HighlandHeat

by Tilly Greene

  “I was an owner.” He didn’t say anything more, but from what she knew about him, figured he was most likely the initiator of the project, as well as one of the financiers.

  “Hmmm. Does this group take on any other projects?”

  “A few here and there.”

  Oh yes, this venture was most definitely right up his alley. She looked around at the showcase neighborhood of historical conservation and found it very inviting. A peaceful enclave located in the midst of a vibrant city like this one, Grace knew the project had to of made the homes well sought after. No doubt they’d immediately become a great investment for all the participants. Another success chocked up for Hamish Buchanan.

  All the exteriors were different, sympathetically renovated with the entire square fronting a gated garden. For a house in the middle of the city to have any green areas noted on their deed, much less a private garden, added a great deal of value to the property. To her way of thinking, this was definitely a piece of nirvana. She hoped he found the time to enjoy it while he was here.

  “Ready?”

  Hamish held his hand out with a roguish smile. Without delay or a second thought, she reached out for it and they walked up the front steps together. He unlocked large mahogany and glass double doors that opened onto a foyer. Once they were inside, he continued his seduction by taking her wrap and hanging it on the coat tree while she placed her purse, keys and hat on the entryway table.

  Before she had a chance to take in her surroundings, something infinitely more interesting caught her attention. Him.

  Grace turned to face him and that was all it took to find them body to body, mouth to mouth, locked in a passionate clinch.

  He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss spoke of both their hungers and pushed her closer to the edge. She was ready to let him take over completely. Her legs felt weak with the excitement cascading through her. Letting her head fall back, she tangled her tongue with his. A big hand came up to hold her still as he pressed even deeper into her mouth. She’d already wanted him, now she was desperate for his complete possession.

  Before she could tell him she was his to do with her as he would, a sharp knock on the door shook her. Startled, she jumped back and looked at him for help. What she saw was how cool and unconcerned he was with the unexpected interruption.

  “It’s all right, lass. I arranged lunch for the two of us to be delivered. I’m sure this is it.” He opened the door to a small group standing on his front stoop.

  “Mr. Buchanan, we’re from the Carnegie Club with your cold lunch for two.”

  “Perfect. Come through.”

  She watched him take control of organizing their lunch, looking calm and without a hint of the passionate clinch they’d just been involved in. Grace shook her head in amazement when she discovered the man she’d just shared the most sensuous kisses with had to be made of ice. This was the second time in less than an hour he’d been able to cut off his desire like a switch. There was no way she could do that, especially not with someone who set her on fire with a mere glance.

  Grace realized that his thoughtful gesture of arranging lunch had helped calm her raging passion and offered them a chance to get to know more about each other. Most likely he’d been arranging this while she’d been putting herself back to rights after their interlude on the desk. Hamish waved people through to a sitting room, looking sexy and commanding.

  A half-dozen people came in and efficiently set the meal on a table resting in front of the bay window. She stood off to the side, out of everyone’s way and watched as Hamish lit a pile of wood in the fireplace. It was an intimate space, perfect for them to talk and find their trust in each other. The end goal was to be able to discover a place where they could both enjoy a wicked game of sex.

  Trust was usually a big deal for her and yet it hadn’t entered the equation for this interlude. Her common sense had fled as well, but none of this was enough to deter her from spending more time with this man. To make matters worse, she had no intention of regretting a second of their time together. Pure and simple, time spent with this man felt good, right. An intense level of need came with Hamish, the type of desire that held everything else at bay. She had no intention of walking away from it.

  There was something between them that encouraged her to lower the safety measures she usually presented a potential bedmate. From the minute he’d asked for her forgiveness with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in hand, with reminders of home in the arrangement and his voice, he had her in whatever way he wanted.

  Grace gave herself permission to let all her guards go for the day. All she had to do was remember this didn’t mean she was easy or stupid, just a lady who wanted a man. This man.

  When they were finally alone, he led her to the table, pulled out a chair for her and they sat to enjoy a meal together. She wasn’t surprised at how quickly they fell into a comfortable conversation. It felt right for them to get familiar with each other before they took it to the next level. Picking up a piece of cheese, she marveled at how they were already compatible in areas besides sex. She hadn’t been expecting this discovery and was all the more intrigued by how well matched they were.

  Then came the question that had her most pleased to hear and it had nothing to do with sex. He asked about her business.

  For more years than she cared to count, all her energy had been funneled into her creations and getting them publicly recognized. During most of this period she had no one she could talk to about the ups and downs or even her fears of possessing so much responsibility. It felt good to speak with someone who knew what she was experiencing. She didn’t ask for advice and he didn’t offer it, but he did listen and ask questions, which meant more to her than anything else he could of done.

  “Are you going to open more stores?” Hamish spoke around the ploughman’s lunch they nibbled on. The food was good, but she was definitely more interested in him than anything else.

  “I’m not sure. Right now I have three. Leeds is my most recent opening and it’s on target to make back the original investment within the next five years.”

