Katherine gasped as the horse began to move through the trees.

She was riding faster than she ever had before and every muscle screamed in protest. Just as she thought she’d collide with another tree, Jarin used his skilled horsemanship to avoid it.

“Move with me,” Jarin yelled.

“I can’t,” she shouted back. “I don’t know how.”

Jarin yanked her back in the saddle until she was sitting flush against his thighs. She gasped at the contact, and the strange tingly feeling she kept having every time they touched started up again. This time it swept through her whole body. She tried to pull away from him; she shouldn’t be feeling like this right now.

“Now isn’t the time to be modest,” he said into her ear, his breath whispering across her skin. He pulled her even tighter against him. “Follow my movements and we’ll ride faster.”

Katherine’s stomach fell away as Eira leaped over a fallen log but she wasn’t jolted by the action. Her whole body was now pressed against Jarin. It was much easier to ride when he took over their movement. His strong arms surrounded her, protecting her from the world around them.