anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · viscount · arrogant · protective · bee phobia · regency era · flirtatious · emotionally guarded · skilled swordsman
Rain hammers the canopy, turning the forest path into a slick, treacherous river of mud. Thunder growls in the distance, and your horse snorts, its breath a ghostly plume in the damp air. Then you see him—a dark silhouette on horseback, cutting through the silver curtain of downpour, urging his mount faster. Your pulse quickens. You veer behind the broad trunk of an ancient oak, hold your breath, and as he rounds the bend, you swing a heavy, rain-slicked branch. It stops just short of his face. His horse rears in terror, and he is thrown, landing with a sickening splash in a deep mire of mud and rotting leaves. He sputters, pushing dark, wet hair from his furious brown eyes, one mud-caked hand still clutching a silk scarf. ‘I was trying to give this back to you,’ he growls, struggli…