by Multiple
“Does the name Kenneth McWalton mean anything to you?” The moment he said the words, he wanted to call them back, afraid of her answer.
She didn’t so much as twitch. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think I would know if I met someone.” She cocked her head to the side and studied him as if he were a bug. “Can you tell me exactly what you think I can or cannot do to your family?”
“I don’t like coincidences.”
“And that’s an explanation?” She raised her hand to prevent his answer. Truly, he didn’t have an answer. The questions she asked made him feel uncomfortable. “You’re suspicious by nature. Most businessmen I know have a touch of it. You are over the top, especially when it comes to your cousins.”
“I protect what is mine. I’ll not allow you to use Angus.”
She moved away from the counter, her body tense with anger. “I have never used another person, especially never in that way. You’ve convinced yourself that I decided to somehow use my considerable wiles on your cousin to somehow gain who knows what.”
When she said it like that, he felt juvenile and petty.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Lennon. I’ll avoid your cousins from now on.”
Which is what he wanted, but at the same time, he felt like the lowest form of scum, even if it was the best choice. The diary could hold their secrets, and the less she connected to them, the better. They just needed it translated and for her to leave. As soon as that happened, he would be free of this affliction, he was sure.
“I’ll do my work and take my meals in my room.”
He heard the hurt in her voice. His need to banish Phoebe was as unexplainable as the need to ease her pain.
She attempted to brush past him, but he stepped in front of her, blocking her one exit. “I didn’t say you needed to avoid my cousins.” It was what he wanted, needed, but here he was contradicting his own thoughts, again.
When she looked at him, there was no humor in her gaze, no studied interest as he’d seen before. Now all he saw was loneliness, and he ached.
“No. I’ll finish my task and leave. I know you must have a very good reason, although I can’t understand what it could be. I will respect your wishes.”
Again, she tried to move past him, but he refused to budge. That same fresh scent of her reached his senses, seducing him. Even as he was reaching for her, his mind was screaming stop. He ignored it and every other protective instinct. The only thing roaring through his head was to take, to claim.
“It isna my family that has me worried, lass.” The moment he wrapped his hand around her upper arm, her head shot up, surprise lighting her eyes and her mouth falling open. “It seems being around you isna good for my peace of mind.”
He jerked her against him. She gasped, the sound filled with both fear and excitement. Arousal spiked and his body craved—demanded—more intimate contact. Knowing it was wrong, even knowing it was dangerous, he bent his head and took possession of her luscious mouth.
Chapter Five
Phoebe froze. Her breathing hitched and her heart stuttered. Every thought she possessed stalled then fizzled into nothing. She wasn’t accustomed to a brooding Scotsmen grabbing and kissing her. Hell, she wasn’t used to anyone doing that—which was a right shame—so she didn’t know how to respond. She just stood there, immobile, not able to even think of a response.
Callum pulled back. His breath feathered over her face. She shivered and opened her eyes. The harsh lines of his face seemed even more pronounced. His sleepy, bedroom eyes were barely open.
“Let me in, lass. Please.”
Stark need threaded his voice. It shook her to her core, spoke to her soul. Before she could think otherwise, she softened, eager to do as he bid. She opened her mouth, gladly accepting him. He growled, his tongue stealing inside, giving her a taste of him. Wild, possessive, delicious. His heat surrounded her, comforted her. The flavor of him captured her, enticed her. As he pressed against her intimately, she felt his arousal, and her body responded in kind. Her breasts grew heavy. Her mind spun as liquid heat poured through her veins.
He slipped his hands up her body, and she bowed her back, urging him to caress her breasts. She had to bite back her own growl as his knuckles brushed the sides of them before skimming up her throat and cupping her face. His fingers were strong and warm as they slid over her cheeks. Slanting his mouth over hers, he deepened the kiss.
Time suspended, stretched infinitely. She gave in to the craving she’d had since she’d first seen him, cravings that had filled her days and haunted her nights. With a moan, she moved her hands up to his shoulders then around to the nape of his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. She wanted this, wanted him with a hunger so sharp it actually hurt. Her nipples hardened against his chest as he shifted closer, but she still wasn’t satisfied. Their layers of clothing irritated her. She wanted nothing more than to get him naked and feel his flesh next to hers.
Tension gathered in her stomach, circled then tightened and slid between her legs. Arousal crawled through her, and she knew at this moment she would do anything he asked, give him anything he needed.
As abruptly as it had started, it stopped, with Callum jerking away with a curse.
She protested with a moan and moved closer, but he stepped away, removing his hands from her. She almost lost her balance and fell over.
“Phoebe.”
She opened her eyes and found him studying her as if she were some kind of unknown species. He was breathing as heavily as she, his face flush with embarrassment or excitement, she wasn’t quite sure which. Her gaze traveled down to the obvious bulge in his pants, and then shot back up to his face. It was then that the ramifications of her actions hit her.
Holy Mother of God.
She knew what she had been thinking. But a man like Callum Lennon didn’t come on to a woman like her without a reason. Every move in his life was calculated, planned. Phoebe knew better than to think he’d been overcome with lust. She eased away from him, needing space. “I—I have no idea what that was about.”
