Passionate Kisses

by Various

  “Aunt Ida thought you’d need some coffee about now. She also told me to tell you that the next time you went off for hours you were not to leave without a lunch and thermos.”

  So she hadn’t come to rescue him of her own free will. Still, she was here, looking soft and warm in her down-filled coat. He was appreciating Ida more and more.

  “If your aunt was here right now, I’d kiss her silly.” He took the mug from Elsie and gulped deeply, not caring about the burning in his throat.

  “Well, she is a bit fixated on all things Scotland right now, so she’d likely be thrilled with that. Not to mention she does appreciate...” She blushed.

  Cam had to know why. “What was that?”

  “She likes men. That’s all. You know, she’s old and there’s not many young, decent looking men around here.”

  “So you think I’m decent looking?”

  “Fishing for compliments is not charming.”

  “So you think I’m normally charming, when I’m not fishing for compliments?”

  “I think I’m ignoring you. Other than to let you know that I took the liberty of moving your luggage to the cottage, and lighting the fire. And now I’m ignoring you.” She smiled though as she said it, and walked beside him to the cottage.

  When they reached the path to the door, he wondered if he should invite her in. She was rather touchy and he didn’t know what he could, or should, say that wouldn’t touch a nerve.

  Dealing with her was a bit like trying to get a rabbit to come close enough to draw. Just as you thought it was ready to chomp on your carrot, the wind might blow the wrong way and the critter would take off and hide behind a tree. And you’d have to start all over again.

  “Is there any point in me asking a question, or are you still ignoring me?”

  “You can ask. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer.” The wind whipped her hair in front of her face, and she grabbed it in one hand to keep it back.

  He couldn’t help himself. He’d tried to not think about her all morning, but had failed. And if he didn’t try to get to know her better, he’d always regret it.

  “Would you have lunch with me?”

  “I…”

  “Just lunch. In your dining room, where there are lots of people around. I’m not some big bad wolf trying to eat you alive, although you seem to think I am. I just want to have someone to talk to while I eat, and learn a bit about this place. It is my first time in Newfoundland, you know. And I’ve heard so much about how friendly people are here.”

  “I was going to say yes, before you interrupted me. It is my house, and my dining room. I eat with guests all the time.”

  There she went, trying her best to make sure he understood that she had no interest in him, and certainly wasn’t going out of her way to do him any great favours. Still, he had to wonder. Did the lady protest too much? He intended to find out.

  ——

  She checked her lipstick one more time. The last thing she wanted was to look like she’d dashed upstairs and put on make-up—even if that’s exactly what she’d done. She’d also tied her hair back. But that was necessary. She preferred her hair loose, but after brushing out the tangles it was full of static. As the saying went around these parts, it looked like a birch broom in the fits.

  Why am I so nervous? It’s not like I never eat with guests. I share meals with them all the time. He’s no different.

  But she was lying to herself. Because never, ever had she gotten butterflies over the idea of sitting near a guest for a meal. Sure, she’d been a little star-struck a time or two. She still got that way when a new notable guest arrived. But she was always professionally friendly, and she tended to get over her nerves after a few minutes. Being around Campbell—Cam—was different. Her body kept betraying her sensible mind. There were some hot chemical reactions firing off all over the place any time she was near him. Hell, she didn’t even have to be near him. Just thinking about him stirred things in her.

  She’d just have to find a way to get over it. Because she’d come to the decision that there was no way she was going to jeopardize her business reputation. Sleeping with a guest once was a mistake. Twice was habit forming. And she prided herself on having no bad habits, other than her addiction to marshberry jam. And perhaps partridgeberry tart. Oh, and if she was to be honest, bakeapple cheesecake. But that was really all one addiction.

  My name is Elsie and I’m addicted to berries.

  Could be worse. Much worse. She could be addicted to tall, hunky, virile Scotsmen. Yes, that would be a very dangerous addiction for sure.

  FIVE

  Lunch wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. Cam had been a total gentleman so far. The conversation hadn’t strayed at all from his work. She’d learned about how he’d gotten chased by a flock of sheep and nearly fallen over a cliff while trying to sketch a crested tit. And she also learned what a crested tit was. In fact, a lot of the conversation was about birds. She didn’t know much about them, other than the myriad of gulls outside were not all the same. But she certainly couldn’t name them all. Nor did she wish to.

  This was just the way she wanted to spend lunch. Vaguely unaware of much of what he was talking about. It gave her a chance to just sit and listen to his voice. Like everything else about him, it was the stuff of fantasy. Deep, rich, commanding. The allure of his accent went without saying. She tried her best to concentrate on what he was saying, but her mind was doing a curious thing. It was translating every sentence.

  When he said, “I have spent hours just studying the way a wing moves,” she heard, “I could spend hours just exploring your body—with my tongue.”

  Likewise, “You’d be amazed how many colours there are in his plumage,” turned into “You’d be amazed how many ways I can make you climax.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m boring you to death with all this bird jabber.”

  “What? No. I’m learning a lot.”

  He laughed. “Liar. You’ve been trying to look polite but I just caught you dazed and smiling. There’s no way my talking about birds did that. You tuned me out.”

