advised, ‘You could stil get mildly drunk on it.’
Riona pul ed a face in return. She didn’t feel drunk, not even mildly. She just felt good, and when she finished the second glass she felt better. She held out her glass for a refil .
He hesitated for a fraction, but, when she gave him a wide, happy smile, he emptied the bottle into her glass.
Riona talked a good bit after that. She asked him about his parents, and he told her that his mother—who had been Sir Hector’s niece—had died of
cancer when he was eight. His father had remarried when he was thirteen.
‘Did you like your stepmother?’ she asked with the point-blank curiosity of someone who was vaguely drunk but didn’t know it.
He raised a brow at the question, then shook his head. ‘Not so you’d notice. I cal ed her the dragon lady.’
‘Behind her back?’ she quizzed.
‘No, to her face,’ he admitted, and they both laughed together.
‘So, have you brothers or sisters?’ Riona continued her inquisition.
He shrugged. ‘A stepsister, Melissa.’
‘Younger or older?’
‘Younger by ten years.’
Riona wasn’t too drunk to calculate that Melissa was currently twenty-five. She was drunk enough, however, for il ogical remarks like, ‘I suppose
she has a model-girl figure.’
He looked surprised, then amused in conceding, ‘As a matter of fact, yes, Mel is pretty slim.’
‘I suppose she’s beautiful, too,’ Riona added, suddenly feeling very sorry for herself.
‘Sensational,’ he agreed, laughter in his voice. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘No reason,’ Riona claimed, feeling quite an irrational dislike for a girl she’d never met. ‘Is she clever?’
‘A graduate of Vassar,’ Cameron stated, leaving Riona to guess that was real y something. ‘In fact, I have to admit it: she’s so damn near perfect, it’s been impossible for her to find a man to match up,’ he added, a smile reaching his eyes as he looked at Riona.
She took it the smile was for Miss Perfection, his stepsister, and found herself saying outright, ‘If she’s that perfect, it’s a wonder you don’t
volunteer for the part. After al , she isn’t your real sister, is she?’
‘No, she isn’t,’ he agreed, ‘and, yes, it has been suggested that Melissa and I would make an ideal couple.’
Suggested by whom? Riona wondered, but didn’t ask. She was already wishing she hadn’t been quite so nosy. She’d known there would be women
in his life. Did she real y need to know their names or hear how perfect they were?
She closed the subject herself with an abrupt, ‘Wel , I think I’l go for a walk,’ and got to her feet. She swayed slightly and was surprised by how light her head felt.
‘I think I’l go with you,’ Cameron announced with another smile, and fol owed her up.
Riona wanted to argue, but she couldn’t summon the energy necessary, and he was already taking her hand and leading the way along the beach.
With other men Riona was aware of her own size and height—five feet nine in bare feet. With Cameron Adams, she was aware of his. Her head
just reached his chin. Her hand disappeared in his. He made her feel very feminine and oddly vulnerable.
They walked in silence along the sand until the beach ended at a rock face, then turned to look at the water lapping their feet and the hil s rising from the opposite shore, ablaze with yel ow broom and purple heather.
‘Is there anywhere else so beautiful?’ Cameron wondered aloud, before switching his eyes from the view to her.
‘I don’t know,’ Riona admitted. ‘I’ve only ever lived in the Highlands.’
‘And you’ve never thought of leaving? For col ege or for work?’ he asked, frowning a little.
Riona supposed she could have told him about the Royal Col ege of Music, but she wasn’t sure if he’d believe her. He’d only ever heard her playing
Scottish reel music.
‘It wasn’t possible,’ she final y said, and unconsciously her face clouded over.
‘Because of
Riona pul ed a face in return. She didn’t feel drunk, not even mildly. She just felt good, and when she finished the second glass she felt better. She held out her glass for a refil .
He hesitated for a fraction, but, when she gave him a wide, happy smile, he emptied the bottle into her glass.
Riona talked a good bit after that. She asked him about his parents, and he told her that his mother—who had been Sir Hector’s niece—had died of
cancer when he was eight. His father had remarried when he was thirteen.
‘Did you like your stepmother?’ she asked with the point-blank curiosity of someone who was vaguely drunk but didn’t know it.
He raised a brow at the question, then shook his head. ‘Not so you’d notice. I cal ed her the dragon lady.’
‘Behind her back?’ she quizzed.
‘No, to her face,’ he admitted, and they both laughed together.
‘So, have you brothers or sisters?’ Riona continued her inquisition.
He shrugged. ‘A stepsister, Melissa.’
‘Younger or older?’
‘Younger by ten years.’
Riona wasn’t too drunk to calculate that Melissa was currently twenty-five. She was drunk enough, however, for il ogical remarks like, ‘I suppose
she has a model-girl figure.’
He looked surprised, then amused in conceding, ‘As a matter of fact, yes, Mel is pretty slim.’
‘I suppose she’s beautiful, too,’ Riona added, suddenly feeling very sorry for herself.
‘Sensational,’ he agreed, laughter in his voice. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘No reason,’ Riona claimed, feeling quite an irrational dislike for a girl she’d never met. ‘Is she clever?’
‘A graduate of Vassar,’ Cameron stated, leaving Riona to guess that was real y something. ‘In fact, I have to admit it: she’s so damn near perfect, it’s been impossible for her to find a man to match up,’ he added, a smile reaching his eyes as he looked at Riona.
She took it the smile was for Miss Perfection, his stepsister, and found herself saying outright, ‘If she’s that perfect, it’s a wonder you don’t
volunteer for the part. After al , she isn’t your real sister, is she?’
‘No, she isn’t,’ he agreed, ‘and, yes, it has been suggested that Melissa and I would make an ideal couple.’
Suggested by whom? Riona wondered, but didn’t ask. She was already wishing she hadn’t been quite so nosy. She’d known there would be women
in his life. Did she real y need to know their names or hear how perfect they were?
She closed the subject herself with an abrupt, ‘Wel , I think I’l go for a walk,’ and got to her feet. She swayed slightly and was surprised by how light her head felt.
‘I think I’l go with you,’ Cameron announced with another smile, and fol owed her up.
Riona wanted to argue, but she couldn’t summon the energy necessary, and he was already taking her hand and leading the way along the beach.
With other men Riona was aware of her own size and height—five feet nine in bare feet. With Cameron Adams, she was aware of his. Her head
just reached his chin. Her hand disappeared in his. He made her feel very feminine and oddly vulnerable.
They walked in silence along the sand until the beach ended at a rock face, then turned to look at the water lapping their feet and the hil s rising from the opposite shore, ablaze with yel ow broom and purple heather.
‘Is there anywhere else so beautiful?’ Cameron wondered aloud, before switching his eyes from the view to her.
‘I don’t know,’ Riona admitted. ‘I’ve only ever lived in the Highlands.’
‘And you’ve never thought of leaving? For col ege or for work?’ he asked, frowning a little.
Riona supposed she could have told him about the Royal Col ege of Music, but she wasn’t sure if he’d believe her. He’d only ever heard her playing
Scottish reel music.
‘It wasn’t possible,’ she final y said, and unconsciously her face clouded over.
‘Because of
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