Taken Captive By The Highlander (Scottish Highlander Romance)

by Kaley McCormick

  “Wilma, I like your style.” As he pulled out his pocketbook, I had to stop myself from staring in disbelief that he was actually going to follow through on my request. “I’m going to do you one better and put in $500,000. I’ll make that back by morning. I’m sure that dress you have on would look great on my bedroom floor.” I had to be careful and the way that I felt about him made me want to place a very distinct knee into a certain part of his anatomy. “That kind of money should get them off my back. I’m going to make the rounds quickly. Put that check into whatever pile you find and let’s get the hell out of here.” I couldn’t believe my luck and the fact that I had this money in my greedy little hands was almost like a dream come true.

  “I’ll be right back and don’t you go away. I’m going to need a few minutes to make an appearance, but then I should be able to slip out.” I noticed that the guards were now looking around the room. It was a good thing that the place was dimly lit and seeing anything in this crowd was like finding a needle in a haystack. I had noticed that the young man with the name tag of Paul Winchester had been looking at me like a rare steak ready to be devoured.

  The check in my hand made me visibly shake with giddiness, as I made my way over to the other side of the room. I made small talk with a couple people, while pocketing his check. I would sign the name of the animal hospital to the amount and that should be more than enough to keep them with their doors open for quite some time. I really didn’t need to bother anybody else and I had a feeling that I was taking things a step too far. If I were to make any more requests, I’m sure that it would have gotten back to somebody on the security force.

  “Young lady, your work ethic is absolutely amazing. I wish that you could teach my daughter a thing or two about the value of a dollar. Your contribution is much appreciated and the money that we raise here will go a long way to finding a cure once and for all.” This guy was pompous, full of himself and was only puffing out his chest to be heard. “I’ve been coming to these things for years and I have not seen a better turnout in some time.” His words were laced with education and he had no problem lording it over others. He wanted everyone to know that he was in there and somebody important and he made a point of almost waving a hand in the air and telling people that he was the best there ever was.

  “We all have to do our part that if we don’t, then we may as well just hide inside our $1,000,000 homes and eat our expensive caviar and not bother with anybody.” He seemed confused and I had a feeling that I needed to do something to dissuade his opinion of me. “I’m just teasing and everybody needs an Olympic size pool and a man that is on call 24 hours a day. I myself can’t go without the hands of Raul on my back in the middle of the afternoon.” Those that were standing around began to nod their head politely. The jewelry that these people wore made mine like a drop in the bucket. I had selectively borrowed these from another friend that I was house sitting for.

  They were in the Caribbean and enjoying a respite from having to work 24 hours a day and seven days a week at their fledgling company.

  “I agree with you. My gardener needs a good talking to and there really is no accounting for taste. His idea of topiary is appalling. I’m beginning to think that he doesn’t even know what he’s doing. I shouldn’t really cast aspersions. It’s not like he has the privilege of growing up with everything that he has ever wanted. I should give him a break and maybe a few days will make a world of difference.” I had no idea who this girl was, but it was obvious that her money was from the old way of thinking.”

  “If you want, I’ll be more than happy to take your donation and give it to those that are in charge. That way, you don’t have to dirty your hands. I know that if somebody had offered me that suggestion, I would’ve jumped at it.” Those that were standing in the circle looked at each other and then began to write out their check in the amount that they were going to give. I handled them with care and looked at each one, as I moved away from them and into a darkened alcove.

  The amounts were not extravagant and I knew that they could afford a whole lot more than that. At the very least, Paul has gone above and beyond, but I don’t think that half a million was going to take much of a punch out of his revenue stream. I knew all about Paul Winchester and he came off as magnanimous, but I had learned quite recently that he was a little bit opinionated about himself and of those that he gave to charity.

  Chapter three

  I had about $700,000 and all of it was ear marked to the animal shelter. I would do it anonymously, because having my name in lights was not my idea of giving to charity. I didn’t want anybody patting me on the back or telling me that I was doing a good thing. I didn’t need their praise and I wasn’t looking for anybody to make me feel good about myself.

  I felt the hand on my wrist and looked up into the face of Paul. He did not look at all happy and I realized that I had gone a little too far. By staying around and milking these people of their donations, I had put a spotlight over my head and made it possible for Paul to figure out that I wasn’t on the level.

  “You’re nothing, but a con artist and you should be ashamed of yourself. If you don’t give me half of what you got here tonight, then I’m going to turn you over to the authorities. He didn’t need the money, but apparently his greed was more than he could handle. He wanted what he could get his hands on and he didn’t care how he got it. He would probably turn his mother into the police for stealing a bag of groceries, just for the reward.

  “You don’t understand…” He pulled me away from the crowd and up the stairs, so that we could have a private conversation. “It doesn’t have to be all about the money. I’m not going to use any of it for myself.” I thought that maybe if I pleaded my case that he would allow me to keep what I had gotten.

