She laughs."Why dinnae I introduce you."
Moira slings an arm around my shoulders, virtually dragging me out of my seat---and toward the strange, hunky man.Once we've reached the hidden corner where he's sitting, Moira abandons me."Here ye are, lass.Introduce yourselves to each other and see what might happen."
The café owner doubles as a pimp.Who knew?
Not that I plan on getting naked with him.
Moira scurries away, smirking over her shoulder at me.
The man sits there in a casual pose, his hand wrapped around a whisky tumbler, and roves his gaze up and down my body.Then he licks his lips."Who are ye, lass?"
"Gretchen Carver.Who are you, anonymous guy?"
"I'm Kirk Balfour."His lips twitch faintly in a slight smile.Then he pats the semicircular bench."Sit, lass.I willnae bite."
Maybe I want him to do that.His smoky voice is turning me on even more, and the scent of his cologne, or whatever, is making my clit throb.Never before have I reacted to man this powerfully.
Kirk Balfour gazes at me as if I'm a whisky he's about to savor.Good lord, I want to be consumed by this man.My heart pounds as I slide onto the bench next to him, leaving just enough space between us to be decent, but not so much that I can't feel the heat radiating from his body.The scent of him wafts over me too, though it doesn't seem like cologne.I think he just naturally smells delish.
"So, what brings an American lass to our wee corner of the Highlands?"Kirk asks, his Scottish brogue rolling off his tongue in the erotic way.
"My parents ordered me to take a vacation, and for some reason, they picked Scotland as my destination."
He studies me for a moment."You must be a workaholic, aye?"
"Why would you assume that?"
Kirk chuckles."Your family sent you away to a foreign land.Most people come to Scotland to experience the beauty of the Highlands or the history."He takes a slow sip of his whisky."Not many are sent here on a forced vacation."
I can't help but smile at his assessment."Well, when you put it that way, it does sound kind of pathetic.But yes, I'm what you might call...extremely dedicated to my job."
"Dedicated?"His eyebrow arches, and his lips kink upward."Is that what Americans call it?I'd say you're obsessed."
My cheeks grow warm, and I feel oddly exposed."I prefer 'passionate,' thank you very much."
Kirk slides closer, eliminating some of that carefully placed distance between us.His thigh brushes against mine, and I swear electricity tingles up my spine in places that haven't felt electricity in far too long.
He leans in, his heated breath carrying the scent of whisky."And what is it that you're so passionate about?"
"I'm a virtual assistant."
His brows knit together."You're a real human being, not AI."
"That's not what a virtual assistant is.I have clients, but I never see them in person.I do my work in my apartment and send the project to the client via the good old world wide web."
"I see.That's an awfully isolated way to work."
"Not really."I clear my throat while trying not to bite my lip."I have a roommate.Her name is Heather Forsberg.She's a little immature for her age, but she has a good heart."
Kirk slides closer to me, his breaths teasing my lips."I can show you far more excitement than the internet ever could."
"Like what?"Is that breathy voice mine?Yeah, it is.
He slides his arm lower to encircle my waist, bringing our faces close enough that I could kiss him.Damn, I want that.But no, I should not do it.
"Come to my flat, Gretchen.You won't regret it."
"Um, I'm not sure if that's a good idea."I fidget with the napkin in front of me, trying to maintain some semblance of composure while my body aches for his touch."What kind of excitement are we talking about?"
