Page 52 of Seductive Scot
Fury choked Reikart for a minute, but then he said, “I want her. We’re to be married.”
“Why would ye wed her? She gives ye her body for free,” the man jeered.
Reikart curled his hands into fists, which he was imagining sending into Fearghas’s big mouth. “I’ll see you in the courtyard once I’m dressed, Fearghas.”
“Reikart,” Deirdre hissed, tugging on his arm, no doubt trying to get him to turn around, but he had all his attention focused on Fearghas. He wanted to make sure the man would be there.
“The courtyard? What for?” Fearghas asked.
“For me to defend Deirdre’s honor and teach you a lesson you’ll never forget,” Reikart bit out. “And if you don’t show up, I’ll know—everyone will know—you’re a coward.”
“I’ll be there,” Fearghas growled.
As the men rose and departed, silence descended in the river. He could feel Deirdre’s stare on his back. Disbelief strummed through him, practically vibrating in his veins. What had just happened? What had he done? Had he really announced he was going to marry Deirdre? He slowly turned in the water to face her. In the dark, he could not see her expression very well, but he heard the long deep breath she took and then slowly let out.
“Ye do nae want me,” she said. Her voice trembled, and she sounded fragile, breakable.
Even if he’d wanted to deny it, to guard himself, he’d never hurt her that way. “That’s not true,” he said, gliding his hands through the water to keep his head above the surface. “I do want you.”
She made a derisive noise at that. “Ye want my body, nae my heart.”
“I’m not sure that’s true, either,” he admitted, knowing there was no point in denying it now with what they were facing. Her sharp intake of breath made his pulse tick up. He didn’t want to give her hope when he wasn’t even sure what he was capable of offering her. Plus, they were still just getting to know each other. “Listen to me, please. It may not matter what we want in the end. I’m not sure what I have in me to give…or even if I can allow someone—you—in.”
“I think it matters,” she replied, her voice sounding tired now.
“You may get to know me and discover you can’t stand me,” he cautioned.
“I may,” she agreed, “and ye may discover ye do nae care for me, either. Ye do nae have to do this. I’ll be fine. I’ll—”
“Be labeled a whore. And I’m not about to go back to my time, or live in this time, knowing my actions caused you to be forced to walk around with a scarlet letter on your chest.”
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
“I’ll explain later. Come on,” he said, taking her by the hand as he turned his mind to Fearghas and how he was going to kick his ass.
From the moment Deirdre and Reikart reached the courtyard, it was as if they had stepped into the heart of a storm. Deirdre shuddered with worry as she took in all the clansfolk already gathered there. Torches blazed, lighting up many faces, all of which seemed to be directing disapproving looks at her. She started to shrink away, and as she did, Reikart drew her close to his side, put his arm around her waist, and leaned toward her. “Don’t you dare let these people make you feel bad about yourself,” he whispered in her ear. “If you want me to, I’ll kick anyone’s ass who dares talk about you.”
She laughed. “I fear ye’d be doing nothing but fighting, then,” she said, making herself stand straighter and lift her chin. His words had reminded her that she was strong. “Ye can just obliterate Fearghas,” she replied. “That will do nicely for me.”
Before he could reply, Maggie, Shona, and Grace, along with his brother and uncle, descended on them. Maggie put her arm around Deirdre’s shoulders as Reikart was dragged off by his uncle and brother. Deirdre watched as they led him toward the circle that had formed around Fearghas, who was waiting to fight, his sword in hand. Her stomach plummeted. Reikart couldn’t fight with a sword and win! He’d only just started learning how to wield a blade.
“Deirdre, why on earth did ye swim naked in the river with Reikart?” Maggie somehow exclaimed in a hushed tone.
“Is that what Fearghas claimed?” Deirdre asked, incensed, as she followed Shona toward the outer edge of the circle, away from the thick of the crowd.
“Aye,” Maggie confirmed. “He burst into supper with his men and announced that they’d stumbled upon ye and Reikart frolicking naked and cavorting in sin in the river.”
Deirdre ground her teeth together. “He’s a despicable liar!”
“How disappointing,” Shona murmured, to Deirdre’s surprise. “I was so hoping this was part of your accidental-seduction plan.” Reikart’s mother stopped at the outer edge of the crowd, which was pushing and shoving to get a good place to see the fight. She turned toward Deirdre, eyebrows arched.
Deirdre’s cheeks heated, she cleared her throat, and she glanced around to ensure no one was listening. They were not. They were more concerned with the fight about to commence than the fallen woman. She glanced toward the inner circle where Reikart now stood. Dermot and Rhys were on either side of him, and Fearghas faced him with two of his loyal friends flanking him. She let out a breath of relief when Rhys relieved Fearghas of the sword. She didn’t know what he’d said to persuade Fearghas to fight with his fists, especially considering how Reikart had punched him so efficiently before, but she was glad to see Rhys had succeeded. Reikart had a much better chance of winning if his fists were his weapons.
“Deirdre?” Maggie prodded.
Deirdre focused on the three women surrounding her once more and pitched her voice low. “It had crossed my mind to possibly seduce him,” she admitted, the heat in her face growing scalding and spreading. “But not in the way ye are thinking. I intended to get to know him slowly and see if we even suited.”
Shona frowned at her. “Don’t try to tell me that ye are not attracted to my son.”
