Page 8 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

Dangerously so.

Elspeth found the library and was pleased he wasn’t yet there. It gave her time to peruse the floor-to-ceiling shelves, to drool over some of the titles housed there. It was an archivist’s dream to be surrounded by priceless editions that were hundreds of years old. There were journals and diaries from some of Mack’s ancestors and she wished she had more time so she could read through them all. The room had a velvet-covered wing chair and a sofa in front of the windows that overlooked the dense woods behind the castle. A tall standard lamp was situated beside the wing chair, providing a perfect reading place, and she pictured herself curled up in it with one of the ancient books, with Highland snow falling softly and silently outside. She placed her clutch purse on one of the shelves and began to examine some of the titles. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head at some of the treasures housed on the shelves. Did Mack know the value of these books? Had they been archived and insured? She stared at row after row of priceless titles, her breath catching in wonder, her hands itching to examine them. But books as old as these needed special care. Cotton gloves for handling and a controlled-temperature environment to preserve them for generations to come.

The sound of the door clicking shut behind her made Elspeth spin round from the bookshelves. ‘You have a lot of wonderful books. I can’t believe what a treasure trove you’ve got here. Have they ever been valued or archived? Are they adequately insured?’

Mack stepped further into the room, his expression difficult to read. ‘The most valuable were sold a few years ago.’

‘But there must be others here that are worth a mint.’ She gazed back up at the shelves and pointed. ‘That one there—the leather-bound one I’m sure is a rare edition of The Canterbury Tales. A copy of it sold for several million pounds a while back. Could you get it down for me? And do you have a pair of cotton gloves?’

Mack took so long to answer, Elspeth turned round to look at him. ‘Is something wrong?’

He stepped further into the light coming from the chandelier above. ‘You have an interest in rare books?’ His expression was still largely inscrutable but a piercing light in his gaze sent a tingling shiver skittering across her scalp.

Elspeth suddenly realised her gaffe. Her twin was a lingerie model who had chosen to leave school before she got her GCSEs in her quest to make a career out of modelling. There were numerous interviews Elodie had given about her struggle with dyslexia and how she had spent most of her childhood avoiding reading. ‘Erm...yes, it’s kind of a hobby of mine...’ She turned away and gnawed at her lip, her heart racing so hard and fast she thought she might faint. She could feel her cheeks heating...so much for the controlled-temperature environment. At this rate, her cheeks would turn the precious books into ashes within minutes.

‘What other hobbies do you have?’

Elspeth forced herself to face him again, painting a smile on her face, while her heart did somersaults in her chest. ‘I draw. I dabble in watercolours.’ At least those things were true. It was a talent she and her twin shared.

Mack came up to where she was standing, his eyes holding hers in an unwavering lock. ‘Tell me something. Why did you accept the invitation to be Sabine’s bridesmaid?’

The question blindsided her for a moment. She moistened her lips and averted her gaze, focussing it on the collar of his shirt. ‘I like Sabine. She’s a sweetheart.’ That was also true, Elspeth decided. Sabine was a warm and friendly soul who deserved better than Mack’s cheating younger brother, Fraser. She wished she could warn Sabine about the man she was marrying tomorrow but how could she do it without blowing her cover? Sabine would be hurt by not one but three betrayals—her fiancé’s cheating, Elodie being the person he cheated with and Elspeth standing in for her twin as bridesmaid.

‘Then why did you sleep with her fiancé, my younger brother?’

Elspeth swallowed. ‘I—I don’t wish to discuss—’

‘We are not leaving this room until we have discussed it.’ His tone had that determined edge that had so irritated her before.

Elspeth gave him a frosty look. ‘You can hardly hold me prisoner.’

His grey-blue eyes darkened to gunmetal-grey. ‘Don’t tempt me.’

The air crackled with tension. A throbbing tension Elspeth could feel in her body. The low and deep secret tug of desire, the heightening of her senses, the flaring of her nostrils, the lowering of her lashes, the soft parting of her lips.

Mack’s gaze became hooded and dipped to her mouth and lingered there for a heart-stopping moment. The tension in the air tightened another notch as if all the oxygen particles had been removed. Elspeth couldn’t take her eyes off his lips, the sensual contour of them totally mesmerising. Was he going to kiss her? Her heart flip-flopped and she moistened her lips with a nervous dart of her tongue. She mustn’t let herself get carried away but, oh, how amazing it would be to feel those firm lips against her own. She hadn’t been kissed in a decade. She was a virgin who was nudging thirty with only one kiss under her belt.

One almost deadly kiss that had put her in hospital and sent her mother under the care of a therapist for over a year.

It was a timely reminder that Elspeth was way out of her depth. She might pretend to be sassy and in control but she was playing a role. She was shy and inexperienced Elspeth, not street-smart and ebullient Elodie.

Elspeth raised her chin a fraction. ‘Right now, I’m tempted to slap your arrogant face.’

‘Then maybe I should give you an even better reason to do so.’ Mack took her by the upper arms in a gentle but firm hold, the erotic intent in his glittering gaze unmistakable.

‘W-wait.’ Elspeth placed her hands flat against his rock-hard chest. ‘Have you been eating nuts?’

His brows came together in a deep frown. ‘What?’

She licked her lips with another flick of her tongue. ‘I can’t allow you to kiss me if you’ve eaten nuts. I—I hate the taste. I find it nauseating.’

Mack measured her with his gaze for a long moment, his hands still on her upper arms. ‘Do you want me to kiss you?’

Gulp.Elspeth blinked and she could feel scorching heat storming into her face. ‘Erm... I—I thought you wanted to kiss me.’

His gaze dipped to her mouth for a nanosecond before reconnecting with her gaze. ‘Now, there’s a thought,’ he drawled, his lips tilting in a smile that made her legs go weak. ‘But I’m not sure it would be wise under the circumstances.’ His hands fell away from her arms but he didn’t move away.

‘Because of the...the nut thing?’

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