“I—”
“I told you I would stay away from your cousins. There was no need to try to scare me off using these kinds of tactics.”
His eyes widened then narrowed. “That had nothing to do with it.”
She snorted to hide the pain, but her voice cracked when she next spoke, shaming her. “To think you would use sex…” Phoebe couldn’t continue with the thought. She would surely break down if she did. All the warm feelings she’d had from the kiss drained. Cold seeped beneath her skin and chilled her blood. Even so, her voice was harsh from fighting back sobs when she spoke. “I don’t appreciate your tactics. They’re cruel.”
He said nothing, his eyebrows furrowing with confusion…or irritation. After a moment, a calculated look entered his eyes; his lips curled into a snarl. His tone was both sarcastic and condescending. “I will do anything to protect my cousins. I think you comprehend that now.”
Pain splintered her chest, her heart all but breaking and bleeding. Even though she had known it to be true, hearing him say the words was a thousand times worse.
When she spoke, her voice vibrated with anger. “Just stay the bloody hell away from me.”
With what little dignity she had left, she swept past him and through the doorway. She was thankful Angus had made himself scarce as she hurried down the hall and up the stairs to her room. The moment she slipped inside, she shut the door and locked it. With a sob, she ran and landed on her bed.
It had been a long time since she’d had this longing, this need to feel wanted…to be touched. She really couldn’t remember ever feeling it this deeply, this intensely, even for her husband. After her debacle of a marriage, she had no inclination to find a man. She wanted nothing to do with them. Her career was all that had mattered. Men were too much of a bother. If she couldn’t keep Simon happy, how could she keep another man from straying?
But tonight, oh, God, tonight.
She rolled over onto her back as fat tears streamed down the sides of her face. She had wanted a man she had no business wanting. No. Wanting was too simple a word for what she was feeling. She yearned for another taste. It shamed her that her libido apparently had no pride, no sense of self-worth.
Granted, he’d been aroused, but that was just a side effect. He had one thing on his mind, and she had had another. Namely him. Naked and in her bed. The guilt she’d felt over her deception was nothing compared to the humiliation she’d just caused herself. What the bloody hell had she been thinking? She hadn’t been, that was the problem. He’d touched her, and she had lost her head like some kind of school girl with a crush.
It just wasn’t acceptable. Not now, not ever. She wasn’t just hurt. Through the pain, her anger simmered, burned.
How dare the bastard mess with her emotions? She had done nothing to cause him to think she would do anything to his cousins.
Now, determination took hold of her. She would find out just what was in that book and what it had to do with the Lennons. It hurt, lord it hurt, what he did to her, how she’d allowed herself to be swept away by the wanker. But it did make it easier to be deceptive with Callum. When a man used tactics like that, he deserved what he got.
* * * *
Callum sucked in a deep breath, the only sound in the empty kitchen, and ordered his body under control. It did little good since he still had a raging hard-on, and his mind was filled with Phoebe. It was understandable. He could still remember the feel of her flesh beneath his fingers. Even worse, he could taste her.
With a vicious curse, he did an about-face and stormed out of the kitchen. Halfway to his office, he ran into Angus.
“Doona mess wit’ me, Angus.”
Without a word, he filed in behind Callum and followed him to his office. He would have loved to slam the door shut right in his cousin’s face, but Callum knew it would be childish—even if it did make him feel better.
He said nothing as he powered down his computer, didn’t even look in Angus’s direction. He knew Angus was ready to fight, his legendary patience gone.
“I thought we already had this chat, Callum.”
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?” Callum asked.
“Phoebe.”
“I took care of it. Drop it.”
“I don’t want to drop it. You promised to leave her alone,” Angus said, his voice rising.
He glowered at his cousin who glowered right back. Angus was leanly built compared to Callum but could definitely hold his own in a fight. And from the way he’d balled his fists, he looked ready to take on Callum.
“I’ve left her alone.” And it had taken an immense amount of willpower to do just that. If he had been a lesser man, he’d have taken her in the kitchen, and right now she’d be naked, moaning his name. Just the idea had blood rushing to his groin, and his agitation spiked again. “I did nothing to harm your precious doctor.”
He needed solitude, to get away, to try to forget exactly how much he wanted her now, tomorrow…Callum banished the thought that rose up. Sleep might not come easily tonight, but being in Angus’s presence wasn’t helping.
He just needed to escape. “I’m going to bed. What the hell did I do with my bloody mobile? Is it so hard to leave my things where they belong?”
Angus said nothing more, prompting Callum to glance up at him. The perplexed look on Angus’s face caught him off guard. “What?”
“Nothing, just…” He scratched his head. “You didn’t upset Phoebe, did you?”
Upset didn’t cover it. The pain he had heard in her voice, saw flash in her eyes, had cut him to the quick. He didn’t want her to think of him as such a bastard, but it was the only way he saw out. He couldn’t finish what he’d started. The only way to assure she stayed far away from him was to do exactly what he did. Her anger would be her catalyst. Unfortunately, images of slipping between her soft thighs materialized. He itched from the inside out, and he feared that it would take him a good long while to get over that simple kiss. Aggravated, he pushed some papers around on his desk. He was going to break something if he couldn’t find his damned mobile.
