Chapter 21 Quinn #2
It was so Taran to wear a sexy fucking dress like that with what were essentially biker boots.
She’d worn her hair up in a high ponytail and as she took her position on the floor, not looking at me, she appeared so young I was thrown back nineteen years.
Heart in my throat, I stood at her left side and put my right hand over her shoulder as she reached up to take it with her right.
“You look beautiful.”
Those dark eyes flicked to me and heat rolled through my body even at the annoyance in them. “Did it occur to you that maybe I don’t want to dance with you, Quinn?”
My fingers tightened around hers. “You could have said no.”
“And make a scene?” A flush crested high on her cheeks. “Goodness, I don’t even remember how to do the Gay Gordons.”
“It’ll come back to you. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” I reached for her left hand as everyone else got into position. “Three steps forward and then we turn.”
Taran nodded, looking adamantly ahead as we launched into the dance with everyone.
“Back four steps,” I instructed.
She stumbled a bit, but I kept her upright and she threw me a semi-grateful, semi-irritated, tight-lipped smile.
When it came time for the spin, it seemed Taran’s memory had kicked in.
I spun her and then she hesitated ever so slightly before I took her into ballroom hold.
I pulled her a little tighter to my body than necessary, desire quickening my blood at the feel of her curves.
The flush on her cheeks deepened as we polka-danced around the hall, our bodies sliding against each other with the skip spinning.
By the time we were back into starting position, Taran was visibly flustered, which was exactly the way I wanted her. On the second polka, I couldn’t help my grin, and she rolled her eyes as if I were a naughty schoolboy.
To my delight, my dance partner was laughing and enjoying herself with the rest of the dancers as the music finally came to an end—partly because her ponytail had smacked me in the face a few times during the movement and she’d found it hilarious.
Reluctantly, I released Taran to clap for the band, but I couldn’t tear my eyes off her.
“May I have the next dance?” Some bloke suddenly appeared at our side, attention fixed hotly on Taran.
“Uh …” Taran was surprised, like she didn’t know she was the most beautiful woman in the room.
“I won the caber toss.” The big guy announced with a puff of his chest. “Dylan McCloud.”
“Of course she’ll dance with one of our winners.” Aodhan Macduff appeared out of nowhere like the interfering bastard he was. He gently shoved Taran toward McCloud. “And it’s the St. Bernard’s Waltz next.”
Fuck.
Taran nodded with a pained smile. “Of course.”
Throwing Aodhan a look that could kill, I stalked back to the table to find Murray and London sitting across from each other, not talking, just watching the dancing. There was a strange tension at the table.
Murray frowned. “Who is the big guy?”
“The fucker who won the caber toss.”
I slumped down into the seat next to my friend to watch on sullenly as Dylan McCloud pulled Taran against him for the waltz.
Every time they lifted into tiptoe and down again, my teeth gnashed together as their bodies met.
“Do you think anyone would find it weird if this guy ended up unconscious under a caber tonight?”
A snort of laughter from across the table drew both mine and Murray’s gaze.
London shook her head as if I was an idiot and then she pushed up from the table, disappearing into the crowds around the bar. As I turned, I nudged Murray. “Please tell me you asked the lass to dance and didn’t leave her sitting there.”
The fisherman grimaced. “Aye, I asked her to dance. She said no. She also said no to three other men who approached and asked her. When the fourth approached, she looked ready to sink under the table, so I told him to fuck off before he even said a word.”
“Bit of a mystery, that one,” I murmured.
“Is she?” Murray flicked a look toward the bar, something serious and grim in his expression.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Anyway, shouldn’t you be cutting in?” He gestured toward Taran and caber boy.
“You cannae cut into the St. Bernard’s Waltz.”
“You can if you mean business.”
“In front of everybody?”
“Fuck everybody. You want her, don’t you?” Murray glowered at me.
“Quite bloody right.” I slapped him on the shoulder, bolstering myself as I pushed up out of the chair. I marched through the dancers, approaching the couple I’d laser-focused on. Tapping caber boy on the shoulder, I announced, “I’m cutting in.”
I heard Taran suck in a breath as McCloud turned, took one look at my expression, and nodded quickly. “Aye, of course.” He was off the dance floor in a blink as I pulled a shocked Taran into my arms and found the steps to the dance.
“A big man like that scared of little auld me,” I tutted.
“You were looking at him like you were about to shove a caber through him. I can’t believe you did that,” she seethed between her teeth.
“We need to talk,” I reminded her.
“So, you thought rudely cutting in would facilitate that? Everyone is looking at us, Quinn.”
“I don’t give a fuck.” I stopped dancing and bent my head to hers. Her breath caught. “I can’t go another day like this.”
Another couple bumped into us, and I muttered a curse under my breath, tightening my hold on Taran’s hand as I tugged her off the dance floor. Thankfully, she didn’t stop me as I looked straight ahead, ignored the muttering of local gossips, and guided Taran out of the main hall.
Once we were alone, she pulled her hand out of mine. “Have you lost your mind, Quinn?”
“I feel like I might be. Please, Taran. I’m just asking you to hear my side of things.”
“There you go again … pushing what you want onto us!” she cried.
“I’ve tried to give you what you want and need for over a year, Taran. And you gutted me in that lifeboat station. Fucking gutted me.” Emotion made my throat raspy. “I think what I have to say will help.”
Her shoulders slumped with seeming exhaustion and guilt scored across my chest. “I know you think that, Quinn. I know you really believe it. But I know how broken I was when you chose Kiera. You don’t. I don’t think there’s anything you can say that will help.”