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been. He’d held her close and raced – well, not raced, exactly, but ridden at an exhilarating pace – and the sensation of his arms around her was more dizzying than the speed of the ride.
    Stella had felt his breath on her neck, almost as close as a kiss, and when they’d finally stopped and he’d jumped down to help her dismount…
    She sighed and hugged her arms around herself, as though she could recreate the feeling of James holding her. She’d felt every hard plane of his body as he’d lifted her down. And then he had not released her immediately.
    No. They’d stood quietly for a moment, and it seemed he had no better luck in catching his breath than she. And when he finally did let her go, Stella’s knees had felt less steady than her lame leg had ever done.
    “Wait for me,” he said.
    Oh yes, Stella would wait for him.
    It took only a few minutes for him to turn his horse over to the groom, and then he was back, carrying the drawing tablet that she’d left in the barn. He handed it to her and fitted her free hand into the crook of his arm.
    “Would that be a collection of your drawings?” he asked as they started for the house.
    She nodded. “I did these while I was visiting the Hewletts last year.”
    “Shall we go inside and find a warm fire to sit beside while you show them to me?”
    “Yes, of course,” Stella replied, though she needed no fire to warm her. Not while she could bask in the warmth of his attentions.
    * * *
    James’s thoughts raced, though he’d never felt as clear-headed as he did at that moment. Stella was so full of life and curiosity and awareness – it was a crime to keep her sequestered here in this house, as lovely as it might be.
    They entered the house and the butler handed Stella a note. “Thank you, Fordson,” she said as they gave their coats over to him. “Will you ask Masie to bring a pot of hot tea into mama’s sitting room?”
    She led the way into a small parlor near the breakfast room as she unfolded the missive. James followed her in and closed the door behind him without even thinking about it. He approached her where she stood near the fireplace, reading.
    His world had shifted dramatically that morning as he held her in his arms. He wanted her there again.
    But when she looked up at him then, her eyes were troubled and his only thought now was of how he might solve whatever had upset her.
    “What is it?”
    “Some very dear neighbors – the Misses Jenkins,” she replied. “Their elder brother died two months ago and they are still grieving deeply. The younger sister took a fall, though she is not badly injured… I ought to pay them a visit.”
    James understood. His own mother paid such visits to neighbors and friends, as well as to the homes of the less fortunate. He admired Stella for her kindness as much as her sense of duty.
    “I’ll have Robert take me to the village this afternoon.”
    Which meant he would be without her company for some time. The thought of it was dispiriting. Her cheeks were flushed from their ride and her eyes still sparkled, in spite of her worry about her friends. And James could not ignore the fetching picture she made in the simple deep red gown that hugged her figure to perfection.
    When he’d taken her in his arms to lift her down from his horse, he hadn’t wanted to let her go. Stella had hesitated stepping away, too. He’d felt her warmth and excitement, and sensed that she wanted more than just a tame ride in the fields behind her house.
    “Lady Stella—”
    “The tea will arrive soon, as will Robert, I’m sure,” Stella said, placing the letter on a side table. She licked her delectable lips and looked at him shyly as she took a seat near the fire and clasped her hands together in her lap.
    Her mouth looked imminently kissable, and James felt a nearly irresistible urge to loosen her lustrous hair and run his fingers through the gorgeous, curly mass. He wanted to pull her to her feet and draw her into