Dora blew out the breath she’d been holding and nodded. She still couldn’t speak—the intensity of the young man’s gaze unnerved her to the point she’d be hard pressed to give him her name should he ask it.

“Thank you.” He released her wrist and she shook it to bring some feeling back. The sal volatile flew, fortunately not landing on either of them. She replaced the stopper—it took her three tries she was shaking so badly—and slid it back into her pocket. When she thought she could do so without shaking, she asked, “Where are you hurt?”

The stranger cocked an eye at her. “You find a strange man in a stream and the first question you think to ask him is where he’s hurt?”

Dora pursed her lips then said, “I need to know if you can sit a horse and that’s going to depend on where and how badly you’re hurt.”

And a little more for good measure…

She breathed deeply, a measure of calm returning to her. “Is that head wound the only one I need to treat or is there another one that will keep you off the horse?”

“I’m nae hurt so bad I canna ride.” He cast a doubtful look at Gretchen. “Will the wee beastie bear us both?”

“She will if I ask her to. Come on. Wait.” Dora paused, head up, gazing over the field once more time. If the soldiers appeared now they would be at a pinch for sure.

The man had ducked back down, flattened himself along the embankment. Almost melted into the weeds and grasses and scarcely visible, save for his bright kilt. “Are they coming?”

Almost a Countess  is available for the pre-order price of $2.99 on Amazon, Smashwords,  B & N, Kobo, and Applebooks.

Also released, A Solitary Ride is the first chapter of Almost a Countess, book two of Captivating Countesses. It’s free on Smashwords and .99 on Amazon.

Stopping at the top of the bank, Dora laid him down so his head was pillowed on a thick patch of weeds and inspected him more thoroughly. He’d been through some travail, that was certain–a deep gash on his forehead might account for his fainting. She could see him still breathing, so he hadn’t inhaled any of the water. She’d best try to wake him for the afternoon shadows were lengthening alarmingly.

She gently poked his hip with the toe of her boot to no avail.

Well, as he was still breathing, he surely wasn’t dead. His well-muscled chest rose and fell rhythmically. Fascinated, she gazed at that wide swath revealed by the largest tear in his shirt, a generous sprinkling of hairs the color of flame spreading across the expanse.

A sigh escaped Dora’s lips. She should find a way to get back on her horse and leave now, while the man was insensible because if he woke now and asked for her assistance again, she’d have no choice but to render him aid–it simply wasn’t within her power to abandon anyone who needed her help.

And a little more for good measure…

She darted glances around the field, suddenly afraid the soldiers would appear and find both her and their fugitive. But the landscape was silent save for birdsong and the rustle of the breeze in the trees. Giving herself a shake, Dora peeled off her leather riding gloves, grasped her handkerchief, dunked it in the water, and pressed it to the man’s face. It seemed to have no effect on him, but she could feel the prickly stubble of his beard through the scrap of linen.

Chills shot up her hand, the hairs on her arm standing on edge. Who would have thought that brush of whiskers against the pad of her thumb would be as…erotic as any kiss she’d ever experienced? Not that she’d had many, mind you, only one or two from Tristan. And while they had been quite pleasurable, the feeling this man’s rough skin evoked in he was quite wild in comparison.

She jerked her hand away. The water seemed to have no effect any way. She must find a way to rouse the man for now she required she required the stranger’s help as much as he needed hers. There was no way for her to remount Gretchen without help, so she had to come up with some way to wake him up and soon. Thrusting the sodden handkerchief into the pocket of her habit, her hand brushed something hard and cold.

Her smelling salts. She grasped the vial, blue glass covered in silver filigree, and popped the top. Bending down, she took a breath and held it, then thrust the bottle under the man’s nose.

With a gasp, he sat up and grabbed her wrist tightly. “Dinna do that again, lassie, or I’ll not be responsible for what happens to your nasty potion.” His eyes, as sky blue as her riding habit, narrowed. “Will you help me up, lass?”

Almost a Countess  is available for the pre-order price of $2.99 on Amazon, Smashwords,  B & N, Kobo, and Applebooks.

Also released, A Solitary Ride is the first chapter of Almost a Countess, book two of Captivating Countesses. It’s free on Smashwords and .99 on Amazon.

The man was heavy as the big rocks that lay around him and her first grip slid free. Frantic, she put both hands under his shoulder and grunted as she tried again. This time her force was so great that he flipped neatly over, his head hitting the mud at the bottom of the stream. Her balance now off, Dora tilted backwards, lost her footing completely and sat down hard in the swiftly flowing water.

Exasperated, she regarded the still figure, clad in a dirty linen shirt, bright red kilt, and black boots. The kilt declared him Scottish without a doubt and common sense said he was also the escaped prisoner. She was in a peck of trouble, no matter what she did, but she jolly well couldn’t let the man drown in her stream. Not when she could easily pull him out–even when he’d already been so much trouble.

Cold water had seeped through all the layers of her riding habit, making her shiver. With some effort, she got to her feet, mentally cursing the unconscious man who slumbered on, oblivious to her wet misery.

And a little more for good measure…

Not only was her backside frigid and damp but her favorite riding habit was undoubtedly ruined as well.

She hauled herself over to the stranger, peering at him to make sure he was still breathing, before grabbing his shoulders again and dragging him out of the water. A surprisingly handsome man, although she supposed a prisoner or thief or whatever he’d been arrested for could be as handsome as a gentleman in a ballroom.

His dripping wet hair was likely a dark auburn when dry, a bit long and shaggy but not unpleasing to the eye. His nose was straight, his chin pointed, his stubbled jaw, though slack now, looked as though it could be quite firm if he wished. His physique was magnificent—through the tears in his shirt she could see his muscles were firm. Indeed, as she was clasping his shoulders at the moment she could attest to their sinewy strength. His legs, on display beneath his kilt, were also well-muscled. By her assessment, he was much more attractive than most of the gentlemen she’d danced with in London last fall.

The most perplexing thing, however, was his apparent youth. Despite the dirt and grime he looked no more than twenty, little older than herself. What could he have done to cause his arrest?

Almost a Countess  is available for the pre-order price of $2.99 on Amazon, Smashwords,  B & N, Kobo, and Applebooks.

Also released, A Solitary Ride is the first chapter of Almost a Countess, book two of Captivating Countesses. It’s free on Smashwords and .99 on Amazon.