Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,64

of the prisoner echoed through her mind.

And, shit. He hadn’t been kidding. She could see all that — and worse — in the cruel sparkle of the prisoner’s eyes.

Any normal person executed a handshake as a quick touch-and-release, but the man held on like he could do whatever he damn well pleased, grinning arrogantly. His palm was warm — too warm — and there was something calculating in the way his nostrils quivered, capturing her scent.

“Enzo Lombardi,” he said. “The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.”

She fought off a shiver, feeling violated. And, huh. Somehow, the name rang a bell.

She didn’t have time to puzzle it out, because — ew — he pulled her hand to his lips before she could yank it way. And, ugh. A little tickle registered on her palm. A mini, hidden grope that hinted at what else he might be bold enough to try.

She snapped her hand away and wiped it against her jeans, not bothering to hide the gesture. Gross. No wonder every hair on Mungo’s back spiked in warning. The man was a creep.

But, whew. Lachlan hadn’t been kidding about tight security. She counted five guards in human form and several others concealed by the landscape — Tony, two wolf shifters, and a couple of Highland cattle. The latter had all broken off from grazing, some with grass sticking out of their mouths. All turned their ears her way, and their eyes flashed from under their shaggy brows. Duncan, she was sure, was the big one pawing the ground in thinly veiled warning.

“Your dog seems upset,” Enzo noted coolly.

“I wonder why. He’s usually such a good judge of character.”

A shadow swooped overhead, and the man’s smile flickered. Holly glanced up, spotting a dragon. Make that, three dragons circling above.

One move and we kill the bastard, a faint voice registered in her mind. Gemma, the dragon in the middle, flashed her teeth, daring Enzo to make a move.

The prisoner smoothed a hand over his silver hair and leaned casually on his golf club.

“And what brings you to our lovely island, my dear?” he asked as if they had bumped into each other at the bar of a country club.

Our island? She did her best not to bare her teeth. Boy, did the man have nerve. Gleninnis was Trevor’s island.

She clicked Mungo’s leash on and straightened quickly. “Oh, you know. Just out exploring with my dog.” Mungo snarled louder, and for once, she didn’t shush him. “What brings you to this lovely island?”

He grinned in a sly, I know you know way. As if it were all a game to him.

“The golf, naturally. Scotland has some of the world’s finest courses.”

“And some of the most remote,” she pointed out. “The most, um…selective.”

His smile grew a little forced. “Yes, but that is life, is it not? Everything comes with advantages and disadvantages. Like the weather.”

The lion in the bushes — Tony — grimaced as if he resented having anything in common with that crook.

“Yes.” Holly faked a smile. “It can be so hard to be cooped up.”

Enzo’s eyes glittered, and Henry made a slicing motion behind his back that said, Cut it out. This is not a man you want to tangle with.

No, she didn’t. But she wasn’t going to let him think she was a pushover either.

“Indeed.” Enzo’s eyes roved up and down her body, and his nostrils flared again. Then his smile widened in a way that said, Well, well.

Shit. She wanted to melt into the landscape. She smelled of sex, didn’t she?

Meanwhile, he smelled of dragon. A very dangerous dragon who’d masterminded all kinds of heinous crimes.

“Indeed, long stays can be trying. The trick is to find a pleasurable way to spend your time.” His eyes glowed, and the tip of his tongue swept over his lips.

Holly felt sick.

“Luckily, I have recently added the most wonderful French chef to my staff,” the prisoner went on, like this was his private island and not a shifter Alcatraz. “Steak Chateaubriand is on the menu for tonight. May I invite you to join me?”

The guards all bristled, and Holly nearly rolled her eyes. As if.

“Not possible, Mr. Lombardi,” Henry muttered, stepping closer. “No guests.”

Enzo heaved a dramatic sigh. “Dinner for one again. I must admit, it’s beginning to lose its charm.”

Holly frowned. Was that a veiled threat or a harmless complaint?

“Time to go, Mr. Lombardi,” Henry ordered, gesturing.

Again, the name rang a bell. Why?

The air practically tingled with tension as the guards waited for him