KiltTease (15 page)

“I’m trying to say good-bye to my grandmother, and you’re—”

“Here for you. That’s it.”

Her throat closed on the vast emotions rising up into it. She picked through them, and the biggest one was willingness. And since she hadn’t reached the point where he was just some Scottish asshole, Kate wanted to know why he’d been a dick to her. “You’re here for me now, but what happened at the wedding?”

Quinton dropped his hand from her face and fisted it against his lap. “It would be easy to blame Angeline, but I’m not that kind of man. She only voiced the doubts I already had about you.”

Angeline, right. Kate should have been a little more bitchy to that woman when she had the chance. “What doubts?” she pushed.

He sighed, looking uneasy. It was so strange to see that expression on him. He was always so sure and unwavering. “I’m used to dating women who want something from me. You didn’t, not really. I couldn’t trust that. I couldn’t trust you.”

Kate let the words settle on her. More than once, he had assumed the worse with her. “You’ve met a lot of shitty people in your life.”

He snorted. “Aye, an understatement.”

She ran a hand down the box in her lap. Did she want to forgive? Give him another chance? “What’s changed?”

He leaned into her and brushed his thumb over a tear that had escaped. “I’ve thought of nothing but you for the past three days. I told myself in a few weeks you’d be gone to your next destination. You’d find someone better. And then I wanted to choke this imaginary man for so much as looking at you.”

Even with her heart still heavy, her being angry at him, he could still make her laugh. Both amused and exasperated, she said, “Quinton.”

He smiled. “If I know nothing else about you, I know that you keep your promises. You wouldn’t have talked to that blogger if you had known. There’s no way you could have. There’s also no one you’ve met that you haven’t tried to help. Someone like that is worthy of trust. I’m sorry, Kate. I’m so sorry I added to the hurt in your eyes.”

Was it ridiculous and crazy to believe any word he said? Yes. She shook her head, refusing to be swayed. “We weren’t real, Quinton.”

His muddy blue eyes darkened. “I thought we didn’t lie to each other?”

“We weren’t real,” she said again, the anger and something else growing bigger, hotter in her chest.

“Everything,” he said softly, “I felt about you was.”

And that did it. She’d seen the truth in every photo someone had taken of them. She felt it in the way her heart thumped as the words curled into her stomach and made her warm from the inside out. “And?” she asked.

“Then the next step is obvious. Isn’t it, lass?”

It was. Her palms grew slick. What was she thinking about getting herself into? “So what are the downsides to being Quinton Baird’s real girlfriend? I need to know.”

He winced. “That list is too long. Let’s start with the perks instead.”

Kate laughed at the unexpected answer, a big one from the gut. “Oh, boy. I am so in trouble with you.”

“Aye, likely.” There were no more tears falling, but he brushed his thumb down her cheek again. He just wanted to touch her, like always. “If it makes you feel any better, with you, I’m totally fucked. You make me daft, and I like it.”

She could see he meant it when she stared into his eyes. They were in the same boat. Neither of them had prepared for this. They had strayed from their path and had found each other.

Kate glanced at the beadazzled box in her lap. There was a heaviness in her heart, but there were reckless and out-of-character decisions for her to make right there in her horizon. She had made a promise to say yes to life more than she said no, and Kate kept her promises. She pressed a kiss to the top and whispered, “Thank you for everything.”

Her eyes prickled and her nose went hot again, but it would be okay. She lifted the lid. Her grams was long gone. No way she’d ever fit into a box.

With a deep breath, Kate tipped the contents out onto the wind. The sea below crashed, and the whole scene was dramatic and beautiful—just like her grams.

Quinton wrapped his arms around her, tugging her into his warmth. “If you need to cry, you can. Just know that I’m here for all of it.”

The grief was still there beating in her heart, but she didn’t want to weep anymore. Her grams would have been annoyed she had for so long anyway. There was so much more life to live. “I think I’m done now. Though I still might have moments.”

Turning to face him, she kissed him softly, and they both knew what the wordless action meant.

