She moved her left hand to his right arm to grab the inside of his elbow and lifted her right to his left cheek. Neither movement was threatening, but when done together . . .

She pulled inwardly on his arm while the other hand pushed against his jaw to rotate his head. Using this simple yet elegant maneuver she was able to swing him around to change their positions, so it was he who was now pushed against the wall. His surprise enabled her to break free and step back.

It was done without a blow or strike. Her goal had been to gain her freedom, not hurt him, though she could have easily done so. And maybe even wanted to. But she didn’t want to draw too much attention to her unusual skills.

In that she failed.

Alex slowly unfurled the hand that had been clenched around the hilt of his dagger. Despenser had been a few seconds away from having it buried deep at the base of his neck.

Alex wouldn’t have missed. His skill with the blade was what had eventually earned him his place in the Highland Guard.

He couldn’t ever recall feeling the urge to kill so powerfully. It had been bad enough when Despenser’s mouth pressed against hers the first time. But when he’d kissed her again and Alex saw her struggling to break free, the urge had come over him in a red, primitive haze that even now still pounded through his blood.

Had she not extricated herself from his hold, Alex would have killed the king’s new favorite. Happily. A man who would force himself on a woman deserved nothing less.

Perhaps in that Alex and his former partner were more alike than he realized. The vehemence of his reaction was unexpected. He’d never experienced the kind of hatred that Boyd had felt after his sister’s rape—hatred that had fueled his vengeance against the English—but maybe he’d had a taste of it now.

Actually, he wasn’t altogether sure his blade still wouldn’t end up in the bastard’s back—or gut, for that matter.

Despenser took a threatening step toward her. “What the hell? How did you—”

“Wait!” She darted away from Despenser. “I heard something.”

Alex stilled. Had he made a noise?

“You heard nothing,” the other man growled. “I paid the stable lads a shilling each to see that we were not disturbed for a while.”

Alex had seen the two boys guarding the door not long after Despenser and Lady Joan had gone inside, which is why he’d slipped into the barn through the door on the opposite side used to bring the hay inside.

He couldn’t believe it when he’d seen her go in the barn with him willingly. Didn’t she realize what would happen?