Page 130 of Evil Hearts

“Och!Haud yer wheest!” Munro growled out, his accent growing thicker with emotion before turning to Katarina and calming. “Sorry, Kat…”

“It’s okay, it was my fault for asking,” she shook her head. “Thank you both for being so kind to me.”

“It’s no’ a problem,” Lachlan smiled, turning to Munro. “She asked about us taking her town to paint.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Munro grinned, snatching a handful of bacon from Lachlan’s plate and stuffing it into his mouth, “Ask and ye shall receive.”

The trip into the village of Inverness was quiet as the brothers led her to the inn. They stood fiercely on either side of Katarina, and she could barely contain herself as the villagers gazed at her, jealousy evident in the women’s gazes and shame growing in the men’s. It was like a parade of sex, and everyone’s eyes showed want for what she had. The women all wanted tobeher and the men all wanted what those two had.

It was a powerful feeling, and one that Katarina realized she could quickly get addicted to.

As they navigated the streets, Katarina noticed that Munro was much more open to the flirtatious looks made to them—basking in the attention and offering it back with winks and blown kisses—whereas Lachlan was made all the more rigid and solemn. When one of the village girls made a gesture or call to them, Munro’s eyes darted to the source while Lachlan would steer his attention away. Katarina smiled at this, enjoying the defining traits that she could see between the two. More than that, however, was the ripening intrigue she felt for Lachlan. Though his brother had no reservations against reciprocating the admiration of other women, it seemed to reinforce Lachlan’ssolidarity with her; his broad, powerful frame inching ever-nearer as they walked.

Finally they reached the inn, and, with Lachlan holding the door and Munro motioning for her to take the lead, she stepped through.

The old innkeeper barely batted an eyelash at Katarina as she stepped through, flipping through a dated magazine and drinking from a dirty-looking stein, but the moment the brothers sauntered in she leapt from her stool.

“Och!Lass! What happened to ye?” she cried out, stepping forward to the counter, “I’ve been worried sick! Where did ye disappear—” she paused, acting as though she’d just noticed the brothers then. Her bushy eyebrows raised as she took them in, her weathered features livening. “Och! And what ‘ave we ‘ere? A fine pair ye found there, no?”

“Thank ye for worrying over the lass,” Munro smiled as he winked to the swooning older woman. “But as ye see, we’ve got her protected.”

“Aye! Verra well,” she blushed and fanned herself with her weathered palm as she stepped back. “Will ye be needing anything today, lass?”

“Could I get a pitcher of water? I’m going to be painting for most of the day,” Katarina forced a smiled, fighting the urge to pluck the old woman’s eyes out as she shifted her ogling gaze to Lachlan and wetted her dry, crusty lips.

Whoa! Where did that thought come from?

Katarina frowned at the sudden strong jealousy she felt. She’d never been one of those ninnies who fell desperately in love with a man just because they shared some heated kisses and touches. After all, she’d been through a prior relationship with a rising artist and never once felt such pangs. Moreover, where were these feelings when it came to Munro? Granted, he washandsome—gorgeous even—but she couldn’t bring herself to feel the same heated sense of ownership that she did for…

She shook her head. She didn’towneither of them! She couldn’t even convince herself that there was anything more to this than a night of heavy petting and a modelling session as a polite gesture. And yet she was already harboring jealous feelings for one over the other?

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she watched as the old woman turned and ordered up a pitcher for her. Nodding to the brothers, she took both by the hands and she led them to her room.

“Are ye angry, lass?” Munro’s voice sounded amused.

“What? Of course not!” she frowned, “Why would you think that?”

“I could feel the tension off ye as the woman stared at us,” Munro winked. “Don’t worry though, our eyes are all on ye.”

“Why would we have any interest in that ol’ badger anyway?” Lachlan growled. “I could see how fake her act was from the very start.”

“You noticed that phony routine too, huh?” Katarina turned to him.

“Lass, the woman holds no worry for ye,” Lachlan sighed. “I doona verra much like ye staying here; makes me uneasy t’think about. Do ye have anywhere to go after this?”

“I leave to head back to the States in two days,” she admitted. “I should be able to hold out here until then.”

“Two days?” Munro pouted, following her into the room with Lachlan right behind him. “That’s so soon!”

“What did ye expect?” Lachlan frowned as Katarina closed the door, “That she’d be staying after last night?”

Katarina fought the urge to tremble at the stabbing pain she felt at Lachlan’s uncaring attitude towards her leaving. Had she been right to assume it had meant nothing to him? Did she wanthim to feel some sadness at the thought of her leaving? Once again she felt unsure of the feelings that were growing within her; even she couldn’t decide what she’d want if she could shape her own outcome.

There was just something about Lachlan…

“Anyway, where would ye like us?” Munro changed the subject.

Katarina looked around the room and grinned, finding a spot beside the window overlooking the village.

---