Highland Fling (13 page)

‘Auch no! Your head’s still there. I can see it plain as day. Your sense ... well ... that’s a different matter.’

‘So this is where you’re 'iding?’ Pete said, poking his head round the door, closely followed by Ross and Phil.

Iain glowered at Pete.

‘Don’t think we’ve been introduced mate. I’m Pete.’ Pete held out his hand.

Iain put his empty glass in it. ‘Fill that if you don’t mind, there’s another bottle in that cupboard and get yourselves some.’

Pete grinned and did as he was asked. He filled Iain’s glass and handed it back to him then poured some for Ross, Phil and himself. Pete downed his in one long swallow then made a gagging sound. ‘Jesus Christ! That’s strong stuff. What is it?’

‘Home brew,’ Jack grinned.

Ross and Pete fell into the two empty chairs and Phil pulled up a stool.

‘This is my kind of home,’ Ross said raising his glass to his lips.

Jack sighed deeply. ‘I’ve just been thinking the same thing mate.’

Jane poured herself another drink from the makeshift bar and looked for Lizzie. She was on the dance floor and Jane waved at her to come over.

‘What’s up?’ Lizzie asked, seeing the look on Jane’s face.

‘Nothing! That’s the point. Have you seen Iain? I can’t find him anywhere.’

‘No. The last time I saw him, he and Jack were headed off in the direction of his snug. That was almost two hours ago.’ Lizzie didn’t add that she’d been watching for Jack every few minutes since.

‘Well, this playing hard to get game is working a treat isn’t it? I’ve been flirting for ages and he hasn’t even been around to see it. Clearly doesn’t give a damn about me. Might as well get drunk and shag someone else instead.’

‘Jane!’

‘Well. What’s the point? Obviously I was just a one night stand.’

‘Actually, I think we both may have misjudged Iain Hamilton. You should have seen the look on his face when you flounced off with Pete when we arrived. He was ready to commit murder I swear.’

‘Really?’

‘Really! Maybe he thinks you’re with Pete and he’s keeping out of the way because he’s jealous. Perhaps you do need to flaunt yourself with him a bit. You know, show him you’re really keen on him. You
are
really keen on him aren’t you?’

‘Of course I am! You know damn well I am! I would have jumped on him when he walked up that bloody path if you hadn’t told me not to.’

‘My mistake. Sorry. Okay, plan B. Find Iain Hamilton and turn on the charm.’

‘And how do I do that if he’s secreted himself with Jack in his snug? You know they’ll be drinking his home brew. I can’t just walk in and sit on his lap now can I?’

Lizzie grinned. ‘Actually, I think that’s exactly what you should do. We’ve been drinking, and nothing brings out the protective instincts in a man like a tipsy woman.’

‘Really? I thought it just brought out the, she’s drunk I can screw her, instinct.’

Lizzie sighed. ‘Yeah. Well. I think that depends on the man. Are you saying that you think Iain might have had sex with you because you were both drunk?’

‘No! Well ... I’ve never seen him drunk and he seemed perfectly sober. I’d had a couple but oh, I don’t know. I did it because I really like him but who knows why he did. You know what men are like, especially if it’s offered to them on a plate, you’re right about that and it was me who started it but ... well, I thought there was something between us, you know? Something had been sort of developing for ages and I thought that Valentine’s was it. I thought he’d call after. I honestly did.’

‘So why didn’t you just call him?’

‘What and make myself look even more stupid? No way. He should’ve called me.’

‘Yeah. I do agree with that. There is a chance though that he thought you might not want him to. How did you leave it after ... well ... after ... you know?’

‘After screwing you mean?’ Jane threw Lizzie a mock shocked look. ‘I don’t remember exactly. We were in the barn and –’

‘That part I remember, thanks.’

Jane sneered. ‘Well, we were just lying there, cuddling, you know and then we heard Fraser call Iain. He got up and went into the snug and I remember he was gone for ages so I got dressed and ... well ... I went home.’

Lizzie was horrified. ‘Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? You went home? Without telling him?’

‘He’d left me in the barn!’

‘Yes but he could hardly tell Fraser that he’d left you there could he?’

‘Why not? Oh, I don’t know. I just expected him to call.’

‘Okay. I think we may all have got our wires crossed. This needs sorting out. Come on.’ Lizzie took Jane’s hand and headed towards the snug.

