It was almost a relief to be enveloped in the noise and exuberance of the party downstairs, where she headed straight for the top table and Lizzie.
‘Wow—you look amazing,’ Lizzie exclaimed, standing up to greet her. ‘I’m glad I picked that dress—it really suits you. Are you okay now?’ Lizzie added in a quieter tone, and then she saw the bruises. ‘Oh, Danny! Your poor face!’
‘Is it an improvement?’ Danny touched her cheek gingerly.
‘Don’t joke about it. It isn’t funny,’ Lizzie insisted. ‘Pintos is a monster. Thank God he’s locked away.’
‘Let’s not speak about him again, okay?’ Danny put her arm around Lizzie’s shoulder. ‘I don’t want anything to spoil your wedding day.’
Lizzie ignored the warning. They were both too stubborn to be curbed so easily, Danny supposed.
‘I’m just so relieved that Tiago was there to save you,’ Lizzie exclaimed, glancing round to look for the man in question. ‘Maybe he’s not as bad as they say?’
‘He’s every bit as bad,’ Danny argued as she stared at Tiago, who was talking to the groom.
‘I can’t imagine how Pintos crashed the wedding,’ Lizzie went on with concern. ‘He certainly wasn’t on my guest list. Chico said he must have been playing polo somewhere in the British Isles and made that his excuse to come to Scotland to cause trouble for you. And the security people let us down. But there’ll be no more mistakes, and Pintos won’t do anything like that again.’ Lizzie’s face softened as she stared at Danny and shook her head. ‘I feel so guilty about this.’
‘Don’t,’ Danny said firmly. ‘Pintos is evil, and I’m glad we’re all rid of him.’
Lizzie smiled with relief. ‘Thank you for coming back to the party. That took a lot of courage, Danny. I was so worried about you.’
‘You don’t need to worry about me. I can look after myself.’
‘But we’ve always looked after each other in the past, haven’t we? And I wasn’t there for you this time.’
‘Lizzie,’ Danny said in a mock-stern voice. ‘This is your wedding day.’
‘And you don’t have to put on a front for me, Danny Cameron.’
‘I’m not putting on a front. I’m letting this go. I won’t allow Carlos Pintos to colour my life, or my thinking, or anything I do.’
‘And he won’t.’ Lizzie gave her a hug. ‘But I think there’s another man who would like to...’
‘Only because you’re staring at Tiago. He thinks we’re talking about him,’ Danny pointed out, tensing as Tiago started heading their way.
She shivered as his shadow fell over them, and then was instantly annoyed with herself for reacting at all.
Tiago made a gracious bow to the bride, and then said, ‘Excuse us, Lizzie. Shall we dance?’
Danny almost looked over her shoulder, to see who he was talking to. ‘Me?’
‘Of course you,’ he said.
How could she refuse when Tiago was giving her a look she couldn’t misinterpret—a look she had to act on immediately? Chico was hovering, and she had taken up quite enough of the bride’s time.
Why make a fuss? she concluded. This was a party. It was no big deal if she had one dance with Tiago Santos.
‘Seems I have to thank you again,’ she said.
‘Why?’ He was frowning.
She couldn’t speak for a moment as Tiago drew her into his arms, swamping her with many emotions, chief amongst which was an intense awareness of him. This was more than she had expected to experience in one night. He was so much more. It was hard to breathe, or to register anything beyond Tiago’s masculinity, and it took all she’d got to concentrate long enough to answer him.
‘I’m glad you teased me away from Lizzie. I guess old habits die hard. We’ve practically been welded to each other since we were children.’
‘And then Chico came along?’ he guessed.
‘That’s right,’ she admitted, smiling wryly.
‘So you and Lizzie have been friends for a long time?’
‘Yes, but I should have taken the hint faster that Chico wanted to be with his bride—so thanks for that.’
‘Is that why you were in the stables earlier, Danny? Were you wondering how your life would go forward from now on, without Lizzie to confide in?’
‘You’re too smart,’ she said. His intuition was unsettling.
‘It’s understandable,’ he argued, drawing her into his hard-muscled frame so they could dance as one. ‘You’re bound to consider how this will change things between you, and we all need quiet times to sort out our heads. Did you come to a conclusion?’
She was coming to a few conclusions now. She wished she wasn’t wearing such a provocative dress—it was giving Tiago all the wrong signals. He was making her wonder if she had come downstairs too soon.
Her body was rioting at the touch of Tiago’s hands and the warmth of his breath on her skin. Having her hand in his was electrifying. Having him direct her movements, even in this harmless dance, was equally disturbing. She had to remind herself that dance was the lifeblood of Brazil, and that it was a means of expression that very few nations could use to such good effect. Right now Tiago and dance had combined to stunning effect.
And she had to keep it up for a little while longer, Danny reasoned, if only because Lizzie was watching them with concern. One dance with the most dangerous man in the room. She could handle that. She wasn’t going to allow herself to be intimidated ever again—not by life, and not by Tiago.
They fitted together perfectly, considering Tiago was twice her size. He moved so well he made it easy for her. She found herself moving rhythmically with him in a way that was sexy, even suggestive, but it was just one dance, she reassured herself.
They were close enough to the top table for Lizzie to flash anxious glances their way, and she smiled back to confirm that everything was all right.
And it might have been had she not been moving closer and closer to Tiago. He didn’t force her to. His touch remained frustratingly light. But the music was compelling her to do this. It was intoxicating, and the pulse of South America was soon running through her veins. She could feel his muscles flexing as he teased all her senses at once. If she moved away he brought her back.
There weren’t many men who looked good dancing, but Tiago was one of them. Maybe because he was an athlete. His body was supple and strong. And he was Brazilian—dark and mysterious and sexy, with a passion he carried everywhere with him. She trembled as he dipped his head and his warm, minty breath brushed her face.
‘I didn’t know you were such a good dancer, Danny.’
‘Neither