  “If I’m going to have to be here, then I should get something for my time. It’s very valuable and coming here has only taken me away from business. I’m losing cash by standing here talking to you. I don’t mind that you stole and I have to give you credit for the way that you weaseled your way in here. I’m guessing that display outside was for your benefit. You obviously have friends in low places.” I couldn’t believe that he was this type of man and I had tried to tell him the truth, but he just didn’t want to hear it.

  “You’re hurting me.” He looked down at where his hands were digging into my wrist and then he let me go with an expression of disgust on his face. I rubbed the raw skin and grimaced at the slight pain of the friction burn that he had caused. “I don’t think this is the way that you should treat a lady. I’m sure that you have better manners than that. I think that your parents would be very displeased by your behavior.” He looked like a scalded dog and his mouth was a gape with the expression of remorse on his face.

  “I…I apologize and it was never my intention to hurt you. I would never lay my hands on a woman. I will not turn into my father… I will not turn into my father.” He turned his back on me and he was muttering this underneath his breath. It was like he couldn’t stop and when I placed my hand on his shoulder in a soothing manner, he turned with tears in his eyes. “Don’t look at me.” He was obviously ashamed by what he had done and that had manifested into an emotional upheaval inside.

  “It’s OK, I’m perfectly fine and you did no permanent damage. I understand that things got heated and you did something that you shouldn’t have. Everybody is guilty of that and you don’t have to punish yourself for something that was beyond your control.” My hand on his shoulder felt the muscles underneath and I instantly sighed with excitement.

  He sat down in a nearby chair, completely overtaken by something that had happened in his past. I could see that he was dealing with it, but he must have felt like he was following in the footsteps of his father. I was pretty good at reading people and Paul was a bit more transparent than people gave him credit for.

  “All I’ve ever really wanted was to get out from underneath the shadow of my father. I’ve seen the way that he treated
my mother and I never want to go and do the same thing. I pride myself on giving women the respect that they deserve. For me to manhandle you like that is repulsive and you shouldn’t be even able to look at me anymore. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. There is no instant that permits someone do something like that to a lady. I just want to crawl into a hole and die.” I could’ve used this, as a way to leave, but for some reason I felt like I needed to be there for him.

  I didn’t even like him, but that was slowly changing into a form a pity that made me look at him in a different way. I felt sorry for the way that he was raised and that his father would take liberties in such a manner. “You’re not your father. I’m sure that there are days that you look in the mirror and you see his eyes looking back. It doesn’t mean that you’re the same person and that you’re going to follow in his footsteps. You probably find yourself doing things that he would’ve done and then you change your behavior because of it. I understand all that, but you need to give yourself a break.” His softer side had made me feel for him and that was the one thing that I wasn’t expecting from any of this.

  “I don’t deserve your compassion, Wilma.” He didn’t know my real name and I felt that if he could be honest with me with his feelings, then I could be honest with him with my name. I was risking a lot more than the money in my hands by doing something like that. I just couldn’t help it and I needed to show him that I was not infallible. I needed to show him that life makes people do unexpected things for the right reasons.

  “I have a confession to make and my name isn’t Wilma. I used that to get in here, I think you knew that. This is not who I am and I can’t pretend to be something that I’m not. My real name is Brenda Bauer. You could turn me in and have me arrested for theft, but maybe you should listen to what I have to say first. I’m not going to use any of the money for myself and you may not believe that, but it’s true. I’m going to give this to a worthy cause and one that you would probably be on board with. Your love of animals is evident in the way that you talk about Rodrick. I’m going to give up all this money to an animal shelter that needs it more than anybody else.” I wasn’t sure if that was true, but it was in my head. I felt deeply for the animals and wasn’t going to allow any one of them to suffer, if I had anything to say about it.

  “I think that we should get out of here and go someplace a little bit more private to talk about this. I can’t be seen blubbering like a little baby. If you feel safe around me, then I hope that you will come with me willingly. I’m not going to force you and you have no reason to worry that I’m going to turn you in. I think that the money that you have gotten that won’t be missed from a crowd like this. They might notice that a few checks did not make its way into the coffers, but that will be swept underneath the rug. I think that what you should be worried about is when the accountants get a hold of the books. They’ll see that the money that was given to charity was in the name of the animal hospital. If they are any good, they’ll have questions and will need answers from those that are in their confidence.” I hadn’t thought about that, but I guess he did make a valid point.

  “I guess I’m going to have to deal with that, but hopefully they will be oblivious and won’t give a damn where the money went. Most accountants will only ask the pertinent questions. When they find out that it was for charity, they’ll probably gloss over the fact that their client used that kind of money to give to charity. They probably won’t ask any questions, because they’ll know that it went to a worthy cause.” I don’t know who I was trying to convince. I knew that deep down that things could go terribly awry and yet I had every intention of following through.

  We went down the stairs and I followed behind and looked at his ass in those pants. I wanted to peel them down and give myself a taste. He looked like everyone else in the black tie affair that had money to burn. I could feel his fingers in my hand were not, as tight as before and I think that he was consciously aware of the strength that he was using. He was making a point to lessen his grip and allow me the feeling of not being some kind of prisoner.

