“We don’t even know each other.”
“True. But there’s no denying what we feel.”
“We don’t have to act on it.”
He merely smiled, that dangerous smile that had her heart pounding in her temples.
“Ross, I…”
“Shh.” He touched a finger to her lips and drew her inside the cottage.
In one smooth gesture he turned her in his arms, pressing her firmly against the closed door.
And then his hands were in her hair, his mouth fused to hers, his kiss so hot, so hungry, he was nearly devouring her. His body was pressed so tightly to hers, she could feel him in every part of her being. His chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His frantic heart keeping time with her own. His mouth, that clever, incredible mouth, moving over hers, taking her higher than she’d ever been with a single kiss.
Her shawl fell to the floor at their feet, forgotten in their haste. When his hands moved to the zipper at the back of her dress, she gasped and stepped away.
“I can’t stay. This is madness.”
“Don’t leave me, Aidan.” His mouth burned a trail of hot, wet kisses down her throat to her collarbone.
She was staggered by the flood of sensations that shot through her.
Heat. She was so hot, she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
Light. Behind her closed lids a kaleidoscope of lights battered her senses.
Need. A desperate, driving need gripped her, and she knew that she had to run. Now. This minute. Or it would be too late.
“I can’t do this. I don’t know what’s come over me, but you have to believe that I feel as if I’ve lost my way.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, struggling for breath. “I do believe you, Aidan. It’s the same for me. I’m walking a very thin line, and just now I very nearly crossed it.”
He opened the door. “Go now. And whatever you do, don’t look back.”
She ran along the path leading to the mansion. In her haste, she never even noticed that she’d left the cashmere throw behind.
Ross picked it up and buried his face in it, breathing in the fragrance of her cologne, the smell of her skin, and wanting, more than anything, to run after her.
It took all of his willpower to remain where he was.
Seven
Aidan stepped into the sunny dining room and watched as Cullen and Bridget, heads bent, quickly looked over at her and stepped apart.
“Good morning, my dear.” Cullen walked over to press a kiss to her cheek. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine.” She wondered if, up close, he could see the lack of sleep in her eyes. She’d paced the room until, in the small hours of morning, she’d finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. An hour later she’d wakened feeling as though she’d been running for miles across an alien landscape. But she’d wondered, had she been running from something, or to something? “And how did you sleep?”
“Like a baby.” He looked up to see Ross in the doorway. “Ah, Ross. Good morning.”
“’Morning.”
Aidan knew she was staring, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. He was wearing faded denims and a black turtleneck. His dark hair sparkled with droplets from his morning shower. He looked like a sleek, restless panther about to pounce on an unsuspecting prey.
She wanted to be that prey.
Cullen cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
Aidan and Ross broke eye contact and glanced over.
“The Farmers’ Cooperative is having its annual meeting. With all the excitement here, I nearly forgot. I can’t miss it.”
Ross was the first to recover. “Of course you can’t. Why is that a problem?”
Cullen shrugged. “I was hoping to give Aidan a tour of the property. But now there’s no telling how long I’ll be tied up.” He paused before adding, “Would you mind filling in for me, Ross?”
“Not at all.”
Cullen caught Aidan’s hands. “I hope you don’t mind, my dear. I assure you Ross will be every bit as thorough a guide as I would be.”
“Of course he will. We’ll be fine, Cullen. But I’m sorry you can’t be with us.”
“Can’t be helped. Well, then.” He turned away. “I’ve asked Sean to bring the car around. I’ll probably be gone most of the day.”
He winked at Bridget before calling over his shoulder, “I hope you two can make the best of it.”
“We’ll do what we can to salvage the day.” Ross watched him walk to the door.
When Cullen was gone, Bridget wiped her hands down her apron, looking flustered as always. “I hope you don’t mind, but Kathleen decided to make omelets and toast with country ham, in order to give you both time to tour the property. She said she’d be happy to make you anything more, if you’d like.”
Aidan was busy pouring coffee into two cups. “The breakfast Kathleen already made sounds perfect, Bridget. It’s as though she read my mind.”
The old woman coughed.
Aidan took a seat at the table, and Ross sat beside her. They were careful to avoid touching, sitting stiffly and looking extremely uncomfortable.
“And you, Ross?” The old woman paused beside him. “Would you be wanting anything else?”
“Not a thing. Thank you, Bridget.”
Aidan looked over. “Where’s Charity this morning?”
“Himself gave her the weekend off.” Humming a little tune, the housekeeper walked from the room, returning with their breakfast. That done, she didn’t reappear until Aidan and Ross had finished eating.
As she cleared the table, Bridget glanced out the window. “If you’re hoping to give the lass a tour of the property, you might think about doing it as soon as possible, before the rain rolls in.”
“Rain?” Ross looked up. “There’s not a cloud in the sky.”
“Not yet. But trust me. ’Twill rain.”
Ross stood and held Aidan’s chair. “I’d planned on riding this morning. How do you feel about seeing the countryside on horseback?”
“Oh, could we?” Aidan couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice. “I haven’t been on a horse since I was a kid.”
As the two hurried away, Bridget watched with a dreamy smile on her lips before returning to her chores.
“It’s all so beautiful, Ross.” Aidan reined in her mount at the top of a hill and stared down at the scene below.
The sprawling mansion resembled a castle, with its tur reted roofs sparkling in the sunlight. Around it were the graceful arboretum, green fields of sheep and cattle, and even a bee farm on a nearby incline. “I don’t know how you can ever bear to leave this place for even a day.”
“It is lovely, isn’t it?” Ross brought his horse beside hers. “I once accused Cullen of being a magician. When he first started the renovation, the lodge lay in ruins, the river polluted from an old factory and the fields around it were fallow. The village of Glinkilly was so poor there seemed no hope of ever bringing it back to life. And yet here it is, all of it looking like a sparkling jewel.”
He looked up at the clouds beginning to roll in. “Looks like the storm Bridget predicted. It’s coming in fast. We’d better get back to the stable.”
“I’ll race you.” Aidan shot him a grin before nudging her mount into a run.
Ross gave a shout of laughter and joined in the race.
By the time they’d turned the horses into their stalls and stepped from the stable, they were feeling the first raindrops.
“Just in time.” Ross caught her arm. “I don’t think we can make it up to the big house.”
They turned and raced through the rain to his cottage.
Once inside, they heard the rumble of thunder. Minutes later the skies opened up and the storm began in earnest.
They stood together by the windows, witnessing the wind whip the trees into a frenzied dance.