Page 81 of Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle

‘I’m not drunk, if that’s what you’re hinting at. I’ve had two.’

‘Large ones?’

‘If you’re gonna have one, have a proper one, not a piddling thimbleful.’ He struggled to his feet, his knees stiff and his thigh muscles cramping from crouching for so long. ‘Shall I bring a glass out to you?’

‘Do you mind if I drink it inside?’

‘Not at all. Do you mind if I have one with you?’

‘I was hoping you would. Drinking on your own is a bit sad.’ Freya pulled a face. ‘Oops – I didn’t mean to imply thatyou’resad because you’re drinking on your own.’ Her eyes widened. ‘Youareon your own, aren’t you? I haven’t interrupted anything?’

Nah, just him trying to drown the sorrow of knowing that Freya Sinclair was out of bounds.

She wasn’t out of boundsnow, though. She was very muchinbounds. Whether he acted on it depended on whether he wanted to risk being rebuffed. Or being hurt, because he had a suspicion that this woman had the power to hurt him badly.

So maybe it was best to leave things as they were, he told himself, as he poured her a tumbler and topped up his own glass.

Unfortunately, he failed to heed his own advice.

Chapter 21

Whisky, a sunset and an incredibly sexy man didn’t mix, Freya concluded, staring at the bottom of her glass. She would dearly like another, but she didn’t trust herself. Although she was fairly certain Mack didn’t think of her as anything more than a friend, it didn’t stop her from fantasising about running her hands over his chest or pressing her body against his.

She’d managed to keep such lascivious thoughts in check until now, but finding herself suddenly single seemed to have set them free, so the last thing she wanted was to have too much to drink and make a fool of herself by throwing herself at him – after all, as well as her lustful thoughts, she also had her heart to consider. Becoming involved with Mack, no matter how fleeting the encounter, would be a serious mistake, as she couldn’t shake the suspicion that he would be an easy man to fall in love with.

However, with the likelihood of having any kind of relationship with him being so small, it was pointless even thinking about it.

Or was it?

Once or twice, she could have sworn she’d felt a connection, seen a spark of interest in his eyes. It came and went so quickly that she’d assumed she’d imagined it.

What if she hadn’t? What if he did fancy her? What if, what if, what if…

None of the what ifs in the world would make the least bit of difference, because she had no intention of acting on any of them. She’d be better off concentrating her attention on her dad, her work and her new job in the States. The contract had finally come through and she was more than happy with it, so it was all systems go and she was becoming increasingly excited.

Aw, but look at him… Mack was bloody gorgeous. And the nicest thing was that he didn’t know it – unlike Hadrian, who was well aware how handsome he was.

The two men couldn’t be more different, and she knew which one was responsible for getting her knickers in a twist – and it wasn’t the slick, confident, well-dressed, over-styled artist.

Mack broke into her thoughts. ‘Do you want a refill?’

‘Better not. I should be getting back. Dad will wonder where I am.’ Actually, he probably wouldn’t be wondering at all. He was fully expecting her to be out all evening and possibly all night, too. As if she’d do that, with him still needing her to keep an eye on him.

‘I’ll walk you back.’

‘Oh, hell, I’d forgotten I’ll have to walk.’

‘It’s not far.’

She glanced down at her feet. Mack followed her gaze. ‘Ah,’ he said.

While she wasn’t wearing ridiculously high heels, they were high enough, and she didn’t fancy walking any distance in them. She should have worn her trusty old Doc Martens, posh castle or no posh castle.

‘I’ve got some wellies you can borrow…’ Mack began, then trailed off as she stared at his feet. ‘Or maybe not.’

His feet were considerably larger than hers. It didn’t matter that she’d look like a kid in her mum’s boots; the issue was that she wouldn’t be able to manage more than a shuffle.

‘It might work with four pairs of socks?’ he suggested.

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