Page 26 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

Elspeth turned in his arms and slid one of her feet down his hair-roughened calf. ‘I could ask the same of you.’

He rolled her beneath him, his gaze holding hers in a tender lock. ‘It’s too soon to make love again. I don’t want you to get sore. You’re new to this.’

‘You have to stop treating me like I’m made of glass. I can handle anything you do to me.’ A doubt popped up its head. Anything? Well, maybe not quite anything. The one thing she didn’t want from him was a broken heart.

But she could keep her feelings out of this, after all, other people did.

Her twin did.

Why couldn’t she?

Mack stroked his thumb over her lower lip in a fainéant movement. ‘The last thing I want to do is hurt you.’ His voice was low and gravel-rough, his expression etched in lines of concern.

Elspeth had a feeling he wasn’t talking about physical hurt. ‘I’m a big girl, Mack. I know how to take care of myself.’

He gave a lopsided smile and stroked her lower lip again. ‘As long as we’re both clear on the rules.’

She tiptoed her fingers all the way down his sternum and his taut and ripped-with-muscle abdomen. ‘I think you need the rules for you, not for me.’ She challenged him with her gaze and added, ‘Am I right?’ Her hand was poised just above the hot hard heat of his length.

He gave a shudder and groaned deep in his throat. ‘There should be a rule against you looking so damn sexy first thing in the morning.’

She stroked her hand over his thickened erection. ‘I’m sure you could resist me if you wanted to.’

His eyes darkened to gunmetal grey. ‘I can’t resist you. Not right now.’ His mouth came down firmly on hers, sweeping her away on a tide of blissful longing, one she wondered if she would ever stop craving in spite of the rules.

It was late the following afternoon by the time they arrived at Mack’s villa in the quaint medieval village of Lagrasse in the Occitanie region in the South of France. The villa was a large stone building that overlooked the River Orbieu and it had a wonderful view of the abbey that the village was subsequently built around.

Mack helped Elspeth out of the car. ‘What do you think so far?’ he asked.

Elspeth did a complete circle, taking in the breathtaking view. The warm summer late afternoon breeze caressed her face, the smell of flowers redolent in the air. ‘It’s gorgeous, Mack. I didn’t even know this village existed before you brought me here. It’s like stepping back in time.’

He looped an arm around her waist, leading her to the front door. ‘It’s reputed to be one of the most beautiful villages in the South of France. The wine from this region is spectacular.’

She playfully shoulder-bumped him. ‘Did someone mention wine?’

He grinned and leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. ‘Am I corrupting you?’

Elspeth smiled back. ‘Yes, but I’m enjoying every minute of it. How long have you had this place?’

‘A couple of years now,’ Mack said, and unlocked the door and turned off an alarm with a fob on the keyring. ‘I have a housekeeper who checks on things and a gardener-cum-maintenance-man. They see to things when I can’t be here as much as I’d like.’ He pushed the door open for her and waved her inside.

Elspeth stepped over the threshold and looked around in amazement. The villa was tastefully decorated in a French Provincial style with lots of white and grey and exposed woodwork. It didn’t have the grand ostentatiousness of Mack’s Scottish estate and she wondered if that was why he liked it. She turned to face him. ‘How often do you come here?’

‘Four or five times a year, often for only short visits, unfortunately. I have a lot of other business to see to at home.’

‘Do you enjoy it? Your business interests, I mean?’

He closed the solid front door, his expression rueful. ‘Not always. I inherited a lot of debt when my father died. I had no choice but to put my own career aspirations on hold and do what had to be done. It’s taken a long time to get back in the black. Once you’ve stared down bankruptcy, it’s hard to truly relax, no matter how much money you make. I have a lot of people depending on me.’ He blew out a sigh and continued, ‘And no doubt Fraser will be one of them now his dream job has been taken away.’

Elspeth placed a hand on his arm. ‘I’m sorry things have been so difficult for you. You’ve given up so much for your family.’

He flicked her cheek with a gentle finger. ‘Stop apologising. I’m happy enough.’

But was he? Did worldly possessions and plenty of money in the bank give him the fulfilment most people craved? He struck her as a loner, a man who stood apart from others. He kept his relationships short and casual. The only commitment he was prepared to make was to his career. A career he hadn’t even chosen for himself but had inherited due to tragic circumstances.

‘What did you want to do?’ Elspeth asked after a moment. ‘I mean, career wise?’

His smile was crooked. ‘Nothing that would’ve made me anywhere near the money I’ve made. Come. Let me show you around before I bring in our luggage.’

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