  If only you knew!

  “I’m sorry. I was listening. But you did catch me drifting for a second. Your words gave me some very...interesting ideas.”

  Think quick. What ideas? How do I get out of this one? Got it!

  “Every month I try and bring the community here for an event. Would you be interested in hosting a birdwatching talk? You know more about the birds around here than most of us.”

  “You really think the local people will want to hear about birds from an outlander?”

  “A what?”

  “Someone not from here. In Scotland, we call them outlanders.”

  “Well, around here we have mainlanders. That’s what we call the people in the rest of Canada. There’s a couple of families here, mine included, that have some Scottish ancestry, so you’ll be fine.”

  For an idea that came on a whim, she was now thinking it might be a great event. The old-timers, and most of the population of Heart’s Ease was over sixty, would especially love it.

  ——

  It also gave her a good reason to join him for supper. And then breakfast the next morning. It wasn’t until lunch when there was no sign of him that she became aware of how much she’d enjoyed sharing a meal with him. She had even started listening to what he was saying, and only sometimes let her mind wander to more personal musings.

  As the clock ticked past noon, and then beyond one, she began to worry he might have had an accident. It was a misty day. Maybe he’d slipped and sprained an ankle. Or perhaps he’d tripped in the rocks and split his head open. There was no harm in going to check. She tried not to rush putting on her jacket, but it seemed that all things Cam made her imagination go into overdrive.

  “I was hoping I hadn’t missed you. I completely lost track of time.” Cam stomped his boots on the mat as he closed the door.

  “Oh God. You’re okay,” she gushed, barely restraining h
erself from flinging her arms around him.

  “Ah, you were worried about me? See, I knew you cared.”

  “Well, it would be pretty bad for business if you fell off a cliff and died, now wouldn’t it.”

  “Aye. It would be pretty bad for me, too. But no worries. I’m as right as rain. And I should know since I’ve spent all morning out in that horrid wet. I’ll tell you one thing. I didn’t expect to find a place that could compete with the Highlands’ unpredictable weather.”

  Upon closer inspection she saw that he was soaking wet. “You need to get those clothes off right now.”

  “Well now, that’s a turn of events. I thought you’d never suggest it.” His grin was enticing.

  Still, she was getting used to his banter by now.

  “I’m sure Aunt Ida would appreciate it. You want me to call her in? She stayed home this morning.”

  “Would you? A man has needs, after all.”

  “Ew. You are a dirty man.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” he said, moving closer to her.

  She backed away. “Go to your cabin and get warm. I’ll pack a lunch and bring it down. I have some posters made up that I’ll show you as well. If you’re fine with them, I’ll get them put up in the post office and at Mercer’s Store.”

  “You’re an angel,” he said before leaving. “And I’m not joking about that, my sweetheart.”

  Sweetheart. Her heart quickened. But she was okay. She had learned to control herself. The danger zone was a thing of the past.

  ——

  Twenty minutes later she wondered if she’d been too rash in her assertion. Cam had answered the door in jeans and an unbuttoned flannel plaid shirt. His hair was wet, and the cottage had a warm, damp smell only a steaming shower could leave behind. Sandalwood clung to the air.

  “I hope whatever’s in that basket is hot,” he said, bending down to toss a few pieces of birch on the fire. His jeans, which didn’t look that tight when he was upright, stretched taut over his firm butt. It was a thing of beauty.

  Reluctantly she pulled her gaze from his rear-end and laid the basket on the counter. Cream of potato and bacon soup, grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, and a still-warm partridgeberry tart soon covered the small table.

  He tore into the meal as if he hadn’t eaten in days. “Mmmm,” he mumbled. There was more to the sentence but all she could pick out was hot, and good. She also thought she heard something about trout. Or he might have said clout. It was anybody’s guess.

  “I don’t know what you were thinking, coming here in November to do this. Most people who need to do anything outside wait until it’s warm—like July. Or August. Although this has been a weird year for weather. We almost had a real spring, and summer.”

  He mumbled something else as he stuffed a sandwich dipped in soup into his mouth.

  “There is no point talking to you right now, is there?”

  A dopey smile was all she received in response. Well, at least the man appreciated a good meal.

  “Are you going to eat all that?” He nodded towards her sandwich.

  “Help yourself,” she laughed.

  “Tell your chef this is the best lunch I’ve ever had,” he said as he stuffed the entire remainder of her sandwich into his mouth.

  “Thanks.”

  “You made this?”

  “I sure did. I’m not just a pretty face, you know.”

  “That’s more than evident. And for the record, pretty isn’t the correct adjective for your face.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

  Ignore him, she commanded herself.

  “Would you like to see the poster for your talk?”

  “You can try and change the topic all you want, but that doesn’t mean I will. I’ve spent a lot of time these past couple of days trying to come up with just the right word to describe you. I’ve got it narrowed down to a short list.” He pushed his plate away, all indications of hunger—at least for his meal—gone.

  “I’m no graphic designer or anything, but I think they look good. I’ll get the mock-up. You should keep eating.”