“No,” he murmured. “Thank you, lass.”

Without him having to say anything else, Kate knew he was going to be the most fun, most ridiculous adventure she ever took.

“What do you want, Kate?” He ran his thumb over her mouth. “You can have whatever you want with me.”

That answer was easy. Instead she said, “Depends. In the near future I want to see France. Spain. Italy.”

“We can go.” He grinned at her. “I promise to pay for all my own stuff. I know how you feel about your budget.”

Kate lifted her chin. “Not everyone has gobs of money they wipe their butt with.”

“Kate,” he said, “what do you want right now?”

“Right now?” She smiled, and it probably looked wicked. “You.”

His gaze softened before he pulled her to his mouth and took a really, really long time thanking her.

BIO

Melissa Blue’s writing career started on a typewriter one month after her son was born. This would have been an idyllic situation for a writer if it had been 1985, not 2004. Eventually she upgraded to a computer. She’s still typing away on the same computer, making imaginary people fall in love.

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Other Titles by Melissa Blue

Under His Kilt, Under The Kilt

Jocelyn Pearson is determined to spend her last month as a twenty-something doing everything she’s too busy or scared to try. Her imagination runs wild and then fixates on Ian Baird. He’ll be working at the Langston Museum for a short stint as a consulting curator. He’s Scottish. He believes sex is fun to be had. He’s the perfect choice for a fling. She only has to get him break his rule about sleeping with co-workers. Seducing a man was on her bucket list…

Ian is no one’s fool and knows exactly what Jocelyn wants—him. If she didn’t work for the Langston Museum, he’d be more than happy to oblige any and every fantasy she desired, but she’s the curator. She’s sweet, inexperienced and well liked by everyone including the museum owner and director. Ian can’t risk losing such an important contact for his consulting business. Not even when everything within in him craves a taste of her.

When Jocelyn sets her sights on him, there’s no way Ian can deny her. They agree their affair will end in thirty days. No emotions, no entanglements, just sex. The closer the end date looms, they start to question if it’s possible to walk away. They’ll either have to come to terms of what they’ve become or stick to their original agreement.

Her Insatiable Scot, Under The Kilt

Keri Pearson is currently between jobs, so there’s nothing to lose when her cousin promises her a glowing recommendation from a top expert in their field in exchange for a small favor. All she has to do is lie about who she is and pretend to be married to a charming Scot for three hours. Her sexy-as-hell pretend husband makes it too easy to play the part of newlyweds. The last thing she should do is trust him or the genuineness of his lust or adoration, but his touch ignites an unexpected desire.

Tristan Baird turned his back on his past with plenty of regrets, but when his brother blackmails him, Tristan can’t say no. Given his brother saved his neck, an afternoon doing what he does best doesn’t seem like too much to ask. And it’s for a good cause. Doing the job right guarantees his brother and new wife will have the home of their dreams. But his stunning accomplice complicates the job. She is everything he always wanted and couldn’t have. The kind of woman who is too smart to ever trust a former conman.

The three-hour commitment stretches into five sexually charged days as they fight the explosive connection. As each day passes, Keri must remind herself what is true and what is false, but the lines are blurring. Tristan can only hope his past doesn’t come back to ruin their future.

Kilted For Pleasure, Under The Kilt

Callan Baird used to laugh more than he frowned, but that was before his wife died. Now his life is duty, debts and a general apathy for anything else. And then Victoria Burke burst into his life. She’s everything he wants to corrupt.

Victoria has two choices: agree to a grouchy, sexy Scotsman’s extortion or call her boss to explain why she can’t do her job. Since she’s spent the last three years rebuilding her career as antique appraiser, and this one commission could make or break it, the decision is a no-brainer. Except everything about Callan is complicated.

He sees no problem turning their work relationship into a sexual one. She refuses to break her boss’ no-fraternization rule. He’s the one thing she wants and the one thing she can’t have. He’s had his one great love, and doesn’t want a replacement. His heart doesn’t agree, because she’s everything he desires.

