Page 11 of Lachlan

Maybe because, she realized belatedly, she was telling this man far too much about herself. Most worryingly, she had revealed that she was completely alone in the world.

Not a good idea, Belle, she remonstrated with herself.

Lachlan already knew the McGregors believed she had traveled back to London without so much as saying thank you for allowing them to stay with them. Now, she’d also told Lachlan she didn’t have any family who would miss her if she didn’t return.

No doubt, the other occupants of the house she shared would notice her absence when they returned after the holidays. But then Ben would probably laugh and say she’d probably moved out because he’d made a move on her and been rejected.

Maybe someone on the university faculty might notice her absence when she didn’t return to her classes after the holidays. But even then, attending classes wasn’t compulsory, and if she continued being absent, they would probably just think she’d dropped out of the course.

It would be a little strange, considering she was fast approaching her final semester of a three-year course, but she’d seen other students leave when the reality of the final exams loomed. Admittedly, most of those students had been like Ben and rarelyattended classes anyway. Belle was the opposite, and attended and made copious notes at every lecture.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have still decided to leave.

Even the manager of the coffee shop where she worked part-time would only complain when she didn’t turn up for her shift in a couple of days. But he probably had a list of hopeful students just waiting to take her place. London was a transient place, coffee shop employees even more so, and those part-time jobs were always highly sought after by students who were as without funds as Belle was.

She looked at Lachlan Drake from beneath her lashes. There was a dangerous edge to this man, an underlying restlessness she sensed was there, despite his unnatural stillness.

The way he barely seemed to be breathing and was totally unmoving, that pale gray gaze concentrated solely on her,wasalmost supernatural, Belle realized with a shiver.

“You’re cold,” Lachlan immediately noticed that shiver, even if he misunderstood the reason for it. “I need to get you off the mountain and into the warmth of our house, where we can get some hot broth into you.”

“Ourhouse?” Belle eyed him warily.

He nodded. “I share a house with my two brothers, Hunter and Ranulf.”

Good God, there were three of them!

Were the other two as intensely brooding and panty-meltingly handsome as Lachlan?

“Ranulf is more brooding than I am,” Lachlan provided dryly, immediately alerting Belle to the fact her brain was so muddled, she must have spoken those words out loud. “Hunter is less so, but probably still more than you’re used to. We’re a stoic breed up here in the Highlands.” He grinned, revealing very white and straight teeth. “But, as their brother, I can’t answer as to whether or not Hunter and Ranulf are panty-meltingly handsome,” he added with amusement.

Oh dear God…

“I apologize.” Belle felt the heat of her embarrassment burning her cheeks. “I’m not usually rude, especially to someone I just met. The cold must have frozen the polite part of my brain.”

He sobered. “Which is why I need to get you somewhere warm as quickly as possible. Would you like me to carry you?”

“Hell, no! I mean… No. Thank you.” Belle’s cheeks burned with embarrassment at her knee-jerk reaction to being carried in this man’s strong arms.

It was bad enough that she was still totally aware of him through their joined hands, but being carried by him, held against that powerful-looking chest, would be a complete overload to her already aroused senses.

“I’m sure I can manage,” she assured.

“Then perhaps I can carry your backpack for you?—”

“No!” Her fingers tightened on the bag. “No,” she repeated less aggressively. “Thank you.”

Lachlan eyed her quizzically for several seconds before nodding. “Here, let me at least help you with this,” he offered when her cold fingers meant she struggled to put one of the straps of thebag over the shoulder. “Tell me if it gets too heavy and you change your mind.” He continued to hold Belle’s other hand firmly in his as he turned and slipped through the gap in the cave wall.

After the briefest of hesitations, but knowing she had no real choice if she wanted to get off this mountain, Belle followed him.

CHAPTER FIVE

She was surprised to find herself standing on a smooth pathway wide enough for two. Not only that, but there was a lit torch, which looked to be made of twigs and moss in a metal holder high up on the equally smooth wall, to light their way.

It was too smooth to be man-made with picks and shovels, a la the seven dwarfs, Belle mocked herself. The passageway was also too narrow for it to have been made with a boring machine.

But it must have been, she chided herself. There was no other way it could have been made so perfectly smooth.

---