  “The hat business is always good. A proper British lady wouldn’t show up for certain events without a new one to wear.”

  “Yes, it is good, although there are other venues I dabble in, so I’m not completely tied to retail.”

  “Smart woman. Diversification is the way to go forward. What else do you have your fingers in?” His compliment left her blushing. It was gratifying to hear a man of his success confirm she was on the right track.

  “Well, like you, the property market is one place I invest.” She took a sip of her cold fizzy water, trying not to become lost in him so she had a chance to maintain some semblance of intelligence. It was too easy to become lost in his undivided attention.

  “In what way?”

  “I buy the buildings my shops are housed within. They are all located in good, stable sections of prominent city centers. I also prefer historical structures because they suit my product, as well as encourage a higher property value with the work I carry out. They all were in a state of disrepair and this allowed me to get a good price on them. I’ve had work done on them all, which meant I’ve been able to keep them as close to the original while being relevant for today’s market. I like the challenge of remolding the gems into what works for me, without losing much of the original character. A bit like you’ve done here.”

  “You’re right. It’s very satisfying to have the final word on how something that’s been around for ages will continue on for years to come. Now tell me, where do you consider your main base.”

  “Scotland. Edinburgh in specific.” Suddenly she was homesick for the view she had from her studio’s window of Edinburgh Castle sitting solidly on its rock.

  “A beautiful city. What section do you live in?”

  “My store with a workshop is in the center, on Rose Street, behind Princes Street. All of my shops hav
e a living space above them. This way I don’t have to worry about finding a hotel when I’m working at any one of them.”

  “Good idea, but don’t you ever want time away from work?”

  “That’s not been an issue since I started. I give Frivolity everything.”

  They shared a plate of delicious death-by-chocolate with a healthy dollop of whipped cream on it. As she took a bite, Grace looked up and found him watching her intently. There was something heated in how he looked at her and thankfully it didn’t take long to hear what was on his mind.

  “So tell me, Grace, what pleases you?” He took a finger of the cream and held it out for her. It was a decadent and naughty move, but she was so anxious for him to take her until she screamed. Leaning forward, she held his hand still and cleaned the digit off with her mouth.

  There was no need to blush because this was what she was here for. They both were and they knew it. And still this didn’t stop her from becoming heated by the images his question had dancing through her head. She wanted what he’d given her a brief taste of earlier in her office. She wanted all of it and more.

  “That isn’t as easy to answer as you’d think.”

  “Try.”

  “Okay. I like being with you, hearing you talk about what you want to do with me. The words, oh my, the words and pictures you create with them are intoxicating. Then there’s the way you look at me, touch me. When you had me on my desk, I felt like I was pure sex. It turned me on.”

  “I have to say you did a pretty good job finding a way to tell me what you like.” He leaned forward and spoke to her in a gruff whisper, as if it was a strain to talk at all. “Do you still wish to submit your body and desire to me? To grant me the chance to give you pleasure?”

  “Yes, I do.” There was no hesitation in her words or in her gaze as it met and held his. There was not a bit of doubt in her mind that this was the correct answer. Being here with him felt right.

  A long silence followed her emphatic, yet breathless, reply. She was curious about what he’d say or do next.

  “Strip for me, sweetheart. Take everything off your body. I want nothing between us.”

  This was what she wanted as well. Without thinking twice about what she was doing, Grace placed her napkin on the table, stood and stepped away from the table. There was one question on her mind. Should she be seductive and slowly disrobe or strip as quickly as she could in order to have him all the sooner? Just thinking about the latter had her body screaming for no delays. Easy decision, she settled on the quickest solution.

  Reaching back, she released the button and zipper holding her skirt together. With a shimmy, she worked the fabric over her hips and down until it dropped to the floor at her feet. Not wasting a moment, she unbuttoned her blouse and, once it was off, draped it with her skirt over her chair.

  In quick succession, the bra and thong panties came off, leaving her in nothing except for stockings, shoes, earrings and bracelet. Bending over, she worked on the buckle of one shoe, stepped out of it, tossed it behind her, then moved on to its partner, leaving them both resting haphazard with her underwear near the chair. This wasn’t how she usually treated her things, but there was nothing normal about today.

  Raw hunger filled his gaze as he followed her every move. This thrilled her and she walked over to his chair to bring the temptation even closer. Putting one foot on the seat between his legs, she slowly unrolled her stocking and tossed it over her shoulder in the general direction of her clothes. She repeated the same seductive motion to remove the other piece of silk and sent it sailing blindly behind her.

  Standing there in his front room, completely bare of clothes in the middle of the day, she felt both free and sexy beneath his focused gaze. She waited until his eyes met hers before she took off the earrings and bracelet, placing them on the table. The fiery look was still there, and was quickly joined by a delicious hint of wildness that caused her stomach to drop and roll as if she were looking over the edge of a steep cliff.

  “We’ll have to do something about the mess you’ve made, but it can wait. Right now I have to stroke this pretty, bald pussy.” Before she could defend her clutter or not, Hamish stood, lifted her into his arms and carried her up a grand staircase until they were on the top floor.

