His to Claim by Sierra Jaid Page B

shaken that anyone, least of all Violet, whom she had only seen twice before, on both occasions with Damian and scarcely longer than an hour each time, had noticed how much she was attracted to Trevor.
    Elaine had always been so careful that no one became privy of her growing fascination with him. If only he hadn’t changed his pattern of hardly coming home from college to becoming an unaccountably frequent visitor. And it hadn’t stopped at that either, the length of his stay had stretched longer and longer each time.
    This turnabout was proving disastrous for Elaine’s peace of mind. She only had to hear he’s home and her eyes would start searching for a glimpse of him at the tiniest rap on the door, faintest scuff of a shoe on the floor.
    At the moment, she had just crossed the corridor to the first step up the next floor when she heard him call, “Elaine,”
    Her heart picked up speed. Each syllable rolled over her like glistening molasses.
    There weren’t many occasions when Trevor McBain addressed her directly. And his taking her name so intimately, without an infliction of antagonism, nailed her feet to the ground.
    The short rise to the second floor before her might as well have been a climb to the Alps in ball and chain at her feet.
    “Can I have a moment of your time?”
    She grappled to rein her galloping breaths, the chaotic thoughts.
    “Would ye na look at me?” The depth in his voice turned sinfully deeper.
    In the new high-school that Elaine went to, Trevor was a legend. They swore there hadn’t been a girl he couldn’t have had hanging onto his every word.
    She could well understand the struggle those girls had had to go through when that brogue of his whirred down their breasts to raise havoc deep in the pit of their stomachs.
    “We need tae talk.”
    What was there left to say? Remaining still on the stairs, refusing to face him, she said, “That’s okay, we don’t have anything to say to each other.”
    When she would have preferred to leave things at that, he had to go and cross her. “I do, if you don’t.” Then on a softer touch added, “Please, Elaine.”
    This had to be done. He was not letting it go. She closed her eyes, took a long, fortifying breath before spinning to look straight at him. “Go on then.”
    Bare chested still, that magnificent masculine torso stared her in the eye. She wanted to meet his gaze but those corded pectorals refused to prove less than intriguing!
    He had no right to stand there so calm and collected when she was having an awful time trying to concentrate anywhere else but in the general direction of his wickedly appealing, naked, upper frame.
    So, her words came out sharper than intended. “Put your shirt back on first!”
    “Oh,” Trevor grinned broadly with those perfect white teeth of his showing. “Sorry.”
    That mischievous grin nearly destroyed her hard earned, yet fragile control over her booming heart. But once decently clothed, he was back again the old Trevor whose charisma didn’t stand a chance before the magnitude of her dislike for him. Or that’s what she had herself believing with enough repetition.
    What was taking him so long to say what he wanted to say. Was he fidgeting?
    Trevor cleared his throat. Elaine couldn’t remember when she had ever seen him this uncomfortable.
    “Elaine, I.. er.. Elaine-” What was he playing at?
    “Spit it out, Trevor.”
    “I wanted to apologise-” He said in a rush.
    Since when did he care about offending her?
    “You just did, and then appropriately covered up.” Involuntarily, her eyes darted up and down the perfect fit of his Henley.
    “No, it’s not that.” He appeared more uneasy. His unflappable confidence for once was missing. “I’ve been doing some thinking. How we started. I have said and behaved badly before, I know. But there have been times, lately, when it wasn’t.. that bad.” His eyes probed hers.
    She knew what he saw. Bafflement and confusion. He wasn’t making