Page 26 of The Duke's Hellion

An instant passed and all she could see was blackness. Yet despite the heaviness of her limbs, she knew she was still conscious. Blackness in front, but blue above. She looked down to check her feet. They were still rooted to the spot in the plush grass. When she brought her gaze back up, she realized that someone had stepped in front of her. Broad shoulders. A wall of protection. She was safe.

Her breath came back to her. She was in a safe place, safe from harm. There was someone willing to step in the gap and protect her. Someone other than her sisters or family. It was likely the smallest gesture to anyone else, but to her and her one fear, this man was a hero. This man, by merely standing in front of her as a wall, was making her world a better place. Or perhaps he was taking her to another place entirely. Another world. A place where there was peace and protection.

It had to be Roger. He had to have finally seen her terror and just stepped in front of her. He was kind and considerate like that. She could tell. As quiet as he was, he was the type of man to care. Being a gentleman, he would notice the needs of others and offer solutions to problems. His original tactic had probably been to make light of the situation and calm the dog, but once he saw her agony, he had obviously changed tactics. She was sure of it. As sure as she was about how fate had brought her to him in the first place. And this was the first of many sparkling moments for her and this protective man in front of her.

It had to be Roger, even though she wouldn’t have noticed because the blurry present was only now starting to clear. He was her knight in shining armor. Yes, it was cliché. But she loved a good cliché. A good, strong, protective one at least.

What kind of man would he be if he didn’t catch sight of her alarm?

A gentle presence was at her side, calm but bewildered. Not quite anxious, but concerned. For her. “Mimi,” her sister asked, “are you all right?”

She turned her face to her sister, her body still too heavy to move, and she nodded. Stunned, yet working her mind and body free from the vise-like grip fear had on her. It was like waking up from a nightmare, the kind in which you tried to scream but couldn’t. Her tongue felt thick and moving it took extra effort.

Finally the wall in front of her spoke, deep, authoritative. Commanding the dog to stay. And then with further instruction, Chris came into view replacing the man’s firm but kind grip on the dog.

The wall turned. She eagerly looked up, awaiting Roger’s golden eyes (they were golden, right?), anticipating the kindness of his face—

“Mimi,” Sam’s voice shook through her as though it were pounding against the drum of her heart. “Are you well?” The depth of concern in his voice confused her.

Sam?

Hewas the wall?

Hewas her protection?

Hewas her safe place?

God, above.

And then she really did see blackness, just after catching sight of the blue sky above.

She awoke in strong arms holding her, jostling her only slightly. “Where am I?” Her arms still felt weak, but at least her uncooperative tongue was functioning. It wasn’t so thick anymore, and despite the dryness in her throat, she could manage the short question.

“Don’t speak. Rest. I’m taking you back to the house.” Sam spoke without even looking at her. There was no point in arguing, though she wasn’t sure she even wanted to. With him,it was her default to contradict him. But here, next to him, in such a sensitive state, she didn’t trust herself to refute him yet. She was still trying to process how she ended up on the ground. And why was he the one consoling her? Hadn’t Roger protected her from the dog, her worst fear? No—the memory flooded her. It had all been Sam. The realization had caused her to swoon the first time.

She swooned? She had never swooned before. God, what was happening to her. If anything, she thought she would have fainted at the panic she felt at the sight of the dog, but afterward? It made no sense.

“I can walk,” she lifted her arms to push herself out of his arms.

“Don’t be so foolish.”

With a dramatic sigh, she relented. Overexaggerating the sigh of course. She couldn’t let him know that she was actually relieved. Her arms felt like lead. If she had pushed herself free of his arms, she was pretty sure she would have landed like a pile of pudding on the ground. And really, he didn’t need to see her in a pile of dirt. Again.

She gripped the reins on the smirk dying to go wild on her face. It wasn’t so bad being carried. Not that being carried by him in particular was satisfying. But the way his arms fit around her body, conveying his strength and determination wasn’t a bad thing. And though it wasn’t anything to write her sister Boudicca about, it wasn’t entirely unnoticeable how his chest rippled when he shifted her weight ever so slightly. And the way he stared straight ahead, not giving a passing glance to any distractions meant less that he wasn’t a force to be reckoned with and more that when he wanted to get something done, he did it.

Another sigh blew past her lips.

“Do you need to stop and rest?” He stood still for a moment, awaiting her answer. And while he waited, he tilted his chin to study her eyes.

“I should be asking you that. You’re the one carrying the heavy load.”

“I’m fine. You weigh nothing.”

“Not nothing,” she replied defiantly.

He cocked a brow at her. “Really? You want to argue about that?”

“I’m just stating a fact.”

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