Free The Fighter and the Fallen Woman by Pamela Cayne Page B

left. He was also watching both pairs of men.
    “No.” She turned back toward the ring.
    “I thought you bet on all of Mr. Adams’s men. You know, a guarantee and all.”
    “I wouldn’t call Shade a guarantee.” Lady let her eyes drift to the man they were discussing. He was listening to Mr. Adams with a fierce intensity, his eyes never leaving the older man’s face.
    “And I was?” Lady glanced at him again, but this time he was looking at her, his eyebrows raised with the question and one corner of his mouth curved up. Seeing this teasing side of King was not helping to quell her feelings.
    “No.” She turned back toward the ring. She was glad he couldn’t see her face because when he chuckled—very softly—she couldn’t help smiling. It felt nice.
    Lady glanced to her right. Mr. Collins’s tall form was retreating through the crowd. There was no blond shadow following him and Lady fought a small flutter of panic. She scanned the faces surrounding her until she spotted Jonathan.
    He was looking right at her from ten feet away.
    Lady was unable to see anything but his sharp cheekbones, pointed chin and gleeful smile, not wanting to know what made him so happy. King moved so he was standing beside her, and at the same time, Jonathan started toward them. She had the powerful urge to hide behind King and peek out from around his shoulders.
    “You must be Lady,” Jonathan said, stopping less than two feet away. She tried to tell herself that because there was such a crowd, it was simply impossible to talk and be heard unless you were right next to someone. “Please call me Jonathan. We didn’t get a chance to properly meet just now, so I wanted to introduce myself, I did. I’ve heard so much about you from Mr. Collins. And you, King. It’s simply grand to run into you, as well.”
    “Grand,” King echoed.
    “Jonathan.” She lowered her head in greeting. She kept her wrap held in both hands so she couldn’t be expected to greet him formally.
    “So, who do you think looks good tonight?” Jonathan smiled, and looked toward the ring and the fighters beyond it. “That Mac bloke from Scotland has some heft to him, but I don’t know if he has the instinct. And the wiry fellow missing half an ear, his should be an interesting match. I hear his last opponent is missing a full ear.” He laughed and looked at Lady again.
    “You’ve certainly been studying the other fighters,” she said. Most times she could read men, but this one was a black hole beneath the ice.
    “Not as much as I’ve been studying you, pretty bird.” His odd declaration disturbed Lady so much that she froze and could only watch as Jonathan reached out for her face.

Chapter Six
    Lady’s heart jumped into her throat, threatening to choke her, but before she could take a breath around it to scream, King stepped in front of her and grabbed Jonathan’s wrist, forcing it down to his side. Lady was suddenly looking at King’s shoulders and a hysterical laugh slipped out at the thought she’d ended up hiding behind him anyway. A small part of her noticed the Australian leaving, but the man standing in front of her, blocking her from harm, meant more to her. She found herself reaching for King’s shirt, her fingers already curling with the anticipation of grabbing on and never letting go. She leaned toward him, her eyes slowly sinking closed, and inhaled his wood-smoke-and-spice scent.
    King turned and Lady quickly pulled back. She opened her eyes to see King so close that if she had left her hand where it was, it would now be curled above his heart. He was staring at her, and Lady had the crazy urge to gently touch the side of his face, see if he would pop like a soap bubble and disappear, or scratch the skin off her hands, so tough was his exterior.
    “Are you all right?”
    “Hmm?” Lady’s breath came faster and she looked away before she couldn’t breathe at all.
    “Are you all right?” King grabbed Lady’s shoulders and