Free If You Dare by Kresley Cole Page B

other.”
    Liam drank his glass in one gulp. “So where’s this cast-making lass?”
    â€œShe’ll be in her room.” He surveyed his men, trying to imagine what she’d think of them, and added, “Most likely for the night.”
    Liam got a sly look on his face. “You tire her out so much that she canna leave her bed?”
    He scrubbed a hand over his mouth and couldn’t help saying, “I wish.”
    Niall raised his eyebrows. “A lass Court MacCarrick canna have? That breed does no’ exist.”
    He exhaled loudly. “It does in the Andorran mountains.”
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    They’d simply taken over the house, ransacking the wine cellar, flipping through books, pilfering a stash of tobacco, and Court suspected they’d already cleaned out the larder. Two hours and over a dozen bottles of wine between them later, Court was discovering that the stone of weight he’d lost ensured he was drunker than usual.
    He’d just pushed aside his last glass when he heard the front door groan open. “I’ll be back,” he said, his words just shy of slurred as he dashed out of his chair.
    He caught up with Annalía on the path and took her shoulder. “Where do you think you’re going?”
    â€œTo sleep elsewhere.” She flung her shoulder back to break his grip.
    â€œNo, I doona believe you will,” he drawled, finally releasing her.
    â€œYou think to order me in my own home?”
    He said easily, “Aye.”
    She smoothed her hair. She’d put it up again, but it was looser. He suspected she still might be drunk.
    â€œIt’s one thing to remain in a house with an incapacitated patient,” she said, with her accent thicker than he’d ever heard it. “It’s quite another to be an unmarried young woman staying with a gang of mercenaries.”
    â€œAh, Annalía, you have no’ even met them.” Suddenly, he wanted them to see her, to understand what he’d been tempted with. He took her arm.
    â€œWhat are you doing? MacCarrick?”
    He hated that he liked hearing her say his name. She’d whispered it in his ear while testing her wiles on him—wiles that infuriated him because he knew if she’d had any experience . . .
    He swung her inside and into the parlor, announcing, “And this would be the lady of the house. Lady Annalía Llorente.”
    The men rose and her eyes widened at their size even as their eyes narrowed at her. When Court moved to sit and watch, they advanced on her until she backed to the wall.
    â€œâ€Šâ€˜Bonny’ was a bit of an understatement, then?” Niall said over his shoulder.
    Court shrugged and retrieved his glass.
    As Gavin introduced himself, he took her hand and kissed it. Court could see he was rubbing her skin with his thumb, and he wondered why that raised his hackles and why he now regretted showing her off. Gavin told the others in Gaelic that they had to feel her hands.
    They did so, one at a time, introducing themselves, with Liam exclaiming, “You have yourself some wee, soft hands.”
    Niall alone didn’t touch her. Probably because he’d determined exactly what Court was thinking.
    Their petting seemed to put her in a panic, but her reaction to the men didn’t surprise him. They were all huge and scarred. Fergus was missing fingers and MacTiernay was taller than all of them and had only one eye. She’d been intimidated by Court, too, but she’d still initiated a kiss. Whatever she wanted of him, she wanted it very badly indeed.
    â€œLady Annalía, thank you for allowing us to stay here,” Niall said.
    â€œShe didn’t,” Court informed them. “She wants all of us gone.”
    She put her chin up. “Mr. MacCarrick, my first priority is to the people of this place. Even if you are not allied with Pascal any longer, your presence still jeopardizes