Bel got off Brian in front of the castle. "Tch," she heard behind her. "You're always in too much of a hurry." He sounded so close that she felt his breath on her exposed ear as she stood.
She jumped away. "What are you doing?" she asked, facing him. Her hair was tied up to prevent it from getting in her eyes and obstructing her vision or mobility the ride.
"I wanted to help you off your horse," he said.
He was dressed in a riding jacket, breeches, and a pair of boots, but it was his face that caught her attention. Getting some sleep had done wonders. She would have sworn there was color in his cheeks but that was impossible, or maybe it was from the wind during the ride. His hair was a little ruffled, and Bel had the sudden urge to run her fingers through it to fix the mess.
"There's no need for that, as you can clearly see, I can get off Brian quite easily," she said, forcing her thoughts away from his appearance.