Page 3 of Sadie's Highlander (Highland Protector 1)

Delia pushed the tablet away, not even sparing Sadie a sideways glance. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am extremely busy. You can’t expect me to hear every inconsequential word that falls from your lips.” She turned and fixed Sadie with the only look she’d ever had that remotely resembled a smile. As far back as Sadie could remember, Delia had never managed a real smile or looked remotely happy. Her strained smirk always came off looking as though she smelled a stink.

Delia’s simpering pout twisted up at the corners into an even more malicious curl. “You might be my sister, but I hired you to handle things. Be my assistant. For your sake, I ignore your prattle—much like tuning out background noise. Now shut it while I observe this fine male specimen and plan my next move to close this deal.”

Sadie locked her jaws and tightened her grip on the tablet so hard that her knuckles popped.One of these days I’m gonna tell you to shove this job straight up your ass, Delia.Unfortunately, today was not that day.

Sadie slowly pulled in a deep breath. She needed this job. It was the surest bet she had at getting into the world of screenwriting.Gotta take it ’til I make it.Her sister Delia had founded Realm Spinners Productions with the vast inheritance left to her when their parents had died in the crash of their private jet. Big sister had all the connections Sadie needed, but those connections were a double-edged sword. Delia could blackball Sadie’s screenplays forever with just a few phone calls.

And to add insult to injury, Delia also controlled Sadie’s meager share of what really couldn’t be termed an inheritance. The paltry amount had been more like a slap in the face. But still, Delia had been named guard dog to all the assets left in the Williamses’ vast estate. Sadie figured it was a last-ditch effort by their mogul parents to convince the world that Delia wasn’t as heartless and self-centered as everyone thought.

Sadie was positive they were also attempting to punish her for being—how had they always put it?—so damned embarrassingly unconventional. Sadie had never fit into her parents’ mold.

Sadie really didn’t hate her parents for their last act of aristocratic bullying. After all, they’d always treated her that way—and besides, she was the adopted one. The odd one. The fat little Mediterranean girl they’d taken in to show the world how charitable they could be.

Sadie huffed out a humorless laugh. She’d show them. Succeeding and becoming a renowned screenwriter would be her sweet revenge. She shook off Delia’s bitchiness and hurried to jot a few memory joggers into her tablet.Alpha Highlander. Soft-hearted. Loner. Wounded hero type. I’ll plot this one out tonight.

“I’m a busy man. If ye wish t’speak with me, ye’d best be about it, aye?”

The suddenly much closer proximity of that deep, rich voice with the come-hither brogue triggered a sharp inhale that effectively lodged Sadie’s gum into the middle of her windpipe. Fisting one hand over her mouth, Sadie turned away, coughing and wheezing for air.Dammit. I’m gonna die right here in front of Mr. MacSexy.

Strong hands gripped her upper arms, then a sharp rap between her shoulder blades effectively shot the offensive wad of chewing gum out of her mouth. Sadie closed her now extremely watery eyes, squeezing hard to reabsorb the choke-induced moisture.Isn’t this lovely? Delia’s gonna have a shit fit and this guy’s gonna think I’m an idiot.

Turning her about, the strong hands held her arms with a gentler grip, steadying her on her feet. “Are ye all right then?” Concern filled the clearest blue eyes Sadie had ever seen. The Caribbean Sea lapping upon a white Jamaican beach couldn’t hold a candle to that shade of blue.

Holy shit, I could drown in those eyes.“Uhm…I’m fine.” Sadie bobbed her head and backed up a step with a nervous fluttering of one hand, coughed again, and struggled to delicately wheeze in another deep breath without seeming starved for oxygen. “Just got choked on my gum. Thanks for knocking it free.” She fished a crumpled tissue out of the pocket of her jeans and scooped the sticky ball of embarrassment up from the ground. She wrapped it tightly in the tissue and shoved it back into her pocket. “Don’t want anyone to step in that. Doesn’t it just piss you off when you get gum stuck on your shoe and then stick to the ground with every other step?”Dammit, Sadie. Shut the hell up.She was babbling like a fool.

A hint of a grin played across the man’s full lips, perfectly highlighting the slightly off-centered cleft in his chin. “Aye. ’Tis rudeness itself when folk show such disregard for the land and those who walk upon it.”

