed his horse down slightly.
“Maverick?” Her voice was tight. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the sawmill, of course.”
She turned her gaze on him, and he nearly melted in her emerald gaze. For a moment, he could see the stubbornness in her stare, but after a few seconds, the color in her eyes softened. His heartbeat quickened. Did she feel the spark happening between them as he had felt since he first touched her? The connection was undeniable.
“Maverick, this isn’t the way toward town.”
“How do you know? What if I’m taking a shorter route?”
One of her perfectly-shaped eyebrows lifted. “And are you?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but the twinkle in her eyes stopped him. Heavens, how could he lie to her now? Being with her made him want to share all of his secrets – both good and bad. How could he feel that way after only knowing her a brief time? Although... their kiss was anything but brief.
“No, I’m not.”
Sighing, she folded her arms. “Stop this horse now.”
“I can’t. I mean, we are almost there.”
“Maverick Easton, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to scream.”
Grinning, he lifted a hand to her hot cheek and caressed her soft skin. “And if you do that, I might have to try any way possible to stop the sound.” He paused. “Now, you wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?”
Her gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Is that a threat, Mr. Easton?”
If he wasn’t mistaken – and he rarely was when it came to women – he detected a touch of playfulness in her voice. “No, my lovely Hannah. Not a threat, but an endearing promise of
