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.Well, she wasn't about to make the first move.If he wanted to go all reserved and professional, shecould too.After all, he hadn't said "Come with me to Scotland and let's get to know each other." He'dsaid, "Come with me to Scotland to help me translate texts.Oh, and I'll try to seduce you too."How many times had Katherine called him? Had all nine of those messages been from her? That thoughtjarred her thoroughly back to reality She'd hate being that kind of woman.Pining after a man she couldn'thave.She folded her arms across her chest.Stared straight ahead at the menu behind the counter."I always want you, Chloe-lass," he murmured suddenly in a low voice, for her ears only."There's no' amoment that I doona."Chloe scowled.What was he--a mind reader? Damn him anyway! Arching a brow, she tipped her headback, narrowed her eyes and gave him a chilly look."Who said I was thinking anything even remotelylike that? Do you just think I sit around with nothing better to do than think about you?""Nay, of course not.I merely thought to assure you that though my mind may seem far away, should youwish my attentions, you've only to say so.""I'm fine.I just want some coffee.""Mayhap you'd prefer to spend this eve with me at an inn, rather than going straight to my brother's," hesuggested with a seductive smile.Chloe scowl deepened."One eve is no' enough?" he teased, though his eyes were distant."Greedy lass, would you be wishing aweek?""Get over yourself, MacKeltar," she muttered."Though the women out there"--she flung a hand towardthe street--"seem to think so, I hate to break it to you, but the world does not revolve around you."Dageus's nostrils flared and he inhaled sharply as he recognized her emotion.Jealousy.She'd beenwatching other women look at him (aye, he noticed, in a peripheral fashion) and it chafed her.That herdesire for him was intense enough to make her feel jealousy, made him feel wildly possessive.Hisseduction was working.She was growing attached to him.Abruptly, he pulled her in front of him at thecounter, and wrapped both arms around her waist.He held her while their order was filled, hungry forthe feel of her wee body against his.She was stiff at first, but slowly the tension quit her small, lushlycurved form.Page 80 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlWhen she leaned forward to take her latte and scone, he pressed against her from behind, deliberatelybrushing his hard arousal against her bottom, letting her know exactly how much she was always on hismind.He smiled when she nearly dropped her coffee."I'd have bought you another," he said with a shrug, when she glanced sharply over her shoulder at him,blushing as furiously as she was scowling.Like as not, he'd buy her the cafe it she indicated the slightestdesire for it."You're incorrigible," she hissed."Just so you know, what happened on the plane is not going to happenagain," she informed him, before turning and stalking off toward the rental car.His eyes flared dangerously.Did the lass think to share such intimacies with him and then rescind them?Och, nay, Dageus MacKeltar didn't go backward.She would find that out soon enough.As they neared their destination, Dageus grew increasingly subdued.After lengthy deliberation, he'ddecided it best to simply appear on Drustan's doorstep unannounced, hope Gwen answered the door,then hope for the best.He glanced over at Chloe, acknowledging that he'd not have made this trip today alone.Even with herbeside him, he'd considered turning around half a dozen times.Alone, he'd have tried the museums first,have put it off indefinitely, telling himself all manner of lies when the simple truth was that he didn't want toface Drustan.But somehow, with her at his side, it didn't seem nigh as impossible.Her earlier irritation seemed to have passed or, as wee as she was, there simply wasn't enough room inher to contain irritation and excited curiosity.She was sipping her coffee, staring out the window,pointing, and asking endless questions.What was that ruin? When did summer begin? When did theheather bloom? Were there really pine martens, and could she see one? Could they be petted? Did theybite? Could they go to the museums while they were there? How about Glengarry? How much farther?He'd been answering absently, but she was so enamored by the vista that she hadn't seemed to noticehis inattention.He had no doubt that she would fall in love with his country.Her enthusiasm made himremember a time--what seemed a lifetime ago--when he, too, had viewed the world with wonder.He forced his gaze away from her, and his thoughts back to the upcoming confrontation.He hadn't seenDrustan--awake, that was--in four years, one month and twelve days.Since the eve that Drustan hadbeen placed in an enchanted sleep, to slumber for five centuries.They'd spent that final day together,trying to wedge a lifetime into it.Twin brothers and best friends since they'd drawn breath, a mere three minutes apart, they'd saidfarewell that night.Forever.Drustan had gone to sleep in the tower, the tower that Dageus had to walkpast a dozen times a day.At first, he'd bid his brother a sardonic "good morrow" each morn, but that hadswift grown too painful.Before Drustan had gone into the tower, they'd labored together over plans for a new castle that was tobe Drustan and Gwen's home in the future.After Drustan had gone to sleep, Dageus had immersedhimself in overseeing the construction of it, directing hundreds of workers, making certain all was perfect,Page 81 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlworking alongside the men.And while so involved with the building of it, he'd become aware of an ever-growing, restless emptinessinside him.The castle had begun to consume him.Impossible for a man to labor daily for three long years and notlose a part of himself to not merely the act of creating, but the creation.The empty, waiting rooms werethe promise of family and love.The promise of a future he'd never been able to envision for himself.When Drustan had died, he'd gone and stood outside the castle for hours uncounted, staring at its darkand silent silhouette in the gloaming.He'd imagined Gwen in the future, waiting.And Drustan never arriving.She would live alone.Nell hadtold him Gwen was pregnant, though Gwen herself had not yet realized it, which meant Gwen would raisetheir babes alone.He imagined no candles ever flickering beyond those windows.No children ever padding up and downthose stairs.All the empty places inside him had finally been filled--not with good things, but with anguish, fury, anddefiance.He'd shaken his fist at the heavens, he'd raged and cursed.He'd questioned all he'd been raisedto believe.And by the misty, crimson-streaked dawn, he'd known but one thing: The castle he'd built would befilled with his brother and his family.Aught else was simply unacceptable.And if the legends were true, if the cost was his own chance at life,he'd deemed it worthwhile.He'd little left to lose."Hey, are you okay?" Chloe asked.Dageus started, realizing he must have been stopped at the stop sign for several minutes.He shook hishead, scattering the grim memories."Aye." He paused, weighing his next words."Lass, I haven't seenDrustan in some time."He had no idea how Drustan would react.He wondered if he would know, merely by looking at him,that he was dark.The bond of twins betwixt them was strong.Aye, I used the stones, but the legendswere wrong.There was no dark force in the in-between.I'm fine
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