Page 17 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

‘Oh, my goodness, it’s so beautiful...’ Elspeth gasped in wonder. ‘It’s a wonder you can bear to live anywhere else...’

Mack stood behind her, his hands going to the tops of her shoulders in a touch as light as the air she was breathing but it still sent a delicious shock wave through her body. Just knowing his tall frame was so close to her made her heart race and her pulse pound.

He quoted in a broad Scots brogue. ‘“My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here; My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer. Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe. My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.”’

Elspeth turned to look up at him with a smile. ‘Robert Burns says it so well.’ But inside, she was thinking of another Robert Burns quote that reminded her of the fine line she was walking. ‘The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men Gang aft agley. An’lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain. For promis’d joy.’

He gave an answering smile that made her heart flutter. ‘I’m glad you like it here.’ His voice was low and deep and rough.

‘How could I not? It’s the most stunning place I’ve ever been to.’ Eek! Elspeth suddenly remembered all the stunning locations her twin had been to. Photos of Elodie were all over the Internet, posing beside spectacular views of mountains, beaches, rainforests—you name it, Elodie had been there. Would he pick up on her slip?

Mack’s hands went to her hips, holding her within a hair’s breadth from his powerful male body. ‘But you’ve been to so many exotic locations for your work, have you not? This must hardly compare.’ His gaze was unwavering and it made her heart beat all the harder and she could feel her cheeks heating up in spite of the cool Highland breeze.

‘This is the sort of place I love the most,’ Elspeth said, conscious of heat crawling over her face. ‘It’s so peaceful and timeless. If you look out there—’ she pointed to the view across the valley ‘—there’s nothing to anchor you to this century. We could be from any time in the past. Don’t you find that amazing?’

Mack framed her face in his large hands, his gaze dipping to her mouth. ‘What I find amazing is how I’ve resisted kissing you until now. Would you mind?’

Elspeth licked her lips with a nervous flick of her tongue. ‘No... I mean yes, I want you to kiss me.’

His mouth came down to press against hers in a feather-light touchdown. He lifted his lips off hers and came down again, a little firmer this time as if driven by a pounding need for closer contact. The same pounding need that was barrelling through her own body. She gave a soft little whimper and linked her arms around his neck, opening her lips to the commanding probe of his tongue. Heat exploded inside her, molten heat that travelled to the centre of her womanhood, moistening and swelling tender tissues as primal need took over.

Mack groaned and angled his head for deeper access, one of his hands sliding into the thickness of her hair. ‘I’ve wanted to do this from the moment I met you.’ He growled against her lips.

Elspeth planted a series of short hot kisses to his lips. ‘What took you so long?’

He smiled against her lips. ‘You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you in the library.’

She leaned against his masculine frame, her insides coiling with lust as she came into contact with the hardened ridge of his erection. ‘What stopped you?’

Mack lifted his head a fraction and stroked a lazy finger across her lower lip. ‘I wanted to get to know you better first.’

You don’t know me at all.

Elspeth wished she could tell him the truth about her identity. It seemed wrong that he thought she was Elodie. That he thought he was kissing Elodie. But the risks of confessing her true identity were too great. It would create an even bigger scandal, even more hurt for Sabine, who would feel betrayed all over again.

Elspeth traced a line around his sculptured lips. ‘How well do you think you know me?’ She couldn’t get her voice above a thready whisper.

He took the end of her finger into his mouth, sucking on it gently, his gaze holding hers. A hot shiver raced like greased lightning down her back, heat smouldering in her core at the erotic intention in the caress. ‘Well enough to know you want me as much as I want you.’

Elspeth suppressed a frisson of delight, her gaze locked on his by a force as old as time. ‘I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you.’

He smiled a slow smile and cradled one side of her face in his hand. ‘Same. So, what are we going to do about it?’

She licked her lips again, tasting the sexy salt of him, wanting him with an ache that throbbed like pain. ‘I guess we could kiss again and see what happens.’

‘Sounds like a good plan.’ His mouth came back down to hers in a blistering kiss that made the hairs on her head stand up on tiptoe. His tongue entered her mouth in a brazen thrust that sent a hot dart of need to her feminine core. Her pulse picked up its pace, her blood thrumming with primal want, her mouth feeding off his as if it were her only lifeline.

He made a guttural sound and deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers in a sexy tango that fuelled her desire even more. One of his hands went to the small of her back, pressing her closer to the potent heat of his male form. A delicious shudder went through her at the erotic contact, her body secretly preparing itself for his possession. Aching for his possession as if it had been waiting all these years for this exact moment.

Mack raised his head after a few breathless moments, his eyes glazed with lust. ‘Let’s take this indoors. I want our first time to be without mosquitoes and prickling heather.’

Our first time...

My first time...

Elspeth disguised a gulping swallow. ‘Right...’

He captured her chin between his finger and thumb, his gaze suddenly searching. ‘Is something wrong?’

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