Page 79 of Highland Champion
Then, slowly, anger began to replace hurt. Hadtheirkiss—that wonderful, demanding kiss that had made her think she was special to him—meant nothing? Maybe it hadn’t, if he were so willing to be clenching Melissa in the shadows of her father’s own terrace. Maybe he kissed all women like he had her. She’d never been kissed by any man except Alasdair. For all she knew, maybe all men kissed like that. Maybe he hadn’t felt for her what she had for him.
She had seen what she had seen. Alasdair and Melissa were just about to kiss. Probablyhadkissed after she’d run away. She didn’t even want to think about that. But she couldn’t deny it, either. So…just when she had realized how much she cared for Alasdair, she would have to hide those feelings. Maybe forever.
…
“Lorelei says she doesna want to see ye,” Fiona told Alasdair Monday afternoon when he came to call.
“She has to.”
Fiona raised a brow. “She doesnahaveto do anything.”
He swore under his breath. How was he going to explain to Lorelei that what had looked like an intimate encounter had not been, when she wouldn’t see him? He’d come over earlier, but the butler had informed him no one was home. Had that been a lie? “Please ask her again.”
His sister folded her arms across her chest instead. “What did ye do?”
“Nothing!”
Her brow went up again and she remained silent.
“I swear! I didna do what she thought she saw.”
“That doesna make sense.”
He sighed. He had hoped not to divulge anything that had—hadnot—taken place to anyone but Lorelei. It seemed, though, that if he were going to get Fiona to help him at all, he would have to share some of what happened with her.
“Lorelei thought she saw Lady Melissa and me in an embrace on the terrace last night.”
“Were ye on the terrace?”
“I went out to get some fresh air.”
“And was Melissa out there, too?”
“Well, aye, but—”
“Were ye touching her in any manner?”
“Aye, but—”
“Was she touching ye as well?”
“Aye, but—”
“Then it seems that Lorelei did see ye in an embrace.” Fiona made it a statement. “Why would ye do that?”
Alasdair glared at his sister. “Will ye at least hear me out?”
She gave him a skeptical look, but she dropped her arms. “Go ahead then.”
When he finished telling her what had taken place, she shook her head. “Ye are an eejit.”
“I willna argue the point.” He had felt like a damn fool ever since Lorelei had seen him. “Will ye please go ask her to come down?”
“Nae.”
“Nae?” He gave her an incredulous look. “Ye doona believe me?”
“I believe ye, because I ken that Lady Melissa Talbot is nae a lady, regardless that she is a duke’s daughter.”
