Dare to Love (13 page)

What could be the harm in answering? It happened as his life was starting to turn around. Blessedly, his father had agreed to send him away to school, convinced he would learn the discipline needed to make him a man. At Harrow School, the regulations were strict and the curriculum grueling, but Dare found it considerably better than being at home.

It seemed harmless enough to discuss.

“We met at school, of course. I had been at Harrow for a week when we were given time at the stables. My father had allowed me to bring one of our finest horses, Valiant, and I was thrilled with the opportunity to ride. He was a difficult horse, hot tempered and strong. I was quite certain there would be no horse his equal. Just as I had mounted him and turned him toward the field, a pudgy boy, dressed in ill fitting clothes, hair in disarray and boots covered in mud, entered the yard. I would have thought he was a stable hand if not for the obvious quality of his boots. Always careful of my horse, I proceeded from the yard with the utmost caution and headed toward the fields. Suddenly, a black streak went tearing past me. That rumpled, pathetic excuse of a boy was atop the finest piece of horseflesh I had ever seen. I whipped Valiant into a gallop to catch him and we have been friends ever since.”

Nivea smiled. “That must have been Captain. He was a handsome horse. William raised him from a foal.”

“Yes, he did. He told me. There is not a man in England who knows horses better. I consult him whenever I purchase a new mount.”

“It is his passion. I don’t understand it, but I can appreciate it. It filled a large hole when mother died. Father was so overcome, he spent virtually no time with us. William found solace in horses. He could always be found in the stables.” Her lips curled up in a gentle smile, her eyes soft at the memory.

Dare could not help noting the sadness that hovered around her. Never very interested in delving in other people’s emotions, he was surprised when he felt the need to probe further. “And you? What gave you solace?”

“Me?” she looked up, surprised. “I—I wrote.”

“You wrote?” he repeated.

“Yes. Poetry. I would sit in my room, writing my thoughts, pouring out all the angst a young girl can generate.”

“Did it help?” He leaned forward.

“I suppose it did—” She raised her eyes to his and blushed. From her cheeks to her hairline, she flushed crimson before returning her gaze to her lap.

How odd. What was that about
?

Sounding more than a little flustered, she blurted out, “Do you write?”

“What? Like poetry? God, no.” Dare sat back and tipped his face toward the sun. “I leave that to the pathetic pups who moon around ladies’ drawing rooms.”

“Ah yes, no need for that. You merely have to walk in a room to gain a woman’s attention,” she retorted with a grin.

He quirked a quick smile. “True.”

They both laughed and then slipped into a companionable silence, enjoying the rocking of the boat.

Out of nowhere, he announced, “I like numbers,” surprising both himself and her.

He wasn’t sure why he felt the sudden need to share, perhaps because he didn’t want the conversation to lag.

“Numbers,” Nivea repeated, waiting for him to continue.

“Yes,” he responded, trying to find the right way to explain. “Words can be twisted…but numbers are solid. Real. And they come surprisingly easy to me. I have built a sizable portfolio with very little effort. Frankly, I don’t understand why others can’t. Even gambling is easy if you watch the cards and play the odds.”

“I wish I had that talent. I can barely play a hand of whist without losing count of the tricks.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, William isn’t much better. I have had to save his skin a number of times when he got in over his head.”

Nivea stared at him. “Really? I thought he was quite adept at gambling.”

“God, no. Horse racing, yes, but put him at a card table and he’s hopeless.”

She appeared amused to learn of her brother’s shortcoming. “I had no idea. I shall have to tease him about that.”

At her tone, something shifted inside him. A knowledge that her teasing would be lighthearted, not at all spiteful. Not like his own family.

He responded in kind. “Oh, please don’t mention it. It is quite a shameful secret, and we wouldn’t want to betray any of those would we?” His kept his expression bland, but didn’t disguise the hint of self-mockery.

He must have caught her off guard. Her brows hovered between amusement and disbelief as she puzzled through his response. Once she decided he was joking, her lips twisted into a wry grin. She opened her mouth, as though preparing to speak, but it turned into a gasp. “Oh, no! We’ve sprung a leak.”

