"Who's Shanna?"
"Shanna Draganesti. She owns this house, along with her husband. Several houses, actually." He sat in the middle of the couch and shifted sideways to face her.
She noted how muscular he looked, and how the hair on his chest was more brown than red. He'd tied his damp auburn hair back into a ponytail. "Where is your home?"
"Scotland, a few miles south of Inverness. I have about twenty acres next to my grandfather's land. I have my own house, but he always expects me to stay in his castle."
She blinked. "A real castle?"
"Aye. 'Tis a wee bit drafty for my taste. My house is cozier, but I'm rarely there. I'm usually on assignment."
"What kind of assignments?"
He rested an elbow on the back of the couch. "Security and investigation."
She nodded. Even though her lie detector skills didn't work with Robby, she believed he was being honest. The physical signs were correct. He was facing her, keeping eye contact with her and looking comfortable. What's more, she had a strong feeling that he wanted her to trust him. He'd claimed from the beginning that he was trustworthy. He'd endured torture without betraying his colleagues. So why shouldn't she trust him? He'd confronted a huge jaguar in order to save her.
"You were working for your grandfather's company last summer when you were captured?" she asked. "What kind of assignment was that?"
He rubbed his jaw. "Sometimes MacKay S and I gets involved with some sensitive security issues."
She sat back. "You mean national security? That's how you know people in the CIA?"
He nodded. "We were trying to locate a group of domestic terrorists."
"Where? How come I never heard about this?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "'Tis a secret."
She took a deep breath. "And these terrorists are the ones who tortured you."
"Aye, but I'd rather no' talk about it. 'Tis over and done with."
"Is it really?" She turned to face him, resting a bent leg in front of her on the couch. "Can you honestly say that you never think about it?"
His jaw shifted. "I think about it every day."
"When you answered my first question about what you wanted more than anything, what was your answer?"
His gaze lowered to her leg.
"Do you want to get even, Robby? It would be understandable if you did."
He leaned forward and tugged gently on her big toe. "If I tell you, ye'll have to give me yer answers, too."
She bit her lip. "Okay. It's a deal."
He wrapped his hand around her ankle and squeezed. His green eyes locked on hers, glimmering with emotion. "I want revenge. My worst fear is that I willna get revenge, and no, it willna make me a better person."
She swallowed hard. "So you still intend to do it?"
He nodded slowly. "Do ye think that makes me a bad person?" He trailed his fingers up her calf.
She watched his hand as it slowly approached her knee. Oh, he could definitely be bad. And she'd like it. "I think it means you're human. And you suffered more than physical injury."
"It was humiliating," he whispered as he stroked the tender crease behind her knee.
She was having trouble concentrating. "There's a famous saying by Eleanor Roosevelt. I¨CI can't recall the exact words, but it's something like, no one can make you feel inferior without your permission."