Page 77 of The Highlander Is All That

And then Anne St. Claire bent her head and kissed him.

On the lips.

Before he could respond, before he could reclaim his senses, she quit the room, leaving him spinning and elated and hard.

* * *

“Ach, you were right. He does stink.”

The low, melodious voice in her ear sent a thrill through her, and Elizabeth whirled around. She’d been in the library, looking for a book, something to help her recover from a trying morning, but this was much better.

She stepped into Hamish’s arms and kissed him. Or he kissed her. No matter, it was just what she needed.

“I missed you.”

He chuckled. “We spent the entire morning together in the parlor.”

“Not like this. This is what I missed.”

“Me too.”

He pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck, just where she loved it, and she sighed. “Oh, I’ve missed you.”

He chuckled again. “You said that.” He leaned back and smiled at her. “Have you talked to your aunt yet?”

She pulled a face. “She’s meeting with Ranald. I cannot imagine what they have to talk about for so long.”

“Ah, he got a missive from the duke.”

“That would do it.”

“Aye.” He batted his lashes. “What shall we do in the meantime?”

“Ooh,” she said. “I have no idea.”

“Do you no’, my wee lass?”

She chuckled. “Have I ever told you, I love when you call me that?”

“I do believe you have.” He grinned and walked her back until she hit the wall, and he kissed her again. She was breathless and weak by the time he lifted his head. “Shall we go to my room?”

“Oh, yes please—”

But before they could do so, before he could release her, in fact, a screech bounced off the walls of the room in a rumbling roar. It was followed quickly by a booming, “What the bluidy hell is going on here?”

Elizabeth winced and glanced over Hamish’s shoulder.

“Is that who I think it is?” he asked.

She swallowed heavily. “Both of them.”

“Shite.” He dropped his head on her shoulder and huffed.

“We had to face this sooner or later.”

“Aye.” He lifted his head, kissed her again, and then, together, they faced the fury of the baron and Aunt Esmeralda. It was difficult to discern which was worse.

* * *