Callan will have to let go of his past if he wants Victoria to be in his future.

Forbidden Rendezvous, Den of Sin

When the Beaudelaire Hotel turns into a Den of Sin for the New Year’s weekend, any and every fantasy can become a reality…

Seraphina Gibson orchestrates fantasies, but this year she’ll create one of her own. It’s against the rules for an employee to participate in the weekend-long sex-capade but she’s willing to risk it for Luke Moreland. The man’s a mystery, but in a sea of CEOs and Fortune 500 billionaires, he stands out. His past and connection to her boss is clouded in intrigue, but she knows what he wants, and she plans to star in one of his voyeuristic trysts.

Born with a silver spoon Luke Moreland is used to getting everything he desires. Being next in line of his family’s winery leaves him very little time to take advantage of his riches. For a weekend, out of every year, he gets to feel the thrill of the chase. Not even in his sexual fantasies does he like to lose control, but then Seraphina walks into his playroom. He doesn’t know the truth of her past, but he knows the risk she’s taken to be with him. That doesn’t matter. He’s going to spend the next two days with her in his bed and keep her secret.

When reality crashes into their fantasy, will they survive?

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Forbidden Rendezvous Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Seraphina Gibson had her orders, and no matter how counterproductive she found them, she’d obey them to the letter. She glanced at the man across the table and amended that to “somewhat to the letter.”

Heading into her second hour of being the temporary, but very official Beaudelaire Hotel babysitter, she had a few choice words for her boss. The same ones she had every year after sitting for hours with a genuine smile and a warm demeanor to placate this particular guest.

“Last time I checked, you liked to eat.” The husky notes in Luke Moreland’s voice wormed their way under her skin.

She held herself still, to keep from leaning closer just to feel the wash of warmth from his breath. “No, thank you. Now—”

“You know how I am about wine…” He topped off her glass, even though she’d refused the first three times he’d asked.

A grown man didn’t need a sitter, much less Luke. He hadn’t bothered to tame his sandy brown hair. The shoulder-length strands only accentuated his sharp jawline. He turned his blue-eyed gaze on her. The darkest, deepest parts of the ocean couldn’t compare to his eyes. Seraphina’s skin heated, and she welcomed it.

After three years she barely noted the hint of swamp in the Louisiana air, but the winter chill fluttering the lace curtains beaded her nipples. She’d turned down his offer to wear his leather coat too—now that she regretted. The winter honeysuckle decorated the balcony and would have been beautiful to look at any other time of the year. It still emitted a sweet lemony smell.

“This crab salad is delicious,” he added. “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

Anyone else would think the offer polite and kind, but given this was his fourth course, Seraphina had to fight the urge to grab her unused fork and stab him with it. “I had a light snack before I arrived at your room.”

They were having their annual contest of wills. She’d win, she always won, but he’d make her pay first. “That was hours ago,” he pointed out.

“If you could take a moment to look over the paperwork…”

The five o’clock shadow wasn’t necessary to make him look purely masculine, but it didn’t hurt either. Even though he wore a plain blue T-shirt and thread-torn denims, he exuded control, a control he exerted over her now. “Dessert hasn’t been served.”

She clamped her mouth closed. Her boss had hired her as his personal assistant for a reason. She attended to every detail of his personal life and to that of the Beaudelaire. A Cali girl in a sea of N’awlins-born-and-bred applicants, yet he chose her because she got shit done.

She tapped her fingers over the pile of folders and drew from her well of patience—one that was drying up by the second. The breeze had mixed with his scent. He smelled of sandalwood. Given he spent his days making wine, the oaky notes to his cologne made sense. Her panties dampening at his familiar musk, didn’t.

He wiped his mouth and then dropped the white cloth on the glass tabletop. “I’m not accustomed to waiting.”

Tough tits
. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you ready to choke the shit out of me yet?”

No. She still wanted to use her fork. “While we wait, we can go through your choices.”

He leaned back in the wicker chair; it creaked a soft protest. Amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Smooth. You’re getting better at this.”