“Honestly?” he asked, and she nodded. “It would only frighten you if I explained it.”
“Please?” she said softly. “I won’t be afraid.” He found he couldn’t deny her.
Leaning forward, he bent his head so that his mouth found the edge of her ear. Hope shivered as his bottom lip gently grazed the soft cartilage.
“The truth is, that up until this moment, MacKinnon plaid has never made me feel anything except shame. But seeing it on you, as small as that piece of it is, well… I didn’t expect to be so moved at the sight of it…”
The gentle intake of breath reminded Graham of that soft moan that had escaped her lips when they first kissed. As he bent his head, his mouth found hers with a captivated urgency. He didn’t know what divine power had forced those words from his lips, but then, he didn’t care. Kissing her was the single most important thing he had ever done in his life.
His arms wrapped around her, drawing her against his chest as a dozen sensations ran through his mind. She tasted like sugar and smelled like the glen after a rain. She was tender and curious as her hands came up to his chest, tentatively touching him as though he might vanish. Graham kissed her harder, eager to demonstrate that he wasn’t going anywhere.
What had come over him? Never in his life had he allowed himself to be so at the mercy of his own desire. Since the moment he saw Hope in the walled garden, she had fascinated him, even though the mere idea of her should have made him wary. But her authenticity had confused him. Hope was far too forthcoming. She was clever and optimistic and he found himself wanting to protect her, even though he was the exact person she should be most cautious around.
Did she realize what her aunt was doing? He needed to come clean and tell her the truth, but the more he kissed her, the less he wished to talk and the more he wanted to touch every inch of her.
His hands grazed over her arms, tugging at the short sleeves to expose her perfect shoulders that he kissed and licked and nipped at. His mouth roamed back up her neck as she gripped his head to her. She seemed just as affected as he, and he was filled with a fierce desire to carry her away to some secret place.
Only he wouldn’t be so lucky.
A soft feminine cough sounded from far away. They both froze, and he slowly lifted his head to see Rose, who appeared very torn indeed.
“Oh!” Hope said, backing away from Graham, who let her go immediately.
Rose came forward with determined steps, peering over her shoulder as she did.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, her eyes darting between Graham and Hope. “But you mustn’t be doing that. Not here anyway.”
“Oh goodness,” Hope said, a blush coming over her face. She tried to cover her embarrassment with her hands as she pressed her fingers against her cheeks. “I am mortified.”
“Was your plan to shame her?” Graham said accusingly, coming up to Rose. “You’ve some nerve, Miss Rose.”
“Of course, it wasn’t. I didn’t come to shame anyone,” Rose said in a harsh whisper. “I’m trying to save you.”
“Save us?”
Just then, Belle, Laird McTavish, Jared, Faith, and Grace rounded the corner.
“MacKinnon! Alone with my niece?” Belle said in mock shock, followed by genuine surprise. “Uh-oh. Wait. Miss Rose?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rose said, stretching her arm out over Hope’s shoulders. “We’ve all come to take a bit of fresh air. Terribly stifling inside, it is.”
“Yes, that’s why Lady Belle suggested a tour of the grounds,” Laird McTavish said, his brow knitted together as he stared at Hope.
Graham looked between Lady Belle and her secretary. As he saw a stilted glare exchanged between the two, he realized what had nearly happened. Belle had tried to trap him in a compromising position—and Rose, for whatever reason, had stopped it.
Unbridled fury bubbled up inside his chest as his angry eyes landed on the old meddler. He was very close to wringing her neck and if there wasn’t an audience surrounding them at the moment, he’d certainly have given her a piece of his mind.
“You,” he snapped at Belle, his tone furious.
“Ah, Mr. MacKinnon,” Hope said, coming up. Her voice stilled him for a moment. “Thank you so much for showing Miss Rose and me the grounds. They were quite beautiful to see in the moonlight.”
He knew she was trying to defuse the situation, but he couldn’t help but feel hostile.
“If you appreciate the moonlight,” Jared said, coming forward, “I’d be honored if you and your sisters would join us at the games. Of course, the majority of the events take place during the day, but we do have a bonfire of sorts afterwards. It’s in about two weeks’ time.”
“The games?” Grace asked, her head tilting.
“Aye, the highland games,” Jared said, smirking at Graham. “You all are more than welcome to attend.”
