plenty of help close by.” He lifted his gaze to Peg, and the
softness left his eyes. “I’l hear your promise as wel .”
Okay, she’d like to think she was at least as bright as her
daughter. “You’ve got it,” she said with a nod, nodding at
Robbie and Alec before pushing Charlotte ahead of her
toward the door. “If you’l excuse us now, I’d like to salvage
what I can of a night’s sleep. Charlie, go on in to bed; I’l
only be a minute,” she said, pushing the girl inside, then
grabbing the knob. She waited until Charlotte was heading
down the hal before she shut the door and turned and
walked back to Duncan. “Thank you,” she said, “for not
treating my daughter like she’s eight.”
He folded his arms over his chest and rested back on his
hips. “I hope ye know you have trouble coming in another
six or seven years with her.”
Peg started to beam him a smile but turned when she
realized Alec and Robbie were leaving. “And thank you
guys for … tonight’s entertainment.”
“It was our pleasure, lass,” Robbie said with a wave over
his shoulder.
Peg turned back and stepped right up to Duncan, and
even stood on her tiptoes to make sure he didn’t miss her
scowl. “You ever manhandle me like that again,” she softly
growled, “or even mention putting me over your knee, I’m
going to make your little sport up on the mountain with Mac
seem like child’s play. Speaking of which,” she said,
dropping back to her heels and stepping away, “Sunday’s
picnic is off.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Give me one good reason why I should go, after your
threatening me tonight.”
“Because ye might be the most contrary woman I’ve ever
met, but you’re not a coward.” He stepped closer. “Don’t
make me pul out my hero’s badge, Peg.”
“You’re using my children?”
He nodded; the porch light exposing the gleam in his
eyes. “We MacKeages can be real bastards like that
sometimes.” He pressed a finger to her shoulder, snagged
the strap of her bra right through the material, and let it go
with a soft snap. “I see you’re also as smart as ye are
contrary,” he murmured, palming her face in his warm
broad hands and kissing her right on her startled mouth. He
lingered just long enough for Peg to realize he honest to
God was kissing her, then straightened away and was
gone before she could sputter in protest. “Ye manage to
stay out of trouble the rest of the night, and ye just might find
some cinnamon buns on your doorstep in the morning,” he
said over his shoulder as he descended the stairs in one
leap and strode off toward the hil side—leaving Peg staring
after him with her hands bal ed into fists at her sides.
She ran her tongue over her lips and suddenly pressed
her hands over the sharp ache in her chest as she tried to
remember the last time she’d felt a man’s mouth on hers.
Dammit, she didn’t want to like Duncan MacKeage.
Chapter Ten
Duncan lay sprawled spread-eagle on the cold granite
ledge, his chest heaving painful y as he tried to catch his
breath. He turned his gaze away from the gathering storm
clouds to glare at Mac. “I thought we agreed no magic.”
Considering that last blow should have rendered the
bastard unconscious, Duncan didn’t know where Mac got
the strength even to shrug. “I guess I forgot.”
“Ye forgot you were only supposed to use mortalbrain
and brawn?”
“And skil .”
“Speaking of the magic,” Duncan said in a winded growl.
He rubbed an itch on his bel y, only to sigh at the feel of
blood on his fingers. “I don’t suppose ye could bottle up
some of your energy to leave with me?” He used his next
growl to propel himself into a sitting position. “Say, enough
to put a protective bubble around my operation and Peg’s
property until ye get back?”
Mac also attempted to sit up but fel back with a groan.
“Sorry, my friend, but I’m not even certain I could cal forth
enough energy to walk home right now. Or slow that storm’s
arrival until after we get off this mountain,” he
muttered, making a halfhearted attempt to gesture at the
sky.
Duncan rubbed his face to hide his smile.
“You’re a quick study,” the wizard continued. “One
afternoon of swordplay and you’re already anticipating my
next move.”
Duncan reached over to snag his shirt and bal ed it up
under his head as he lay back down. “Enough that you had
to resort to trickery, apparently.”
“I did not conjure up that rabbit.”
“You mean the one that appeared out of nowhere just as I
was about to cut you off at the knees?”
“More like the one now hopping home with a fantastical
tale to tel its buddies, along with some missing fur to prove
it.”
“So about that protective bubble,” Duncan said, smiling
up at the sky. “If ye can’t bottle it up, could you at least put
something in place before ye leave?”
“Why don’t you ask de Gairn?”
He turned his head in surprise. “Matt? Why would I ask a
drùidh to work the magic for me when I can go straight to
his boss? It’s yourroad I’m building and your wife’s friend
I’m keeping an eye on.”
“Or you could ask Ian,” Mac continued as if he hadn’t
even spoken. He arched a brow when Duncan shot him a
scowl. “What; are you not pleased your nephew found the
seat of his power on TarStone, as does that not free youof
the mountain’s hold?”
Duncan looked up at the roiling clouds. “I’ve never had a
problem with taking my place running the resort when the
time comes.”
He heard Mac chuckle. “Are you honestly trying to lie to
me, MacKeage? Or yourself?”
“Wel , fine then. If ye don’t want to help me protect your
resort road, I’l simply buy new equipment when they
sabotage mine and send you the bil .” Duncan looked over
at him. “And you can keep digging into your bottomless
satchel of money every time I have to rebuild one of the
bridges when the bastards start blowing them up.”
“This can’t be the first time you’ve faced opposition to a
project you were working on,” Mac said. “And since you
claim you have no magic of your own, what did you do to
protect your equipment and ensure your crew’s safety in the
past?”
“I didn’t price security into this job because I figured you
had my back.”
He heard Mac chuckle again. “It appears to me you need
only hire Peg and her eldest daughter. May I ask why you
didn’t tel her you were camping on the hil side?”
“I didn’t want her worried that I was expecting trouble.”
“Your heritage is showing, my friend. Did it never occur to
you the lady might be smart enough to realize al the activity
in her pit was going to draw no-good opportunists from
miles around?”
Duncan rol ed onto his side and propped his head on his
hand. “I guess I forgot,” he drawled, grinning when Mac’s
eyes narrowed. “Speaking of which, ye wouldn’t have
something in your bag of tricks to make a mere mortal
forget, would you?”
“Now what did Peg do? Or do you wish for her to forget
something you did?”
Duncan rol ed onto his back, closing his eyes on a sigh.
“I’m afraid I threatened to take the flat of my sword to her
backside,” he muttered, “then added insult to injury by
throwing her shotgun in the woods and tel ing her that if I