HighlandHeat (5 page)

The oddest part of this situation, which should’ve thrown up
a multitude of red flags, was how it didn’t bother him how quickly and
thoroughly he’d been drawn to her. All effort spent trying to do what was
expected of him as a respected businessman had been pushed out the window
without a second thought when he looked into her beautiful gray eyes.

This change from his usual pattern fit comfortably with him.
Pursuing Grace felt more like destiny than anything else. He liked the
excitement she brought with her. It was a euphoric feeling and addictive. The
way his heart raced, his body tensed and his mind tried to solve her puzzle
made him ravenous for more.

He looked at her and saw a beautiful woman with vivacious
energy and spirit. Whatever it was that had passed between them during their
brief interaction back in the ballroom, it already felt like she was going to
be important to him. Who knew what was going to happen, not him, but maybe
she’d be the woman who’d become more than just someone to fuck and leave.

After having that one far-too-brief conversation with her,
the world appeared different, as did his place in it. Dreams and hopes now
seemed possible. Everything appeared much more intense and lively since meeting
the fiery lady in green, and he couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Grace Strachan. Yes, the name suited her quiet, ethereal
beauty. Her quick temper was just as intriguing. He smiled, reached down and
gripped his hard-on through his kilt. While she encouraged his imagination to
run wild, he was happy not to restrain it. Why not let it go wherever she led?
Flashing across his mind was what he wanted to happen and soon. This woman who
was so full of life on her knees, hands behind her back, begging for his cock.
That was what he wanted.

Surrounded by his passionate and lustful needs, he had a
brief unrealistic flash where he wondered if he’d suffocate and die without her
touch. The need was that intense. He struggled for his next breath. Nothing was
going to happen this evening, so he had to get a grip on himself and calm down.
Later, when he was home, he could use his hand to alleviate the pain between
his legs. On second thought, he’d wait until she could take care of it.

Lost in their individual thoughts, he and Alain sat in
silence as the car slowly made its way through Kensington. Shopfronts and
sidewalks had people heading out for the evening or just walking through the
chilly night. They entered the Brompton section of the city and the roads
eventually became more residential. By the time they pulled in front of an old
Victorian building on Cadogan Gardens, his patience had stabilized.

Stepping out of the car, they made their way up the front
steps, through the front door and into the lobby of the private club where
Alain stayed when in London. His cousin preferred the relaxed and familiar
ambiance not often found in hotels, no matter how nice they were. They walked
down the short hallway and into the library, which now held the bar.

“Two pints of Black Sheep, please. We’ll be over at the
corner table. Thank you.”

In no time at all, they sat in large well-worn leather
chairs, tucked away in one of the dark corners. Like him, Alain didn’t need to
delve into the obvious subject consuming the space between them, they’d get to
it soon enough. In the meantime, they watched the football highlights and
enjoyed their dark ale. After ordering and drinking most of a second round, he
knew the tension surrounding him had lessened considerably, so the inevitable
questions began.

“You ready to talk about her yet?”

Hamish ran his hands through his hair, quickly using his
fingers to make sure the hard ridges were under control.

Alain had a reputation within the family for having infinite
patience, while he had to work hard to maintain control of his emotions. This
wasn’t easy for him to do and never would be. His family and friends knew why
he tried so hard to keep calm under the most trying times. They helped him when
he was at his most vulnerable and helped hide the fact he grew the horns of a
ram when he became too emotional.

Taking a drink from his pint, he thought about how he’d
found himself in the position to maintain a relaxed frame of mind.

With his birth and the appearance of little boned horns
popping out each time he cried came a great deal of confusion and fear. Eventually,
when he finally began to thrive, the need for secrecy became important. His
family and the medical personnel who’d been there with him, had circled around
and all vowed confidentiality. There was the luck thing again.

He and Alain took their connection to another level. They
were closer than friends or even brothers. They were simply there for each
other, no questions asked and no conditions applied.

