Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 1: A Girl in Another World - Chapter 13

Quinn

I waited, knowing that any second now I'd feel the club striking me and the pain and then my eventual death.

I continued to wait, but nothing happened. Curious, I flashed my eyes open... to see a sword—long, sleek, and solid—stuck right in the orc's chest. There was blood running down its body, too.

I dropped my mouth open in shocked surprise.

Stunned and very dazed, a flurry of dark clothing appeared in front of me, followed by a hand—mighty and rough—grabbing the hilt of the sword. As the sword was pulled out of the monster, a booted leg moved toward the orc. Instantly, the sword came free, with blood spurting out as the massive orc went flying back and hit a tree some distance away, collapsing the tree in the process.

If I was stunned before, I was even more so now.

I watched as if I was entranced watching a movie, as the man—my savior—sprinted off toward the remaining orcs. His movement as he fought—or rather slaughtered—the orcs were smooth and graceful, every swing of his sword and kick of his legs was quick and precise. Despite being a big man, when he jumped, it was high as if he were weightless, and when he landed, there was no sound nor did the earth beneath him shake. It was as if he was performing an acrobatic martial art technique, and I was mesmerized.

A slice of his sword decapitated an orc's thick neck, and then another cleanly cut a thinner one in half through the middle of the body, and with more swinging and slicing, more orcs fell to the ground. Within no time, all the remaining orcs were dead, the butchered bodies lying across the woods.

I was, obviously, still dazed and more so, awestruck, when the man turned and strolled toward me.

Gosh, even the way he walked was graceful—slow and sexy, like a lion hunting its prey.

He came to a stop in front of me, stood there, and simply stared down at me for what seemed like a long moment. I, too, gazed up at him, quite dumbly.

Despite the dire circumstances, I thought, Holy smokes, he's a hunk. Wavy, gold-blond hair, piercing blue eyes, straight nose, high cheekbones, strong jawline, and lips that made me want to smooch them. Not to mention that godlike body of his—firm, toned, and simply divine to look at. He was also very tall, at least six foot five, and my neck was beginning to hurt having to tilt back to look up at him.

Finally, he got down on his knees, and without a word, he grabbed my legs and started feeling them.

Huh? What the heck was he doing?

He shifted his attention to my arm, which I still had one hand holding because I had been healing it.

He quickly assessed them, and despite his obvious strength, I was surprised his touches were gentle. His eyes on me, the blue color of his irises drowning me in a summer heat that made me turn so damn hot I wanted to take my jacket off, he finally said, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

So that was what he had been doing, checking if I had broken bones. I did, but it was healed now, thanks to my magic.

I still couldn't find my voice and mutely shook my head.

"Good," he said, his own voice rusty and deep, and it made the place inside me I didn't want to mention sing.

He wrapped his hand around my arm and said, "Can you stand?"

I nodded as I pulled myself up. Instantly, I fell again.

Damn, but what the heck was wrong with my legs? They felt like jelly.

"Looks like you can't," he said. "Excuse me." He bent, and with one hand under my legs and another about my back, he lifted me up in his arms.

I widened my eyes, stunned.