Free The Pursuit by Johanna Lindsey

this young lady. And she was already attached. The man she was with was exceptionally handsome and held himself with a regal air. The way they addressed each other,though he couldn’t hear the actual words, suggested an intimacy beyond their just having met. She’d also been left with the fellow by her dancing partner, which implied she’d been collected from him, so he was her escort.
    Well, her father had said she’d be coming home affianced, and apparently, she’d wasted no time at all in accomplishing that. Of course, the chap was too young for her. No, he wasn’t too young, he was probably her age, making Lincoln suddenly feel old.
    Lincoln turned to leave. He missed seeing her stricken look as he did so.
    But he got no more than a few feet when an arm came about his shoulders to detain him and an angry male voice whispered at his side, “I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but what you just did to Meli makes me want to rip your head off.”
    “Excuse me?” Lincoln said coldly as he shrugged off the arm.
    “The hell I will. Why’d you just cut her to the quick, eh? And if you tell me you’ve no interest in her, I’ll call you a bloody liar and blind to boot.”
    Lincoln frowned. “You haven’t already staked a claim on her?”
    “Gad, that’s rich.” The young man snorted. “And what if I had? That means you must bow out of the running? Damned if I’d give up so easily.”
    “I wasn’t giving up, I was merely licking present wounds,” Lincoln said stiffly.
    Justin grinned at that point. “Were you, now? Well, that’s different and acceptable, I suppose. Shall we start anew? I’m Justin St. James, quite possibly Meli’s best friend. That, by the by, is the only claim I have on the dear girl. I love her, true, but just like I do my own pesky sisters. Now, perhaps you’d like to meet her?”
    “We’ve met,” Lincoln mumbled, rather embarrassed now over his mistaken conclusions.
    “Then perhaps you’d like to dance with her where you can discuss…wounds in semiprivacy,” Justin said with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Though you’d best be quick about asking, before my mother returns and puts you to the grill—credentials and all that. Could take hours before she’s satisfied you’ll do.”
    “And what makes you think I’ll…do?” Lincoln asked sardonically.
    “You could be a beggar for all I care. Meli likes you—that’s the only thing I see that matters.”
    Meli likes you. Such simple words to cause such a stir of emotions. She was standing there watching them. She’d schooled her features, was giving away no clue to what she was thinking. He wasn’t so adept at the moment, was flushed, even nervous, which was really very odd, since he was usually quite assured where women were concerned. Perhaps the difference was that none of the others had mattered the least bit to him. But this one did.
    She’d caused him a great many unpleasant emotions the last couple weeks. But only becausehe’d had no access to her. He had access now— if she’d talk to him after he’d “cut her to the quick.” He hadn’t meant to do that, hadn’t thought his departure would affect her, had mistakenly thought she’d already committed herself to someone else.
    He nodded to the young man beside him and approached her. She didn’t turn away as he’d done. She waited for him to reach her. She even offered a tentative smile, more encouragement than he deserved at the moment.
    “We meet again, Melissa MacGregor.”
    Her smile got several degrees brighter, though all she said was “Aye.”
    “Is your next dance taken?”
    “It was reserved for Justin, no’ tae dance, but tae give me a chance tae catch m’breath. But I’ve done that, mind you, and would be happy tae take tae the floor wi’ you—that is, if you’re asking.”
    “I’m asking.”
    The last song had ended, and a new waltz was just beginning. Lincoln wasted no time in leading her onto the dance floor, before her