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  Entranced, he wanted to see and hear more from her. The little glimpses he had of her made him hungrier for more and he wanted it all. Ready to tap her on the shoulder, bring her around to face him, he was suddenly thrown off course and left freefalling by her friend.

  “Oh wait, I see Stan. Remember, I told you about Stan, Stanley Martin?”

  The woman in red spoke in an overly excited voice that seemed to scratch its way across his brain. Before she received an answer, the woman picked right back up where she’d left off. “No? Anyway, I know I mentioned him because I want you to meet him. He’s single and very rich, you know. I’ll go get him. Back in a minute.” The red dressed wonder took off like a whirligig in another direction.

  And that quickly, Hamish was turned off. It was if a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown on him. He wasn’t shocked, but very disappointed because she reminded him of home and tempted him to think about his dreams. Sometimes the way life could be turned on a pinhead simply sucked. That was all it took for him to be ready to walk away from the blonde without looking back. There was no way he would be interested in spending time with someone who was more interested in money than the person who had it.

  That wasn’t a mate, at least not one for him.

  While he was no longer interested in knowing more about her, she was still a nice eyeful and he decided to take in the whole package before he walked away. When his eyes finally left her backside, he noticed how her back moved that she was agitated. She was glancing around with a growing sense of uneasiness, then she turned around and looked right at him. His breath stopped in the back of his throat. Looking into her eyes, he felt as if her hand had reached out and tightly gripped his balls.

  Apparently the foulness he’d heard a few minutes earlier hadn’t diminished the fire burning in his groin. This lady was one hell of a tempting morsel.

  “Sir, I’m sorry to disturb you, but may I ask a favor?” The Scottish burr in her speech was toned down, but it was still there and even sexier coming through the most deliciously full red lips he’d ever seen. Porcelain-smooth white skin clung gracefully over her high cheekbones, enhancing crystal clear gray eyes.

  Lust burned throughout him, even brighter than before and raged out of control when he looked at her incredible breasts. They were stunning and he knew they were natural. The woman’s cleavage was beautifully presented between two triangles of silk. He wanted to pull the scraps away and uncover the tips hidden beneath. Caught in temptation’s trap, he forced himself to look away from the dark crevice and take in the rest of her, specifically what he might discover about her body while mulling over her request.

  The skirt of the dress drifted to the floor, skimming her voluptuous curves and pooling in a small puddle of green on the floor behind her. Twin straps traced from the cups up and over her shoulders until they slipped beneath the sheer shawl she wore. Seductive and demur, a nice mix, he thought. Hamish suspected he would’ve fallen for the image if he hadn’t heard the earlier conversation.

  In his opinion, she looked mouthwateringly perfect. Unfortunately, her search for a deep pocket left an ugly taint across the otherwise elegant and poised presence standing before him. What a disappointment.

  Seeing her face-to-face and hearing her sultry voice speak to him was all it took for his rod to regain its earlier rock-hard strength. The tip pushed against the woolen fabric of his kilt. He was tempted to step forward and take what he wanted. Feeling his body ignore his brain’s warning of her ethical deficiency made him angry. Well, she was stunning, a night or two spent between her legs would be no hardship, as long as he could ignore the ugly fortune hunter issue.

  “Of course.” He drawled, curious what she was after.

  “The woman who just walked away would like to set me up with a man I’m not interested in. And although I’ve said no many times, she won’t listen to me. Would you mind paying attention to me long enough so she’ll leave the issue alone?”

  “Are you a lesbian?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Do you prefer women?”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “Well, I heard her say he was single and rich—”

  “Sir! How rude of you to listen in on our conversation. It’s also insulting to think someone would be interesting because of his or her financial status. You’re the most insulting, oh never mind.” An adorable bright red flush spread across her cheeks as she spoke to him in anger.

  It was the last thing he saw before she whirled around him and left the queue. He turned to follow her progress as she stormed past Alain. The beauty did a double take at the likeness between the two men and paused long enough for one final word.

  “Your brother is an asshole. I suggest you teach him some manners before bringing him out in public again.” Chin thrust out, she emphasized the point with an emphatic nod and continued to make her way across the room. In too short a time, she’d been swallowed amidst the mass of people.

  Hamish heard a little of what she’d said to his cousin, but was spellbound by how animated she’d appeared. He walked over to stand next to Alain, his eyes glued to the place where he’d last glimpsed the sexy firebrand. Privately, he hoped for another glimpse. She’d been a sight of amazing beauty and strength in a sea of mediocrity.

  “What did she say to you?” he asked Alain when he came to a stop beside him, curious at the other man’s smile.

  “Hmmm, let’s see. To paraphrase, you screwed up big time. There goes one beautiful woman when she’s full of fire. I think it’s safe to say you pissed her off.”

  With his eyes still glued to the place where Grace disappeared into the crowd, he finally understood the restless, hunting feeling he’d been experiencing this evening. The impatient edginess reminded him there was something still waiting for him to find and secure it. And apparently his time was up. There’d be no more delays in hunting for a woman, his woman.

  Unfortunately, he had a gut feeling that she’d just walked away from him.

