Her corset cut deep into her diaphragm. She never realized the pain as she took a deep breath and then screamed for all she was worth. The sound was muffled, but had he not already dragged her from the open doors, it would have alarmed those at the ball. Tristan solved that problem by closing off all ability to breathe, thereby preventing even the slightest sound from escaping. Her heart slammed against the walls of her chest. She swung at him, making contact twice with her fists, then knowing a moment of satisfaction at his grunt when another blow crashed into his left eye. Tristan shook away the hard jolt and blinked, trying to clear the muddle from his head. Damn, but this little witch could punch. He was dragging her down the steps and alongside the house, but her wild struggles forced him to stop. It was not without some effort, since he used only one hand, that he managed to gather her arms between their bodies.