Even at thirty and successful, he couldn’t imagine not
having the other man’s guidance. Things could quickly spiral out of control in
his world if he didn’t have such a strong person who truly listened to him.
There were no judgments passed between them because they were friends and
family. Having his cousin beside him was very important to him and his sanity.

“Yes, I think so.” Hamish finally answered, then took a deep
swallow from the pint in front of him and leaned back, ready to unburden
himself. “It’s all new to me, so I’m still trying to figure it out. However, I
do know one thing for sure. I’ve never felt anything like this before. For the
past couple of weeks I’ve thought something was happening inside me, something
different, and whatever it was left me feeling edgy. I didn’t have a clue what
it was or why I was feeling so restless. Then tonight it ramped up until I saw
her. From that time on, I haven’t been able to think of anything other than
having her. Literally possessing her for myself.

“Alain, my brain tells me this can’t be right. I’m a man. I
walk on two feet and use logic to reason through my actions and choices. I know
the difference between how an animal and human would act in this type of
situation. And yet there’s this thing inside me that says I’m hunting her as if
I were a wild beast.” He took another drink of his beer, still working to
maintain his composure and hold it together. Out of habit, he used his hand to
feel a hard ridge on his temple, making sure the boned horns weren’t getting
out of control.

“Are they growing?” Curiosity was in Alain’s question, but
so was the necessity to have an honest answer.

“No. But like my cock, the horns aren’t going down either.”
Hamish spoke in a low voice with a note of confusion.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt and there’s none of the
anxiety I’d normally feel when they’re pushing for air in public. Maybe I’m
totally at ease with whatever’s happening to me because it involves her.” While
he took another drink of ale, he stared at the television screen without really
seeing anything and tried to make sense of what had taken place tonight.
Actually, there was no chance of that happening, especially since logic wasn’t
a part of any of this.

“There’s frustration and satisfaction, desperation and
calmness, inevitability and unpredictability, all mixed up together with a healthy
dose of lust and desire for her. I think I’m handling the situation as best I
can and yet I screwed up back there, which says I’m not doing it right.”

“Give yourself a break.”

“I can’t because I want her too much. Alain, can you believe
it, I’m worried that I’ve screwed it up. I don’t worry about anything, least of
all when it comes to women. I just do what I think is right. But this woman is
a problem. A gorgeous difficulty that I can only think of how I’m going to fuck
her first.”

“Hamish, I have confidence that you’ll make it right.”

“Hopefully I’ll get that chance. I feel like I’m no longer
in control of my life and that scares the shit out me. That doesn’t work for
me. I was handed a plate of problems at birth that meant it was for me to take
charge and make my own destiny. It’s all up to me. I have the power to make
things happen for me. Then I see this woman and imagine her settled perfectly
at my side. Suddenly I’m sure no one else will suit me as she does.”

“Wow! You’ve just—”

“No, don’t even say it, Alain.”

“But—”

“No, trust me, I know how ridiculous this all sounds and
can’t do anything about it. You see, in the chaos, I understand at least one
thing. All this emotion and upheaval is because I need to earn the right to
have her in my life.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No, I’m fucking not.” The frustration was raw and on the
surface, so he ran his fingers through his hair to check on the horns. They
were holding steady, but maybe not for long because he couldn’t stop his
annoyance or see a way out of it. “I feel like I’m going crazy here. None of
this makes sense, but I’m going with it until I can figure out what’s what. In
the meantime, I’ll do anything to have her and won’t stand by for time or
niceties to delay me. I want her now. Right now, and the longer it takes, the
more out of control I feel and act.”

“Humph, noticed that back at the party.”

“I’m telling you, nothing like this ever happened to me
before. The second I looked into those soft gray eyes of hers, I was hard as a
rock and ready to mark her as mine. Do you see what I mean? What the fuck is
that? Mark her? That isn’t me. I don’t think that way. It’s crazy, and yet even
now, my heart races with a need for her. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I’m
I'd think I'm in season.  You know, in heat like an animal.”

