Bianca Gordon was the most empty-headed, selfish woman at court. And probably the most beautiful—which was convenient, since that happened to be her favorite subject. She epitomized the classical ideal of beauty: flaxen hair, eyes the sparkling blue of the sea, and refined features. But her disposition did not match her lovely features. Her father was the powerful Marquess of Huntly, and Bianca made sure everyone knew it and bowed accordingly.
Wanting to escape and still annoyed by Alex’s presumption in lecturing her on her conduct tonight, Meg took a step backward, her mind churning. Alex must have read her intentions.
“Don’t you dare, Meg,” he warned in a low voice.
Meg ignored him and flashed Bianca a brilliant smile. “Bianca Gordon, how nice to see you!”
Bianca looked perplexed. Meg had never welcomed her company before. “Meg, what have you done to yourself?” she asked rudely. Her eyes narrowed as she took in Meg’s hair and dress. “Why, you look pretty.”
Meg’s voice was honey sweet. “How kind of you to notice. But of course, I could never be as beautiful as you, Bianca.”
Bianca nodded with all the confidence of a queen accepting homage, obviously pleased to have the attention focused back on her.
Meg turned to Alex. “Bianca, do you know my neighbor from Skye, Laird Alex MacLeod? He’s been simply begging me for an introduction.”
Meg swore she heard Alex hiss.
Bianca beamed eagerly, fluttering her long lashes. “How do you do, my laird.”
“My lady,” Alex murmured, bending over her proffered hand.
Despite the threatening glower Alex threw her, Meg said, “Alex, didn’t you just say that you were looking for a partner for the next set of dances?”
Before Alex could strangle her—if his expression was any indication of his intent—Meg started away. She looked back over her shoulder and met Alex’s glare. “Enjoy your evening, you two.”
That should occupy him for a while.Meg felt better already. She would not let one brief kiss from an over-bearing laird, no matter how unsettling, ruin her night.
Alex didn’t know whether to throttle her or stay as far away from Meg Mackinnon as possible.
After being foisted off on Bianca Gordon—as vain and insipid a woman as he’d ever met—he decided on the former. But that kiss made him reluctant to get anywhere near her.
Kissing Meg had been a mistake.
She’d felt so soft and sweet in his arms, the temptation had been nearly overwhelming. Still, he would have resisted if she hadn’t pushed him to the breaking point. The thought that she might not be as innocent as she seemed slammed him with a wave of possessiveness unlike anything he’d ever felt before. His iron control had snapped as easily as a dry twig. He’d wanted to ravage her senseless but found the primal instinct tempered by an unexpected wave of tenderness. He’d moved slowly, giving her every opportunity to stop him. If only she had.
The moment his lips touched hers, he knew she’d never known a man’s passion. But by God, she would have known his if he hadn’t felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. The honey taste of her and the soft tremble of her mouth had sent an ache of such sublime perfection to his chest, he’d pulled back, leveled by the force of it. It hadn’t been lust at all, but something altogether unfamiliar and far more powerful.
Not even an hour of listening to Bianca Gordon’s silly prattle could dampen the memory. That one little taste had irrepressibly whetted his appetite for more. He didn’t trust himself not to taste her again, and this time nothing would stop him from delving into the sweet recesses of her mouth and tasting her deeper. So rather than seek her out, to vent his anger or his lust, he did what he should have been doing the entire night and resumed his search for Lord Chancellor Seton.
After a quick examination of the adjoining antechambers, Alex returned to the hall, joined a group of men discussing King James’s containment of the borders, and casually scanned the crowd for Seton. The sight that met his eyes made his blood run cold.
Meg had blatantly ignored his warning. If anything, her circle of admirers had grown, though Alex couldn’t help noticing that her attention seemed focused on one man in particular.
She’d defied him, though it shouldn’t surprise him. Meg Mackinnon challenged him in a way no woman had before. Normally, it might even amuse him. But right now, all he could do was force himself not to storm over there and smash his fist into the face of the man with whom she was engaged in deep conversation. An intimate conversation. Alex gripped the stem of his goblet tighter as the brazen fool leaned over and whispered close to her ear.
Abruptly, he put down his claret, excused himself from the group of men, and headed straight for Meg. His anger had taken on an entirely different edge, one consumed by an emotion so foreign that he almost didn’t recognize it.Bloody hell,he was jealous.
From the costume and mask the man wore, Alex realized he was the master of the revels for tonight’s performance. There was something else vaguely familiar about him, but Alex was too focused on Meg’s bewitching smile to ponder it further.
So focused that he almost walked right into Lord Chancellor Seton. Mumbling an apology, Alex watched as Seton moved to exit the hall. This was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. He had to take it. Pushing aside his jealousy and the compulsion he felt to tear Meg away from her admirer, Alex turned to follow Seton. The lord chancellor was almost to the doorway; in a minute, he would disappear into the corridors. Alex took a few steps after him and swore, unable to resist one more glance across the room at Meg.
It was a mistake.
His entire body drew taut as he watched the man trail his fingers seductively down Meg’s arm, his knuckles brushing the full roundness of her breast. From the sly smile that curved the bastard’s mouth, Alex knew he had done it on purpose. Seton temporarily forgotten, Alex started back toward Meg, rage surging through his veins. Alex was going to kill him.
The sly smile hovered on the edges of his memory.
Alex had almost reached Meg when the man’s identity hit him. The blood drained from his face. As if he could feel the weight of Alex’s stare, the man turned and confirmed what Alex had already known. He would never forget the flat eyes of his enemy.
