My Heart's in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader screen TXT) 📕

was used to the Georgian style ofarchitecture and unprepared for Cuilean’s fairytale proportions,but it swept me away.”

When Hero had first come here and witnessedthe castle, she had fallen completely in love with Cuilean.

And never stopped loving it.

Staying away for the past year had beenheartbreaking, but it wasn’t her home any longer, her mother hadinsisted. It wasn’t her place.

That hadn’t stopped Hero from returning withthe hope that the new marquis would let his predecessor’s widowremain, but she had never imagined that successor would be a manlike Ian Conagham.

“I’m glad it pleases you so much to behome.”

“I can never thank you enough for allowingit.”

They reached the pond and Ian paused on theshaded banks and turned to her. Hero stared up at him, taking inthe rugged lines of his face. Her fingers itched to dip into thoselong dimples, while her body tingled with the urge to press againsthis.

Ian stared down at Hero’s open expression.Lifting her hand, he pressed a kiss to her palm and then to theinside of her wrist, his eyes never leaving hers. “Believe me,Hero, it is my greatest pleasure to have you here.” The suggestivetone of his low brogue left her eyes wide but not wary. Instead,they were bright and expectant, he thought. Anticipation, she hadsaid. That she was waiting for something to happen. He was waitingas well, but where she had indicated something more mysterious, Ianknew exactly what he was waiting for.

“I’d like to kiss you again, Hero,” Ian saidsoftly as he pulled her beneath the hanging branches of a nearbywillow. She didn’t respond but only stared up at him. Her lips wereparted and moist and Ian swore he could see her pulse beatingrapidly at the base of her throat. “Have you no response?”

“My lord …”

“Ian,” he reminded her huskily, leaning inuntil Hero was pressed back against the trunk of the tree. Ianinhaled the scent of her, warm and musky from the heat with just ahint of lemon. She smelled as much like summertime as she looked.He ran a finger along the edge of her neckline, up until hisfingers brushed against the length of her neck. Her skin was dampand warm, her pulse fluttering as wildly as he had thought. “Haveyou not thought on it at all since last night?” he whispered,brushing his lips against her ear. He felt her intake of breathstir against his cheek but when she remained silent, he persisted.“Do you deny it, Hero, when you did little more than torture me allnight?”

Hero exhaled shakily, and Ian felt herfingers skim lightly over his cheek. “Did I? Oh, Ian,” she sighed,prompting Ian to draw back enough to meet her gaze. Hearing hisname slip so easily from her lips ignited a flare of heat in Ian’sheart. She looked softly inviting, her lips parted and waiting forhis kiss.

“Tell me,” he whispered, his brogue thickwith desire.

“I want …”

“Daughter! Daughter! Look at me!”

Diverted by her father’s urgent calls, Heroturned away only to squawk in a most unladylike manner and coverher eyes with a gloved hand. “Good Lord, Papa!”

Ian, too, turned in time to see the Duke ofBeaumont running across the short dock then jumping into the pondwith a shout of pure glee … stark naked.

Chapter Twelve

“I can’t believe you can keep this allstraight.”

“It just takes practice and familiarity, bothof which you will gain in time.”

“Don’t be so modest,” Ian chided. “You are anamazing woman.”

Hero blushed with pleasure at Ian’s praisebut bowed her head, and he couldn’t help but smile at her modesty.It seemed she had been in a constant flush all day, and he hadenjoyed every moment of it. Despite her father’s interruption,their picnic and walk home had been enchanting. She hadn’t beenable to stop looking at him beneath her lashes. He knew this, ofcourse, because he had been much the same. His slow seduction hadcontinued even while studying the ledgers all afternoon, thoughHero had seemed determined to remain as businesslike as possible.He assumed she was wanting to make certain he’d didn’t regretaccepting her help.

What he did regret was that in the lastseveral hours, she hadn’t looked at him at all.

“Thank you, my lord,” she said. “I workedvery hard to learn all there was to know about running thisestate.”

“Well, I thank you for showing me so muchalready,” Ian went on, flipping idly through the pages of theledgers he and Hero had been poring over. Though there was so muchmore to learn, Hero had shown remarkable intelligence andconsiderably more patience than Jennings in walking him through theworkings of the property. The scope of his new responsibilities wasstill intimidating but at least he was beginning to believe that hewould eventually have it all within his grasp. “If Jennings hadexplained the operation of the gas house as concisely as you have,I might have gotten a handle on the entire situation long ago.”

“Jennings is one who thinks that one shouldjust know how things should be or politely stand aside and allowhim to take over,” she explained. “He has little tolerance for me,I assure you. Robert let him have his own way with the estate fortoo many years, and Jennings likes to do things his own way. I’msure he was hoping you’d be the same way.”

“More likely he was hoping I’d never turn upat all.”

“Never that,” Hero laughed. “Jennings wouldhave liked the alternative even less, I’m sure.”

Hero’s eyes finally met his and though agentle blush blossomed on her cheeks, she held his gaze. She trulyhad the most unusual eyes he had ever seen. Such a remarkable blendof blue and green, each color defined until they met and blended.He could stare into them forever, Ian thought, before an even moreprofound realization struck him. It wasn’t that he could. He wantedto.

It was a disturbing and unexpectedrealization.

Enthralled by the intense look in Ian’s eyes,Hero couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Was herecalling that sweet interlude under the willow tree? Regrettinghis actions as thoughtless and rash? It was difficult to let herheart assure her of the former when logic told her that her ownfeelings