Read Online A Trap So Tender by Jennifer Lewis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Lewis
Ads: Link
churning gut tightened. She straightened her
shoulders and took in a deep breath. He was obviously playing with her, and it
was downright rude to kiss her then tell her he was ready to marry someone else.
She lifted a brow. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
He looked right at her, and she was shocked to see his gray
eyes so dark with emotion. “I do.”
Five
F iona stood openmouthed for what felt like
a full minute. Had James just intimated that she might be his future wife and the mother of the next Drummond heir? She was the
only woman there and, polite to a fault, James Drummond was hardly the type to
smooch her then discuss his plans to marry another woman. Maybe he was really
impressed with her riding!
No, she must be imagining things. All this unaccustomed fresh
air had fogged her mind. “I hope you do find love.” She had no idea what else to
say. She couldn’t ignore such a dramatic pronouncement. “It would be a shame for
this place to have no one to inherit it.”
“I know, it would get bought by American investors and turned
into a golf resort.” Mischief gleamed in his eyes and sent another spark of
attraction flashing through her.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad?” she countered, one eyebrow
raised.
“Not if you like golf, I suppose.”
“This certainly is a million-dollar view.”
“I’d want a lot more than that for it.” He surveyed the
impressive landscape. You could see literally for miles in every direction. The
village lay about half a mile from the castle, but if there were other buildings
out there they were well hidden and invisible.
“I don’t blame you. It’s like owning your own country, except
without the trouble of citizens.”
“Or the bother of modern conveniences like shops.”
“Bah, who needs ’em. I order everything online anyway. I’d be
quite happy in my own little kingdom.” Her statement was bold, considering where
this conversation had already gone. Rash, even, but it seemed to lighten the
serious mood. If he was teasing her with the prospect of marriage, then why not
call his bluff?
“Really?” He turned to face her, leaning against the castle
battlements. “You don’t think you’d get bored, or lonely?”
“Nope.” She lifted her chin. “I’m pretty sure I could keep
myself entertained 24/7. And there’s plenty of room for a helipad here if I
needed to ensure a quick getaway.”
He laughed. “There’s one here already. My father had it built
in the 1970s. It fell into disuse after his helicopter disappeared at sea.”
“I’m so sorry. That must have been terrible.”
“The worst part was that I never really got to know him. He was
away a lot when I was little, then I went off to boarding school around the time
I was old enough to hold a conversation. I suppose I would have missed him more
if we’d been close, but it is frustrating that I never had the chance.”
I know how you feel. In fact, she
felt it literally in her gut. How sad that he should have missed out on getting
to know his father as she did, even though it was for different reasons. At
least she still had the chance to make things right.
“Where does your mother live?” she asked with some trepidation,
hoping she hadn’t been killed in the same crash.
“She lives in Zurich. My mother rarely even came here when I
was growing up, since she can’t stand the place and hasn’t set foot in it for
decades. I suspect she’d believe in the supposed curse. The whole estate gave
her the chills. She always said she couldn’t bear to be so far from
civilization.”
Fiona frowned. “I don’t feel that at all. I think it’s
peaceful.”
“It is peaceful in a lonely way, because there’s no one to
disturb the peace.”
“Maybe that’s why you brought me here?”
“Quite possibly.” A wry smile pulled at his lips again. “And so
far it’s working very well.”
He was about one foot of brisk Scottish air away from her, but
she could swear that heat rolled
shoulders and took in a deep breath. He was obviously playing with her, and it
was downright rude to kiss her then tell her he was ready to marry someone else.
She lifted a brow. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
He looked right at her, and she was shocked to see his gray
eyes so dark with emotion. “I do.”
Five
F iona stood openmouthed for what felt like
a full minute. Had James just intimated that she might be his future wife and the mother of the next Drummond heir? She was the
only woman there and, polite to a fault, James Drummond was hardly the type to
smooch her then discuss his plans to marry another woman. Maybe he was really
impressed with her riding!
No, she must be imagining things. All this unaccustomed fresh
air had fogged her mind. “I hope you do find love.” She had no idea what else to
say. She couldn’t ignore such a dramatic pronouncement. “It would be a shame for
this place to have no one to inherit it.”
“I know, it would get bought by American investors and turned
into a golf resort.” Mischief gleamed in his eyes and sent another spark of
attraction flashing through her.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad?” she countered, one eyebrow
raised.
“Not if you like golf, I suppose.”
“This certainly is a million-dollar view.”
“I’d want a lot more than that for it.” He surveyed the
impressive landscape. You could see literally for miles in every direction. The
village lay about half a mile from the castle, but if there were other buildings
out there they were well hidden and invisible.
“I don’t blame you. It’s like owning your own country, except
without the trouble of citizens.”
“Or the bother of modern conveniences like shops.”
“Bah, who needs ’em. I order everything online anyway. I’d be
quite happy in my own little kingdom.” Her statement was bold, considering where
this conversation had already gone. Rash, even, but it seemed to lighten the
serious mood. If he was teasing her with the prospect of marriage, then why not
call his bluff?
“Really?” He turned to face her, leaning against the castle
battlements. “You don’t think you’d get bored, or lonely?”
“Nope.” She lifted her chin. “I’m pretty sure I could keep
myself entertained 24/7. And there’s plenty of room for a helipad here if I
needed to ensure a quick getaway.”
He laughed. “There’s one here already. My father had it built
in the 1970s. It fell into disuse after his helicopter disappeared at sea.”
“I’m so sorry. That must have been terrible.”
“The worst part was that I never really got to know him. He was
away a lot when I was little, then I went off to boarding school around the time
I was old enough to hold a conversation. I suppose I would have missed him more
if we’d been close, but it is frustrating that I never had the chance.”
I know how you feel. In fact, she
felt it literally in her gut. How sad that he should have missed out on getting
to know his father as she did, even though it was for different reasons. At
least she still had the chance to make things right.
“Where does your mother live?” she asked with some trepidation,
hoping she hadn’t been killed in the same crash.
“She lives in Zurich. My mother rarely even came here when I
was growing up, since she can’t stand the place and hasn’t set foot in it for
decades. I suspect she’d believe in the supposed curse. The whole estate gave
her the chills. She always said she couldn’t bear to be so far from
civilization.”
Fiona frowned. “I don’t feel that at all. I think it’s
peaceful.”
“It is peaceful in a lonely way, because there’s no one to
disturb the peace.”
“Maybe that’s why you brought me here?”
“Quite possibly.” A wry smile pulled at his lips again. “And so
far it’s working very well.”
He was about one foot of brisk Scottish air away from her, but
she could swear that heat rolled
Similar Books
