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

solitude only to be blinded by his radiance, to baskin the warmth of his desire. Desire for her body, her mind. It hadtaken first the threat of his loss that day and then the reality ofit for Claire to realize just how deeply she had come to lovehim.

But he wasn’t meant to be hers. Danny wasright about that as well. If Claire wanted Hugh to have the futurehe deserved, she would have to let him go. She would drop him offat the airport in the days ahead and very likely never see himagain.

Hugh would go out into the world on his ownand find that she was nothing special in the bigger picture. Hewould charm more women, and maybe one day one of them would charmhim in return. Claire genuinely envied that imaginary woman, but atthe same time hoped with all her heart that Hugh would find a lifeto make him happy in this time, to wash away his regrets, to soothehis longings for home. A woman to fill his heart and provide himwith a family to comfort him against the loss of the one he hadbefore could do that.

She wanted everything for him. She wantedthe world for him, even if it meant leaving hers empty. Clairelooked up, blinking rapidly to banish the tears in her eyes beforehe noticed, but Hugh was nothing if not observant. “There it isonce more. I see it in yer eyes, Sorcha. What is it?”

But her throat was too tight for words toescape, her hands trembling with the emotion that she fought tohide. She felt pinched, her head already throbbing from the effortof containing her feelings.

Claire slid her hands over his chest andaround his neck, pulling him down to her until she felt first hisheat and then his weight bear her down into the softness of themattress. Wrapping her arms and legs around him, she urged himdownward, nuzzling his warm neck encouragingly before running hertongue up along his rough, whiskered jaw. A shudder of lust shookhim but Hugh braced himself resolutely above her, denying herefforts.

“Yer doing it again, lass,” he growledbrusquely in her ear though his lips caressed the sensitive fleshbehind her ear with his next breath. His powerful arms tightenedaround her as he turned until she was lying on top of him. “Yecannae avoid my question with such a diversion.”

Trailing kisses across his chest, Clairescooted down farther, raking her teeth along the edge of hisribcage and swirling her tongue around his navel as her palms slidover the hard planes of his abdomen and down his rock hard thighs.With a harsh intake of breath, Hugh’s body grew taut, and Clairelifted her head, her eyes dancing impishly as they met his shockedblue stare. “Oh, I bet I can,” she whispered before bending herhead once more.

Hugh’s heartfelt groan was his onlyriposte.

Chapter 35

Day Ten

“You keep that up and we’re going to missthe ferry,” Claire murmured as Hugh pinned her up against thePrius, engulfing her with his massive body, and took her now tenderlips in another fiery kiss as his hands crept up under her shirt.He met no resistance. For all she cared just then, the last ferrycould leave without them.

They had spent most of the day lost in asensual haze as they made love again and again. The lasttwenty-four hours had been the most remarkable, most passionateClaire could remember. Hugh was an amorous lover, fervent withoutforsaking tenderness, erotic without being carnal, demonstratingeffectively that past generations had made an art form oflovemaking while her own had probably invented the “quickie’.”Together they had reached unimaginable heights.

She hadn’t been keen on giving up Hughbefore, but now Claire thought she would risk discovery just tohave a few minutes more with him.

“Ahh, Sorcha,” he whispered huskily,thrusting his hand into her hair to cup the back of her head anddraw her lips back to his for another ardent kiss. “I dinnae wantto be apart from ye even for as long as it takes tae reach thedepot.”

Neither did she. Nor for longer than that.Pain lanced through her heart at the unsolicited thought. Thefifteen minutes they would be parted for this short drive wasnothing compared to what awaited them in the days to come. A rawsob rose in her throat but Claire choked it back. “But you get todrive, right? That will be fun.”

Hugh turned away, and Claire took theopportunity to dash a hand across her eyes as he finished loadingtheir bags in the back of Robert Mitchell’s Tahoe. “Hae we goteverything?”

“Everything I could think of.” Since all shehad really been able to think about was Hugh, Claire hoped thecleaning they had hurriedly completed to return the Mitchell beachhouse to its original state had been enough. At least she hadremembered to wipe away possible fingerprints. “Are you sure youcan drive this?”

“Sorcha …” he said with some impatience.

“I’m a worrier, Hugh. I thought you hadfigured that out by now.”

“Aye, lass, I’ve ne’er met anyone who couldfret so.”

“I know it’s not my finest quality,” shesaid. “Combined with my sarcasm, bad temper, and unequaled evasiontactics, it’s a wonder you’re not anxious to see the last ofme.”

Hugh paused and turned to face her. “Is thatwhy ye’ve avoiding answering me question? Ye think I am eager taeleave ye behind?”

“I’m difficult and stubborn,” Claire saidlightly. “Everyone says so, even you.”

“Mayhap I like a lass who can keep me on mytoes,” he responded, reaching out to caress her cheek oncemore.

His blue eyes were dark with emotion thatClaire didn’t dare guess at. Hugh hadn’t expressed any more tenderfeelings than friendship, nor had she, and she wanted to keep itthat way. If there was any chance that Hugh might feel for her asdeeply as she cared for him, she knew it would make their partingeven more difficult to bear. “So, the car?”

Hugh shrugged with a disappointed sigh. “Iwatched ye well enough tae hae the gist of it. I ken where taeshift tae gae forward and tae stop. Right pedal gae, left pedalstop. Stay tae the right of the line. Nae too hard.”

“What about the lights?” Claire reminded.“There will be some between here and