“You think not?” The stonemason, Paterson, had certainly liked Nicol, but perhaps Nicol didn’t realise that. And of course,Lindsayliked Nicol—except thatlikingwas far too tame a word for what Lindsay felt.
“No,” Nicol replied, flatly. “I have my talents but I’m under no illusion that personal charm is one of them.”
Lindsay couldn’t help but smile at that. “Well, it’s true that you haven’t put yourself out to charm me.”
Nicol stared at him, his blue-grey gaze searching. “And yet,” he said eventually, “here you are.”
“Yes.”
Nicol frowned and repeated, “Why? I don’t understand.”
That unique scent of Nicol’s teased at Lindsay. It was an outdoors scent, summoning up pictures in Lindsay’s mind of mountainsides and rocky passes and scree. Something clean and mineral about it.
Nicol was still waiting for an answer, brows pinched. Grey-blue eyes, wary and uncertain.
Lindsay realised his heart was racing.
“Can’t you guess?” he whispered, the words tumbling carelessly from his lips. “I’m here—I asked you here—because I want you.”
Nicol’s eyes widened with shock and he jerked back a little.
Lindsay waited for him to respond, but as time passed and it became clear that Nicol was not going to reply, he added, reckless now, “I wanted you the moment I set eyes on you at Cruikshank’s. Couldn’t you tell?”
Nicol shook his head wordlessly.
“I thought it might have been rather obvious—certainly by the time I came to your office this afternoon.”
Nicol stayed silent, just staring at Lindsay in apparent disbelief, until, goaded beyond politeness, Lindsay said, “Saysomething, will you?”
Nicol swallowed, hard. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Just tell me: yes or no.”
Lindsay saw a glint of fear in Nicol’s eyes at the bluntness of that question.
“Yes or no to what?”
Lindsay’s gaze was steady. “You know what I’m asking.”
“I’m not sure I—”
“I want to go to bed with you. I want to fuck you.”
Now Nicol’s face blazed scarlet. “For God’s sake, be quiet,” he hissed, glancing around nervously. The other diners were paying them no mind, caught up in their own murmured conversations. Lindsay had spoken so quietly, no one could possibly have heard him.
“I’m equally happy for you to fuck me,” Lindsay offered in the same low tone. “Or, if need be, we could come up with some other variation on the—”
“Stop!” Nicol bit out. “You must—youmuststop saying these things. I have no intention of doing anything like that with you.”
Lindsay leaned over the table, narrowing the space between them. He was filled with a dangerous exhilaration. “What’s wrong, Nicol. Scared? I didn’t take you for a coward.”
“Coward? What’s your definition of courage?” Nicol bit back. “Pleasing yourself? Doing whatever you want, never mind that it’s against every law there is?”
“Yes,” Lindsay said simply. “Sometimes.”
Nicol snapped his mouth closed and looked away. He seemed very remote now. Untouchable.
This time, when the silence stretched, Lindsay leaned back in his chair.
