The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance by Cali MacKay

uncovered them.  So when he stood and turned, she found herself face to face with him, their bodies all but brushing together, the air between them suddenly charged with energy.  His eyes took her in with an intensity that made her think she knew all too well what it must feel like when a wolf catches sight of its prey.
    A nd then just like that he moved away, leaving her to finally exhale and get control of her racing heart. 
    He was already heading for the door.  “Look over the paintings.  I’ll be back in a bit.”
    Duncan looked between the two of them, and then, deciding the spot in front of the fire was better than running around a cold castle, plunked his head back down and closed his eyes.
    Happy to look for new clues, Cat turned her attention to the items they’d brought back.  Most of the paintings were of landscapes, probably of the surrounding area.  There were a few portraits, but based on the clothing, they were at least a hundred years past the dates they were interested in.  Still, years of research taught her to be thorough.  Nothing should be dismissed until it had been looked over carefully.
    She started with the landscapes, but found nothing hidden amidst the trees and glens.  There were no necklaces dangling from tree branches, or shimmering in the waters of the loch.  The portraits were a similar disappointment.  Cat hoped Iain was having better luck tracking down the paintings he was interested in.  She waited a while longer and then debated going to give him a hand, in case he’d found more paintings than he could carry.
    Having made the trip a few times with Iain, she thought she could find her way back to the room where everything was stashed, but she only it made it as far as the hall when she heard a knock at the front door. 
    She groaned.  Answer it or ignore it?  Iain was on the other side of the castle and would never hear the knocking, and his father was out for the evening.
    The knocking turned to pounding.  She approached the door, but there was no peephole, and there were no windows flanking the door to look out of.  Shouting could be heard, but damned if she could make out a word through the thick oak and stone walls.  How the hell did someone know whether or not to answer the door?
    And then she found out.
    Iain pulled her to the side, a shotgun in his hand and at the ready as he unlocked the door, turned the latch, and then stepped to the side, aiming at who might come in.
    The man walked in, and immediately flinched at the gun pointed at his head.  “ Bloody hell, Iain.  What the hell are ye trying to do to me?  I just about had a coronary.”
    Iain lowered the shotgun, looking relieved.  “Angus.  I hadn’t been expecting ye.  Sorry.”
    Angus still looked at Iain with confusion, but any conversation was interrupted by Duncan launching himself at Angus with a full body wiggle.  The dog got a good scratch but it was short lived given the shotgun and confusion. 
    “Angus, this is Cat; Cat, this is my dearest friend and cousin, Angus—and no, he’s not a MacCraigh, in case ye were wondering.”  As if he’d let her ditch him to go find the jewels with a different clan member.
    “It’s a pleasure.”  Angus shook her hand, but then turned to Iain, his eyes narrowed and his head cocked to the side as if scrutinizing his friend’s every move.  “Ye’ve yet to explain why ye’re toting a gun, and ne’er mind the rumors going about town.”
    “The rumors?”  When Angus glanced in Cat’s direction with those bright blue eyes of his, Iain gave her a sweet smile, and linked his hand with hers, bringing it to his lips.  “I’ve no reason to deny them.”
    “They’re true?”  Angus turned a scrutinizing gaze on the couple before him, a single eyebrow perked and his eyes wide, disbelief in the tone of his voice.
    “ Bloody hell, man.  Don’t go looking at us like that.  We met when I was away on business.  I didn’t say anything because