‘What are we going to do?’

‘We’re going to make it clear to Iain that you’d like a repeat performance.’

‘I’d like several actually!’

Chapter Eight

‘There you all are,’ Lizzie said, peeping round the door of Iain’s snug. ‘We’ve been wondering where you’d got to.’ She pulled Jane into the room with her and noticed both Iain and Jack sit up and fidget like naughty schoolboys caught up to no good.

Iain’s eyes shot to Pete’s face but he saw Pete was more interested in the contents of his glass than he was in Jane. He watched to see what Jane would do but she had her head slightly bowed and he couldn’t see her eyes.

‘We’ve come to say we may need looking after,’ Lizzie said. ‘We’ve had a little bit too much to drink and ... oops!’

Lizzie nudged Jane in her side making Jane stumble. Iain was on his feet and had caught her in his arms before anyone else even noticed.

Jane’s surprise was genuine and when she cast her startled green eyes up to Iain’s anxious hazel ones, she was so glad Lizzie had gone to plan B. She smiled invitingly and slid her arms around him as if to steady herself. ‘Thanks,’ she whispered, ‘I do feel a little tipsy.’

He didn’t speak but swallowed a lump in his throat and stared down at her, his eyes now filled with love and longing, his arms still firmly wrapped around her.

‘I think she may need to lie down Iain. Could ... ooh!’

Lizzie watched as Iain swept Jane up and carried her towards the sitting room. She saw Jane grab the newel post at the foot of the stairs and shake her head.

‘Bedroom,’ Jane whispered.

Iain Hamilton didn’t need to be told twice.

Lizzie beamed then realised Jack was staring at her. She met his eyes and a tingling sensation shot through her. She could feel the colour rushing to her cheeks and quickly lowered her gaze.

Jack screwed up his eyes. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was planned.’

Lizzie raised her brows and cocked her head to one side. ‘I have no idea what you mean.’

‘I bet.’ Jack pushed against the arm of the chair and slowly raised himself to his feet. He sauntered towards Lizzie, his eyes firmly fixed on her face and she felt like a sixteen year old with a crush.

Ross and Phil were snoring and Pete was still intent on staring into his glass.

Jack stopped within inches of her, towering over her. ‘So,’ he said his voice as soft as a down duvet, ‘you may need looking after. I’d like to apply for that position.’

He raised one hand and pushed back a stray strand of brunette hair from Lizzie’s face, holding it between his finger and thumb for what seemed to her an eternity.

‘Um. No. I ... I’m fine. It ... it was Jane I was concerned about.’

The devilish grin, she’d come to recognise, spread slowly across his face.

‘Clearly no need to be,’ he drawled.

Lizzie’s heart raced. She could feel his warm breath on her face. Smell a hint of his aftershave. Feel the heat from his fingers as they twisted in her hair like a curling brush. He moved closer so their bodies were almost touching. Almost, but not quite and Lizzie had to summon every ounce of her strength not to lean into him, wrap her arms around him and pull him to her. Oh God. She must keep in control of the situation. She could so easily get lost in his touch.

‘I ... I ... ’

He lifted her chin with his other hand and gently forced her to look at him. Those sapphire eyes held an entire galaxy of emotions and she felt as if she were being sucked into a maelstrom of whirling planets and exploding supernovas. This would outdo The Big Bang, she was sure of that.

‘Jack,’ she moaned as her arms slid around him. She needed to hang on to something even if it was the cause of her dizziness.

‘Yes,’ he whispered kissing her forehead, his lips moving slowly to her eyelids, then her nose.

She parted her lips expectantly, wantonly. God she wanted him to kiss her again. So much so, that it physically hurt when he moved away from her.

‘Not here,’ he said his eyes now dark as a moonless night sky.

Lizzie gasped for breath. She hadn’t realised she’d been holding it, waiting for his kiss.

‘Wait here,’ he said.

Lizzie slumped back against the wall as he left the room, her head still spinning. Pete briefly raised his eyes from his glass, nodded towards her, then stared into the glass again. Seconds later, Jack had returned, the keys to one of Iain’s Land Rovers in his hand.

‘Fraser said we can borrow it. I’ll drive along the field track; he said it’s easy to follow.’ Jack took Lizzie’s hand in his and led her out through the main front door so that they avoided the throng in the barn.

