Free 11th Hour Rose by Melissa Lynne Blue

Together they shuffled awkwardly to the music. He ignored the interested stares cast their way by other couples and bystanders alike.
    One-two-three. One-two-three. Davy kept silent count in his head for the first few turns. He hadn’t danced in years.
    “Ouch!” Lilly jerked her left foot back.
    “Sorry,” Davy mumbled, concentrating less on the waltz tempo and more on avoiding her toes.
    “You’re a terrible dancer,” Lilly observed, scooting back a bit in his arms.
    Davy took a long step inward, pulling her sweet little frame right back in. “Never claimed to be anything but.” He curled her in nearer still, holding her much closer than he ought. She inhaled sharply, gaze snapping up to his, but did not attempt to pull away, and the intimate stance helped them settle into a more natural flow of steps. “I warned you to stay away from Brady,” he said sternly.
    Lilly rolled her eyes. “Because he may be a voracious killer? Don’t be absurd. He was hardly attempting to seduce me or lure me into a darkened alley.”
    “Seduction is not always obvious, Lilly. I happen to know something of men and their intentions.”
    “Oh?” Cool eyes flicked back to his. “And you deemed his intentions toward me to be less than honorable?”
    “Yes.”
    “Really?” Lilly scoffed, sarcasm thick in her tone. “You don’t even know what we were discussing.”
    “I don’t need to.”
    “Then what did Mr. Brady do to so offend you? Aside from politely ask me to dance?” Her eyes flashed pure fire against his, challenging him as few others dared.
    “Damn it, Lilly, must you fight me in everything?” Their gazes locked and his anger faltered. He drew in a slow breath, gaze traveling from her iridescent eyes down the soft curve of her cheek and throat, across her slender bared shoulders. A fat curl slid down her neck and rested against the milky skin exposed above her bodice. “All I want is to protect you. Why can’t you see that?”
    In a flash, the irritation melted from Lilly’s features. She softened in his arms, swaying into him fully. The ruffle over her breasts breezed against his chest and a hint of perfume wafted up from her hair. “You wish to protect me ?”
    Davy swallowed, suddenly disconcerted, his vision simultaneously clear and clouded. He could point out that it was his civic duty to worry over everyone, but, the truth was, he did worry over her, more so than anyone else, and it seemed a rather recent development. He gazed down into her wide, curious eyes and slid his fingers ever so slightly up her back, tracing the trail of buttons lining her spine. The sense of being completely at home settled over him once again. The sensation terrified him, and yet he could not tear himself away.
    She reminded him of autumn with hair the color of fall kissed leaves or golden apple butter. Her cheeks held the perfect hint of wind kissed pink even when there was no wind and her eyes… her eyes were like sparkling diamonds. His gaze dropped to the sensual curve of her mouth, round and red like an apple. Would she taste as crisply sweet? “Lilly,” he whispered, shifting closer, linking his elbow around her waist, pulling her against him. They scarcely shuffled to the music any longer. In that moment he wanted to discern once and for all just how this feisty woman would taste. “I—”
    “Excuse me, Marshal, but I think I’ll cut back in now.” Marcus stepped swiftly behind them, slinging an arm about Lilly’s waist attempting to yank her out of David’s arms.
    “Oh!” Lilly cried out in surprise, eyes wide.
    Davy tightened his hold on Lilly, folding her into his left side, angling her away from Marcus. “Stand down, Brady.”
    The other man’s eyes flashed possessively and Davy’s suspicion that something about Marcus was not right flared to new heights.
    Brady looked to Lilly, his expression disbelieving. “Are you going to tolerate this treatment?”
    For once Lilly did not immediately respond.