McGillivray's Mistress - By Anne McAllister Page 0,32
felt good on his burning skin.
He swam steadily, determinedly, making his body work, taking the edge off the fire that burned within. He swam to the point, then turned and plowed his way back again. Even so he’d barely taken the edge off by the time he reached the beach in front of the Moonstone and slogged ashore.
He stood dripping, heart pounding, as the incoming tide lapped his feet and he tipped his head back and drew in great lungfuls of air. Then, straightening again, he looked up toward the inn. There were a few lights still on behind curtained or shuttered windows. Silhouetted in front of them was Fiona’s The King of the Beach.
What the hell?
Someone was climbing up Fiona’s sculpture!
Indignant, annoyed, furious all over again—this time on her behalf—Lachlan sprinted up the beach toward the culprit.
“Hey!” he shouted. “What do you think you’re— Oh, hell. Watch it!” he choked out as, at the sound of his furious voice, the figure jerked up, flailed for balance, then fell backward on to the sand.
Lachlan raced up to the still figure. “Are you—? Fiona?” He was somewhere between furious and indignant at her now.
The only sound that came in reply was a wheeze. Then she moved and gasped, “You…scared the…life…out of me!”
He crouched next to her, dripping water on her, demanding, “What the hell were you doing up there? Stay still,” he commanded, patting her, trying to assess her injuries.
She gasped again and batted his hands away. “Stop that!”
But he didn’t. He ran his hands over her ribs, her arms, her legs, dodging her slaps. “Where does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t.” She gave a little shake, then shoved her hair back from her face. “Well, it does actually—all over. But it was the fright more than anything else. For God’s sake, Lachlan! What were you trying to do?” She struggled to sit up and slapped at him some more.
Moving out of range, Lachlan sat back on his heels. “It’s dark. I didn’t know it was you, did I? I thought someone was wrecking your sculpture.”
“As if you’d care. You threatened to do it yourself.” She’d managed to shove herself up so she leaned on her elbows.
“Take it easy,” he insisted. “You might be bleeding internally.”
“I’m not bleeding internally.” She started to scramble to her feet.
So he got up with her, helping her, though she resisted, and managing to keep a hand on her once she got up which was how he could feel her trembling. “Why are you shaking?”
“Because you scared me!” She tried to brush him off. “I’m all right. Let go!”
He needed to keep a hand on her, though he couldn’t have said why. He shook his head. “What the hell were you doing? It’s after midnight!”
“I know what time it is. I didn’t have time to get to it earlier.”
“Get to what? Adding more? Trying to impress Lord Bloody Grantham?” He couldn’t quite stop the sneer in his voice.
“I wasn’t adding anything. I was taking it down,” she said flatly. “As promised.”
“I told you to leave it up. Grantham likes it.”
“And you don’t.”
“Since when does what I like have anything to do with what you do? Other than encouraging you to do the opposite.”
Her gaze flickered away. “That’s not true. Anyway, we made a deal.”
“And Grantham gave you a reprieve.”
“We made our deal first. I’ll move it.”
He looked at her narrowly. “You must really want me naked.”
It was too dark to see if she was blushing, but she didn’t look him in the eye. “I want to finish my sculpture,” she said tightly. “And I keep my word. I figured I’d take it down tonight and carry it over to the cricket grounds. I can put it up there.”
“It would take you hours!”
Her jaw set. “I promised.”
Stubborn woman. Lachlan studied her profile. “We’ll see,” he said at last. “We’ll worry about whether or not you should take it down or not tomorrow.” He took her hand and started to draw her up the beach toward the Moonstone, but she dug in her heels.
“What are you doing?”
“Come up and let’s get a look at you. You could be hurt.”
“I’m not hurt.” She twisted out of his grasp and headed toward the path that led to town.
Lachlan went after her, started to take her arm, then decided he wouldn’t gain anything by getting into a wrestling match with her. So he walked alongside her instead.
“What are you doing?” she demanded when he followed her right past the inn and on to