Page 15

“What is your business here?” Collin asked.

Hamish’s lip curled in a terrifying smile. “My business is tae be Orla’s escort, as her brother-in-law says. I dinnae think he would be tae pleased tae know that she hae been stolen away in the dark,” Hamish warned. Collin furrowed his brow deeply, and his gaze moved between Orla and Hamish. This was the moment, Orla thought, the moment where Collin was going to stand up for her, rebuke Hamish and prove to her that he adored her.

But that moment never came. Instead, Collin muttered something under his breath. He flicked the tails of his jacket away and spun on his heels, marching back to the ball. The magic of the night went with him, and Orla was left feeling empty. Her mouth was open with shock, but she was far from speechless. She pushed herself up into a standing position.

“What on earth dae ye think ye are daeing?!” she cried out, her words shrill in the chilled silent air.

“I am daeing as ye brother asked. I am making sure that naebody takes advantage of ye,” he replied.

Orla rolled her eyes. “There was naething tae protect me from. Ye just ruined a moment of romance!”

“Really? Romance with an Englishman?”

“Aye!”

“Are ye blind, Orla? They dinnae care about us. They think we’re backwards and barbaric.”

“Maybe they think that about ye, but Collin happens tae think that I’m quite special,” Orla arched her eyebrows at this and wore a haughty expression.

“Aye, and I bet ye thought he was special as well. I bet ye think all these people are special, dinnae ye? And why? Why are they sae special? Is it because they speak with their refined voices and wear their fancy clothes? Is it because they titter with laughter and dance like fools? I’ve seen their hands. They’re as soft as a baby’s cheek. These people hae nae worked a hard day in all their lives. What is there tae admire about them?”

“There is more tae life than hard work. Perhaps ye would know that if ye were anything more than a brute!”

“Oh aye, now ye are starting tae sound like an English lass. I thought ye might hae the Highland spirit in ye, but it’s clear that ye belong down here.”

“And that’s nae bad thing,” Orla replied, venom on her tongue. “At least I am better than a brute like ye.”

“There’s that word again. I see it in their eyes whenever they hear my accent. They see me and they know that I’m nae like them. They look at me like I dinnae belong, and they look at ye the same way, ye just cannae see it.”

“They dinnae! I dinnae know why ye are saying such horrible things.”

“Me? I’m nae the one insulting our home, our heritage. Ye are the one turning ye back on all that hae come before us. Where is the pride in ye heart?”

“Maybe I would feel pride if there was something tae be proud of, but what is there? I hae seen all the Highlands hae tae offer. There are nae surprises left for me. With a man like Collin, there is the promise of adventure, which is something that ye could never understand. Ye are just like all the other men I hae known in the Highlands. There is naething ye can dae that would surprise me.”

“Oh really? Naething?” he asked with a challenging stare. By this point, the tension had drawn them closer and closer together. He leaned down, his face angled towards her, while she tilted her head up, fire streaming from her eyes. The chill of the night had suddenly dissipated and was replaced by the heat from their anger. There was something about Hamish that managed to get under her skin. All he had to do was look at her, and it felt as though something was wrong with the world. She glared at him, almost daring him to do something different.

Then his arms shot out, and he gripped her shoulders, pulling her close to him. Suddenly, the tension boiled over and their lips were pressed together. The trimmed stubble scratched the soft caress of her face, the hot breath scorched her lips, and the passion of the kiss drilled into her. It felt as though his life depended on it. A hot tingling sensation lanced through her body and made her toes curl with delight. Anger mixed with arousal. Part of her wanted to push him away, yet another, more instinctive part held him close. Her body arched like a bow as she melted into him, all the strength and resistance dissipating from her soul.

Oh Hamish, ruining every moment. Now he had ruined her very train of thought. His kiss was hard and hot, his grip upon her tight and unyielding, and yet, she was not struggling to break free. Why? Why, when everything about him annoyed her? Why was she allowing this to happen?

The answer to that question remained elusive as her eyelids fluttered shut, and she allowed these waves of pleasure to flow through her. Her skin was flushed with heat, and the ball seemed so far away now, everything was so far away that the only thing that mattered was this kiss.