Page 41 of The Lady and the Footballer
Colin.
He had either bathed, or his hair was still damp from the rain, as he had it pushed away from his forehead, tendrils beginning to spring back into their unruly curls.
He was standing among his teammates, the glow of the fire casting shadows across his strong, angular features. His dark wool waistcoat fitted snugly over broad shoulders, while his rolled-back sleeves hinted at a man more accustomed to action than idle conversation. His keen eyes flickered toward the doorway as if sensing he was being watched, and Lily dropped her gaze just as Lord Nathaniel leaned over her.
Even though she was still annoyed by Lord Nathaniel’s closeness, knowing that Colin was near caused her to relax, her shoulders to fall, her heart to fill with warmth – safety.
When she risked a glance up again, Colin’s gaze caught hers, his eyes narrowing, but she realized it had nothing to do with her – his frown was directed at Lord Nathaniel.
Which told her one thing – he cared.
Chapter Fifteen
The air was thick with the scent of roasted meat and ale. The long wooden tables were crowded with boisterous patrons, clattering tankards, and the occasional burst of laughter as a roaring fire cast flickering shadows across the well-worn floor.
When Colin had first walked into The George Hotel, his hope that Lily would be present seemed ridiculous when he looked around the public room, for, of course, there was no sign of her nor anyone else of her station.
While he had been impressed with the club buying them a meal at such a respectable hotel, this would still be far too commonplace for her presence.
Despite the bustle around him, teammates, food, and servers providing ample distraction, his attention was drawn toward a glass door across the room – his gaze coming to a halt when he could have sworn he saw her.
Yes, that was her. It had to be.
She was sitting in his direct line of sight, her gaze upon him. She wore a high-necked navy-blue dress adorned with lace that had been covered when he had glanced upon her in the stands, although she no longer wore the cloak over her shoulders. Herhair was pulled away from her face and piled on top of her head in a simple yet flattering design, her blue eyes stretching across the tavern toward him.
But that wasn’t what captured his attention.
His focus was drawn to the man sitting next to her, the one leaning into her space, the one from whom he could have sworn she was silently asking for rescue.
The jealousy that had flared when he first saw the man’s proximity fled the moment he realized that Lily was trying so hard to sit away from him that she was practically sitting on top of her friend Miss Whitmore.
The man was bothering her. Colin wanted nothing more than to march into the room and tell him to leave her alone.
But that was not his place. Her father was there, and protecting his daughter was up to him. Colin could only hope that he would actually do so.
“Ho, Thornton!”
Colin had to wrench his gaze away from Lily when his captain called his name.
“We need a toast from our game winner!”
Colin nodded, and while his attention was elsewhere, he tried to return to the moment and find the words to express his feelings about the game, this club, and the Cup.
When he finished and retook his place at the table, he turned and looked through the glass, but he could no longer see Lily.
She must have moved – hopefully away from the man she was trying to avoid.
As they waited for their food, Colin took the opportunity to visit the privy, and he pushed away from the table and started down the back corridor – coming to a halt when he saw the couple standing in front of him.
The man who had been sitting next to Lily was leaning over a woman, one he couldn’t see – but he had a sinking feeling he knew her identity.
As he was trying to decide whether he should take a step toward them or away, feminine hands reached out and tried to push the man off her – which told Colin more than he needed to know, especially when her admirer didn’t back off but instead leaned in closer toward her.
“No one denies me,” Colin heard as he approached. “I get what I want, one way or an?—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence before Colin wrenched him off of Lily with so much force that the man bounced into the wall behind him.
“Why you?—”