Delia shoved her way between them, extending her perfectly manicured hand and amping up herI smell a stinksmile to its highest possible wattage. “Mr. MacDara, I’m Delia Williams, and I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you meeting with us today.”

A look of irritated boredom immediately settled across Alec’s face, dark and threatening, like clouds blotting out the sun. His gaze briefly dipped to Delia’s extended hand, then slowly returned to her fake smile. He took a step back and methodically folded his muscular arms across the endless expanse of chest that had taken on the most delicious gleam in the heat of the afternoon sun.

Sadie caught the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth, doing her best to control the urge to lick her lips. The man looked like a well-oiled piece of sensual machinery ready to be fired up. He also looked rather pissed.

“As I said, I’m a busy man.” Alec frowned down at Delia’s still extended hand. “There are two reasons why yer here today. My legal counsel advised ’twould be wise t’hear ye out.” He paused long enough to flex and resettle his folded arms. Both his tone and scowl softened as his attention shifted back to Sadie. “And then there’s the matter of the daily emails.” He gifted Sadie with the return of the lopsided smile that somehow promised there was a great deal more that he wasn’t saying—yet.

“Daily emails?” Delia darted a narrow-eyed look at Sadie, then awkwardly withdrew her hand and totally failed at saving her dignity by propping her fingers on one hip and striking her trademarkI don’t give a shitpose.

Alec fully faced Sadie, his faint look of amusement morphing into a warmwe’re about to share a delicious secretsmile. His eyes seemed darker now, like the deeper part of the ocean—and they sparkled with…something. No. It wasn’t exactly a sparkle. Alec looked almost smug, as though he’d finally found something worthy of his time.

What a look!Was it a flicker of interest?Nah. Couldn’t be. She had to be reading him wrong. Her senses were probably off due to jet lag and the time zone change. Guys like him went for thin, leggy blond Delias, not curvalicious chunks of fun Sadies.

“I assume yer the writer of the emails?” Alec asked, his deep brogue melting into what could only be described as a wonderfully audible caress.

“Uhm…yes, I am.” Sadie ignored Delia’s irritated huff and extended her own hand. “I’m Sadie Williams. Delia’s assistant…and her sister. But how did you know the emails were from me, Mr. MacDara?”

“Ye may call me Alec—and the emails had a certain tone…” Alec paused and cast a dismissive glance over at Delia, then shouldered away from her as though shrugging off a pest. “Yer messages had a way about them that fit ye. I doubt that one over there could ever write them.”

He scooped up Sadie’s extended hand, gallantly brought it to his lips, then gifted her with a genuine smile she’d remember in her dreams. “ ’Tis m’utmost pleasure t’finally meet ye, Mistress Sadie Williams.”

“Just ‘Sadie’ will be fine,” she whispered, then pressed her lips tightly together and held her breath. She was torn between melting into a purring puddle of sheer bliss and laughing out loud at the low, strangled growling sound of Delia shifting into super-bitch hyperdrive. She knew for certain she couldn’t laugh. If she did, Delia would surely fire her ass on the spot.

Clearing her throat, Sadie lightly squeezed Alec’s warm, callused hand. “The pleasure is mine. And thank you for meeting with us. I hope you won’t be disappointed.”

“Aye,” Alec said. “ ’Tis my hope I’ll no’ be disappointed either.” The way he held her hand a bit longer before reluctantly letting go made Sadie wonder if Alec was talking about something other than the business meeting.

“Mr. MacDara…uhm…Alec.” Delia sidled closer, visibly struggling to keep her stiletto heels from getting stuck between the boards of the wood flooring of the observation landing. “You said your legal counsel found the terms of our filming contract suitable and recommended you speak with us. What do I need to do to convince you that Realm Spinners Productions should be allowed to use your lovely theme park as a filming location for our Scottish historical romance?” She leaned forward, arching her back and flaunting her cleavage so Alec would have no doubt that anything he might want was his for the taking.

“I’ll thankyout’call me Mr. MacDara.” Alec turned away, picked up his sword, and shoved it into the sheath belted to his side. “And I didna say the contract was found suitable. I said counsel recommended that I speak with ye.”

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