Taken By The Forbidden Highlander (Scottish Highlander Romance)

by Kaley McCormick

  I don’t know why, but sitting down with him and seeing his softer side had tugged at my heart in a way that no man had ever been able to do. I felt like he was trying very hard, but something from his past was beating him down into despair. He was using those past feelings to feed his attitude and his behavior.

  “The women that he does get involved with are only there to get their piece of the pie. I tried to communicate to him that he shouldn’t get too serious. I thought that he might take that as fair warning, but instead he sleeps with anything with two legs and the kind of hourglass figure that makes him powerless to resist.”

  I wasn’t exactly a Barbie doll, but I was blonde, one-forty, and five-foot-six with a natural C cup bosom that really was a growing attraction. I think that my legs that went straight to heaven were my best feature, but I could not deny the way that men stared at my chest. I always had to remind them that my eyes were up here and they would feel embarrassment, and rightfully so.

  I was an only child and my parents had moved away to Arizona to retire, and live without the need for shoveling snow or feeling that chill going through their bones. Washington State was no stranger to the pile-ups and snow-covered streets. It was October and already we had a light dusting, just as a reminder that things were going to progress quickly.

  It seemed like I was losing control. I needed a little love in my life and some love in the dark. I was hoping that Duncan could kick start my love life that had been dead for far too long. I didn’t want to admit my feelings to Tanner and I hoped that he couldn’t see through me like a transparent piece of paper.

  “Those scouts that are going to be at the game will be present at this fundraiser dinner tonight.” He didn’t even remember what the fundraiser was for. A young boy was struggling with cancer and his parents didn’t have the funds or the Medical Insurance to keep him from declining day after day. I wondered how many attendees didn’t know the true purpose of the event. Maybe it was time that somebody shined a light on the boy, and I had an idea. It would be like slapping somebody across the face without them being aware that it was coming.

  “I’ll be there and I’ll make sure that Duncan keeps his nose clean.” So far, we had been lucky and there was no sign that he had dabbled in recreational drugs. I talked to him about that. He said that he had no need, when he had his drug of choice standing in front of him and smiling at him with that coy expression and a wink of encouragement. He was obviously talking about the drug of sex and how easily he could succumb to the pleasures of the flesh. I think that he had a sickness, or maybe he was just a young boy trying to be a man.

  “Make sure that he doesn’t do anything that is going to embarrass us or the college. The scouts will be doing an in-depth search on his past. They’re not going to like several things that they find, but so far his talent outweighs anything that he has done up to this point. I don’t mind him playing the field, but throwing bottles in clubs and getting into fistfights with bouncers are not exactly going to make him any friends. A lot of NFL teams that are religious will steer clear of him, precisely for the reason that he is not living a pure and chaste lifestyle.”

  Some of these NFL teams had funding from those sources that really didn’t like a wandering eye. They wanted somebody more wholesome that had a family and a woman that he loved. It hadn’t happened yet and I was worried that his adolescent ways would keep him from seeing what was right in front of his face.

  I got up, smoothed down my skirt, saw him looking at my chest and turned my back in obvious disgust for his misogynistic ways. Tanner might’ve been a good man and I trusted him more than anyone, but he was still a man with needs. We had never moved past a professional relationship, but I think it had more to do with the fact that he didn’t really find me attractive to begin with. It wasn’t like I was putting it out there and I mostly hid my seductive personality under bulky clothing. That was not exactly conducive to drawing the attention of the male eye.

  I looked at my watch and I saw that I had a meeting with Duncan in about twenty minutes. We were going to go over his behavior at the fundraiser and make sure that we were both on the same page. He wanted me to meet him at his hotel room. I had a feeling that things were not going to go according to plan.

  Chapter two

  I was at the door to his penthouse suite. I’m sure that it was an under the table extravagance that was given to him by one of the NFL teams. It was widely known that bribes were not uncommon, but they would have to be made in secret or they would risk being found out. I had my hand poised to knock, when I heard giggling coming from inside.

  “Duncan, you can’t keep it in your pants for more than five minutes. We’ve been in this room for the entire weekend and we haven’t even ventured out. I have to go home, but I will call you and make arrangements to see you again. Get your hands off of that, you’ve already had more than enough. My God, is there no end to your insatiable needs?” The door opened and this woman with that ‘just fuck me’ look was standing there.

  Duncan was behind her in a towel and nothing else. “Baby, you know that you are the only one for me. I’ll give you a call and I hope that we can do this again soon.” When she walked by me, her skirt was tucked into her panties and Duncan was now leaning out to get a better look. “You might want to freshen up, before you go home…she- shell- uh, baby.” It was obvious that he had no idea what her name was.

  “Uh, Duncan we had a meeting. If this is a bad time, I can certainly come back later.” I was a little nervous and jittery, and there was no way that I could keep my eyes from straying to the obvious erection that he was now sporting. The tent in his towel was a good indication that this woman really didn’t know what it took to satisfy a man of this caliber. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I see that you were busy this weekend.”

  He shook his head, walked back into the penthouse and sat down on a white leather couch. “I found her at a club last night…or was it the night before. Who can remember these days? I can’t even recall what her name is.”

