"Let me show you how to ride…"
An innocent enough suggestion, he thought. Now the Enchanted Forest was their home, it was time for the city girl to learn the ways of the outdoors. She needed the skills to handle herself on a horse: riding at speed and, if needed, during battle.
Of course he had not at all taken into consideration the amount of time such lessons would take. Not at all. And also the fact they might have to get close and he would probably have to touch her hadn't even entered his mind.
Certainly there had been absolutely no ulterior motive to his offer of assistance.
At first she had been reluctant.
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
He'd given her that look, the one he'd developed just for her; chin dipped, eyes wide, brows slightly raised. "And why on Earth would you think that darling?"
"You, me, alone…"
The way she had lowered her voice when she said the word 'alone' had made something inside him tighten. Not that he had shown that of course.
"Why love, are you scared?" His voice was a curious mix of taunting and questioning. Although not intentionally.
She'd dropped her shoulder a little, her eyes flitting to the ground. "Of you? Please. More like I'm worried about the idea of having a pirate teach me how to ride. What do you know about horses?" When she spoke, he was certainly not taking in the view of her long neck that her change in position had afforded. Of course, it goes without saying that the fact her shirt had dropped enough to see the soft dip between her breasts had not even occurred to him.
Still, he couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his lips. Oh, it was so easy, this game they played. Back and forth, ebb and flow…
"Oh Swan, I have skills you can't even dream of…" The sultry tone and dark lashed look he had given her had been purely coincidental to the subject manner. There was nothing in it. He just wanted to prove his worth and his friendship to her. No ulterior motive.
But he'd be damned if every word that passed his lips didn't seem loaded with innuendo.
The way her jaw had dropped a little at his words and the small, breathy laugh she had exhaled in no way excited or interested him. Of course not.
"Are you like this with every woman?"
"No." His answer was short and surprisingly honest.
She shook her hair a little and pursed her lips-observing him carefully through the corner of her eye, until she squared her hands on her hips, "Fine."
"So that's a yes?" he asked, as she moved to turn away.
"That's what I said," she called over her shoulder.
No, he had not detected a hint of something in her voice. No, of course not.