A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader TXT) 📕

even when in a temperwhen her eyes darkened to violet and glowed with the fire of herrage. When her chest heaved and her pulse throbbed visibly alongher neck. She had a passionate nature that wasn’t the result of herred hair alone, but obviously she had suppressed it for a longwhile.

Hugh doubted that Sorcha had taken a singlelover since her husband had died. After so long her passions werelikely to be buried deep within her, and curiosity about howfiercely they would burn had haunted his dreams and tempted him tostoke them.

The attraction was mutual, the desireshared, though he knew she would never admit it. He had seen it inthe hair salon. Sorcha had looked at him as if seeing him for thefirst time and perhaps that was indeed the case, but ever sincethen it had been there, smoldering in her eyes when she looked athim. Simmering in that brief moment when her dewy lips had clung tohis.

The voice over the speakers announced thatit was time to return to their vehicles, and Hugh followed astill-stunned Sorcha through the cabin and down the metal stairs toher car. When they were both seated, she turned and looked at himexpectantly. “I truly am sorry for yelling at you, Hugh.”

“The fault is mine for deliberatelyprovoking ye,” he told her.

“Why did you? To shut me up?”

“Nae. Yer point had beentaken. My quip was meant only tae lighten the mood,” he said.“Clearly, it failed in its purpose, but it was nae my intent taeanger you so. I feel certain there has taebe a bit of Scot in ye, lass.”

“Maybe,” Sorcha sighed. “Or maybe I justoverreacted. This whole thing has just been so … Well, let me justsay that I’m usually not this difficult to get along with.”

Hugh looked into her amethyst eyes, taken bythe depths. They were so expressive, every emotion was there forhim to see. The worry, the dread, the caring. Hugh lifted a hand,letting it hover a hair’s breadth over her cheek. The heat of herskin warmed his fingers, inviting his caress, but no matter how sheprovoked him, Hugh would not release himself to the temptation totake her lips with his again. Not merely because of their agreementor even because he needed her aid, but because the respect he haddeveloped for her demanded that he cause her no more upset than healready had. He dropped his hand and heard her sigh—With relief? Ordisappointment?—and her parted lips drew his gaze. Plump and moist,begging to be kissed.

When her tongue darted outto wet them, Hugh almost groaned aloud in frustration … hisimpulses urging him to turn aside his honor. He lifted his gazeback to hers as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Sorchahad no idea how alluring she was, how just the thought of her couldlure him from his doldrums, how the sight of her in herpreposterously snug clothing enflamed his senses. “Nonsense,” hemurmured, his brogue thick with burgeoning desire that he could notdisguise. “I feel as if we getalong verra well.”

Her eyes widened in recognition of theinadvertent suggestion in his voice, and her breath released in aslow exhale. He could see her pulse quickening along her slimthroat and liked to think that perhaps she was wavering in herresolve not to be touched, but the moment was lost when the cars infront of them began to move.

Sorcha quickly started her car and shiftedinto drive to follow.

“Then I’m glad my unusual temper hasn’t madethings awkward between us,” she said. “I’d like for us to befriends.”

“I cannae imagine why,” he said, with atrace of humor to cushion the truth of the words. “I’ve beennothing but weak, irritable, dishonorable, and now unpleasantlyprovoking as well. In my time, such weakness is disgraceful.”

“These days we call it being human,” Sorchacountered as they pulled away from the ferry depot. “Just so youknow, from my point of view you’ve been intelligent, humorous, andinspiring in the fortitude you have shown in facing an unimaginablesituation. Maybe it’s the softer side of the twenty-first century,but we don’t generally expect … or necessarily appreciate …strutting and chest beating in our men.”

“Might I nae beat my chest, if only a weebit?” Hugh jested. “I am a duke, after all.”

Sorcha laughed at that, the last remnants ofher tension slipping away and her shoulders dropping as they droveinto the city. “That might fly overseas, but while you’re hereyou’ll get along fine as long as you’re nice to people. It’susually so unexpected that people don’t know how to react.”

Hugh laughed as well, but couldn’t help butadd playfully, “That might be difficult. As a rule, I find thegeneral populous tae be intolerable.”

“So what you’re basically saying is that youdon’t play well with others,” she said with a twist of herlips.

“Just so,” he responded agreeably.

“Then I’m doubly honoredthat you tolerate me so well,” she said before falling intothoughtful silence. A few moments later, she spoke again, thistime volunteering answers to the questionshe hadn’t even asked, pointing out the stadiums side by side wherethe Seahawks and Mariners played and providing a brief rundown offootball and baseball. Hugh took it all in, not realizing that hisown head was almost constantly shaking in disbelief orconsternation.

Soon Sorcha took a sharp left and parked infront of a shabby red brick building with large windows dominatingthe façade. She turned off the ignition and turned to him with awicked grin that told Hugh he should dread what was coming next. “Iknow you haven’t had a chance to meet many people here, yet, and inall likelihood, this is not the one I would have chosen to startwith, either. My brother is … well, he’s unlike anyone you’ve evermet, and if there ever was a time to play nice with someone, if youwant his help, this is it.”

That she said such a thing, knowing theextent of his travels, worried Hugh. “Sounds ominous. Should Iworry?”

Sorcha’s lips quirked. “I would.”

Laptop tucked under her arm, Claire led Hughthrough a pair of heavy wooden doors at the front of the convertedwarehouse in SoDo, the aptly named area south of downtown Seattlewhere her