Page 7 of A Scottish Lord for Christmas
Quinn considered this and did not find fault with the idea. “A woman who knows her own mind is not a bad thing.”
“Agreed,” Leo said. “Rowena’s natural sweetness hides much, but do not be fooled. She will wish to run her own life as much as you do yours.”
Quinn stared at Leo. Never had an Englishman been so frank with him before.
“Your observations are noted, Hampton. I’ll be wise to remember your advice.” He lowered his voice as he glimpsed a flutter of skirts at the top of the stairs.
Ivy appeared first, her lavender day gown with black trim a complement to her dark hair and olive-skinned complexion. She was hastily buttoning up a woolen overcoat. Quinn’s eyes moved from her and all thoughts of Ivy and her loveliness were eclipsed when he caught a glimpse of Rowena.
He swallowed hard, strangely unable to speak as she descended the stairs. She wore a golden yellow gown, almost a rich mustard color, embroidered with red leaves on the hem and sleeves. Rather than wear a coat, she carried a gray plaid cape. Like a ray of sunlight, she seemed to float down the stairs in a brilliant splash of color. It took a moment for him to catch his breath.
“Do I look all right, Quinn?” She was staring down at herself in concern.
“Beg pardon?” Quinn finally got out as Rowena paused two steps above him. It placed her directly at eye level with him. He couldn’t help but gaze at her rosy lips.
“You’re staring, old boy,” Leo muttered in his ear.
With a little jerk, Quinn uttered an apology. Rowena dropped his chin, her cheeks red.
“Let me.” He reached for her cloak and she turned her back, letting him drape it around her shoulders.
“The Stanley is ready,” Leo announced.
The group proceeded to the main door, which the butler opened. Leo escorted Ivy to the car.
“Quinn, do you mind sitting in the back with Miss Rowena?” he asked.
Sit next to a lovely woman? If he ever woke up one morning and answered no to that question, there was definitely something wrong with him.
“I’d be happy to,” Quinn answered as he took charge of Rowena and lifted her up into the car’s backseat. He was presented with a glimpse of her bottom, all too tempting, even covered by the bright yellow gown. A flare of unexpected arousal hit him like a bolt of lightning.
Must bury it deep.Quinn clenched his jaw and climbed into the car behind Rowena. He could survive one bloody afternoon, couldn’t he?
Chapter 3
Afternoon sunlight bathed the crumbling ruins of the old castle with an almost ethereal glow. The distant clouds slowly building on the horizon forced the light to break through in shafts. The effect was lovely, the way the light pooled thickly in places and only glimmered in fading beams in others. Ivy leaves covered the gray stones, rippling at the barest caress of a breeze.
Rowena sighed, lost in dreams of what this old craggy edifice must have seen over the centuries. Knights astride white chargers, rushing along the sloping hill to the castle, fair maidens leaning out of windows, waiting for their men to come safely home.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Quinn’s husky brogue filled her ears. She spun around. He was standing right behind her, eyes drifting from one spot of the ruins to another before his gaze came to rest on her face. He smiled, a slight dimple in one cheek as he joined her beside what appeared to have once been a window. His smile hit her behind her knees as a fluttering sensation blossomed in her stomach. Rowena reached out to touch the stone window ledge behind her in an effort to steady herself.
Quinn’s strong hands grasped her waist and lifted her up, setting her on the ledge so she faced him. She gripped his shoulders as her bottom touched the stone. The gray of his eyes was bright, like a mirror reflecting a beam of morning light. With the clouds in the distance, it seemed to make the world around the two of them full of sunshine.
“Quinn.” She breathed his name, even more aware of how close they were. Her belly tightened with an excited tension she’d never felt before as he touched her. The way his hands, such large, capable hands, curled around her waist. He wasn’t supposed to be doing this…putting his palms on her body, but, Lord, it left her dizzy-headed, and a tense excitement sparked deep inside her belly. It was scandalous, yet she wanted more.
He’d placed her eye level with him and she had all the time in the world to study him. The strong, stubborn cut of his jaw, the proud chin and straight nose. There was nothing weak about a man like Quinn. He was taller than Leo by a few inches and wider too. Such wide shoulders, her fingers curled into the layers of his coat. He wore no hat and the light breeze teased his dark hair into his eyes. He didn’t move; his gaze was riveted on her face, a look of hunger there, a look she felt her own body mirrored. Her legs were parted slightly, her skirts tugged wide as he moved to stand between her knees, crowding her. Rather than be frightened, her breath caught in her throat and a slow, burning fire started in her abdomen, flushing her skin with heat.
He tilted his head, his eyes dropping to her lips, and she prayed he would kiss her. It was wild and inappropriate, but all she could think of in that moment was that shewantedhim to do it.
Rowena licked her lips, suddenly remembering she ought to be behaving in the proper way, but none of Milly’s lessons had prepared her for a situation like this. And she’d never been warned how she’d feel. It wasn’t just that he was a handsome man. She’d met plenty in London. No, there was something about the haunted, intense look in his eyes as he gazed at her. Milly had often called her a hopeless romantic, and it was true. Rowena looked at Quinn and she felt the strong desire to heal him, to erase the pain that shadowed his face when he thought no one was looking.
But I am looking…and I want to help him.
“Forres!” Leo’s distant shout shook Rowena out of her inner panic. “Where are you? We’ve set up a blanket with some lemonade and strawberries!”
“Oh goodness!” She pulled her hands off Quinn’s shoulders and with a little shove, she hopped onto the ground, wincing when one of her ankles twinged on landing.
Quinn did not immediately step out of the way. Instead, she had to tilt her head back to gaze up at him, waiting for him to move. Never in her life had she felt so small, but Quinn made her feel…small. It was not bad. It was odd. It was as though he could easily lift her up and carry her off. The notion was silly, but it also sent little quivers of a forbidden thrill through her. She wished they hadn’t been interrupted, but it was for the best; she’d been on the verge of doing something very foolish and very dangerous, like begging him to kiss her.
