Page 75 of Highland Games
He squeezed her hand. ‘Don’t worry. They have a caller and they’ll talk us through the steps.’
The caller had a microphone, a twinkle in his eyes, and the vigour of a man at least half his age. He made a beeline for Zoe, using her for the demonstration, complete with eyebrow wiggles and ostentatious fanning of his brow for comic effect that had everyone howling. At the end of his performance, he led her away, walking on tiptoe, his finger held up to his mouth telling his audience to shush until Rory tapped him on the shoulder and reclaimed her.
By now Zoe was puce with embarrassment. Rory bent down to her ear. ‘You’re even more gorgeous when you’re ruffled,’ he whispered, nuzzling her neck.
The music started and the dancing began.
Despite his assurances they would leave after one dance, as he whirled her around the floor, his heart overflowed with her happiness. One dance turned into two, two into three. He wanted everyone to know that the most intoxicating woman in the world belonged here, by his side. Finally, there were no secrets between them. She knew every part of who he was and she still wanted to be with him. Eventually she begged to sit down and rest.
He led her to a chair in the corner of the room and pulled it out for her, facing her away from the hall. He then grabbed one for himself and sat opposite, lifting her feet into his lap and slipping off her pumps. He kneaded the soles of her feet and she groaned.
‘Thank you. I feel like Cinderella after her first ball.’
‘Did you have fun?’
She smiled at him. ‘I had the best time ever.’
He massaged her ankles, kneading up her legs. ‘The night’s not over yet,’ he said softly.
Her eyelids fluttered as if she wanted to close them. She swallowed. ‘Do you want to leave?’
He nodded, suddenly uncertain. Would she still want him at the cabin? ‘Where do you want to go?’ he asked quietly.
‘Home. Our home.’
Emotion rushed through him again, obliterating his ability to speak.
‘Although, I got a lift here from Fi and I’ve had a few, so I wondered if you knew of a handsome man who doesn’t drink who might be able to put me to bed?’
He couldn’t reply, but he could act. He grabbed her shoes, then scooped her out of the chair and into his arms.
‘Rory! What are you doing!’ she said, starting to giggle. ‘I’m too heavy! Put me down!’
‘Excuse me, coming through,’ he boomed as he ploughed his way through the crowds.
‘Rory!’
He stopped and raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Would you prefer I put you over my shoulder? I’ve done it before and I’d quite like to do it again. Only this time I’m going to take a bite out of your peach of a bottom.’
She attempted to look sternly at him but her eyes were sparkling. ‘You wouldn’t dare.’
He hoiked her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and continued walking, nipping at her bottom as she shrieked. Everyone around them burst into whistles and applause.
The cabin was waitingfor them, lit by twinkling fairy lights. Earlier, as Zoe was driving up from London, Fiona had lit the Rayburn and Jamie had collected her chairs from Inverness police station. By the time she arrived in the late afternoon, the cabin was warm, and all she needed to do was settle Basil and unpack her bags before getting a lift with Fiona back to Morag’s for her fairy-tale transformation. Cinderella had gone to the ball, found her Prince Charming and spent the evening dancing in his arms. Now they were alone, and the magic had gone from enchanting to alchemic.
It took them five minutes just to get in the door. Eventually Zoe tore her mouth from his and turned her back to him, shaking as she fumbled to get her key in the lock. He covered her from behind, kissing her neck, as he ran his hands inside her jacket, sending trails of fire across her bare skin. He found the button of the halterneck and undid it, pushing the front of her dress down, growling as he cupped her breasts.
She let her forehead rest on the door, gulping in air as he grazed the tips of her nipples with the calluses on his palms. Flashes of intense pleasure shot through her, and she pushed back into him, anchoring his hard length in the crease of her bottom and squeezing against it. He pushed the hem of her dress up, stroking over her sodden underwear.
‘God, Zoe. You’re so fucking wet,’ he growled.
He slipped his finger under the elastic and slowly pushed it inside her, up to the hilt as she trembled in his arms. He added another, and slowly and deliberately drove them in and out.
‘Zoe. Open. The. Door,’ he hissed between thrusts, as she moaned, her muscles squeezing around him. She managed to turn the key and they tumbled into the cabin. He shut the door behind them, pushed Zoe up against it, pulled her jacket off her shoulders to the floor, then stood back, staring at her.
She felt faint from the intensity of his gaze. His eyes were burning, fire running across his high cheekbones, his full lips parted. He lifted the fingers that had been in her up to his mouth, and sucked hungrily at them. A spasm of need ripped through her, and she reached for him. He interlocked his free hand with hers, gripping her tightly, holding her up, as he angled his body away. Then he traced a wet path over her breasts, circling them, grazing her hard nipples, pinching them as her head dropped forward.
‘Rory, god, Rory, please,’ she begged, not even knowing what she was asking for any more, except release from his exquisite torture.
