Page 34 of Highland Games
She went to close the phone, but Rory put his hand over hers. ‘Can I see them again?’ Zoe passed him the phone and stepped away. His touch was like fire.
She went back to the table, watching him holding the pink glittery phone. He was scrolling through every photo, his face inscrutable. He finally spoke.
‘These are incredible. They’re better than anything a professional could take. The castle looks amazing.’
Zoe blushed. ‘It’s not me, it’s the filters. I’ll show you.’ She extended her arm and he gave her the phone. She opened the camera. ‘Okay, I want you to take a picture of me and Basil. I’ll show you what I want the composition to be by taking a picture of you first. So, go stand by the window over there.’ Rory awkwardly complied. ‘Now, put your right hand up to your shoulder, as if you’re holding Basil. Good, now drop your chin a bit. Hang on.’ She moved forward and brushed a curl of hair away from his face. It didn’t need moving but she couldn’t resist. Rory flinched, and a little piece of her heart broke off. He really didn’t like her.
She moved back and took a few photos.
‘There. All done. Now see the composition.’ He stared at the photo, as if seeing himself for the first time. She passed him the phone and went to pick up Basil. ‘You have a go.’
She stood by the window, Basil on her shoulder. ‘Come on, you little monkey, it’s time to perform. You need to look cute for your fans.’ For a second he stayed still, then clambered onto the top of her head. ‘Basil!’ She lifted him back down, then turned to Rory. ‘Did you manage to get anything?’
He gave the phone back to her and she flicked through. He had taken photos the moment she’d put Basil on her shoulder and there were some amazing shots, far better than she had anticipated.
‘Oh, these are great!’
He seemed relieved.
Zoe selected one of her laughing at Basil and applied filters. When she’d finished, she showed him the difference between the original photo and the edited one. ‘You can see how much better this one is. I’ll drive out later and post it online.’
Rory looked between the two photos, then at her. A crackle of electricity passed between them and Zoe swallowed, moving away from him.
‘So, I need you to give me a tour of the castle, tell me what makes it special. And I’ll need to get photos of the earl to use as publicity.’
‘No,’ said Rory immediately.
‘Why not?’
Rory turned away and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at it. ‘He won’t want anything to do with this.’
Zoe rolled her eyes. ‘Typical toff.’
He didn’t meet her gaze, just walked to the door and put his boots on. ‘I’ll let you know when you can look around. Don’t drive all afternoon to get your chairs, I’ll bring some from the castle no one will miss. I’ll see you later.’
He walked out without a second glance.
13
Zoe let out a huff of frustration. He was more hot and cold than an erratic Icelandic volcano. She wanted to sit and think, but there were no chairs left, so she crawled into her tent and lay down.
Her heart was still thumping. She couldn’t be around him. But then she couldn’tnotbe around him. If she couldn’t have him then she wanted to photograph him, so she could always have a piece of him with her. A wave of tiredness rolled through her and she yawned. She’d have a quick nap, then she’d get up and have something to eat.
Three hours later, she was woken by the smell of brewing tea. She grunted in confusion and saw Rory, standing a few feet away, holding out a mug.
‘How long have you been standing there?’ she asked, her speech still thick with sleep.
‘Only a couple of minutes. I’ve been back for nearly an hour but wanted to wake you gently before I brought in the scaffolding.’
‘The what?’ Zoe scrambled into a seated position and Rory passed her the mug of tea. It was strong and milky. ‘There’s milk!’ She looked up in surprise as if he had manifested a miracle.
‘Yes, I got a pint from the shop. It will last fine outside until tomorrow. Now, can I get back to work?’
Zoe saw a glint of humour in his eyes. ‘Yes, stop slacking and get on with it.’
Rory walked out and immediately returned with scaffolding poles, pushing the door open with his backside. Zoe stood up. What was going on? In the far corner of the cabin was a gigantic pile of fleeces, a stack of wooden battens next to them, and six scaffolding boards propped against the wall.
‘Did you bring all that in while I was sleeping?’
