Page 63

“Lewis?” I call. “Could you bring through His Highland Treasure? I’d like to read it while I soak.”

There’s a pause. Then, “Er . . . aren’t you naked in there?” His voice wavers—with hesitation, but also with a hint of something else. Desire.

“The bubbles are covering me. Don’t worry, you can’t see anything naughty.”

A second pause. “I don’t know that this is a good idea, Iona.”

“Oh, stop being such a prude! Just come in, hand me my book, then you can leave again.”

He mumbles something under his breath and then the bathroom door opens. He glances at me, then quickly up to the ceiling, then back to me—and this time his gaze lingers, roving over me, taking in the bits of my body that rise from the bubbles, and perhaps also imagining those parts hidden from view. I’m impressed he tried to look away—he gets a point for that. But I’m also glad he couldn’t resist the temptation to ogle.

“Er . . .” He takes a step towards me and thrusts the book in my direction. “Here you go.”

I make to take it but then snatch my hand away. “Oh no! I forgot. I can’t hold it. My fingers are all wet, and it’s a brand-new book—and signed. I don’t want to risk it getting damaged.”

“Right . . .” His gaze drops from my face to my chest. My nipples are hidden, but there’s still plenty of boob on show.

“I’ve got an idea!” I point to the floor beside the bath. “Why don’t you sit there? You can hold the book up for me so I can read it while I’m in here.”

“Iona . . .” He gulps. “I know you think it’s fun to tease me, but there are limits to what I can take.”

“You’re the one who insisted we share a room tonight and hang out, so why would you want to be through there watching TV while I’m here soaking in the bath? This is an opportunity for us to spend a bit more time together, isn’t it?”

He runs a hand through his hair, saying nothing for some moments, then finally he shakes his head. “You’re impossible.” But despite this protest, he kneels beside the tub. He opens the book and holds it up. “Just don’t blame me if I get distracted and drop it.”

“Thank you. You can read the hero’s lines—I’ll be the narrator and the heroine.”

“Wait, we’re reading it aloud?”

“Of course. Otherwise, we’d read at different speeds and it’d be a pain.”

“Right. I didn’t realise I was going to be reading it at all. I just thought you wanted me to sit here and hold it for you while I suffer in sweet agony. But okay. Er . . . is this story likely to be as spicy as the one I read that time in your halls of residence?”

“Without a doubt—it’s her trademark. It wouldn’t be an Aurora McKenna book if it were closed door. Her fans would riot.”

“Right. So . . . you’re naked in the bath, and I’m to sit here, right next to you, and read a sexy story with you. And yet nothing is going to happen between us?”

“Correct,” I confirm. “You assured me you were a gentleman, so I expect you to keep your hands to yourself. This is just two friends passing some time together.”

He rubs the back of his neck. “Jesus. But all right, friend, let’s do this. Seeing as you’re the narrator, kick us off, please.”

I do.

Like all the stories in the Highland Hearts and Hidden Treasures series, it’s pretty formulaic, but that’s not a criticism—far from it. I love the formula, and I’d have been upset had Aurora McKenna strayed from it.

The hero, Logan, and heroine, Marion, begrudgingly team up on their search for treasure, working their way through a series of clues, each one leading them ever closer to the riches. Although they start off on the wrong foot, sparks soon fly and desires flare.

Aurora never takes long to get to the good bits, but seeing as this is just a novella, it’s no time at all before the characters are getting down to it. Their adrenaline high after a thrilling escape from rival treasure hunters, Logan and Marion take refuge in a small cave, and one thing quickly leads to another.

“The moment Logan’s lips left hers,” I read aloud, “Marion trailed her fingers down his chest, finally grasping his cock with a needy grip.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lewis protests, stopping the story. “What’s going on? What happened to ‘shaft’? Or ‘claymore’? Or any of those other funny euphemisms she used to use? Aurora McKenna just said ‘cock’!”

I was really getting into the scene so am a little upset by this interruption. “Sex scenes in romance books have changed over the years, Lewis. Tastes have evolved, and things that were once taboo are now accepted—expected, even.”

“Oh. That makes sense, I suppose. The words and phrases she once used were pretty silly, but they did have an odd kind of charm.”

“Anyway, let’s keep going. It’s your line next.”