She pointed down. Water was pooling at her feet, covering the bottom of the boat. Dare sprang into action. He spun around, intending to paddle back to the dock before realizing they had drifted closer to the opposite side of the lake. Grabbing onto the oars, he headed toward the woods instead. Once they reached the shallow water, Dare climbed out of the boat and pulled it onto the rocky shore.

“We shall have to walk home from here. I hope you don’t mind,” Dare said, taking Nivea’s hand and helping her from the boat.

“No, I don’t mind.” Quite the contrary, she was barely able to suppress the joy that bubbled inside her. Dare had rolled up his sleeves, her hand resting on his muscled forearm, sending tingles through her palm. She was near enough to him that she could luxuriate in his irresistible scent. Unlike her family, who always smelled of horse and leather, Dare emanated a clean, manly aroma all his own. She longed to wrap her arms around him and bury her nose into his deliciously firm chest.

When he had taken his jacket off in the boat, it had taken all her will not to reach out and run her hands over his broad shoulders and muscled arms. Truly, he was the most perfectly-formed man on earth. She had forced her attention elsewhere, hoping he wouldn’t detect the desire that flashed through her. But now, touching him, she once again felt the familiar flush of warmth.

It brought to mind some of the more scandalous poems she had composed. Recalling her tributes to his gleaming black hair, his beautiful form, his full, sensual lips, an involuntary shiver ran through her.

“Are you all right?” He looked down at her with concern.

Going hot with embarrassment, she dropped her eyes to the ground. “I—erm—yes, well—” Seizing on the first thing she could think of, she blurted, “This terrain is rough on my feet. I fear my shoes were not designed for tramping over stones.”

“My apologies. I forgot ladies’ slippers are so delicate. Let us move up into the woods where the ground will be softer.” He curved his arm around her waist and guided her away from the shoreline.

While it was infinitely better on her feet, his intimate touch didn’t help her regain her equilibrium. Having him so close was exquisite, but had a disastrous effect on her pulse.

For better or worse, once they reached the trees, he once again tucked his hand in the crook of his arm, allowing her to breathe again.

It was delightful, walking with him in such a manner. She could almost pretend they were lovers out for a stroll, rather than accident-prone travelers, struggling once again to get home.

They followed an overgrown path that skirted the lake. The surface was softer, but the path was a difficult one and they were forced to climb over roots and branches. Nivea was breathless and her feet sore.

Looking around for a place to rest, she spotted a familiar structure. “Oh, look, it’s our old hunter’s cabin. Remember when we used to play Rescue the Princess there?”

His brows furrowed. “Do you mean Knights and Soldiers?”

That made her laugh. “Yes, Knights and Soldiers.” As she’d suspected, their childhood game had a completely different objective in his mind. She wanted to be saved by a handsome prince, and he just wanted to wage swordfights.

Eager for an excuse to spend more time with him, she asked, “Would you mind if we stop there for a moment? My feet are quite uncomfortable.”

“Whatever you wish.” He led her to the cabin and opened the door. Inside, utilitarian furniture was scattered around the room. The cabin had been unoccupied for years, and all that remained were a few tables and chairs and a narrow bed, all covered in a fine layer of dust.

“Wait here,” Dare commanded. He strode over to the bed and yanked off the counterpane. Using the fabric, he dusted a nearby chair before tossing it on the floor. Then he came back to the door where Nivea was leaning against the frame. She gasped when he lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the bed. The muscles in his shoulders felt safe and powerful under her hands as she wrapped them around his neck. And his smell…it was nothing short of divine. Sadly, the bed was only a few short steps away.

As he placed her gently on the mattress, she flushed, overcome with both excitement and embarrassment.

“Comfortable?”

Breathless, she could do little but nod.

“Good.” He drew the chair next to the bed and sat down. Unsure what to say, Nivea peeled off her left slipper and waved it at him before rubbing her tender foot. “These are totally useless for walking. Men have it so much easier with their sturdy boots.”

“Ah yes, but they are designed so we can’t get them on and off without the help of a valet. Who dictated that dressing oneself should be a team activity? I have my boots specially made to allow me to disrobe in private when I feel the need.”