  Lifting a hand, he slid it through the hair hanging around his temple and smiled when he felt the bony ridge start to grow. Time to leave, but not before he knew the full name of the woman he intended to pursue.

  “I’ll be right back,” he mumbled to his cousin before taking off. It took little effort to find the lady in red. He changed direction and moved toward her, ready to work his charm to obtain the information he wanted and then leave before anything bad happened.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. I wondered if you could tell me how best to reach your friend, Grace. She had to leave as the result of an emergency, but asked me for some information and I’d like to ensure she receives it.”

  “You’re Hamish Buchanan, aren’t you? Well, sir, what a pleasure.” The woman looked flirtatious and, in his opinion, it seemed she was offering something more to him. It didn’t matter. He wanted nothing from her except Grace’s details.

  “Pardon me,” said Hamish, with his impatience for this woman growing. “But I’m in a hurry as well. Earlier I saw the two of you together and assumed you knew Grace well.”

  “Yes, yes, of course. Grace Strachan, the best milliner in and out of Britain. Recently she spent most of her time in Edinburgh. That’s where her primary studio is located, although she does have a shopfront here on Old Bond Street. You know, she graduated with a first from the Royal College of Art, despite being miserable in the city. I don’t understand it myself, but she can’t stand London. Of course, we’re friends from way back and I ensured she received an invitation for tonight. Poor thing isn’t very active in this social circle, you see, but such a—”

  “Sorry, but I must leave. Thank you very much, um…” Hamish didn’t want to be too rude. At the same time, he didn’t have the patience needed to deal with this woman for a minute longer.

  “Penny, Penelope Winton-Glasser. My father is Peter Winton, Minister for Putney. Well, since I have your ear, I should mention I’m chair of the Ladies—”

  It seemed that
the opportunity to hit him up for some event’s sponsorship was too much for her to pass by. Shame, because his tolerance for social niceties had gone with the sexy blonde.

  “Yes, thank you, ma’am. I appreciate your help. Enjoy your evening.” With a polite smile, he nodded and walked back to Alain.

  “I’m leaving now, you coming?” Hamish reached for the tumbler his cousin still held and finished the whisky in one tilt of the glass. The amber liquid burned its way down to his belly and joined the fire Grace Strachan had left roaring out of control.

  “Of course. I want to see what you do next, especially since your hard-on is about ready to drill a hole through your plaid.” Alain laughed at his cousin’s predicament.

  Hamish frowned at him. “You don’t need to tell me. I’m fully aware of its presence. It’ll be taken care of by one sassy blonde and no other.”

  The quick pace he’d set quickly put them in front of their hosts for the evening. Patience was quickly vanishing, but he still managed to politely thank the elderly couple for their efforts and promised to be there again next year.

  They walked out of the opulent hall and into the cool fresh air. Alain couldn’t help but grin at his cousin’s back. This was the first time he’d ever seen a woman walk away from Hamish and he was intrigued. In fact, he was curious to see what she could possibly do next. What he found even more interesting than the lady’s actions was how it looked like his cousin planned to chase her down. The man never had to do that before, nor wanted to. Maybe this was the one who would rock his world and could fully accept him, and all that meant.

  Seeing his cousin stroke his temples brought both concern and more questions. If he had to guess, it would be that the woman piqued Hamish’s interest. On the other hand, there was also the chance things had moved beyond control and he would need to act quickly to get Hamish out of the public’s view.

  No matter what, he knew the turn of events required a call to Maisie. Tonight’s happenings would definitely put a smile on her face and a sparkle in her old eyes.

  Chapter Two

  What a jerk!

  Lifting a portion of her dress so she wouldn’t trip on it and embarrass herself further, Grace walked as quickly as she could in her high heels. Escaping from the claustrophobic confines of the party and the horrible attitude from that man was necessary for her sanity. If she didn’t get away, there was every possibility she’d scream the roof down in frustration.

  Once she left the building and the ugly incident was left behind her, she felt as if she could breathe a bit freer. Grace carefully made her way down the steep stone steps and onto the sidewalk. The only thing she wanted to do was find a cab and get away from here. She hadn’t wanted to attend this function, but had arranged to be here when a well-meaning acquaintance had made the effort to get her an invitation. Despite the train troubles she’d experienced to arrive on time, it wasn’t in her to be rude and ignore such a thoughtful gesture. Now she wished she hadn’t come because the gorgeous man she had words with left a blot on her evening and not one she wanted.

  Seeing no cabs coming down the busy road, she started walking toward the corner to catch one. It was chilly tonight and as she shivered, Grace wished she’d worn a coat instead of a sheer shawl. Wrapping her arms around herself, she kept an eye on the traffic and tried to ignore how the person she’d run from managed to make himself at home in her mind.

  Maybe he could do this because he was Scottish and sexy as sin. None of this mattered though. He was a complete boor, nothing more. It was, however, very disappointing. He was definitely a man who tempted her to think of what he’d be like in bed, which wasn’t normally how she remembered people. The fact that he’d actually pulled off wearing a kilt so perfectly didn’t help matters either. She had a weakness for a man who could carry off wearing a tartan, especially if he wore it the traditional way.

