Shy Innocent In The Spotlight by Melanie Milburne

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.

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.’

Elspeth got the feeling he wasn’t comfortable talking about that aspect of his life. The hopes and dreams he had left behind in order to protect his family’s assets. It would have taken great courage and commitment to pull his family’s finances out of the red. He had done it and done it brilliantly, but at what cost to himself?

After Mack gave her a quick tour of the villa, Elspeth wandered around on her own while he brought in their luggage. She was eager to explore all of the quaint rooms in more detail but even more eager to wander about the garden. She walked out of the kitchen door to a paved courtyard where pots of fresh herbs grew as well as a long row of purple lavender. Bees were busily taking the pollen from the lavender heads; numerous small birds were twittering in the trees and nearby shrubbery. It was easy to see why Mack loved coming here. The setting was so serene and restful, especially when the abbey’s bells began to toll in the distance. She closed her eyes and listened to the rhythmic peels of the ancient bells, a mantle of peace settling over her.

Elspeth turned at the sound of a footfall to see Mack coming out of the villa carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. ‘You really know the way to a girl’s heart.’ She could have bitten her tongue off for the vocal slip. He wasn’t after her heart. He wanted no emotional commitment from her. All he wanted was a fling and she was fine with that because she had to be.

There was no other choice.

‘When in France, do as the French do,’ he said with a smile. He popped the cork and poured the bubbles into the two glasses and then handed her one. ‘Á votre santé.’ His perfect French accent almost made her swoon. Was there no end to this man’s heart-stopping charms?

Elspeth returned the toast in French. ‘Á votre santé.’ The champagne was exquisite, the bubbles exploding in her mouth and tantalising her taste buds. She couldn’t help thinking it was going to be hard to go back to drinking cheap sparkling wine once their fling was over. Her old life seemed so staid and boring and uneventful after just a couple of days in Mack MacDiarmid’s company.

‘What are you thinking?’ Mack asked.

Elspeth gave him a self-conscious smile. ‘I was thinking how hard it’s going to be for me to go back to my boring life after this.’

A small frown pulled at his forehead. He put his champagne down. ‘Why do you think your life is boring?’

She gave a one-shoulder shrug. ‘Because it is. I work. I eat, I sleep. Alone.’

‘You have friends though, don’t you?’

‘Yes, but I don’t socialise much.’ Elspeth plucked one of the lavender stalks off and twirled it beneath her nose.

‘Because of your allergy?’

She glanced at him to find him watching her steadily. ‘Not just because of that. My twin is the social butterfly, not me. I’m happy in my own company. As long as I have a good book, I’m content.’

Mack came closer and lifted her chin so her gaze met his. ‘Have you always lived in Elodie’s shadow?’

Elspeth let the lavender stalk drop to the ground. ‘Mostly. She’s way more outgoing than me. I can’t compete so I don’t bother trying.’ She twisted her mouth and added, ‘She’s everything I’m not.’

Mack stroked her chin with the pad of his thumb. ‘But you’re you. And that’s all you ever need to be.’ He bent his head and lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss that stirred a deep longing in her flesh and in her heart. A longing for more than physical connection.

A forbidden longing.

He lifted his mouth off hers and stroked her chin once more. ‘Have you ever switched places with her before?’

Elspeth put her champagne glass down, deciding that the delicious champagne was messing with her head and her heart. ‘A few times when we were kids.’ She gave a little half-laugh and continued, ‘Our mother was never fooled but our father could never tell us apart. Not even when he lived with us.’

‘Your parents are no longer together?’

‘No. They divorced when we were five. We’d stopped being cute by then, so he decided to move on. He had a second family with another woman. A boy and a girl, neither of whom have allergies, for which he is mightily relieved.’

Mack frowned so deeply it formed a trench between his eyes. ‘You think your allergy had something to do with your parents’ divorcing?’

Elspeth wished she’d kept her wayward mouth shut. What was it with her? A mouthful or two of champagne and she was spilling all. Spilling things she had told no one, apart from her twin, before. ‘It contributed, certainly. I had almost lost my life three or four times by then. My father doesn’t handle stress too well.’

‘It’s not your fault he didn’t have the maturity to handle a sick child. That’s on him, not you.’

‘I know but it can’t have been easy, you know? My mum was a worrier at the best of times. My allergy diagnosis turned her into a nervous wreck. She has no life apart from me.’ She grimaced and turned to pick up her champagne again, staring down at the vertical necklaces of bubbles rising. ‘I sometimes feel like I ruined her life.’

His hands came down on the tops of her shoulders from behind. ‘Don’t say that. I’m sure she doesn’t think that at all.’ His voice was deep and low and husky.

Elspeth leaned back against him, drawn to him as an iron filing was drawn to a magnet. ‘You have to stop giving me champagne.’

‘Why?’

She turned in the circle of his arms and handed him her glass. ‘Because I keep telling you things I’ve never told anyone else before.’

He put her glass to one side. ‘Why is that a problem?’

Elspeth gave a rueful smile. ‘Because we’re practically strangers, that’s why.’

He picked up a loose strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear, his touch so gentle it made her heart tighten. ‘You don’t feel like a stranger to me.’ His voice was still as rough as the pockmarked flagstones beneath their feet. ‘And if it’s any comfort to you, I’ve shared things with you I haven’t shared with anyone else.’

Elspeth looked into his grey-blue eyes, struck by how dark and lustrous they were. ‘Really?’

His smile was crooked. ‘You have a strange effect on me, Elspeth Campbell.’

She moved closer, winding her arms around his neck so her lower body was flush with his. ‘So I can tell. Thing is, what are we going to do about it?’

‘This,’ he said and covered her mouth with his.

Mack wondered if he would ever get tired of kissing her soft mouth. The sweet taste of her filled his senses, dazzled his senses into overload. He was supposed to be keeping her at arm’s length but every time he was near her, he wanted her with an ever more pounding ache. It was like a fever in his blood—a virulent fever that had no other antidote but her.

Her body’s response to him fuelled his desire. Making him burn, boil and blister with the need to get as close as humanly possible. He dragged his hungry mouth off hers only long enough to groan, ‘I want you.’

‘I want you too.’ Her voice was whisper-soft, her beautiful blue eyes shining with desire. The same desire he could feel pummelling through his body. A desire that begged, pleaded, roared to be assuaged as soon as possible.

Mack couldn’t wait for her to walk inside with him. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her indoors.

‘What are you doing?’ she squeaked. ‘You’ll do your back in.’

‘I like holding you in my arms.’

‘I like being held by you but that doesn’t mean I can’t walk on my own.’

‘Indulge me. I’ve never carried a woman up three flights of stairs before. It’ll be good for me.’

She laughed and linked her arms around his neck. ‘Crazy man. You’re a glutton for punishment.’

Glutton was right. Mack was hungry for her in a way he had not been for anyone else. It shocked him how much he wanted her. How could he have thought he could resist her? How could he have thought one night was going to quell the hot tight ache of his flesh? Why else had he brought her away to France? He wanted more time with her—time to explore the explosive chemistry that flared between them. The chemistry he had felt the first time he had been in the same room as her.

Was it her inexperience that had so impacted him? That she had gifted him herself in such a trusting way? How could he not be honoured and touched by her trust in him? How could he not be affected by their mutual desire? He couldn’t explain the deep connection he felt with her. It was beyond anything he had experienced before.

And all he knew was, he wanted to experience it again. And again. With her.

Only with her.