Page 25 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

CHAPTER EIGHT

MACKLEANEDONone elbow to look down at her, his other hand brushing the hair back from her forehead, momentarily lost for words. Her eyes were bright and luminous, her lips plump and swollen from his kisses, her slim legs still entwined with his. His body hummed with the aftershocks of pleasure—stunning, earth-shattering pleasure—that had taken him completely by surprise. The physical connection between them surpassed that of his other encounters but he wasn’t too keen on examining why. It raised a red flag in his head. Questioning why this encounter was so unique was a no-go zone. It had to be. He only did casual relationships. He didn’t commit. He didn’t make promises. He didn’t offer what he couldn’t give.

Elspeth brought her hand up to his face, her palm soft as a cloud against his cheek. ‘Thank you.’ Her voice was barely above a whisper and contained a note of wonder.

Mack captured her hand and kissed each of her fingertips, his eyes holding hers. ‘I should be the one thanking you.’ He realised with a jolt how honoured he felt to be her first lover. Was that why their encounter had been so special? So off the charts in sensuality and connection?

‘For what?’

‘For choosing me to be your first lover.’

Her gaze lowered to his mouth for a moment, her cheeks going a faint shade of pink. ‘I’m glad it was you. I can’t imagine making love with anyone else.’

The bright red flag popped up in his head again. Mack was finding it hard to imagine making love with anyone else too. Who else would respond to him with such passionate intensity? With such sweet and trusting generosity? Her body had felt like an extension of his own, it worked with his in perfect tandem, producing a stunning eruption of pleasure from which he was yet to recover. He dropped a kiss to her mouth and then carefully eased away, making a business of disposing of the condom, when really what he wanted to dispose of were his wayward thoughts. Thoughts of offering her a relationship, a short-term fling where they could explore the passion that had flared between them from the moment they met. Would that be crossing a line? Taking things further than what was wise?

He wanted her.

She wanted him.

What else mattered for now?

Mack came back to where Elspeth was lying on the bed. He gazed down at her nakedness with fire burning with molten heat in his blood. He bent down on one knee, and placing his hands either side of her head, leaned over her to press a lingering kiss to her mouth. He lifted his mouth off hers. ‘I should be offering you food but I keep wanting to kiss you.’

‘I’m not hungry for food.’ She touched one of her fingers against his lips. ‘I’m hungry for you.’

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘Elspeth...’ He took a deep breath, still trying to get his head around what he was about to say. He didn’t want this to be a one-nighter like so many of his other casual encounters. The passion they had shared put it in an entirely different category. But what could he offer that wouldn’t compromise his strict relationship rules? He wasn’t interested in settling down. He wasn’t interested in anything permanent.

But he was interested in exploring more of the sensual energy that had erupted with such stunning force between them.

Elspeth pulled her hand away and sat upright, covering her nakedness with the bed throw rug as if suddenly conscious of her lack of clothing. ‘Is this the part where you lecture me about how you only do casual relationships? That what happened between us just now is a one-off and won’t be repeated?’

There was a long beat of silence. It was as if the crofter’s hut had taken a deep breath, not even a creak of old timber or the rattle of a windowpane daring to break the intense silence. Even the wild wind outside seemed to have abated to a breathless, barely audible whisper.

Mack sat on the bed beside her, reaching for one of her hands. ‘Hey.’ He enveloped her small hand within his, a little tingle of pleasure running through him at the contact. ‘Look at me.’

Elspeth turned her head to look at him, her teeth momentarily sinking into her bottom lip. ‘I know what you’re going to say...’ There was a hint of bleak resignation in her tone that unexpectedly tugged on his heartstrings.

He bumped up her chin with his index finger. ‘Actually, I don’t think you do.’

Her gaze shimmered and a look of puzzlement crept over her face. ‘What are you going to say, then?’

Mack gave a slow smile and stroked a lazy finger down the slope of her cheek. ‘I don’t want this to be a one-off. I want you to come away with me for a few days. I have a villa in the South of France—we can have a short holiday together. By the time we get back, the press will have forgotten all about Fraser’s wedding being cancelled. Then you can go back to your life, I can go back to mine.’

Her smooth brow furrowed and her eyes moved back and forth between his as if searching for something. ‘Are you sure?’

Mack was sure of one thing and one thing only. He wanted her. ‘I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t.’

A smile broke over her features and something in his chest flipped open. ‘I would love to come.’

He gave her a smouldering look. ‘We’ll pack up in the morning. But for now, I have something to do.’

‘I wonder what that could be.’ Her tone was playful, her eyes bright and shining.

‘Guess.’ And he lowered his mouth to hers.

Elspeth woke during the night to find herself spooned by Mack’s firm warm body, the coarse hair of his forearms tickling the sensitive skin underneath her breasts. It had been hours since they had made love for the second time, but her body was still humming with delicious aftershocks. Every time she thought of his powerful body entering her, a soft flutter passed through her lower body—a tiny, secretive frisson of remembered pleasure.

Mack let out a long, deep sigh and gathered her closer, her bottom coming into contact with the hard ridge of his growing erection. ‘What are you doing awake at this hour?’ His voice had a playfully gruff edge. He began to nuzzle the side of her face, the prickly regrowth on his jaw sending hot tingles down her spine.

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