  He was on the phone and I heard him say something about bringing the car around to the back entrance. That would mean that he had a driver sitting out there waiting for instructions. “I think that it might be prudent that I get this money into the proper hands. Paul, your contribution is quite significant and I’m going to give you this one chance to take it back. It’s the lease that I can do.” I was hoping that this might be a good way to keep him from turning me over to the authorities. I was praying that he wasn’t going to take me up on my offer, but I needed to make the effort.

  “Like I said, the money is not that important to me. It was the principle of the thing and I guess I got a little carried away. I certainly don’t need the money and that might sound callous, but I don’t really know what else to say. I could take it back, but then I will probably only use it to buy something like an island or some extravagant airplane that has just come out on the market. You’re saving me from making a mistake and having my father look at me with disapproval again. I think I use my money to make him feel uncomfortable I make sure to show it off any time that I go back home.”

  “It might sound crazy, what I’m about to say, but I think that you might need to mend a few fences with your father. You’ve been keeping this in for a very long time and it’s about time that you finally have a face to face talk with him. I understand that it might not be a conversation that you want to have, but in order to get past it; you’re going to have to tell him how you feel. I know that that’s not something that you want to do and that you’ve been avoiding it for all of your life. You can’t hold back these kinds of feelings. They’re only going to fester deep inside, until they turn into something that is going to cause you bodily harm.”

  “I’m happy the way things are and to shake things like that to the surface will only make for a very tense moment between the two of us. Believe me, I know that you’re right and that I should confront him, but I’m not sure that I have it in me to do something like that. I haven’t seen them in a while, but I think that his domineering ways was passed down from one generation to the next.”

  I stopped off at the animal hospital and put those five checks into the mailbox. They were going to get one hell of a surprise in the morning. I got back in the car and he was beaming with pride. Taking control of his emotions had allowed him to realize that he had been treating people in the exact same way that his father treated him. He needed to make a clean break and the best way to do that was to act in the best interest of others.

  He had us driven to a nearby lookout point. We walked down to the water’s edge and lay there looking at the stars.

  Chapter four

  “Paul, I really didn’t like you. You seemed too full of yourself and you gave the impression that you didn’t care about anyone. I think that deep down you knew that you were falling into the old trap of your father. I just shined a light on it and you could finally see that you were taking your lead from him. I know that you never wanted to, but sometimes these things can get out of hand. You see something and you start to think deep in your consciousness that is the right way to treat people. Your father doesn’t sound like a very nice man and it’s a wonder that your mother put up with it all these years.”

  I don’t know when it happened, but this dislike that I had for him and now turned into something of a heat that couldn’t be controlled. I reached up and took off his cowboy hat, putting it on myself and taking the role of the man. I straddled his waist, unbuttoned his shirt one at a time and made a point to do it slowly to make him watch me with his eyes.

  “Brenda, you make me feel like I’m a criminal and that I should look back at my actions. I take a more careful eye at my actions toward women and I get a brief inkling that there’s a reason why I haven’t been able to land anybody permanently. I really convinced myself that it was them, but I think it was the way that I treated them that made them run for the hills. My fa
ther is a bastard and he uses his words and then his fists to get his point across. I thought that I was above that, but I’ve been slowly becoming him and didn’t even know it. Grabbing you by the wrist and having you call me on it forced me to take a hard look at myself.” I was tracing my fingers down around his nipples. He began to shiver to the sensation that I was causing him.

  “It’s not too late to change and you’ve proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.” I felt a little wanton and having this blond hair had given me the license to act out more playfully and seductively than I had ever done before. “I think that I want to show you the real man underneath all of that animosity. Deep down, you are a good man and you just needed somebody to take you by the hand and lead you into the light.” I pulled the straps of that red dress down over my upturned breasts and his eyes went wide with seeing me in that way in the moonlight.

  “I don’t know why you even think that I am worthy of giving your body to. I’m not going to mince words and I find you very attractive and would love the opportunity to have sex with you. I want to make beautiful love and to make you smile and then moan in obvious enjoyment.” He had me by the hips and the dress was down over my waist. My panties were rubbing up against his engorged member and he was making a point to thrust up to make even better contact. “I think that I could get used to a woman like you in my life. I can even help you with your humanitarian causes. I will do my part and throw a sizable amount of money in your direction, but I think that you will go a long way with putting your own fundraisers together.” I had never thought of that, but the idea was appealing.

  I moved up, leaving a trail of wetness along his stomach and up to his chin. I hovered over him with my legs taking the strain of holding myself in that way. “I think that we should see if we can’t put your mouth to better use than talking.” I pulled the panties to the side, sopping wet and already tripping on to his overeager lips. That was just a brief taste, but it was enough to make him thirst for more. He showed that by putting his fingers to work by opening me up to an oral exploration with his tongue. I was splayed open and it was a wonder that I was even able to stay in this position with the constant electricity that was now running through my veins.