“You look ravishing, Lady Tara.” His voice was 64
Binding Vows
smooth.
Her cheeks grew warm. “Thank you, Mr. Steel.”
“Please, call me Michael. You wound me with your propriety.”
“I’m more worried about wounding your feet.”
Almost on cue, her feet skipped a step, forcing her partner to hold her closer.
“Be careful, we wouldn’t want you to injure yourself before tomorrow.” He gazed down at her.
“Unless you want out of the spotlight.”
She chuckled. “Going to the dentist would be more fun for me.”
Michael laughed, putting her at ease.
****
The other man’s laughter grated on Duncan’s nerves. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, the muscle in his jaw twitched. The man’s hands rested far too comfortably around Tara’s waist, and to his dismay, she was smiling at him. “Easy brother,” Fin warned, “’Tis only a dance, one she is obligated to have.”
Duncan’s eyes followed them around the room.
When the dance ended the man reach for her hand, his lips touched the back of it. He felt some satisfaction when she pulled away quickly after he released it.
“My turn.” Fin jumped to his feet.
Fin cut off a clumsy, overweight man and whisked her around in a very large circle before pulling her into his arms, keeping a comfortable distance from his frame.
“How are you holding up?” Fin asked, with a loud enough voice for Duncan to hear.
“You don’t happen to have a flask of whisky on you?” Tara teased.
She relaxed, and Fin swept her out of earshot.
Duncan’s eyes narrowed, wondering what secrets his brother whispered in his lady’s ear.
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“Tara tells me you’re both leaving for home after this is over.” Cassy moved to a seat closer to Duncan so he could hear her.
“Aye,” he said, never letting his eyes wander from where his brother was making moves on Tara.
“That’s too bad.”
“What is bad?” He diverted his attention to Cassy.
“That you’re leaving. Any chance you and your brother could spend a little more time in the States.
I’m sure I could talk Tara into showing you both around L.A. for a week or so.”
“That’s not possible, I’m afraid.”
“Bummer.” His gaze slipped back to Tara and Cassy said, “I think you’re good for her.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know, I just think you are. She would never have gone along with all this if she hadn’t met you. Tara was ready to leave last night, and today she’s more...” Cassy swirled wine in the glass she held. “That probably doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
He considered her choice of words. It was exactly how he felt since he had sat in her lap. “It makes plenty of sense.” He smiled at Tara’s friend, feeling a kinship with the woman who looked over his lady.
He thought for a moment about how his mind had drifted to those words, “his lady.” Tara wasn’t his. In no way could she be, yet it was how he felt.
“Oh... No!” Cassy interrupted his thoughts, and looked across the room. “Tara isn’t going to put up with that.”
The music had changed, and with it, so had Tara’s dance partner.
She stood eye to eye with him. His girth matched his obviously intoxicated state. His attempt to pull Tara close was met with resistance and brought Duncan to his feet, with murder in his eyes.
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He looked every bit the medieval knight as he marched through the crowed with hardly a glance.
He watched the man’s hands slip below her waist.
She struggled to put distance between them, only to be harshly tugged next to the ogre.
Duncan couldn’t remember feeling as bloodthirsty for a man in all his warring days. The rogue would pay for touching her.
****
“Get off!” Tara yelled at the slobbering drunk. She pulled her hand away only to have him place a vice grip on it.
“What’s the matter lil’ lady, I know you’ll like what I got.” His tongue darted out of his mouth to catch the drool beginning to fall from his lips.
Tara was about to knee the man’s groin when she heard the sound of steel against steel. In a flash, she saw a three-foot long blade with a deadly point edging to the side of the drunk’s neck. Frozen in place, all Tara could do was stare.
Everything went silent. Abruptly the voices and music stopped, a deafening quiet in a crowded room sent shivers down her spine.
Only the voice of one pissed off Scott could be heard. “Unhand her,” Duncan ordered.
The drunk froze as the blade nicked his neck, drawing a tiny drop of blood. To the man’s embarrassment, his bladder let loose, further adding to his humiliation. It was amazing how still he stood with his eyes so glossed over.