Obsessed: Wild Mountain Scots, #1

by Vines, Jolie

  “If you have a moment, I need to ask a quick question.” A vast understatement. I backed away from the group, smiling at people important to my dad. The model of a dutiful daughter.

  Dominic excused himself and followed. His brow crinkled. “You have my business card. Set up a meeting, and we can talk through the finer details.”

  Right. And yet, “You said you wanted a marriage of convenience. In name only.”

  He glanced around, presumably to make sure we were out of earshot. “Naturally.”

  “What happens if I want to date someone?” Why was that so important? I hadn’t dated anyone in months.

  He sighed. “The point of selecting you, Mathilda, is that you’re young, single, and practical. My home is big enough for us to live separate lives: you with your sister on one side, me on the other. This arrangement works for all involved. As for other…needs you might have, sleep with whomever you choose, but I’d recommend you stick to one-night stands. At least until we near the end of the five years. And for Heaven’s sake, be discreet. I’ve had enough scandal to last a lifetime, and a cheating wife would set me back to square one.”

  “I see.” I nodded along like this was anything other than insane. I knew Dominic had been the subject of press attention. He’d had an affair with a high-profile, married politician, and the newspapers had made a meal over it. Dad had ranted about the effect it had on Storm Enterprise’s shareholders, so I knew Dominic was losing money fast.

  Getting married would fix his reputation and save his bank balance.

  None of this was my problem.

  Scarlet’s emotional health, on the other hand, was. Her chance at having a good future.

  As if sensing my reticence, the man leaned in. Even though I was in my flats, my six-foot height meant I was looking down on him. “Your sister is off the rails. You can help her. Why wouldn’t you do that? Your father will let you take her in if you’re married, am I correct?”

  How on Earth did he know that? I gave a slow nod. From behind me came the clamour of raised voices. Dominic’s attention shifted to the source of the commotion, and his eyes widened as if in recognition. He gave me a short bow. “I have to leave. Call my assistant to set up that meeting, and we can finalise the arrangements. Just don’t take a time over it. It serves us both to arrange this as soon as possible.”

  Then he was gone.

  Rotating, I spied a vacant table in a dark corner. On the way, I grabbed a glass of water from a waiter then found a chair and laid my head back. My sister, Scarlet, nearly arrested again last week, worried me to death, and clearly Dominic knew enough about the situation to determine which buttons to push. It was the solitary reason I’d have to say yes, saving her skin and, separately, his, and why I hadn’t yet laughed him out of town.

  Not that I would do anything quite so unladylike.

  A surge of frustration filled me from even entertaining the idea. I didn’t want Dominic. He’d called me practical, and I was, but what about chemistry and heat and passion? I wanted more than the lacklustre relationships I’d so far suffered in my twenty-five years on the planet. Beth, my best friend, made a robot-Mathilda voice when I was being ultra-efficient, but inside I was like everyone else: desiring that overwhelming romance. The breathless appetite-quenching satisfaction that came from sex with someone I loved.

  The love stories I devoured couldn’t all be wrong.

  If I took the marriage deal, on whatever terms, I wouldn’t have the chance to find out. Then again, who’s to say I’d ever find this relationship utopia. My last boyfriend had cheated, after all. Maybe a sham marriage and one-night stands could work. Passion based on the purely physical was better than nothing.

  At the entranceway, a distance across the open hall, two men emerged through the crush. Both tall, the men carried a watchful air as the event’s patrons left a moat around them, and my interested gaze skipped over each as they shook off the security staff.

  The dark-haired younger man had the kind of looks you could stare at for an hour and praise God for pretty people. But it was the man beside him who caught my attention. And held it. Because holy hell.

  Not only because of his size—he was one of the tallest men I’d ever seen—but for the way people orbited around him, and how he held his powerful, large body with ease as he reached out a long arm to take a glass of what appeared to be water. He gave the waiter a polite nod, and I warmed inside.

  Lifting my drink, I tried not to stare. “Good luck with that.” I imagined my friend’s stage-whisper. If only Beth could be here to ogle alongside me. She’d nab a cocktail, rest her chin on her hands, and goggle freely.

