Page 84 of Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle

He chuckled. ‘Aye.’

Freya thought of Hadrian inside those walls, probably still in the lounge, drinking. ‘No, thanks. I’ll be OK. It’s not far.’

‘It’s far enough.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ she insisted.

She managed to make it to the start of the path, before she decided that she definitelywasn’tfine. If she had to walk another step in these bloody shoes, she was going to cry. So Freya did the only sensible thing – she took them off.

Mack was aghast. ‘You can’t walk home barefoot!’

‘Watch me.’

‘I’ll be damned if I will! Come here.’

Freya wasn’t prepared for being scooped off her feet and she let out a shriek as he swept her into his arms.

‘Put me down!’ she cried, but all he did was tighten his grip.

‘It’ll be easier if you stop wriggling and put your arms around my neck.’

‘You can’t carry me, I’m too heavy.’

‘Yeah, you do weigh a tonne,’ he wheezed, and her mouth dropped open. ‘I’m joking,’ he said, striding down the path at a steady pace. ‘But if you want me to put you down, I will.’

She didn’t want, so she wound her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder to show him exactly how much she didn’t want him to put her down.

His beard tickled her nose, and she rubbed it against his neck to relieve the itch, then nuzzled her face deeper, breathing in the smell of him.

‘If you keep doing that, I won’t be responsible for my actions,’ he murmured.

‘Doing what?’

‘Nibbling my neck.’

‘I’m not nibbling.Thisis nibbling.’ Gently, she nipped the soft skin below his ear.

‘Freya, you’re going to have to stop doing that.’ His voice was hoarse, and it did strange and wondrous things to her insides.

Recklessly, she did it again.

Mack halted. ‘I can’t— You mustn’t—’

‘Don’t you like it?’ She had no idea what had come over her, but she was enjoying the power she had over him, as his breathing deepened and he tightened his grip on her.

He said, ‘That’s the problem, I like it a lot.’

Her pulse throbbing, she found his earlobe and kissed it, and the groan he uttered turned her insides to liquid.

‘I’m warning you,’ he growled. ‘Stop, or—’

‘Or what?’ She raised her head and was awed by the hunger in his eyes.

‘I’ll be forced to kiss you.’

‘What are you waiting for?’ She was playing with fire, but the thought of being burnt by this man was irresistible.

Slowly, he bent his head to hers and she closed her eyes, her lips parting.

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