During the five minute drive to Laurellei Farm neither of them spoke. Jack seemed to be concentrating on driving and Lizzie’s mind was racing with conflicting emotions.

What was she doing? She was going home alone with Jack and she knew what was going to happen. She wanted it to. God how she wanted it to. Ever since that moment on the station platform she’d felt drawn to him, swept up by him. And last night when he’d kissed her, she hadn’t wanted him to stop. 

This was madness. He was engaged, even if he did intend to break it off; she was still married. This could not happen.

Jack pulled up outside the farm and helped Lizzie down, his eyes scanning her face. She kept her head bowed, too frightened to look into those eyes that she knew would reflect her own wild passion. 

He swept her up in his arms and she gave a little shriek.

‘It worked for Iain,’ he said, grinning.

Lizzie knew she should demand he put her down but the devilish grin seemed to reach his eyes and for some reason, she just couldn’t get the words out. His eyes held hers and she knew the battle was lost before it had even begun. She wanted him, and if she said no now, she felt she would regret it for a long time to come. She had never felt like this about a man before – not even Max.

Jack pushed open the front door; no one locked their doors in Kirkedenbright Falls, and took the stairs two at a time, despite having Lizzie in his arms. He strode down the hall to his room and gently placed her on the bed, lying down beside her and slipping his arm around her to pull her close.

He leant in to kiss her and she parted her lips expectantly. Again, he pulled away from her. It crossed her mind that he might be playing a game at her expense and she tried to regain her composure. She was astonished when he spoke.

‘You are sober really aren’t you?’ he asked, his lips only inches from hers.

‘What?’

‘Last night when I kissed you I’d had too much to drink and I wasn’t really sure what was happening or why. I didn’t think; I just acted on impulse. Today, once my memory came back – despite you trying to pretend none of it had happened – I knew why. That’s why I told you I plan to break off the engagement. But I can’t do it over the phone so I am still engaged.’

He had drawn slightly away from her, a concerned look etched on his face.

‘I understand,’ she said, not really sure she did, only knowing that every inch of her was screaming out for his touch.

‘I really want you Lizzie. I’ve never wanted anyone so much in my life but ... I don’t want to take advantage of you. I want you to know what you’re doing. I ... I want you to be sure you want to do this.’

He brushed a finger across her face to push back a strand of hair and all her nerve endings seemed to react at once.

‘I’m sure,’ she gasped.

A deep sigh escaped him. ‘From that moment on the platform it’s as if ... well ... this sounds really corny but ... it feels as if this was meant to happen. I can’t stop thinking about you, Lizzie. I even doodled a bloody heart on the window pane and –’

‘You did that?’

‘You saw it.’

‘Yes but ... I thought your friends had done it as a joke.’

He shook his head. ‘Nope. It was me. I’m like a besotted school boy. Can’t remember the last time I felt like this. No. I can. I’ve never felt like this. This is crazy isn’t it? Are you really sure?’

‘I’m sure,’ she said, a little testily. ‘Are you?’

He had moved towards her but stopped as she spoke.

‘Absolutely,’ he said his eyes expressing a mixture of concern and growing passion.

‘You seem to be doing everything possible not to.’

He lifted himself on to his elbow. ‘What?’

‘Well look at you. You carry me in here consumed with passion and lie down beside me then suddenly, it’s as if you’ve dipped your toe in the water and discovered it’s too cold to jump in. All you’ve done for the last five minutes is talk!’

He looked stunned. ‘Well forgive me! I take this sort of thing seriously that’s all and I’ve never cheated on anyone before. It ... it feels wrong and –’

‘Well then don’t! I’d hate you to do something you might regret.’ Lizzie sat up with a jerk.

‘I won’t regret it! I was going to say, if you’d let me finish instead of jumping down my throat, that it feels wrong and yet so right. God, I’ve thought about nothing else since the first moment I saw you.’

‘Really? And yet when you got back from the pub today you seemed to be doing everything you could to avoid me.’

Jack let out a sigh. ‘I was. No. Let me finish. Steve said something on the way to the pub that ... well that made things awkward.’

‘Oh?’

‘He said it was obvious to everyone that I wanted to ... that I fancied you.’

‘Wanted to ... what?’

‘Oh come on. You know what guys are like.’