Read Enduringly Yours for Free Online Page A

not?”
    “Only if one truly wishes to be aligned with the village idiot,” he muttered.
    She could not continue to stand witness to this. The two of them would drive her daft before they reached the castle gates. “I should like to canter home,” she said, setting heel to her gelding before either of them could say another word.
    Peter came up next to her soon after. He lifted his brows in question.
    “What?”
    “We could lose him,” he said.
    “Whatever you are thinking, stop.”
    “Pretend you have lost control of your horse, and then I will come and rescue you.”
    Well, part of that plan sounded familiar, anyway. “I cannot.”
    Gilburn rode up on her other side. She smiled as if she were having the time of her life. Then her gelding suddenly spooked, almost running into Gilburn’s stallion.
    Out of the corner of her eye she saw Peter tuck something back into his saddle. Gilburn’s testy horse snapped at her gelding. Gilburn fought to control him, and Zipporah’s little horse, now terrified of both the stallions, bucked once, took the bit between his teeth, and galloped away.
    She’d had her gelding for several years, and knew all he wanted was to feel safe. Zipporah was sure he would take her back home. Her task, besides staying on, was to do her best to guide him over any dangerous ruts in the road. Since the reins were virtually useless, and she was in a sidesaddle today, all she had left was her voice and the way she placed her weight over his back.
    Gilburn called to her. Peter raced ahead, driving her gelding off the road and into the forest before Gilburn had the chance to attempt any kind of rescue.
    Zipporah wasn’t sure what Peter was trying to prove with all of this. She glanced over her shoulder. Gilburn was still following. Peter was alongside her, his stallion calmly obeying his orders, while her gelding was wide-eyed and frightened.
    “Jump over it,” Peter said. He motioned to a fallen tree crossing their path.
    “It is not as if you have left me with any choice,” she said from between her teeth.
    “Jump, then be ready.”
    “Ready for what?” She leaned over her gelding’s neck as they leapt the fallen log, then skidded down into a ravine.
    For a few seconds, Gilburn couldn’t see them.
    Peter loomed closer, his leg brushing hers. She felt herself being pulled from the saddle. Her gelding sped off in the direction of home, and Peter reined them deeper into the forest.
    “Let go of me.” She squirmed against his chest.
    “Stop. Do you want me to drop you?”
    “I could have been hurt a dozen times by now. You are just as irresponsible as ever.”
    “I would not have let that happen. And you know very well how to ride a frightened horse.”
    “Sir Gilburn does not seem to think so.”
    “He doesn’t know you like I do.”
    Her face warmed at the reality of that statement. Peter smelled natural, like the forest. It awakened memories in her.
    “While the rest of us were busy being children, he was already too far gone to play,” Peter said.
    “Perhaps he was too smart to get into so much mischief. Perhaps we played too much.”
    “Those are my happiest memories.”
    She was sure they were . . .
    “Stop wiggling.” He caught her around the waist, corded tendons in his arm shifting.
    She cleared her throat. “You make me uncomfortable.”
    “Well, if you would rather be with Gilburn.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    His arm was still wrapped around her waist, his hand cupping her opposite hip. She blew out a breath. “Stop that.”
    “Relax.”
    “Move your hand, Peter.” She pushed on his arm, twisting to glare at him. Her cheek grazed his chin. It was rough from the lack of a recent shave. “I think we’ve gone far enough,” she said, surprised by the breathless quality in her voice. Heat simmered in her stomach.
    His eyes honed in on her mouth. She recognized the way his pupils dilated. His gaze slid from her mouth downward, over her throat, and lower still.