Callie turned her attention to the loaf she was shaping. Images of Sin whirled through her mind. His kindness with Jamie, his stubbornness with Draven. She remembered the way he felt in her arms, holding her. The way his hard muscles felt underneath her hands.
His lips on hers.
Most of all, she remembered the way he looked the first time she had been nice to him. The shocked disbelief in his eyes.
“He’s a good man in need of someone to love him, I think.”
Morna stepped away to put her loaves in the oven. “Well, I will do whatever I can to help. I’ll even take a stick to Aster’s backside if needs be.”
Callie laughed at that. She’d love to witness the event.
Excusing herself from Morna, Callie put her loaves in, wiped her hands off, then went out into the great hall where the pantry was located. She remembered Sin liking the cinnamon bread he had purchased for Jamie in London and wanted to surprise him with some tonight.
She paused as she entered the room.
To her instant dismay, there was a group of men milling around Aster. At least a score of them. They spoke in low tones and it was what they were talking about that scared her most.
“We don’t want no English devil in our midst. I say we send him back in pieces.”
Callie saw red.
“David MacDaniel,” she said, striding across the room to stand in front of the big, burly brunette who had spoken those words. He stood even in height to her and wore a red and black plaid. He was handsome enough, but too bullish for her tastes. Not that it mattered. She just pitied his poor wife for having to deal with his mulish ways.
Callie put her hands on her hips and gave him a chiding glare. “I can’t believe you’d say such a thing about my husband.”
He refused to back down. “Why? It’s the truth. If there’s one Sassenach here, then there will be more sent. How long do you think it’ll be before Henry overruns us?”
“Let’s make an example of him! Show the English what we do when they dare?—”
“Why don’t you do that?”
Silence descended instantly.
Callie turned to see Sin walking slowly down the stairs. He moved like a dangerous black lion. His shoulders were thrown back, his gait one of deadly precision. His black gaze swept the men with a steely glint that made several of them gulp audibly.
They stepped back, allowing Sin to approach the center of the group. An aura of power clung to him and sent a shiver over her.
Again she was struck by how little this lethal knight reminded her of the playful man who had teased her in the courtyard in London. When Sin wore his warrior’s cloak, he was truly something to behold and yet she missed the more playful side of him. The side of him that could make her laugh and was full of tenderness.
But both sides of him made her quiver with desire.
He swept the men surrounding him with a cool, measuring glance. “You want me out of here? Pick twelve of your best and meet me outside in three minutes. If I win, all of you will do as I say... and if you win, I’ll go home.”
David snorted. “What kind of fools do you take us for? We know better than to trust the word of an Englishman.”
A taunting, evil smile hovered at the edges of Sin’s lips as he moved to stand before David. “What? Are you afraid you can’t beat me?”
A roar went through the men.
“Those who are willing to try, meet me outside.” Sin strode casually from the hall, out the door.
Callie ran after him, her heart pounding in fear.
Twelve men against him? It was ludicrous! They would pound him into gravel.
Outside the door, on the stoop, she took his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Are you insane? They will mangle you.”
An amused gleam came into his dark eyes as he reached one hand up to cup her cheek. “Nay, mon ange, they won’t do anything more than hurt themselves by trying.”
