Read Online Wild Heart by Lori Brighton - Free Book Online

her further, and she was able to relax some. The trees gave way and a small clearing came into view.
    The waterfall!
    The place was a miracle of God. A clear creek wove its way through beech trees, cresting a small hill and splashing into the pool—a pool surrounded by ferns and moss-covered boulders. Truly a peaceful setting.
    Leo slipped from his mount. He whispered something into the horse’s ears and then tied the reins to a branch. Without helping her down, he started toward the small pond of water. Ella resisted the urge to curse…to break a branch from a tree and hurl the limb at his head. Instead, trying to be as ladylike as possible, she managed to slide down the horse and land on her feet.
    “So sorry.” She patted the animal who watched her warily out of its huge, brown eyes. “I’m usually not so clumsy, you see. I don’t really ride. But you,” she smoothed her hand down the horse’s neck. “Yes, you are lovely.” Appeased, the horse neighed and shook his mane.
    Laughing, Ella turned to find Leo standing on a boulder, watching her with a frown. Her laughter died. What had she done now to annoy him? Really, was the man constantly in a bad temper? Without a word, he turned away from her.
    “Leo, what are we doing here?” She climbed onto the boulders that surrounded the waterfall.
    “Can you not just be silent? Enjoy the lull of nature?”
    She frowned. “Well, of course I can. It’s just that silence was unusual at Lady Buckley’s. I wasn’t ever really alone, and there was always some child asking questions…” She trailed off when he turned and looked at her with his brow raised in obvious exasperation.
    A sudden wash of melancholy made her sink to a rock. Sitting with her knees drawn to her chest, she stared into the water. What were the children doing now? Did they miss her? Would anyone else search through book after book until she found the answer to some outlandish question? Would anyone else show the patience she had with their many questions? Lady Buckley’s eldest daughter was an obnoxious twit, but the younger girls were quite kind.
    Leo sat beside her and removed one of his boots. Her gaze darted from his foot to his face, back to his foot again. A bug buzzed near her ear, and she brushed aside the annoying pest as Leo removed the other boot. Without hesitation, he pulled off his stockings. Large, sinewy feet were bared before her. Her face heated, and she jerked her gaze away. What in the world was he doing? She couldn’t look…It’d be improper. Yet, she couldn’t stop herself from watching him out of the corner of her eye.
    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