MacLarens of Balmorie 05 - Once Upon A Time In Scotland by Kam McKellar Page B
Authors: Kam McKellar
Tags: Highlanders
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her, he stood. “My mistake. Enjoy your evening, Abbie .”
Her soft curse reached him as he covered the beach with a long stride. “Damn it. Liam, wait.”
He paused. He shouldn't wait, shouldn't turn around and instead let this whole thing end here—whatever the bloody hell it was. But he found himself turning around anyway. She stood in the middle of the pebble beach. “I'm sorry. That totally came out wrong. It's just...” Her hands wrung together in front of her dress. “I thought you had better things to do than hang with me, is all.”
He cocked his head. “You mean with my date?”
She gazed everywhere but at him. “Well, yeah. I mean, she's gorgeous and you two seemed...”
A grin tugged the corners of his mouth, but he was too curious to see what she'd say about him and Harper. “What?”
“Familiar. I don't know.”
Liam closed the distance between them. Her dark eyes seemed to glitter, reflecting the tree lights as she gazed up at him. “Harper and I are friends. We were almost step siblings once. My brother was completely in love with her. Still is, apparently.”
“Oh,” the soft word came out with embarrassment.
He moved closer and she took a step back, her heel catching a small rock. Her ankle turned. Liam grabbed her arms to keep her upright. “Careful,” he murmured as she steadied herself. Her skin was smooth under his hands. This close, he could scent peaches in her hair.
“Probably not the best shoes for this place,” she said with a small laugh.
He could've let go. Should have let go. “How's your wound?” he asked, guiding her to the wooden chair.
“Hurting a bit in these shoes, but—”
After she sat, he pulled the second chair to face hers, sat on the edge and lifted her foot. It was quiet for a moment, the gentle lap of the water and the bagpipes taking over.
“What are you doing?”
Her low, breathy voice made nerves leap in his stomach as he unbuckled the strap around her ankle, then removed her shoe to peel the bandage away. “The air will do it some good.”
He lifted his gaze and met her wide eyes, the expression in them troubled and stark with emotion. She couldn't hide anything. The knowledge made him bite back a smile. She was as wired as he was. “I don't think that's going to stick back,” she said.
“No worries. I brought another.”
She flinched, her eyes growing round with surprise.
Shite .
He rarely got embarrassed, but the way Abbie was looking at him now made his cheeks grow warm. Disbelief threaded through her voice as she said, “You just happened to have another bandage on you.”
For a moment, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart. He cleared his throat and tried like hell to sound casual. “Aye, well... Figured you might have need of one or two with all the dancing. Not that you stayed long enough for that, but...”
Abbie pulled her foot free, her eyes swimming with emotion and desire. She leaned forward, cupped his face, and put her sweet mouth on his.
A shiver went through him.
And when she removed the pressure of her soft lips, it was only so she could look at him with those big expressive eyes, eyes that told him she wanted more. A lot more. Liam flicked a hot look at her mouth, which was parted and ready. Abbie kissed him again, her tongue flicking out to lick his bottom lip.
Damn.
Her breath stirred and mingled with his, and, like lightning, his control snapped. He slanted his lips over hers and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. A groan rumbled in his throat. His heart raced, he was hard as a rock, and his blood pounded like thunder through his veins.
She was like a drug, dragging him under. And he went willingly.
Abbie broke the kiss, pulling back only enough to rest her forehead on his. Her breath was ragged like his. Her lips were swollen and he wanted to take them again, harder. So damn hard. The force of it shocked him.
He released her and ran a hand down his face, trying
Her soft curse reached him as he covered the beach with a long stride. “Damn it. Liam, wait.”
He paused. He shouldn't wait, shouldn't turn around and instead let this whole thing end here—whatever the bloody hell it was. But he found himself turning around anyway. She stood in the middle of the pebble beach. “I'm sorry. That totally came out wrong. It's just...” Her hands wrung together in front of her dress. “I thought you had better things to do than hang with me, is all.”
He cocked his head. “You mean with my date?”
She gazed everywhere but at him. “Well, yeah. I mean, she's gorgeous and you two seemed...”
A grin tugged the corners of his mouth, but he was too curious to see what she'd say about him and Harper. “What?”
“Familiar. I don't know.”
Liam closed the distance between them. Her dark eyes seemed to glitter, reflecting the tree lights as she gazed up at him. “Harper and I are friends. We were almost step siblings once. My brother was completely in love with her. Still is, apparently.”
“Oh,” the soft word came out with embarrassment.
He moved closer and she took a step back, her heel catching a small rock. Her ankle turned. Liam grabbed her arms to keep her upright. “Careful,” he murmured as she steadied herself. Her skin was smooth under his hands. This close, he could scent peaches in her hair.
“Probably not the best shoes for this place,” she said with a small laugh.
He could've let go. Should have let go. “How's your wound?” he asked, guiding her to the wooden chair.
“Hurting a bit in these shoes, but—”
After she sat, he pulled the second chair to face hers, sat on the edge and lifted her foot. It was quiet for a moment, the gentle lap of the water and the bagpipes taking over.
“What are you doing?”
Her low, breathy voice made nerves leap in his stomach as he unbuckled the strap around her ankle, then removed her shoe to peel the bandage away. “The air will do it some good.”
He lifted his gaze and met her wide eyes, the expression in them troubled and stark with emotion. She couldn't hide anything. The knowledge made him bite back a smile. She was as wired as he was. “I don't think that's going to stick back,” she said.
“No worries. I brought another.”
She flinched, her eyes growing round with surprise.
Shite .
He rarely got embarrassed, but the way Abbie was looking at him now made his cheeks grow warm. Disbelief threaded through her voice as she said, “You just happened to have another bandage on you.”
For a moment, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart. He cleared his throat and tried like hell to sound casual. “Aye, well... Figured you might have need of one or two with all the dancing. Not that you stayed long enough for that, but...”
Abbie pulled her foot free, her eyes swimming with emotion and desire. She leaned forward, cupped his face, and put her sweet mouth on his.
A shiver went through him.
And when she removed the pressure of her soft lips, it was only so she could look at him with those big expressive eyes, eyes that told him she wanted more. A lot more. Liam flicked a hot look at her mouth, which was parted and ready. Abbie kissed him again, her tongue flicking out to lick his bottom lip.
Damn.
Her breath stirred and mingled with his, and, like lightning, his control snapped. He slanted his lips over hers and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. A groan rumbled in his throat. His heart raced, he was hard as a rock, and his blood pounded like thunder through his veins.
She was like a drug, dragging him under. And he went willingly.
Abbie broke the kiss, pulling back only enough to rest her forehead on his. Her breath was ragged like his. Her lips were swollen and he wanted to take them again, harder. So damn hard. The force of it shocked him.
He released her and ran a hand down his face, trying
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