“Callum,” Angus said.
“What?” Callum asked.
“Did you upset Phoebe?”
“I already said no.”
“What did you say to her?” Angus asked.
“What was said is between the two of us. It’s no’ any of your business. Where the bloody hell is my mobile?”
He continued pacing through the room, irritated that he couldn’t find his phone. He swore he’d left it in his drawer. He always left it there when he was working. As he shoved papers around on Phoebe’s desk, Angus cleared his throat.
Callum looked back over his shoulder and found his cousin holding his phone.
“Why the hell do you have it?”
Angus frowned. “I didn’t. It was in the drawer where you always leave it.”
With a grunt, Callum grabbed it and shoved it in his pocket. “I’m off to bed now.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
The concern he heard in Angus’s voice shamed him. He’d been close to shagging away what might be their one chance to break the curse, and Angus was worried about him. “I’m fine, just need a good night’s sleep.”
But even as he said it, he knew sleep would be hard to come by after kissing Phoebe.
* * * *
Phoebe looked at herself in the mirror and nodded with approval. She’d done her best to hide her swollen eyes, and she had to admit that she was pleased with the results. She was wearing more makeup than she usually did, but she had her pride. Working with Callum was going to be painful and embarrassing, but she would do it. Mainly she wanted to prove to him—and herself—that she was more.
Straightening her shoulders, she headed down to the office. She’d skipped breakfast because she’d needed the extra time with her makeup this morning. It was a small price to pay to make Callum think his actions the night before didn’t mean anything. It was a lie, of course, but that didn’t matter. What did matter was that she presented herself as cool and confident.
Before reaching the office, she walked past the library but didn’t look in. But the murmur of male voices, namely Callum’s, had her pausing.
“I’ve no idea why Angus thought you should talk to me.”
There was a sigh and then Logan spoke. “He’s worried about you.”
“Better he worry about that Glasgow problem.”
Another sigh. “I understand the attraction, but while I might not agree with Angus on everything, I think he might be right on this. You know it goes against my nature to repress feelings. I would rather tell you to shag her until you can’t see straight.”
Her? Were they talking about her? It was an odd conversation to have, an even odder conversation to eavesdrop on. Did Logan not understand what went on last night? Had Angus seen the kiss between her and Callum and jumped to conclusions?
Phoebe stepped closer to the wall and slinked toward the doorway.
Silence stretched. Were they staring each other down, or was Callum ignoring his cousin as she had seen him do with the others?
When Logan spoke next, his tone was unusually serious. “We need the cure. Without her, we could stay this way forever.”
Stay what way? She inched closer, but the sound of footsteps down that hall caused her to abandon her spying and hurry down the hall in the direction of the office. Slightly out of breath, she smiled at the assistant in the outer office and slipped through the door. She released a breath, the tension in her neck easing a little as she collapsed in her chair.
That had been bloody close. Just what the hell was that whole conversation about? Humiliation burned through her as she realized that Angus, and now Logan, knew of her encounter with Callum. Either he’d seen it, or worse, Callum had to
ld Angus. She closed her eyes, hoping that for once in this whole business, she wouldn’t make a complete ass out of herself.
Opening her eyes, she thought back to the cousins and their conversation. If they were talking about her, which made sense, just what did her research have to do with them? What had Logan meant by “stay this way forever?” She would definitely have to pay better attention to the diary and anything that might have to do with—
“Dr. Chilton.”
She jumped at the sound of Callum’s deep voice. Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her gaze to find Callum staring at her with a perplexed look on his face. Oh, lord he looked delicious—in a completely “uptight businessman” kind of way. But of course, he always did. His suit fit as if made for him. His hair was ruthlessly styled. Sunlight lightened the dour look he was giving her, and in that split second, she remembered how it had felt to have his body pressed against hers. The memory of how he’d tasted swept through her before she could even contemplate stopping it.
Her blood heated, and her heart tripped. She gained control of herself and brought her mind back to the present. Bugger. She wanted to look confident, as if nothing had happened. Thanks to her eavesdropping, she looked as if he frightened her.
She forced herself to smile. “Mr. Lennon.”
He hesitated, pursed his lips then said, “I’m sorry you had to wait. I thought you might be having breakfast.”
Phoebe widened her smile. She was sure her face would crack any moment. “No problem. I slept in a bit, did a little reading.”
He studied her then nodded and headed for the walk-in safe. The few minutes he was gone, she pulled herself back together. By the time he returned, she was steady and ready to get to work.
After settling in to work, she felt the fine hairs on the nape of her neck rise. As casually as possible, Phoebe glanced back over her shoulder. Callum was working at his desk, his concentration focused on the papers. Mentally shrugging, she turned back to her work and wrote off the feeling to her imagination. With determination, she forced her mind off the delectable Mr. Lennon, wanker that he was, and back to the diary.
