Shay and Samuel.

Shay loved early summer mornings. She slipped out of the house while everyone was still asleep and headed for the wading pool. When she got to the creek, she took off her shoes so she wouldn't slip, while taking the stepping stones to cross the water.

She was midway, a slipper held in each hand, holding up her skirt, and concentrating on the placement of her feet, when she heard a loud voice call a warning. Panicked, she looked up to see a man dismount from his horse. Her concentration having been distracted, caused her to misplace her foot and she slipped.

Shay screamed. As she plunged into the cool stream, she let go of her skirt. Still holding onto her slippers, she flung her arms around to hold her head above the surface. Though Shay couldn't swim, she had waded in the creek often, so knew there were only a few deep pools here and there.

While she searched with her feet to find shallow footing, she was grabbed by her upper arms and jerked suddenly in the air. The man slung her over his shoulder, and made his way towards the bank.

Shay was so indignant that this fool of a man, who had caused her distraction, felt she deserved such rough handling. She straightened up and tried to push his arm from around her thighs. He growled and gave her a pinch to stop her wriggling, his head down, so he could focus on his footsteps. Shay hit him across the head with her soft soled slipper. "You stupid man, let me go!"

She struggled some more as he reached the bank. He moved his arm from around her thighs to her waist, and then slipped on the wet earth. They both went down. He gripped her tight with one arm, and put his other down to stop the hard impact. The man landed on top of her, and just managed to prevent his full weight from crushing her, by resting on his forearms. Shay gasped for breath and slapped him again.

Samuel wrapped his arm around her waist and rolled over so his weight no longer pressed against her. When he saw her face, he immediately recognised her, and smirked at her horror filled features, knowing she recognised him.

"Let go of me!" Shay tried to push up and break free of his hold. How was she going to make him understand that in England, a man did not hold onto a woman he didn't know, like he was holding onto to her? "I know you're a heathen, and you don't understand me, but you must let me go." She pushed against him once more. He held on tighter.

"Heathen, am I?" Samuel growled and took her by both wrists so she couldn't fight him.

Shay gasped and stopped moving. "You speak English."

"Yes." Samuel lifted the side of his mouth and raised an eyebrow. "I speak English. I also understand it very well."

Rage gripped Shay. If he could speak and understand English, this meant he understood every word she'd said the day before. "I don't know how things are done where you come from, but if you don't let me go, I will bite you so hard that you'll be sorry." Her heart pounded in fear. She couldn't move her arms, so she brought up her knee and jerked it into his hip.

"Allaena! Aimra'atan ghabia!" Samuel groaned and swore in Arabic. Not words any woman should hear. He flipped her back over so he had his knees on either side of her body. His chest was so close he could feel her nipples against the fabric of his shirt. Samuel pinned her forearms with his and gripped her wrists with his large hands. His face just an inch from hers. He liked the feel of her warm, panicked, breaths against his mouth. He put his lips near her ear, and murmured, "Civil tongue and I'll let you go."

Goosebumps rocketed over Shay's body. What had just happened? Shay froze. She took in a long slow breath, and then released it just as slowly. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes.

Samuel's body tensed. Every muscle went taut. He felt movement in places he hadn't felt in a long time. Closing his eyes, Sam lowered his face to her neck once more, to steady the thoughts that singed his brain. He took in a breath, the smell of her tantalised his nostrils and did not help. No Samuel. You are not an animal. Omar's words fought their way to the forefront of Samuel's mind. The devil danced on his shoulder. Take her as a stallion does his mare. Then Omar. Release her as a true gentleman would. Are you man or beast, Samuel?

Samuel groaned, released her and rolled onto his back. He pressed the balls of his hands against his eyes and heard her get up. She kicked him in the ribs. Samuel jerked away and groaned again. He uncovered his eyes to see her standing with her hands on her hips, a slipper in each hand, glaring down at him.

"I don't know who you are or what you are. Certainly, you are no gentleman. Are you a pirate? A highwayman? How can your people let you out on your own, when you have no idea how to behave in the land of a gracious King?"

Samuel smiled up at her. "You are not very gracious to the man who just saved your life."

Staring at him wide-eyed, Shay hollered, "Saved my life! You almost caused me to drown, you stupid man! If you hadn't distracted me, I would never have slipped. Have you no common sense, to realise how idiotic it is, to distract someone, when they are concentrating on something so dangerous."

Samuel let his mouth go slack. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Her rage formed a furrow on her forehead, and caused her lips to pout angrily as she spat out her words like a furious little kitten. He said, "I am really going to have to do something about your unpleasant tongue. It really is most unbecoming." He sprang to his feet and took hold of her again.

Shay growled and tugged at her arm. "Let me go or I shall be forced to scratch out your eyes!" She kicked at his shin.

He jumped out of reach, and then drew her closer. "I would prefer it if you tore off my ears, then I wouldn't have to listen to you."

Wishing she had run when she had the chance, Shay attempted to slap him again with her slipper. He caught her free hand. "You are a very vulgar man," she gasped.

He grinned and cocked his head at her words.

Shay gasped back a breath as his face lit up.

"You are trying my patience, Miss. What is your name?"

"And you are trying my patience. Let me go!" Shay spat back at him.

When she looked at him, Samuel drew in a breath. The same sensation he felt when he first saw her on Whitechapel Road hit him. Though her words portrayed strength, she was scared. Samuel could tell by the way her pupils had widened, to almost hide the green of her irises. He looked at her shoulder. The sleeve of her dress had slipped showing more of her creamy white skin. The exposed mounds of her breasts moved up and down as she tried to calm her breathing. Samuel's eyes trailed upwards taking in her collarbone, and her quickened pulse thrumming in the dip. A strand of loose wet hair wrapped around her slender neck. He had to fight the urge to pull it away, and tuck it behind her delicate ear, to meet the rest where it was tied back in a bun.

Samuel moved his gaze to her face, settled on her lips, and then focused once more on her beautiful eyes. "I am a heathen, remember. We do things differently." Samuel bent his head so his lips touched her earlobe and neck. He felt her shudder. "You should be warned. Where I come from, a man takes a woman as he pleases. Some prefer obedient women. I prefer defiant ones." The devil inside of him was back. Samuel felt her tense and try to pull free, but she didn't speak. Instead, a soft whimper was the only sound she made. It shot to his core and again he had to fight the urge to pull her closer. He took one final breath to inhale her scent, and then released her. She bolted like a scared rabbit into the bushes, and out of sight.

Samuel threw his arms in the air and kicked the ground. "Allaenat tilk almar'a!" Fuck that woman! She was going to drive him insane. Why did he choose today to take an early morning ride? He climbed into his saddle and headed back to the inn.

*

Shay crouched behind the large dead tree trunk and peered at him through the undergrowth. He flung his arms in the air, kicked the ground and yelled something in his strange language. Then he was gone. She sat on the ground against the moss-covered trunk, put her face in her hands and sobbed. Shay had no idea why she was crying, but suspected it was shock. No man had ever affected her like he had. What frightened her even more, were the sensations that had coursed through her body every time his breath or skin touched her. Shay gasped and wiped her eyes. "You're being ridiculous, Shay. He was just trying to scare you, and he certainly did that. No gentleman would handle a woman like he just did to you." She sighed and stood up. Hopefully she would never see him again.

Well... things aren't improving.  Samuel, you need to control that devil on your shoulder ;)

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