Page 51 of Highland Games
‘What?’
‘The storage unit. Where your furniture is.’
She looked blankly at him, her brain attempting to sort out the true meaning of his words. She fumbled in her pocket and passed him a piece of paper.
‘I know roughly where it is,’ Rory said. ‘You can give me directions for the last bit. Do you need anything from the cabin before we leave?’
She shook her head.
‘Zoe?’
She looked up at him through her lashes. He seemed nervous, unsure. Was he regretting what happened yesterday? Oh god, was he about to let her down gently? Tell her it had been a mistake?
He swallowed. ‘I, er. About yesterday… I can’t…’ he began uncertainly.
Tears pricked at her eyes. Shit! She couldn’t cry. She blinked furiously.
‘God, Zoe. What’s wrong?’ He brought his arms up, as if to touch her, then hesitated.
‘It’s fine. You don’t need to say it. It was a mistake. Let’s forget it ever happened and move on.’
‘What? You think it was a mistake? Jesus, Zoe, not for me. It was fucking mind-blowing. I was just trying to say I can’t stop thinking about it, about you.’
She stared at him.
‘Do you think it was a mistake?’ he asked again.
She shook her head and the tension left his face. He looked at her as if she was a dream.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ he murmured.
She reached forward and he caught her hand in his, rubbing his thumb in slow circles on her palm. ‘We’d better go,’ he said quietly. Zoe opened her mouth to speak but only a whimper came out. ‘If we don’t go now, then I’ll carry you into the cabin and we’ll never leave. I can’t touch you without wanting all of you.’
He let go of her and walked stiffly away towards the truck, stopping halfway to adjust himself. He glanced over his shoulder at her balefully and she giggled.
The cab of the truck felt small with Rory in it. On the passenger side were two seats and she sat in the one by the window, her bag on the seat between them. He looked at her. ‘Wise decision. I need you out of reach.’
Her heart was still thumping. ‘Where’s Bandit?’
Rory drove slowly down the track. ‘He’s at home. It’s not safe to have him up here for such a long journey, and I don’t want to have to fight him for your attention.’ He stopped at the end of the track and signalled right. ‘What was it you said? “He’s the most gorgeous male in Kinloch”?’
‘After Morag’s son, Jamie,’ she replied with a smirk.
Rory fixed her with a look. A bolt of desire shot through her body. ‘I guess I’ll have to work harder on changing your mind then,’ he said, his expression glowing with promise as he eased the van out onto the main road to Inverness.
They didn’t speak for the first few miles. In Zoe’s head, however, there was constant chatter as she tried out conversation starters and found them all lacking. She sneaked glances across at him, so comfortable in his own skin. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and she had unfettered access to drool over his powerful forearms, tanned by his work outside. When the road was straight he let his left hand rest casually on his solid thigh, and when they rounded corners he turned the wheel with the heel of his right. His strength and self-assurance were the most powerful aphrodisiac she had ever experienced. She wanted to touch his arms, his legs, to feel the latent power. She wanted to get closer to him, breathe him in, taste him. She shifted in her seat; hot and bothered.
‘You okay? Do you want to stop?’ he asked.
‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘This is way more comfortable than The Beast.’
Rory glanced at her. ‘You called your truck The Beast? I’d thought you’d have reserved that name for my collection.’
‘Gotta share the love. Besides, after my last car, it is a beast. I keep thinking I’m going to take someone out in it.’
‘So do I.’ Rory smirked.
‘Oi! I’m used to London driving. It’s hard to adapt to the pace of the countryside.’
