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Authors: Sharon Clare
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under his mocha sweater. She imagined him wielding one of those heavy claymore swords with elegant grace. Now that was a dangerous direction for her thoughts to go. Why was there nothing about this man that said professor?
“What course do you teach, Professor Cunningham?”
“I don’t teach. Just collecting research, lass, for the University of Edinburgh. How do you know for sure that this Matthew is the one for you?”
“Matthew is a man driven to set goals and attain them — not my strong suit. I tend to live in the moment. He’s breaking me of my disorganized habits and has detailed a three–year plan for me. It’s tacked up on my bulletin board, and believe me, I am on track.”
Calum leaned back in the chair with cougar–like eyes on her. “Does your soul burn for him? Do you feel him now deep in your bones? Does he know you so well that his mere touch brings you to your knees, Bethia?”
If bullshit was music, this guy would be a brass band. And he’d done it again, drawing out her name with that sensual inflection, and speaking of burning, that smoldering look could melt the robe right off a woman. Beth slid back until her head bumped the wall and her jean–clad knees were pulled up tight against her.
“You are so inappropriate,” she said. Soul–burning love? Right up until the one you love walks out the door for good. She’d always known she wouldn’t waste her life chasing it.
“And you wish Matthew was more so?”
Infuriating! “I live in the real world, Calum, not a fantasy. Is that what the women in your life tell you — that you make them weak in the knees?”
His smile was back to seduction. “Just one woman.”
“Really? Good for her.” He has a woman? Oh. Well, the man did have some appeal after all, if you liked the primitive, animalistic sort.
It was getting late. She put her glass on the bedside table. “I’m going to sleep now. You look quite comfortable over there in that chair, and I’ll thank you to stay in it.”
“You need not worry about me molesting you in the night.” His smile was as slick as a devil’s. Did he practice in front of a mirror? Oh geez. She couldn’t quite look away as he wet his lips and continued. “Not unless you want me to.”
She felt a faint tremble then silently cursed herself and steeled her eyes. “Give it up, Calum.”
“What does your father think of Matthew?”
Her father liked Matthew just fine. Two peas in a pod united in their quest to improve Beth’s financial sense. “You are beginning to irritate me. I’ve been more than accommodating, driving all day because heaven knows, you didn’t offer to. You had to watch your victim. Let’s remember what this is. You kidnapped me from my kitchen — ”
“No. I saved you from an assault. You were stuck to your chair, but no matter, I would risk my life for you again.”
She scoffed. “Risk your life? You’re built like a warrior. You dropped Bruce with one punch.”
His expression was full of self–approval.
“You threatened to put me in the trunk.”
“I was only wanting to impress upon you the seriousness of the situation. I’d not have followed through. I don’t think you would have fit.”
He was so not charming. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.” But she did know. It was just like the old Beth, the bane of her father’s life, the Beth she’d promised to leave behind. Impulsive, live in the moment, never look ahead for consequences.
“I’m trying to help you, but I can’t explain the way of it as yet. Can you not feel what is right inside you and trust me?”
Yes, she felt safe for some reason, but that reason remained too much a mystery to be comfortable. “Trust you? Do you have any idea how intimidating you are? It’s not just that you’re built out of stone and outweigh me by eighty pounds, it’s that look you get — you have a way of staring me down with pure sin.”
That exact sinful look washed smoothly over his face.
Beth
“What course do you teach, Professor Cunningham?”
“I don’t teach. Just collecting research, lass, for the University of Edinburgh. How do you know for sure that this Matthew is the one for you?”
“Matthew is a man driven to set goals and attain them — not my strong suit. I tend to live in the moment. He’s breaking me of my disorganized habits and has detailed a three–year plan for me. It’s tacked up on my bulletin board, and believe me, I am on track.”
Calum leaned back in the chair with cougar–like eyes on her. “Does your soul burn for him? Do you feel him now deep in your bones? Does he know you so well that his mere touch brings you to your knees, Bethia?”
If bullshit was music, this guy would be a brass band. And he’d done it again, drawing out her name with that sensual inflection, and speaking of burning, that smoldering look could melt the robe right off a woman. Beth slid back until her head bumped the wall and her jean–clad knees were pulled up tight against her.
“You are so inappropriate,” she said. Soul–burning love? Right up until the one you love walks out the door for good. She’d always known she wouldn’t waste her life chasing it.
“And you wish Matthew was more so?”
Infuriating! “I live in the real world, Calum, not a fantasy. Is that what the women in your life tell you — that you make them weak in the knees?”
His smile was back to seduction. “Just one woman.”
“Really? Good for her.” He has a woman? Oh. Well, the man did have some appeal after all, if you liked the primitive, animalistic sort.
It was getting late. She put her glass on the bedside table. “I’m going to sleep now. You look quite comfortable over there in that chair, and I’ll thank you to stay in it.”
“You need not worry about me molesting you in the night.” His smile was as slick as a devil’s. Did he practice in front of a mirror? Oh geez. She couldn’t quite look away as he wet his lips and continued. “Not unless you want me to.”
She felt a faint tremble then silently cursed herself and steeled her eyes. “Give it up, Calum.”
“What does your father think of Matthew?”
Her father liked Matthew just fine. Two peas in a pod united in their quest to improve Beth’s financial sense. “You are beginning to irritate me. I’ve been more than accommodating, driving all day because heaven knows, you didn’t offer to. You had to watch your victim. Let’s remember what this is. You kidnapped me from my kitchen — ”
“No. I saved you from an assault. You were stuck to your chair, but no matter, I would risk my life for you again.”
She scoffed. “Risk your life? You’re built like a warrior. You dropped Bruce with one punch.”
His expression was full of self–approval.
“You threatened to put me in the trunk.”
“I was only wanting to impress upon you the seriousness of the situation. I’d not have followed through. I don’t think you would have fit.”
He was so not charming. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.” But she did know. It was just like the old Beth, the bane of her father’s life, the Beth she’d promised to leave behind. Impulsive, live in the moment, never look ahead for consequences.
“I’m trying to help you, but I can’t explain the way of it as yet. Can you not feel what is right inside you and trust me?”
Yes, she felt safe for some reason, but that reason remained too much a mystery to be comfortable. “Trust you? Do you have any idea how intimidating you are? It’s not just that you’re built out of stone and outweigh me by eighty pounds, it’s that look you get — you have a way of staring me down with pure sin.”
That exact sinful look washed smoothly over his face.
Beth
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