  Despite the cold air pushing against her eyes and bringing tears to them, she fanned her heated face as she remembered the flash of knees he’d offered. Seeing the length of his tartan was spot on and that he had his sporran in the proper place had her wondering if he took the traditional dress to the full extent and had dressed commando. Her knees trembled again. Her frame of mind wasn’t helped when she remembered his mussed blond mane. It gave him a wild, just came from bed look. Thinking about it teased her imagination to go back inside so she could run her hands through it, pull his head down and taste him.

  Damn it, he was a true enigma that managed to catch her attention and she didn’t want him to.

  She stopped where she was and looked blindly ahead. When she first turned around and looked into his stunning face, he induced an immense storm of passion to rush through her body and blinded her to everything else happening around her. The need heightened further when he spoke with the voice of home. Grace understood in that moment she’d been his for the taking and didn’t like that vulnerability.

  When she’d looked into his golden gaze, it had left her feeling as if she’d been hit over the head with a hammer. Dizzy and weak for him. The way he’d looked at her while she waited for him to answer her request gave her time to think about him carrying her to his lair and taking her. She felt lust and even love before, but in her lifetime she never had an attraction strike her so completely and immediately as this one had. There’d been something about him that drew her in and she’d seen no reason to resist.

  In fact, she would’ve stepped closer to him, but the attraction swiftly turned sour. The stranger had managed to send her hurtling to a place where she was ready to share herself, only to have her spirit dashed by his thoughtless words.

  She shook her head with disgust and tried to refocus on the traffic dashing by, looking for a black cab with a light on to show it was free.

  Okay, time to be honest with yourself, Grace, and admit what’s actually on your mind. While this was very unlike her, she had to accept that she wanted the man in a very base manner, on a physical level, for no other reason than his appearance and reminders of home. A gorgeous hunk of manhood, a voice that made her bones melt, wild and untamed hair, eyes burning brightly and intensely focused entirely on her, all merged together. The entire package had called out to her body on a very intimate plane and she would’ve been happy to answer.

  While he’d been taking in her appearance, she hadn’t been insulted by his inspection of her body. Just the opposite. She remembered the way his gaze took in her form had, in fact, turned her on. Grace had enjoyed his interest, even felt her body prepare itself to entice him to step forward and seduce her. She’d noticed he possessed a magnificent hard-on that had been pointing at her from beneath his kilt. It had tempted her to reach out and touch the rod. The temptation to do just that had been right there and then he’d opened his mouth. From that point, her personal interest had gone. Although replaced by anger, it became apparent her body didn’t receive the message. It still hadn’t.

  A black cab turned the corner. She stepped to the edge of the sidewalk and flagged it down. She was relieved when the driver found an opening to cross through traffic in order to answer her call. Stepping up into the roomy back, she shut the door and moved to sit down.

  “Piccadilly and Old Bond Street.” Leaning forward, she gave the address to the man through the small opening in the glass partition between them.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She could hear the driver had an African drumbeat playing low. It filled the car with its mysterious sensual rhythm and helped lead her right back to him. She sat back and fidgeted with the small beaded bag in her lap. Damn it, was everything going to bring that man to her mind? She crossed her legs tightly in a bid to ease the throbbing in her pussy as it searched for fulfillment. There was nothing she could do to keep her hard nipples from thrusting out for his touch.

  After the brief interlude that left her mentally cold, her body was still heated and screamed for satisfaction from the Scotsman. At the start of the night the clothes she wore were light and airy, now
they felt heavy, tight, constricting and it was entirely his fault. She could tell he’d noticed her being turned on by him and apparently it was her problem to deal with alone.

  Hyde Park passed by on her left as they drove through the busy Knightsbridge evening traffic. Once they made it around Hyde Park Corner Circle, St. James Park appeared on her right.

  Almost home.

  In a bid for calm, she breathed out and tried to let the bustling city take her mind off the man whose name she never managed to get. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. He had seemed familiar, but obviously her mind was stuck on other matters. Lust and need were at the top of the list, although she was equally angry with his rudeness.

  The next breath stopped in the back of her throat when she suddenly realized she was actually thinking about doing something she’d never consciously thought of before. For the first time ever, Grace actually wished there was a man in her life who she could work off all the built up sexual tension filling her. And, to make matters worse, she had no one, not even a recent date or past boyfriend she felt comfortable with turning to for a sex only call.

  “Excuse me. I can get out here.” Traffic was stopped and didn’t look to be going anywhere fast. At this rate, she’d be able to walk home quicker than driving. Besides, she needed to do something, anything to escape her thoughts. She moved to the small jump seat sitting behind the driver and held a ten pound note through the small opening as he maneuvered closer to the sidewalk. Four pound coins were returned to the change bowl. She picked up two before moving over to open the door.

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Closing the door, she moved out of the way as the cab pulled back into traffic and was greeted with a horn’s toot. Trying to find her smile again, she held her formal gown out of the way and brought her shawl together with the other. Once she turned onto Old Bond Street, she thought window shopping to her place would hold her attention.