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
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
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