Page 63 of Wedded to the Scottish Duke

Was she in my imagination?

Yet, she certainly hadn’t been conjured up by his mind. She stood there in the middle of the seating, her hands now over her mouth as she watched in…

Fear? Is she worried for me?

The Bear thrashed around like a fish on land for a second before he moved to stand again.

“You’re done,” he spat at Keith. “No more playing.”

“As ye wish.” Keith waited, his stance wide and his hands raised high.

The Bear came at him, but this time, Keith was determined not to be distracted by Celia’s presence. If he didn’t concentrate, he could indeed find himself on the platform after such a hit to his head that he’d struggle to wake up again.

As the Bear lunged forward, Keith blocked the first hit, then the second. He kicked out and stomped on the Bear’s foot. The man stumbled forward, just enough to expose his face. Keith brought up his fist against the man’s jaw.

There was a loud crack as an almighty roar of pain escaped the Bear. He stumbled backward, his arms flailing like the sails of a windmill, before he hit the platform with a loud thud.

His jaw was cracked as he clutched his face madly, trying to fix it with his bare hands.

“Something tells me he won’t be getting back up,” Keith remarked to the ringleader, who stepped into the ring in amazement, his jaw so slack that it could have been broken too.

Then the ringleader laughed, an almighty bellow.

“It seems we have a new champion.” He took hold of Keith’s wrist and raised it high. “The Duke of Hardbridge!”

Great cheers and catcalls went up from the crowd. Many people were disappointed they were not going to get their money back, having bet on the wrong man, but there were also plenty who were utterly delighted they had bet on the right one.

A quick glance toward the other dukes showed Keith that Xander, Aaron, and Philip had all bet on the right man. Xander was collecting the money as Philip cheered and Aaron clapped.

Keith moved toward the edge of the ring, intending to step down, for his gaze kept drifting back to one person in the crowd.

She’s gone.

He jumped down from the side of the ring.

I have to find her.

“Well done!” Philip called and clapped him on the back as he landed on his feet. “In all my days, I don’t think I’ve seen anything half so impressive as that.”

“Damn, I should have bet more money on you.” Xander chuckled as Aaron nodded in agreement.

“Did ye see…?” Keith trailed off. He had seen her again.

Celia was trying to elbow her way through the crowd toward him. Her auburn hair was wild about her ears, her face flushed red. It reminded him of how she had looked beneath him in that dressing room. That pinkness was intoxicating. He had to fight the excitement coiling in his belly. He could not grow hard now when so many eyes were on him.

This was not the way this night was supposed to go. This should have been a distraction from her. It shouldn’t have delivered her to me.

“Your waistcoat.” Aaron passed it back to him.

“Thanks.”

Keith threw the waistcoat over his shoulders but didn’t bother with anything else. He was too busy walking away, trying to reach Celia in the crowd too. They stopped about a foot apart from one another, though it was rather difficult to come face to face, as many people kept trying to get in the way to congratulate him.

“What the hell are ye doing here, lass?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Celia couldn’t stop staring at the Duke of Hardbridge. He was still covered in a thin sheen of sweat from the fight.

She supposed she should have been horrified. Even Miriam had been stunned at the power with which he had fought in the ring. However, while Miriam had found it rather terrifying, Celia had only found it exhilarating.