With the tantalizing image of him disrobing etched in her mind, Nivea swallowed hard and released her foot.

“Here, let me.” He reached over to take her right foot in his hand, slid off the second slipper with the other, and let it drop to the floor. With warm, strong fingers, he started to slowly stroke the sole of her foot. She leaned back and sighed as he drew circles around the balls of her foot, pulling on the toes, cupping her heel, soothing away the pain.

“I’m beginning to think we should stop traveling together,” Dare mused. “We seem to run into an unusual number of problems.”

Her heart was beating so rapidly, Nivea was barely able to choke out a response. “Perhaps we should limit ourselves to walking. Very few accidents can occur that way.”

“Walking? Oh, that can be most dangerous. You could turn an ankle…” He gave her foot a teasing twist. “Or we could be set upon by footpads. Or caught in a downpour and catch a killing cold.”

“True.” She tried to mirror his lighthearted tone, despite the turmoil his touch was causing. “It is no doubt safer for us to stay where we are and pray the roof doesn’t collapse.”

He looked up in mock horror. “I will keep a keen ear out for the sound of creaking timber and rush you to safety in such an event.”

“Thank you, sir. You are too kind.”

They were quiet for a moment, while Nivea savored the delicious sensations running up her leg. It was quite the most pleasurable feeling she’d ever experienced. Once again, he was her hero. She wondered if he even remembered the first time. Pulling herself up onto her elbows, she said, “You know, we shared another boating incident.”

His brow wrinkled. “Did we?”

“Yes.” She flopped back onto the bed. “You had just arrived for a summer visit. William and I were out on the lake when the wind kicked up with alarming force. Realizing it was going to storm, William did his best to row into shore, but the water had gotten very choppy. He lost his grip on an oar and it slid into the water. Reaching for it, he lost his balance and fell out of the boat. He must have hit his head and knocked himself out.” She took a breath before confessing, “I thought he’d been killed.”

Dare nodded. “Oh, yes, I do remember. I heard you screaming as soon as I arrived and ran down to the lake to see what was the matter. You were waving at me so frantically, I thought you were going to capsize.”

Pulling herself back onto her elbows, she couldn’t quell the fear in her voice. “I was in such a panic. I couldn’t get William back in the boat and, with only one oar, I couldn’t get us to shore. I grabbed his arms to keep him above water, but was unable to pull him in without overturning the boat. When I saw you running down the hill, I was so relieved.”

She could still picture Dare, athletic and commanding, bounding out to the dock to assess the situation.

“You whipped off your coat and boots and dove right in. The waves were so rough, but you cut through them as though it were a calm summer day. I was so thankful when you reached us.”

“Yet you refused to let go of William. Kept yelling at me that he would drown.”

She laughed. “That’s right. You barked at me to stop screaming and yanked him out of my grasp. I watched helplessly as you dragged him to shore and started pushing on his chest. But he wasn’t moving. He wasn’t waking up.”

The memory still upset her. She felt her stomach clench remembering the fear that had coursed through her.

“It only took a few moments for him to recover.”

“That’s true. But by then the waves had blown me even farther away from shore. I confess, I was worried you’d leave me out there.”

Dare rubbed her calf as though soothing a scared kitten. “Oh, come Nivea, I wouldn’t have done that.”

She smiled ruefully. “No. I suppose not. As soon as he was able to sit up, you dove back in to get me. I was never so happy when you reached the boat and pulled me to shore. You were my hero.”

Refusing to look at her he said, “I’m certain it wasn’t that impressive. Frankly, I’d forgotten all about it. I remember now that William was so embarrassed, he kept begging me not to tell anyone what happened. I guess I never did.”

Nivea hadn’t forgotten. Dare had saved her brother’s life. From that day forward, she had loved him. Totally, endlessly, and irrevocably.

And now, they were alone together in this cabin, where they had played Rescue the Princess. And he had saved her once again. But this time was different. He was sitting next to her, massaging her with his strong, firm fingers. His touch was making her flushed and warm. She would have liked to close her eyes and enjoy the sensation, but she was afraid he would think she was bored and decide to leave.