Page 39 of The Truth Serum
Then Becca proved just how naïve she was as she treated the inebriated baron just as she would a stubborn child.
“That’s wonderful, Baron. You are a good boy. Now let’s put on your shirt and we’ll find you a cherry tart, hmm?”
Oh bloody hell. No man liked being talked to as if he were a child, and the baron was pricklier than most. Nate guessed he was a second or so away from becoming violent. But how could he stop it from his position? There were people between him and the scene, and…
Wait a moment. He knew that shadow ahead of him. He knew the size and shape of the person skulking in the shadows just ahead. It was Fletcher! And he was watching!
Nate didn’t waste time. Any so-called chaperone who stood around while a man disrobed in front of his sister deserved what was coming.
He moved quickly, alarm flooding him when he heard the baron’s bellow.
“I own you!” That was quickly followed with an alarmed scream from Becca.
Nate couldn’t see what had happened. He was too busy ramming his shoulder straight into Fletcher’s back. The man surged forward. Indeed, he had no choice. And he landed exactly where Nate had aimed.
Right on top of the baron. Except that in his flailing, Fletcher also hit Becca. All three went down in a tumble of limbs.
That wasn’t exactly what Nate had planned, but either way, he was prepared. He quickly stepped forward and gathered Becca into his arms. God, it was good to touch her again. And then he bodily pulled her out of the pile.
Unfortunately, that made everything worse.
Chapter Twelve
Rebecca hadn’t anybreath to scream when a heavy weight landed on her. Had the baron toppled? Was it something else? She hadn’t the time to process it as strong arms grabbed hold of her.
Thank God! Someone was helping her escape this terrible pile. She latched onto whomever’s arms, using his strength—she thought it was a man—to twist and kick her way free. But there was a complication. The baron still had her hair gripped hard in his fist.
“Damn it, let go!” she cried.
“Get off me!” bellowed someone else.
Fletcher? Was he the newcomer to this scene? Whomever it was, he was equally anxious to escape. And the sounds he made confirmed his identity. She would recognize Fletcher’s gasps of outrage anywhere. And the telltale sound of her gown ripping.
What a disaster!
But she couldn’t deal with her dress until the baron released his grip on her hair.
Then she saw a gloved hand reached around her to grip the baron’s hand, forcing it downward at the wrist until his fist opened. He released her hair!
Fantastic. She’d managed to get her feet under her and so was able to pull her head back, though she lost several strands of hair in the process. Either way, she could stand tall and deal withthis social disaster. Assuming, of course, her dress was partially intact.
Meanwhile, Fletcher also gained his feet and was spouting the usual outrage.
She heard, “How dare you!” Then “I cannot believe…” something she didn’t understand. And the ever annoying, “I demand an explanation!”
She ignored Fletcher, her attention split in two different directions. The first was on the baron, who had flopped onto his back, chest exposed to the moon. He was roaring like a stuck bear. Except he didn’t seem unhappy. He sounded like he was enjoying the sound. And who wouldn’t prefer such a thing over Fletcher’s indignation?
The other part of her attention—the larger part—centered on the man behind her. The one who had pulled her from the pile and had forced the baron to release her. She felt the strength in his body as he cradled her, the heat from his chest on her back, and the angry huff of air as Fletcher pointed at him.
“You!” Fletcher hissed. “What have you done?”
He’d saved her from something a great deal worse than a torn dress. Andhewas Lord Nathaniel. His hands were larger than she remembered, and his body had more heft than when they were teenagers. But there was no change in the way he surrounded her, near enough to support her without restraining her.
He was the only man who’d ever made her feel protected without making her feel caged. And she turned to smile up at him in thanks.
“Are you all right?” Nate asked her.
“Yes,” she said in the pause between roars as the baron drew breath.