“No, you aren’t an animal, Hamish.”

“I know, I know. I’m a man and I can control that other side
of me. When I think of being able to claim her as mine, I feel at peace. Shit,
Alain, it all happened in an instant. Without any warning, my world changed the
minute I looked into those beautiful pools of tranquility. I don’t think I’ll
feel at ease until she’s at my side.”

“Okay, she brought the sun and all that shit into your dark
dismal existence, so what went wrong? Women don’t walk away from you, Hamish.
Never.” Alain polished off his pint and waved toward the barman for another
round.

“I called her a lesbian.” Hamish admitted with shame.

“You what?” Shock was written all over the man’s face and so
it should. It still surprised him that he’d acted so brainlessly.

“I know it was stupid.” Finishing off his own beer, he
looked pensively into the bottom of the empty glass.

“Shit, no joke. I think we can agree that was definitely not
one of your better lines.” Taking the two fresh pints from the barman, Alain
set them on the table and then each man handed over their empties.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why did you say it?”

“The woman with her, Penny something or other, mentioned
going to find the man she’d picked out for Grace. Rich and single were his qualifications.”

“Ah.” Hamish could tell his cousin had no problem figuring
out why he’d screwed up. If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was to
not be accepted for him, flaws and all. To see superficiality in another person
left Hamish cold, angry and ready to distance him from them as quickly as
possible.

“Threw me into a spin and I couldn’t recover.”

“Have you now?” Alain asked before taking another drink.

“Yes, kind of. She definitely gave me a piece of her mind
and it was a spectacular sight. While she didn’t deny my outrageous claim, I’m
sure she wasn’t indifferent to me either. Her nipples were hard, poking
straight at me from beneath the silky thin gossamer covering. Trust me when I
say they rivaled my rod for sturdiness.”

The other man laughed loudly. To make matters worse, if it
weren’t for his mistake, he might’ve had one of those delightful nipples in his
mouth right now.

“Seriously though, I insulted her and that was wrong on many
levels. I must make amends, especially if I wish to make a space for myself in
her life.”

“Wait a minute. Calm down, I think you’re moving too fast.”

“No, I’m not, just the opposite. I’ve told you what’s going
on inside me. I think all of this is much more than a need to play with her
body for some physical relief or sexual gratification. All that I’m feeling,
experiencing, revolves around that one beautiful petite lass with silky white-blonde
hair and flashing gray eyes. To once again be on stable ground can only happen
when I have her in my life.”

“Don’t put all your—”

“Stop right there. I’m an adult. I can handle
disappointment. However, in this case, with this woman, it feels right to think
big. To reach out for the whole prize. Alain, it’s all so good to think about
her. I can almost taste the satisfaction I’m sure she will bring.” Without
thinking, his hand once again rose to stroke a ridge hidden beneath his hair.
“If I’m wrong, then I’ll deal with it. But I don’t believe I am. That isn’t my
ego speaking, it’s just what I feel. For now, all I ask is that you support me
in this pursuit.”

Silence followed Hamish’s request. It was difficult for
Alain to agree with his cousin. Everyone, including himself, knew he was
usually the voice of reason between the two of them and there was nothing
rational coming from the other man. Right now, his cousin was all raw emotions.
The man was like a hot-blooded ram and not everyone could handle something so
far removed from reality.

However, at this point in time there was only one thing that
was important. Through all the upheaval and emotional turmoil was the fact that
he loved his cousin and wanted nothing but the best for him. He’d do anything
to bring this chance of happiness to him, including helping him in any way he
could with this blonde.

“Of course, I’m right beside you, Hamish. Whatever you
need.” They raised their pints in the age-old manner of gentlemanly
camaraderie. “You’re never alone.”

“Neither are you, Alain. No Buchanan will ever be alone.”