  She got up from the table to get the paper she had folded in her pocket.

  “Stunning. Alluring. Captivating.” He drew each word out, pausing between them, making each one sound more wicked.

  His chair scraped on the floor. She didn’t turn, but could tell he was moving towards her.

  “Mischievous. Secretive. Mesmerizing.”

  What was she going to do? The room seemed much smaller than it had a scant few moments ago. The air was thick with that ever so irresistible scent of him.

  “So many words and yet none of them really do you justice.” He was standing behind her now. She could feel his breath on her neck.

  “Cam, please stop. Really.” All she could do was plead, because she didn’t trust herself to be the stronger of the two. If he touched her she was as good as gone.

  “Stop what? I’m only talking.” Which was true. He hadn’t so much as brushed against her. “It’s okay to talk, isn’t it? They're just words.”

  Words spoken by the sexiest voice on the planet.

  “It’s not...I just...Damn it, I can’t.” She turned to face him.

  “Cam, don’t think for a second that I couldn’t make a similar list about you. Because I could. But I run a business. I’m a single woman. Single men stay under my roof all the time. And in a town this size my reputation would be ruined by even the slightest rumour of anything happening between me and one of my guests.”

  Her voice quivered as she laid her biggest fear out to him. “I’ve worked hard to be successful. And I can’t risk throwing it all away just because I find myself drawn to you.”

  “I can be discreet, Elsie.”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about. Or me. It’s just... Can I be honest?” She backed away and sat down.

  He sat on the floor in front of her.

  “I made the mistake of getting involved with a guest before. Broke my own rule. And I’ve beaten myself up about it time and again these past three years. In retrospect, it was a poor lapse in judgement.” She paused and looked out the window. It was easier not to look at him. “Several lapses in judgement, actually. But it eats away at me. The only thing I think is that I’ll never let it happen again. And I can’t. That’s all there is to it. As much as I like you, there’s nothing going to happen between you and me. And the more you flirt, or say things that no sane woman should be expected to resist, the harder it is for me.”

  “You shouldn’t tell me things like that.”

  “Why not? Isn’t it better that you understand where I’m coming from?”

  He laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m a man. I’m hard-wired to overcome challenges.” He was smiling as if her concerns were nothing. Treating her like a child who just needed to be reassured.

  “Elsie, you sit there and tell me that the only thing stopping you from falling into my arms is a rule no one knows about but you, and expect me not to try and find a way to convince you otherwise?”

  The nerve! The gall!

  “Yes! That’s exactly what I expect. I’m not issuing you a challenge. I was being honest. And just because I have expectations of how I should behave, doesn’t mean that it’s trivial. It’s not trivial to me.” She stood.

  “Look, you might have a string of casual relationships, but I don’t.” Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She could feel her face turning red.

  “It’s not my nature. In a couple of weeks you’ll be gone, and then what? I’ll either never hear from you again, or every now and again when the mood hits you you’ll drop by for a quick weekend visit and then you’ll take off again, expecting me to be waiting here for you, ready to drop everything just because you’ve decided you’d like to have a go at Elsie again. Been there, buddy.”

  She jabbed him in the chest. “And I don’t intend to revisit the past. It’s number one on my ‘Big Mistakes Never to Make Again’ list.”
<
br />   Oh, she was angry. Angry she’d opened up to him. And madder still that he’d dared laugh at her, as if her self-respect and reputation meant nothing.

  “Elsie, I’m sorry. I wasn’t making fun of you. I was being honest. That was the first thought that ran through my mind.” He strode toward her.

  “Oh, I’m glad you were honest. Because now I know what a mistake it would have been to... Oh, never mind.” She pushed open the door.

  “You’re not leaving.”

  “Really? You’re now going to tell me what I can and cannot do? That’s great.”

  “You’re not leaving this room until you let me clarify.”

  “Oh, I have all the clarity I need, thank you very much.”

  They were standing outside now, where the mist from earlier had turned to cold, hard rain.

  “Elsie, please come back inside. Let’s talk.”

  “You go back inside. Don’t dare follow me into the house and cause a scene or I swear I’ll never forgive you. Enjoy your stay here. Draw lots of birds. Do the talk if you want. But unless you have a problem with your accommodations, or need something none of the staff can help you with, leave me the hell alone.”

  SIX

  It took every ounce of strength Cam possessed not to chase Elsie up that damn hill and carry her back to the cabin. The woman was like a powder keg. All tame and sultry one moment, and then dangerous and hot. He knew it was a cliché to say that an angry woman was a passionate woman, but he couldn’t lie to himself. He wanted her more right now than any other time in the past couple of days.

  Of course, first he had to find a way to get her to talk to him again. And then he had to convince her that he wasn’t always such an insensitive idiot. He didn’t know why he’d said what he did, other than he was relieved to find out that she didn’t find him repellant. Dismissing her concerns wasn’t his intention.

  It wasn’t until he was sitting by the fire mulling over everything she had said that a very unsettling thought occurred to him: there was another man. Or at least there had been. He wasn’t the first man to stay here that had turned her head. And some other jackass had gotten to her first and clearly left a foul taste in her mouth.