  The room lights flickered over the doorway, as if showing off for the big man, and a lick of interest curled in my belly.

  Power impressed me. I couldn’t help the fact.

  Then, like I’d switched on a neon light that said “Look over here, big guy!” the man’s gaze swept over the busy space and locked onto mine. I started, but he didn’t move on as would be proper. Instead, he angled his head and ran an attentive glance over me. A fair eyebrow raised, appreciation lightening his serious expression.

  The babbling noise of the room ramped up, and I dragged in a breath. Heat snaked under my high-necked dress, maybe from the intensity or maybe from the humidity, and I tore my gaze away, fidgeting on the chair. Wow.

  If I was to ever try a one-night stand, he’d be top of my list.

  Then my head panged again, and I winced. My cue to leave. From my bag, I extracted my phone to book an Uber, and on the screen, a message already waited. Beth.

  Testing testing, are you still alive? Did your dad make you do a speech?

  I tapped out a reply.

  Luckily, no. But he did tell a bunch of his colleagues that I’d be working for him soon. I should’ve just come home after lunch.

  I’d journeyed to London this morning to see my family, and I could’ve been on the first train home to the house I shared with Beth. Instead, I’d gritted my teeth through an awful lunch, politely kissed my mother goodbye, booked into a hotel, then attended Dad’s product launch. They thought I was getting the late train, though I hated travelling at night, otherwise I’d be forced to stay at my family’s home. The mere thought had me shuddering.

  Beth shot back an answer as Uber gave me a twelve-minute wait time.

  Ugh, I’m sorry, honey. Want me to come get you tonight?

  It was a generous offer, and a long drive, but I was too rattled by Dominic’s offer and by no means ready to talk about it. Beth would expect me to be miserable as each visit to see my family took me a week to get over. But this… I needed to sleep on it.

  Readying to leave, I let my gaze seek out the big man one last time. From first appearance, he wasn’t the type of guy I’d usually find interesting. Rougher, less refined than a standard city-dweller. At a black-tie event, he was wearing jeans, so I guessed he was in the wrong room at the conference centre. He was a tourist, maybe. Though the way he and his friend had entered the place felt more purposeful than happy holidaymakers.

  A mountain man, I mused, sliding my phone into its pocket in my bag. Used to harder living and working with his hands. Maybe he had a shack somewhere he emerged from each morning to cut wood and fetch water from a stream. He’d go swimming in a river some days.

  Naked, obviously.

  I grinned at my own fantasy, the levity of it the most exciting part of my evening. But my search of the event space was fruitless. The shy-looking model-type stood with his back to the wall. The interesting one had vanished.

  More disappointed than I reasonably should be, I took a final sip from my water then eased myself up from the table. But as I stood, the strap of my sandal snapped, and I stumbled. My purse swung in a wide arc, knocking straight into my glass.

  Down the glass fell, cracking on the seat. It shattered and rained razor-edged pieces over my feet. “Shit!” I squawked. And there was me, proud of how little I swore.

  I dance
d away, but in the process, wedged my ankle against the chair leg, trapping a piece of glass. It stung. With a wince, I fell back onto the seat and clutched at my foot, losing my shoe. A sliver of glass stuck out from my skin. I touched the edge and nearly fainted.

  Blood welled, and my head swam.

  “What’s happened here?” a deep voice sounded beside me.

  I peeked up. And up.

  It was the man. A wall of man, looking down at me. Sweet Jesus, he had to be close to seven feet tall. The top of my head wouldn’t even reach his chin.

  I opened my mouth and managed, “Be careful, there’s glass. My drink fell.”

  Then, with the worst timing, a flood of emotion came over me. My evening had turned absurd. My tiny, stinging injury was nothing compared to the impossible offer my father’s colleague had made me. Worse, I couldn’t think of another way to help my sister than to accept him.

  Marry someone I didn’t care for.

  Add to that the embarrassment of being a klutz in front of the most impressive man I’d ever seen, my horrible headache, and nausea from my lack of food, I wanted to curl up in a ball.

  That was it. My head reeled double-time, my foot panged, and my brain checked out.

  Like in an old-style romance novel, I swooned, and everything went black.

  Read on…