Page 2 of The Icy Highlander's Bride
"There!"
The call drew his attention, a clear and insistent voice that rang above all the chatter around him. He looked up and there, standing a few feet away from him, was the beautiful, curvy woman he had seen earlier. From this distance, she was even more gorgeous. Her blonde hair hung in ringlets around her face, and her eyes were a piercing blue that made him think of winter.
As Daniel took in her beauty, he realized she was pointing directly at him. The very gesture was shocking enough to pull him to his feet. He stood up as the woman approached him, her face flushed. He had no idea why she was pointing at him, drawing attention to him. And it made him angry to see the people around them staring and taking notice.
The woman was practically running toward him, and he could do nothing but wait for her. He scowled at her, trying to show her how little he wanted to be called out, but she didn't notice. Or she didn't care. Instead, she barreled forward, saying the most shocking words he could have imagined.
"Me love, I've been lookin' everywhere for ye."
What are ye thinking, picking the scariest looking man in the room?
Lana forced a smile on her face as her heart beat hard in her chest. The terrifying man with the eyepatch was glaring at her, clearly upset to have been called out from the shadows.He looked angry, as if he wanted to yell and speak words that weren't meant for a lady's ears.
And yet Lana couldn't run away. Because even though she was terrified to be standing in front of this tall, muscular man and calling him her "love," the alternative was even worse. She couldn't bear the attention of the old, drunken Laird Cullen for another second.
It took Laird Cullen twice as long to cross the room, huffing his way through the crowds as he followed her. Lana felt her stomach churn in fear as he continued his slow approach.
"Please," she whispered, staring up at the man with the eyepatch. "Please, daenae contradict me, Sir. I'll do anythin' in return."
The man looked at her, and the deep crease between his eyebrows seemed to soften. It was clear Lana's words had surprised him, and they were now sinking in. She saw him glance across the room at the older man and then back at her, perhaps trying to piece together what was happening.
Lana offered a silent prayer to anyone who would listen.
Please.Please let him play along.
"I promise, Sir," she repeated. "Whatever ye require."
Lana knew she was putting herself in a risky situation. Choosing the scariest man in the room and declaring him her betrothed was definitely not the smartest thing she had done in her life. But she needed someone who looked powerful, someone her unwanted suitor wouldn't question.
And in order to say no to a mediocre laird, she needed to choose an even more powerful one. Of all the men in the room, this brooding man with the eyepatch was her best bet for a powerful laird.
Laird Cullen was finally in front of her, eyeing up the tall man. He looked tiny compared to the scary man, who still stood silent next to her, despite her plea.
"Looks like yer betrothed dinnae recognize ye, lassie," Laird Cullen slurred, reeking of alcohol. He reached out for her waist, forcefully pulling her hip against his side. "Did ye think ye'd get rid of me so easily?"
Lana tried to pull away from Laird Cullen's grip, but he held her fast, making her breaths come in quick bursts as panic rose in her chest.
"Let go of me, Me Laird," she said, trying her best to remain polite as the man's fingers dug into her waist.
She tried to pull away again, wanting nothing more than to put her hands firmly on the man's chest and shove him away. But she knew that would bring even more trouble.
Suddenly, Laird Cullen cried out, and she found herself free from his grip. Then he was rising, first onto his toes and then clear off the ground as the tall man with the eyepatch lifted him into the air. Lana blinked to see how easily the man could lift another person with one hand.
"I… I apologize, Sir. I dinnae ken."
Lana pressed her lips together to hold back the smirk that threatened to spread across her face. Laird Cullen had become a scared little boy, desperate to say whatever he could to get himself out of the arms of the warrior who currently held him aloft.
"Do ye want me to chop off his hand for touchin' ye?"
It took Lana a moment to realize the mysterious man was speaking to her. She looked up, trying to catch a hint of humor on his face, but there was nothing there. It was impossible to know if he was joking with her.
"I said, do ye want me to chop off his hand?" The mysterious man lowered Laird Cullen to the ground, but any relief Laird Cullen felt to have his feet on solid earth quickly evaporated when the man pulled his sword from its sheath.
Lana could hardly breathe as the man grabbed Laird Cullen's hand, holding tight to his wrist as the old man tried to squirm out of the warrior's grip. Only then, when Lana should have stopped the man to save Laird Cullen's groping hands, did she realize how handsome he was.
This man was tall, with muscles she could see through his shirt. She had never met someone so readily identifiable as a seasoned warrior. His skin was tanned from hours in the sun, and his hair seemed to have a life of its own, falling over his eye as he glared at Laird Cullen. Even the eyepatch was intriguing, a mystery Lana was desperate to solve.
The man with the eyepatch raised his sword above Laird Cullen's arm, and Lana heard gasps from the crowd around her. It was enough to jolt her out of her reverie, and she reached out to put her hand on the man's strong arm.
