Arthur’s heart pounded as he stepped forward. Marissa must have caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye because she stopped mid-spin.
She swayed a little on her feet, likely dizzy from all the twirling and the dancing. But the smile did not fade from her face.
She locked eyes with him, and he felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Marissa grinned at him as he made his way toward her.
Christ, she is bonnie.
Her nephew and sister noticed that she had stopped moving, the two of them sharing a confused look before following her gaze. As they realized where she was looking, Cody’s eyebrows dipped, but Abigail grinned.
Cody leaned in and said something in Marissa’s ear, but she only shook her head.
He willnae stop me from dancin’ with her. I dare the lad to try.
Thankfully, though, it did not come to that. As Arthur approached, Marissa said something to her nephew, and he blessedly didn’t argue with her. He simply took a step back and stood shoulder to shoulder with Abigail, the three of them watching every move that Arthur made.
“Fancy seein’ ye out on the dance floor,” Marissa called when Arthur was within earshot.
There was a teasing gleam in her soft brown eyes, one that made him want to pull her close. He wanted to know how it would feel to have her body melded to his. He wanted to know how it would feel to experience the way she moved.
“It’s me turn now, lad,” Arthur said, giving Cody a pointed look.
The young man didn’t argue. Not that Arthur would have given him the option to. Instead, he simply wrapped his arm around Marissa’s waist, reveling in the warmth of her as he tucked her into his side.
She seemed hesitant as he began guiding her through the crowd. He wanted to get her to a more secluded part of the dance floor, away from the center, where she, Cody, and Abigail had been dancing.
Arthur glanced at her, surprised to see a stubborn look on her face.
“So, are ye just assumin’ I’ll dance with ye?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “Or are ye actually goin’ to ask?”
A cocky smirk tugged up the corner of his mouth. “Why would I ask when I already ken the answer, wee kitten?” He tugged on her hand, trying to lead her toward the spot he’d been eyeing. “Now, let’s go. We’ve got dancin’ to do.”
CHAPTER NINE
“Where are ye takin’ me?” Marissa protested, trying to yank her hand from his grip.
She didn’t want him to stop, not really. While she had been dancing with Cody and Abigail, she had been hoping that he would come and whisk her away. But she still didn’t want him to think she was the type of girl who would give in too easily.
“Wherever I want to take ye,” Arthur grunted, his words barely carrying over the din of the crowd.
She opened her mouth to protest again, wanting nothing more than to dance with her betrothed. But as soon as she knew what she wanted to say, he stopped.
People still moved and twirled all around them. Women and men locked in one another’s embrace, or some dancing on their own as they bounced on their toes and kicked to the music.
Arthur held out his arms, one high in the air and one bent, but the movement was stilted. So far, Marissa had found him to be a rather forceful presence. Each of his movements, no matter how small, seemed to be filled with confidence.
This, however, was not. He held his head up high, ignoring the fact that the frame he was offering her was so horrendous.
There was no doubt in her mind that a man like Arthur would take great offense if she pointed it out, though. And she wanted to dance with him regardless. So, she stepped into the circle of his arms.
Immediately, the warmth of his touch washed over her.
Marissa blinked up at him. “I suppose we should dance now,” she said, her voice coming out much huskier than she had intended.
All night as she had been dancing, she had wondered what it would feel like to have his body moving alongside hers. And now that she was so close to finally finding out, chills raced along her skin.
There was a moment where they both looked at each other, both knowing what was about to come next. Arthur grabbed Marissa’s hand, raising it in the air. It was the traditional marker of the start of the dance.
Her heart was stuck in her throat, her breath coming in quick gasps as she readied herself.
