Highland Awakening Read Free Page A

over her forehead and trickled down the side of her face. She jumped up from the settee, frantically searching for her notebook.
    There it was…on the back of the velvet cushion, half-hidden behind his body. She lunged for it, her arm outstretched.
    She was too slow.
    He snatched it away. Leaping to his feet, he held it up, high out of her reach.
    “My notebook,” she cried softly, standing on her tiptoes and reaching for it, to no avail.
    His piercing eyes burned her. His smile was a slow, wicked curve. “Well, aren’t we easily distracted?”
    “Yes…I mean, no! Please…”
    She allowed no one to touch her notebooks. No one. Ever.
    “What’s in here, Esme? Weren’t you enjoying our kiss? What could be so important to drag you away from me?”
    Once again, her face burned. What had she done? It was wrong. She was wrong. She shouldn’t have gone near him. She was wicked for touching him.
    “Please,” she whispered. “I’ll go away. I’ll leave you alone. Just…please. Give me my notebook—”
    “Do you think that’s what I want?” Incredulity laced his voice. “For you to
leave me alone
?”
    “I…don’t know…” She couldn’t make sense of this conversation. All she could think about was the enormity of what she’d just done. The enormity of his hands on her notebook…on
her.
    He shook his head and bent down until his face nearly touched hers, their noses a hairsbreadth apart.
    “Don’t leave me alone, Esme. Don’t
ever
leave me alone.” He straightened. “Now let’s be seeing what’s in here that has you so agitated.”
    Keeping the notebook out of her reach, he opened it.
    “No!” she cried. “Please—”
    Just then, the door to the bedchamber opened, jerking their attention to it. A round woman with a shock of curly carrot-colored hair peered out, kohl smeared beneath her eyes. It was Betty, Esme remembered. She’d met her once before. Esme recalled Betty’s earlier exuberant shouts, and her face grew even hotter.
    The woman gave them a bright smile. “Hullo, luvies. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Pinny and me was just wanting to get a bite from the kitchen.”
    Mr. McLeod lowered Esme’s notebook and gave the woman a terse nod. “Of course. I’ll see that something’s brought for you.”
    It was odd how quickly his tone changed from the wicked rake to the sensible, curt man of business. Who
was
he, anyhow?
    “All right, then.” Flashing another toothy grin at them both, Betty shut the door. At the same time, the door to the corridor opened and Mrs. Trickelbank bustled in.
    “Well, that’s taken care—” Mrs. Trickelbank stopped speaking abruptly. She frowned at Mr. McLeod, then turned her gaze to Esme. Seeing Esme’s expression—Lord, she didn’t even want to think of what she must look like at this moment…flushed, disheveled, alarmed, terrified, guilty, thoroughly kissed…
    “Mr. McLeod,” Mrs. Trickelbank said crossly, “might I ask why you are in possession of the lady’s notebook?”
    Mrs. Trickelbank knew Esme’s rule of never allowing anyone to look inside it. The older woman was one of the very few people privy to Esme’s biggest secret.
    Mr. McLeod cocked one sleek black eyebrow. “She misplaced it,” he said smoothly. “I was merely returning it to her.”
    “I should hope so.” Mrs. Trickelbank gave him a warning look.
    Pursing his lips, he handed Esme the notebook. She took it, suddenly unable to meet his eyes, which spoke to her clearly nonetheless.
I intend to discover the secret of your notebook,
they told her.
I intend to discover
all
your secrets.
    That was impossible. He couldn’t discover any of her secrets, because she wouldn’t allow it.
    Her lips still tingled from his hard kisses. Her nipple was still sensitive, still ached, yearned for his touch. Wetness seeped between her thighs. Despite everything, she was still aroused.
    She looked away even as shame flooded her.
    Mrs. Trickelbank threaded her arm into Esme’s. “Come