Before Vera could react, Nathan Leafcastle had already embraced her waist with both hands, placing her sideways on the carousel horse.
"No, I—" Vera tried to get her leg over to climb down, but Nathan mounted the horse behind her, blocking her with his arm.
The music began, and the carousel started to spin.
Vera swayed and nearly tumbled to the ground.
"Be careful!" Nathan quickly reached out, his arm steadying her waist and pulling her back onto the carousel horse.
Startled, Vera hurriedly gripped the carousel's handrail. She then reached over and pushed away his arm, which was still around her.
"I'm sorry," Nathan apologized softly, withdrawing his arm.
"It's... it's all right," Vera stammered, her voice tinged with awkwardness. "Could you ask them to stop it?"
Sharing a small carousel horse with a strange man, this close, was really too much for her to bear.
