“No!” Luciana hit the corner, reaching out for her mother.
“What are you doing?” A gloved hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Dammit, woman! Are you so averse to marrying me that you’re trying to kill yourself?”
She gasped. What was the Lord Protector doing here?
Quickly he released her and stepped back. “Did I hurt you? Are you all right?”
“I—” Was she all right? Her arm was tingling where he’d touched her, but there was no pain. Her heart was pounding, she could hardly breathe, and there was a strange fluttering sensation in her stomach, but unfortunately she always felt that way whenever she saw this man.
By the goddesses, he looked so handsome. The light from the twin moons made the angles of his face seem sharper. His eyes appeared a darker green, and the stubble along his jaw more ruggedly masculine. The sea breeze had tousled his dark-red curls, making him look so adorable she longed to touch him.
But she couldn’t. With a wince, she realized that was something she could never do.
“Dammit,” he muttered. “I shocked you, didn’t I?”
“No, I—” Goddesses help her, how long had she been silently gawking at him? With a twinge of embarrassment, she ducked her head. Oh, no, her nightgown! With another gasp, she quickly gathered her cloak around her.
He leaned toward her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
No, I’m mortified. “I’m perfectly fine. I should go back to my room now.”
“You didn’t feel anything at all when I touched you?”
Her cheeks flamed with heat.
“My lord.” A voice spoke behind her, and she glanced back to see two guards.
“Leave us be,” the Lord Protector ordered.
They bowed, then retreated to the tower. Clutching her cloak tightly around her, she started to follow them.
“Wait.” The Lord Protector caught up with her. “We need to talk.”
“I should go. I’m not properly dressed.”
“I like the way you’re dressed.”
With a groan, she hunched her shoulders, huddling deeper into her cloak.
“Are you cold?” He removed his heavier black cape and draped it around her shoulders. Holding the edges, he tugged her closer to him. “Now answer my question.”
He’d trapped her. How dare he retain her against her will? Irritation flared inside her, but the fluttering in her stomach also increased. She’d never been this close to him before.
His hands fisted in the cloak. “Is it true? You would rather hurl yourself over the wall than marry me?”
He thought she was suicidal? Her irritation grew. “Of course not! Like you said before, we have no choice in the matter. So I have mentally prepared myself to go through with the ordeal.”
His mouth thinned. “How noble of you.”
“And what about you? Are you tempted to fall on a sword?”
He snorted. “Unlike you, I’m looking forward to the ordeal.” He leaned closer. “And I’ll be praying for a drought.”
Her heart lurched. He wanted to marry her? And what did a drought have to do with them?
“I have another question.” He gave her a wry look. “Actually I have many questions. Why did you leave your room? Why were you running at the wall?”
By the goddesses, how could she explain that? “I … wanted some fresh air.”
“Try again.”
She glanced down at his gloved hands, which still clutched the edges of his cloak and kept her trapped. How could she get free? Could she use his fear against him? She reached her hand toward the white shirt that covered his broad chest.
“No!” He jumped back, releasing her. “Don’t do that. It’s too dangerous.”
“Nothing happened before when you grabbed me.”
“There were several layers of insulation. My gloves, your cloak and nightgown.” His mouth twitched. “Although your nightgown hardly counts as a layer.”
Her cheeks burned with heat.
“I can never be sure how a person will react,” he continued. “Especially when my power is this high. Even with my gloves on, my touch has caused some people to faint.” His eyes glinted with humor. “Apparently, you’re rather insensitive.”
The rascal, now he’d asked for it. She lunged toward him, pretending she was going to poke him.
“Dammit, woman!” He leaped back.
She smiled to herself as she folded her arms across her chest. He wouldn’t dare come near her now.
With a snort, he leaned against the wall. “You’re too damned clever.”
“I thought you liked that about me.”
His mouth curled into a lopsided smile. “I do. So why did you run at the wall?”
“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be hunting down the assassins?”
His smile widened. “Another counterattack. Are you sure you’re not a warrior?” He folded his arms, mimicking her stance. “Your father gave me permission to move into the southern tower. So now we’re neighbors. And I can keep an eye on you to make sure you’re safe.”
She glanced at the tower behind him. It was the tallest tower along the curtain wall with an added turret on top. From there, he would have an excellent view of the sea and the entire fortress.
“As for the assassins,” he continued, “I’m working on it.”
“How?”