Prince Derek’s eyebrow twitched slightly, looking her over. “She did, or you did?” he muttered. “Sir Kit only has one use for women like her — she’s astonishing, Isaac.” The prince circled her, taking in the slight trembling and huddled stance.
“Relax,” he ordered gruffly. “Nobody’s going to touch you here without your permission.”
Summer lifted her head and gave a little nod of acknowledgement, still nervous. She could see, despite the smile, how Sir Isaac would fear and respect this man — his power practically radiated from him. Prince Derek turned back to Sir Isaac. “What were you planning to do when you got back here? I think you’d better tell me the whole story.”
“Erm…the both of us? There was a rather…unfortunate incidence involving my sword and Sir Kit’s thumb…all in honour of protecting Miss Summer, of course,” he added on by way of explanation, before his jaw clenched and he straightened up. “Derek! I rescued her from him — he was going to violate her in the worst of ways, and he felt like it was perfectly within his right to do so. He deserved what he got, and more.”
He stiffened then at the Prince’s pointed look and slumped, absently rubbing at the back of his neck. Quickly giving him the cliff-notes version of everything that had transpired, he finished with, “And I thought that bringing her here was the safest option…I couldn’t just leave her there, Derek.”
“No, I can see that,” the prince murmured. “I expect I would have done the same in your position.” He gave Sir Isaac a penetrating look and pulled him a few steps away into an alcove. “You’re enamoured of this girl already, aren’t you?”