"And the rope was improperly secured," Neil points out.
"You two act like little old women clutching their Zimmer frames."I start walking toward my car, but my brothers catch up to me just as I'm opening the driver's door.
"One of these days," Tam growls, "your luck will run out."
Neil eyes me up and down."Seems it's running out now.Tam, did ye notice Kirk's limping?"
I wave away my brother's statement, though he's right about that."I'm heading back to Loch Fairbairn---alone."
Before my brothers can object, I jump onto my bike, racing down the drive with gravel spraying up behind me.I pull out onto the paved road that will take me to the village of Loch Fairbairn.Rather than going straight home, I stop in at the café for a wee piece and a dram of Thane Buchanan's best whisky.I asked for Sensual Secret, naturally.Though many townsfolk insist that the whisky can make a man, or a woman, randy enough that they'll do things they've never tried before.
Och, that's rubbish.
My food arrives shortly, hot and delicious, within ten minutes of me walking into the café.The whisky does make me feel...pleasantly warm.I let the amber liquid percolate on my tongue, letting the smoky notes dance across my taste buds before I swallow.There's a hint of heather and oak, with that distinctive Thane Buchanan finish that lingers like a lover's kiss.
"You're all over social media already," Moira, the café owner, declares while sliding her mobile across the counter to show me.
She wasn't lying.There I am, dangling from Dùndubhan's turret like a demented bat before making that spectacular leap.The video already has thousands of views.The comments range from "total lunatic" to "Scottish Superman" with a healthy sprinkling of marriage proposals thrown in.
"Thane Buchanan's marketing team will be pleased," I say, handing Moira's mobile back to her."Glad they shifted some whisky."
"And what about that ankle?"Moira asks."You were limping as you got onto your motorcycle."
"Never mind that.It was only a wee twinge."
She seems less than convinced, shaking her head at me."Ye take too many extreme risks.Everyone says so."
I slide off my stool and grab my plate and drink."Think I'll enjoy my meal alone."
Finding a lonely corner of the café, I settle in to eat without any further interruptions or complaints about my lifestyle.Just as I've finished my last bite, a figure catches my attention peripherally.I swivel my head and see...
A bonnie lass.Very bonnie.She has the sort of body that would make any man go hard in an instant.Her hair cascades in waves of rich mahogany, catching the afternoon light that streams through the café windows.She's dressed in a crisp white blouse and a pencil skirt that hugs curves in all the right places.The lass is no local, that's for certain.I know everyone in Loch Fairbairn, and I'd definitely remember her.
Bod an Donais, I must have that woman.
And if there's one thing Kirk Balfour excels at, it's seducing beautiful lasses.
Chapter Three
Gretchen
Am I hallucinating?Or is that guy in the corner checking me out?As he rakes his gaze over my entire body, I experience a strangely seductive sensation that makes me wet between my thighs.Never have I ever wanted to approach a stranger and beg him to screw me.But now, I do want that.Like crazy.Like I could jump onto his lap and ride him like a naughty cowgirl.
Holy heaven, that man is gorgeous.He has just the right amount of muscles---not overly buff but enough to make any woman swoon.His hair is tousled in an effortlessly sexy way, and he's sporting a five o'clock shadow that I long to run my fingers across.And those deep blue eyes...They're intense, piercing, and locked on me like I'm the only woman in this crowded café.
I take another sip of my Rob Roy, letting the liquid courage burn down my throat.The whisky is doing its job, making me feel all warm and tingly.Or maybe it's just him giving me that feeling.
"Are ye meaning to stare at the lad all night, or will ye talk to him?"Moira, my new Scottish friend, nudges me with her elbow, nearly making me spill my drink.She appointed herself as my buddy, or maybe "hall monitor" is a better term.I don't mind.She's bossy but kind."Well, lass, what'll it be?"
"Oh, I can't walk up to a stranger and proposition him."But my body is screaming for me to do exactly that.
"Yer in the Highlands, lass."Moira tips her head to the side."I never did ask your name.How rude of me."
"I'm Gretchen Carver from Gatlinburg, Tennessee."
"You truly are far from home."Moira winks at me."All the more reason to walk over to that man."
Biting my lip, I glance back at the hot stranger."What if he's a serial killer?"