  Grace knew she wasn’t as light as a feather, so the man had to be incredibly fit physically. There’d been no huffing or puffing while he carried her up three flights. He didn’t drop, shuffle or pause on the way to catch his breath.

  She was very flattered.

  Hamish opened a door, stepped inside and leaned back against the panel to close it. She still hadn’t looked away from him. The man was pure magic for her. She didn’t ever want to leave his arms, not when he made her feel so much the woman to his man.

  With his back to the door, Hamish slowly lowered her until her bare feet touched the floor. The room was dark and he kept her pressed against his body while kissing her softly and stroking his hands down her back, over her ass and back up again. Possibly he did it on purpose, and maybe he didn’t know it, but with that single, all encompassing stroke he left her feeling cherished. When his hand traveled over her body again, she knew this was where she was meant to be. In his arms. After what felt like an endless time embracing, he stopped and lifted his head until their lips were a breath apart.

  “I want you to walk around and explore the room.” He sounded so serious. She felt an arm move away from her back. The lights came on low and yet still bright enough to be able to see clearly.

  “Why?” She didn’t want to leave his embrace to see a playroom. From past experience, rooms set aside for sex games were all pretty much the same. Well, except this one was upstairs rather than down.

  “It’s important to me that you be totally at ease in this room, that you have some sort of reference of what’s here, I want you to know there’s nothing to be afraid of. Soon enough you’ll feel vulnerable and that’s good, it’s expected. What I don’t want is for you to ever be fearful. Not with me and not in this room.”

  Grace listened to what he had to say and could see his point. Nodding her assent, she slowly turned away from him, now eager to take in the details. No matter what preconceived ideas she had about what she’d find, she wasn’t prepared for what was actually there.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered without taking her gaze away from what was laid out before her. This was a space where the bondage equipment he had placed around the room fit as easily as a Chesterfield chair would. There were no hard edges or cold concrete floor. This was a space set aside for indulgences of all senses.

  On taking her first steps, her toes sank deep into the thickly piled, dark-brown carpet. It was softer than what she believed a cloud would feel like. When she reached out to touch the wall, she couldn’t stop herself from stroking the rich chocolate padded leather. There was an intriguing texture, feeling cool and soft as butter under her fingertips.

  Taking her time to absorb everything, she walked across the room while enjoying the soft flooring beneath her bare feet. Lost with where to start, she made it simple and headed toward the long wall opposite the door they’d entered. The wall was covered from floor to ceiling in voluminous black velvet drapes, pooling decadently on the floor. Finding the center opening, she slipped behind it and had to giggle.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing, it’s just a childish whim to play hide and seek with a gorgeous man in this incredible room.”

  “I think we can manage to play an adult version of the game.” The laughter in his voice trickled along her nerve endings and kept her needs teetering on the point of spiraling out of control.

  A blush covered her face as she realized how close to the edge she was. There’d be no more delays, she was too anxious for their intimate time together to begin. Walking out from behind the drapes, her body quivered for his attentions. This was definitely a sensuous room fully equipped for playing erotic games. In her opinion, the color choice
was all Hamish, dark and mysterious, but also lush, warm and very sensual.

  Grace walked to the left and sent a hanging black leather swing swaying. She enjoyed the confinement and pleasure such a toy offered. As she made her way to the right, she couldn’t stop from brushing her hands over the black silky-soft bed covering. It was huge, three or four feet high and she was tempted to spread out atop this seductive piece of furniture and lure him away from the wall.

  But no, she’d wait for his directions. Surely her restraint would be rewarded with even more pleasure. While working to keep this mindset, she continued to take in her surroundings. There were no bedside tables, but as she walked back toward the center of the room, she stroked a finger over an onyx lacquer cabinet. It was the same height as the bed with sliding doors on the front and various push buttons along the top. There was a matching piece at the head of the bed, making it an angular sleigh bed shape.

  On her way back to his side, she looked around the room again. There were other pieces placed around the perimeter, and as she moved to check them out more closely, she saw them. In the center of the room, hanging from the ceiling were a set of chains and what looked to be cuffs dancing at the end.

  “Stand beneath them, Grace.” At the sound of his voice, she looked over with a smile. Of course he recognized what had caught her attention. Feeling a naughty streak burble up, she added a sway to her hips because she knew he was watching every move she made. It was a good thing she was comfortable with her body. It was a woman’s form, full of curves, and she loved every inch.

  Once she stood beneath the hanging apparatus dangling out of reach, she stopped and waited for him.

  Instead of coming to her, he discarded his coat and tie, folding and placing them on the chest to his left. His eyes never left her while unbuttoning his cuffs and shirt, finally pulling it off. Again, he carefully folded and put it with the rest of his clothes. With her mouth watering and pussy pulsing, she couldn’t help but notice he was a very tidy man. After he removed his shoes and socks, dropping them where he stood, she held her breath, waiting for him to finish undressing.