and Arielle pointed at Gabrielle, breaking into soft laughter.
“Who is the least experienced rider?” he pressed, truly amused. Arielle knew he was being polite by not outright asking which of the three was the worst. Eva and Gabrielle turned their gaze toward Arielle and smiled. There was a warm understanding between the three girls about how they were going to handle this, and Arielle nodded softly.
“That will be me,” she said grinning. Sebastian pulled his horse and moved close enough for their arms to touch. His nearness made her quiver.
“Don’t worry; I’m a very good rider,” he said in a deep, seductive voice. “I’ll stay by your side.” His breath caressed her cheek, and she shivered.
Arielle rested her eyes on his incredible face and almost lost her train of thought. “Thank you. that’ll be wonderful,” she said, the tone of her voice a bit shaken. “I’m not a bad rider. I’m just a little afraid of horses. I have a great teacher back home who has spent countless hours helping me become better.” She chuckled, meeting his gaze. Sebastian had taken her riding several times in Brighton and while they were on holiday in Italy.
“Well, that sounds great!” he said, watching her intently. “Truly, how well do you ride?”
“I know that you want to ask me how awful a rider I am.” She chuckled. His lips curved, and suddenly he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers eagerly. Arielle nearly lost it.
“Would you like me to teach you to ride?” he whispered, without breaking the kiss. She blinked. She had stopped breathing. Closing her eyes, she let her senses enjoy the taste of his beautiful lips. She sighed lightly and moved into him. Attempting to regain her senses, she coughed.
“I would like that, but we are leaving tomorrow for England,” she said. The closeness of him made her heart accelerate to a dangerous point. “I’m not a bad rider, however. Like I said, I’m a little afraid of horses. I think they sense my fear. I’m improving as time goes by, and I assure you that I can hold my own.”
He grinned joyfully and let her go, clearly unwillingly. He turned around and taking the reins, he pulled a gorgeous horse toward her.
“His name is Clair de Lune. He’s one of my favorite horses,” he added. He leaned over and gave the horse a couple of loving pats, making Arielle smile at his sensitivity. She walked closer and ran her hand over the silky, soft mane. “So you’re Moonlight,” she whispered close to his ear. She gave Moonlight a couple of soft pats, too. She was going to surprise him with her ability to ride. Inwardly, she smiled as Sebastian put his hands together for her to step on. He helped her mount the horse. His left hand reached up and handed her the reins, but his other hand was still resting on her hand. His gaze pierced through her as if he were trying to read into her soul. Arielle looked down at him, causing his moist lips to curve up. The sight sent a hot sensation shivering through her. She loved him so much yet had to pretend that he didn't turn her whole world upside down.
“Are you ready to go? Do you feel comfortable?” he asked. She nodded and watched him mount his horse in a graceful movement. He looked so distinguished in his riding gear that he took her breath away.
“Let’s go; we’ll ride at your pace,” he said smiling.
She gave a gentle nudge to Moonlight’s side and set out on a low gallop, picking up speed gradually. She knew she could go faster, but she was set to surprise him to better enjoy his reaction. They rode for more than a half hour, talking about all kinds of subjects. He was clearly enjoying her company. She thought this was a good time to let him know that she could ride quite well. She chuckled under her breath and took a firm grip on the reins as she gave a hard nudge into Moonlight’s gut. He took off at full gallop. She looked back and laughed out loud. Sebastian appeared shocked. She heard his joyful