Page 87 of The Duke's Wicked Widow
“Och, aye, I should’ve guessed.” His green eyes sparkled with humor as he turned and began to arrange the sled at the top of the hill. “Well, ye’ll still need to sit in the front, I’m afraid, since ye’re smaller than me.”
“I am smaller than almosteveryone,” she quipped, sitting on the wooden slats. “Do I put my feet here?”
“Aye, like that, lass. I’ll hold the rope around ye, eh?”
When Fawkes lowered himself to sit behind her, Ellie couldfeelhis warmth. His legs bracketed hers, his arms reached around on either side, as if holding reins.
Oh my.
This was…this was quite different from what she’d expected. Ellie felt warm, yes, but…protected? Cherished, almost. Safe. Cocooned in a cozy little ball of comfort.
“Are ye ready, Ellie?” His breath was warm against her cheek, and she leaned back into his chest, allowing herself to shiver with joy.
“Yes,” she whispered.
This time, when he nudged them down the hill, Ellie was caught off guard. When she opened her mouth, a little scream emerged, surprising her. But the sound seemed appropriate, catching the cold air streaming past her, and it almost immediately slipped into laughter.
Joyful laughter, at her sheer delight of being here in this man’s arms, heart beating overtime, for a few adventurous seconds.
But something twisted—perhaps she flexed her legs and pushed them off course, or some such problem. As they hurtled toward the straightaway, the sled veered toward the trees, and she heard Fawkes suck in a breath.
“Shite shite,” he muttered, and then he dropped the rope.
She might have been concerned, had she a moment to consider it, but it all happened so fast. One second they were headed toward the trees and she’d wished she’d wrapped her scarf around her head, as Merida had suggested, and the next…his strong arms were aroundher,and he was leaning to one side...
When they hit the snow, the impact startled another laugh out of Ellie.
Then they were rolling, Fawkes’s arms around her, protecting her, his hand cradling the back of her head, pushing her against his chest. She felt as if she was flying.
When they stopped, she was on the bottom, arms akimbo, as his body pressed hers into the snow. He still cradled her.
“Ellie? Ellie, lass, open yer eyes! Ellie!”
She hadn’t even realized they were closed. When she opened them the brightness of the sky, haloing his hair, made her squint, until she could see his green gaze full of concern.
“Ellie, love, speak to me. Are ye hurt?”
“That was…” Slowly her lips curled upward. “Oh my.”
“I’m sorry, lass. I should’ve realized the bloody thing wasnae made for two adults. I’ll never forgive myself—why are ye laughing?”
She was, wasn’t she? “Because,” she gasped, surprised at how content she could be, squashed beneath a man, “that wasfun.”
He was staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.
No, he was staring at…at her lips. At hersmile.
Abruptly, Ellie’s laughter cut off, the old self-consciousness returning. Instinctively she tried to untangle her arm so she could cover her crooked teeth, but Fawkes caught her hand.
Staring down at her, noses only inches apart, Fawkes murmured, “Why do ye do that, Ellie? Why would ye cover such a lovely smile?”
Lovely…smile?
Ellie just blinked up at him. No one had ever called her smile lovely. Sheknewher teeth were crooked, full of unsightly gaps. It was why her father had instructed her to never smile in public, if she wished to impress Society.
No daughter of mine will be seen as imperfect.
She winced.
