She shook her head, suddenly feeling like she was under a spotlight. “They’re too far off the ground.” He just stared at her, his expression unfathomable. “I have a fear of heights,” she explained. “Or more accurately, a fear of falling. Do you really want to take me horseback riding?”
He nodded and stepped toward her, digging in one of the bags. “Here are jeans, socks, a few shirts. We’re going this evening, before dinner. There’s a stable just down the road from the inn where we’re having dinner. I’ve arranged a private meal there, and the owner has said we can use the facilities there to clean up after our ride.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Dylan,” she said doubtfully, referring to the horseback riding.
He studied her closely for a moment, and then shrugged. “Okay. It was just a thought.”
She swallowed thickly and stared down at the beautiful boots. She rubbed the soft leather with her fingertips. A longing welled up in her to go with him, but she was afraid, too.
“Do you think I could ride with you?” she asked, belatedly realizing how small her voice sounded. How weak. “I mean … on the same horse? Until I get more used to them?” she said more forcefully.
He surprised her by coming closer and cupping the side of her head with his hand. His thumb stroked her cheek when she looked up at him.
“Of course,” he said. “All you had to do is ask.”
She rolled her eyes, trying to diminish her vulnerability and the impact of what she saw in his eyes at that moment.
“Right. Ask and my every wish is gran
ted,” she joked. “Princess Addie and all.”
His expression stiffened. A cascade of shivers ran down the length of her spine and coursed down her arms and legs.
“What did you say?”
She gave him a confused glance. She laughed uneasily, trying to rid herself of a strange sense of foreboding. “Princess Alice. That’s what you called me. In the shed?” she reminded him, her cheeks heating when she recalled the surrounding circumstances. Had Dylan been so crazed with lust that he’d forgotten? And why was he looking at her so oddly? “I just thought it was funny when you said that. Only you would ever think to call me a princess,” she scoffed.
“Yeah. Only me.”
The silence stretched.
He moved aside the boots and opened the box below it. Slipping his fingers through the thin straps, he lifted a stunning dark blue backless silk dress.
“I thought it’d bring out the color of your eyes,” he said quietly.
Alice gaped in awe, and the strangeness of the moment faded back into the shadows.
FOURTEEN
They left Morgantown and Castle Durand behind.
The stable where Dylan took her was just north of the beach town of Saugatuck. Alice enjoyed herself on the ride as Dylan drove the luxury sedan down state highways and rural routes and they chatted about whatever came to mind. Being in the car with him made her feel less self-conscious and more relaxed. Dylan himself seemed more approachable, wearing a pair of jeans, a simple black T-shirt, and sunglasses. She kept stealing covetous glances at his long legs or the succulent dense muscles of his upper arms peeking out just beneath his sleeves or the distracting vision of his large hands holding the leather wheel lightly.
When she wasn’t leching over Dylan, she was admiring her sleek new boots and cute jeans and top. Her new clothing made her feel pleasantly pretty and feminine, but also transparent somehow. She was just starting to learn how natural it was for her to guard her sexuality, to diminish the impact of her femininity as a means of self-protection. It was an ingrained instinct, and going against it left her feeling vaguely uncomfortable.
It was a new experience for her, not to duck into the shadows. Dylan wasn’t in the shadows. The temptation of him was so great, she’d been lured out of her place of safety. And there in that tempting, wonderful place of being with him, she fought her urge to cringe back and take cover.
Under Dylan’s spell, she opened up to him more than she ever had in the past. He asked her on the drive about her experience as a counselor, and she had the impression he really wanted to hear what she said. She told him about some of her kids, the good, funny moments and the challenging ones. When she talked about the Red Team, she was surprised to hear the note of pride ringing in her voice.
She told him about Judith and their prickly interaction just hours earlier. Dylan listened without interrupting, his gaze steady on the road.
“Do you think I made the right decision in making Judith the student leader?” she asked him a while later.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “She’s strong. That’s what you see in her. It’s what others will see, too.”
“It’ll be hard,” Alice said, staring out the windshield. The afternoon sun was starting to dip in the sky, making Lake Michigan sparkle brilliantly to the left of the car. “To trust her not to screw up, I mean.”
“Hard. But worth it,” Dylan said. “It’s a big part of being a manager, you know. That’s why we emphasize trust so much at Camp Durand. There’s no quicker way to burn out and fail as an executive than taking on all the responsibility yourself because you can’t trust anyone else to do the job. The ability to delegate is a must.”