Page 9 of Joanna's Highlander (Highland Protector 2)

“That won’t be necessary,” Joanna quickly interrupted. “Our insurance only covers drivers employed by Carolina Adventures.” There. That sounded like a safe official reason to refuse. Whether or not it was true, she had no earthly idea. She turned her attention back to Grant. Time to ferret out what he was up to. Never in all the time she’d known him had he been this forthcoming to stay at her side.I’m not complaining,she told herself.But what the hell is going on?

“I’ve seen Esme drive. Looks like she does just fine to me.” She fixed Grant with the same look that always worked on seven-year-old Tyler when the little imp was trying to get away with telling a lie.

Grant rose from the table. Smile gone. Replaced with a stern jaw-clenched look. “No sixteen-year-old lassie shouldha already gleaned three warning tickets for speeding.” He shook a finger in the air, reminding Joanna of a preacher warning of hellfire and damnation. “I offered t’heat up her fearless wee arse with a fine willow switch butMáthairwouldna hear of it. She spoils the girl as sure as I’m standin’ here.” He shook his finger again, his voice getting louder. “The only reason she’s no’ had t’pay any of the tickets is because that young deputy is smitten with her and thinks she’s bonnie.” Grant shook his head with a hard jerk. “I’ll snap that man in half if he touches wee Esme.”

Okay. So he’s not lying about Esme.“I’m sure you’ll get the situation all straightened out.” Joanna motioned to the ladies and waved them toward the door. “The circle drive in about five minutes, okay?” Surely, that would give them all enough time to…how had Irene put it…oh yeah…powder their noses.

Joanna latched hold of Grant’s preaching finger that he still held stuck up in the air, then turned and headed across the dining room.What a pull toy!She coughed to cover a mischievous giggle. “If it’s that young dark-haired deputy, he just enlisted. Navy, I think. Seems like somebody said he’s interested in subs. He won’t be around much longer to chase after Esme. There’s part of your problem solved.”

“Good.” Grant artfully finagled his finger in her grasp until he was holding Joanna’s hand against his side as though he would never let go. “But what issubs?”

Struggling to ignore just how right it felt to have Grant snugging her up against his side, Joanna wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “Uhm…what?”

“Subs,” Grant repeated, stressing the word as though it felt completely foreign on his tongue.

I did hear right. Is he serious?She stole a glance up at Grant’s face as they released hands and pushed through the outer door leading to the parking lot. The man looked confused—and dead serious. “Naval submarines.Subsis short for submarines.” She didn’t want to sound like she thought he was stupid, but…damn—does he really not know what a sub is?

“I see,” Grant replied, but Joanna could tell by the uncertainty in his tone that he still didn’t understand and from the scowl on his face, he hated being seen as vulnerable or ill-informed.

Better change the subject.“I thought we’d start the ladies in the herbal shop at the park. Your mom’s working today—right?”

“Aye.” Grant stood beside the tour bus door, bowing slightly and hand held out toward Joanna. “M’lady.”

“ ‘M’lady’?” Joanna repeated as she took hold of the aluminum railing of the bus and put one foot on the first step. “You know you don’t have to do that medieval park stuff when it’s just you and me, right?” There. She’d finally said it. His role-playing had been cute at first. Kind of fantasy-romantic, even. But—damn. She’d never know the “real” Grant if he was constantly role-playing. That was the main reason she wondered if the rumors about him being a moody-ass diva were true.

Grant straightened and took such a deep breath that his already massive chest swelled to epic proportions. “I wasna aware that treating a lady as she should be treated was…how did ye put it…oh yes…medieval park stuff.I’ll be beggin’ yer pardon if I’ve offended ye, but I’ll ne’er stop treatin’ ye with the respect and caring that ye deserve.”

Holy shit. He’s serious.Joanna released the bus railing and put her foot back on the ground.Must be a Scotland thing and drilled into them at an early age.With a hesitancy born of being burned by relationships before, she reached out and touched his tensed forearm locked across his chest. The muscles of his arm barely shifted under her fingertips as though it was taking all the strength Grant possessed to stand there and not say whatever else he had on his mind. “I’m sorry, Grant. I wasn’t making fun of you—promise.” She squeezed his arm and took a step closer. “I’m just not used to being treated so…”

“So what?” Grant asked quietly, relaxing his stance and closing the distance between them.

“So…nicely,” she finally forced out. Or at least she thought she said the words out loud. It was hard to know for sure with Grant this close. All it would take was tiptoeing and leaning forward a little bit more and those fine Scottish lips would be hers.

“M’lady,” Grant whispered low and sweet, then encircled her with his arms and pulled her to him. “M’lady,” he whispered again, his lips brushing across hers, making her ache for more.

I can’t take this anymore.“My, Grant,” Joanna responded, then slid both hands up his chest, traced her fingers up and into the back of his hair, and gave herself to the kiss she’d worried about far too long.

Chapter 4

Grant kept his hands folded and pressed down atop his sporran to keep his hardened cock from liftin’ his kilt out like a flag. The kiss before the ride to the park had nearly undone him. If not for the gaggle of old women about to descend upon them, he would’ve swept Joanna up into the tour bus and christened the day proper.

Joanna stood beside him at the back of the herbal shop, gaze locked forward, and close enough so that he easily breathed in her delicious scent over that of the dried lavender and rosemary bundles hanging from the exposed hand-hewn oak beams overhead. Every time he caught her stealing a covert glance at him, she gifted him with a smile and made his hard-on even worse.

“…and this can be infused into a massaging oil that’s quite helpful for stiffness.”

Joanna’s group of bawdy old women, scattered among the other tourists seated in a semicircle before an oak-planked counter at the far end of the wide herbal shop, snickered and tittered in their seats, then turned and looked back at Grant and Joanna.

“Minds in the gutter. Every damn one of them. Worse than a bunch of teenage boys.” Joanna gave a sharp shake of her head at her group and made a “turn back around and pay attention” motion with one hand. “I don’t know where Lucia managed to find these ladies, but I’m gonna choke her if she ever does this to me again.”

“Aye, well…” Grant shifted in place, spread his feet wider apart, and readjusted his sporran for the nth time. For sure and for certain he was proud of his man parts, but his damn cock was a ravenous beast right now that refused to be ignored. He needed relief. Soon. “Perhaps Mistress Lucia is too distracted with MacClendon’s attentions t’be aware of much else.” He understood Joanna’s friend’s folly completely. Since he himself had decided to concentrate on properly wooing Joanna, he’d had little time or desire t’do anything else.

“You mean Taggart?”

“Aye. Taggart MacClendon, chieftain to Clan MacClendon.”

“Really? Him and Lucia?”

“Aye.” Grant faced Joanna, searching her face for a clue to her sudden tone. “Why d’ye sound so surprised?”

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