  This was not surprising and the way that he overindulged had made him an easy target for any perspective model or actress that wanted to claim her five minutes of fame. “I don’t remember much, except for the image of legs and arms flailing in all directions.”

  I sat down demurely pushing my glasses up to the bridge of my nose. “So, what is this about a fundraiser and why in hell do I have to go?” He had obviously got my message and didn’t appear to be all that thrilled about going to the event.

  “We have to unravel some of these misconceptions about you. A lot of these NFL teams are under the impression that you are unpredictable and irresponsible. We need to quash that and make you look more like a humanitarian. The only way to do that is to show you in the right light and give people a new perspective on the man that you really are. They need to see that you are changing for the better, even if you hide your depravity under the cover of darkness.” With him wearing that towel, I came close to snatching it away in the hopes of seeing the object of my desire.

  “I know that you’re just trying to look out for my best interest, Erica.” I felt like I was amongst those that would be considered a rarity. He actually knew my name and did not try to hide it with pet names like baby or sugar lips. “I suppose that you’re going to ask me to wear some kind of monkey suit.” I had a tuxedo already lined up and it would be delivered on time for him to wear. “I guess you know what you’re doing. I certainly don’t want to do anything that’s going to ruin my image.”

  That ship had already sailed and there were too many rags that would follow him around to get photos of him in compromising positions. So far, I was able to explain most of it by saying that these ladies couldn’t keep their hands off of him.

  He was constantly fighting them off. I made a case that those photos were taken out of context. I don’t think that the NFL teams believe it, but they were willing to dispel their belief in hopes that he would pull himself up by his bootstraps and do wha
t was right. “For this one night, I don’t want you to be on the arm of some kind of blond bimbo. I’m going to be your date.” He looked at me with a quizzical expression and then stood with his hands outstretched like he was framing a picture.

  “I really don’t see you as being my type… Well, we could make this a professional date. That would at least explain the reason why I would be with somebody like you. Don’t get me wrong, you are pretty and all, but you’re not up to my standards.” I wasn’t sure if I agreed with him, especially the way that he was looking at me when he didn’t think that I was able to see him. There were moments in the reflection of mirrors that I could see him licking his lips and probably wondering what I wore underneath these prim and proper outfits.

  “I don’t think there’s any reason to be snotty. I’m just trying to make sure that you don’t put a bad taste in their mouth. You need to mingle, press flesh and talk the talk and walk the walk. You can’t be egotistical, opinionated or looking for your next conquest that you can scratch onto your bedpost. It’s very important that they see you as somewhat wholesome and willing to give out your hard earned dollars for a good cause. It’s a small price to pay for the fame and notoriety that you have been looking for from the moment that you were old enough to know about football. Don’t squander the gift that you’ve been given.”

  He reached over and touched my knee, almost making me jump three feet into the air. I had to swallow deeply and hold my tongue the best way that I knew how, by biting into it. “Erica, you worry too much. If you’re not careful, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack at a very early age. Take a lesson from me and do what you want, consequences be damned. It feels good to be bad and there is very little that can’t be swept underneath the rug.” His fingers were lingering a little bit too long and my pussy began to sense that things could become physical in a hurry.

  “You are doing more than enough living for the both of us. I could never do half the things you do in my lifetime.” I casually put my hand on his and then removed it from my knee. He was making me feel vulnerable and exposed. There was no way that I could give him that kind of satisfaction. “There will be media everywhere and you’re going to have to be fully aware of your surroundings at all times. Don’t do anything to embarrass yourself and all of the fame and money will be backing up into your yard and dumped on your doorstep. I’m here to make sure that you stay the course.”

  I looked at him sternly, like the mother that he didn’t have, but there was not even the remote chance that I had motherly feelings.

  “I’m a little too young to feel tied down. I have no interest in putting a ring on anybody’s finger.”

  I was more worried that there was going to be women coming of the woodwork saying that he was the father of their baby. It had been two years and I was sure that when his star began to rise that those women that he had slept with would try to take full advantage. They would use their one night together to try to weasel millions of dollars out of his greedy little hands.

  Duncan moved his hands through his short hair and he looked damn fine after the haircut that he had just gotten. Those long locks were now a distant memory and he had the muscular fortitude to pull it off. This boy had all the gifts and I don’t know why he was doing his best to go down the wrong road. I looked into his past, but there was something about his father that was being kept under careful wraps. I had a few sources and they had told me in confidence that his father was not much of one. He was always getting drunk and using his fists, and then he went to jail. It was in jail that he died by an inmate taking exception to him touching something that belonged to him.

  “There’s going to come a time in your life when you’ll look back at what you have done and you’ll know that it wasn’t right. You have the good looks, but you don’t have the good sense to go along with it. These women are using you and they have no interest in sleeping with you, unless of course you can benefit them in some way.” It was time to give him a cold dose of reality. If I didn’t, then nobody else would and he would not know that his behavior had consequences.

  I heard the doorbell and he got up in a huff, looking back at me with this sneer of derision. He didn’t like what I was saying, but I didn’t care. He needed to hear the truth. If nobody else was willing to say it, then I would. I had to clear my conscience, and make sure that he understood that life didn’t just give him everything on a silver platter. He had gotten here through hard work, and a real knack for getting his hands on a football and knowing exactly how to throw it.

  “I think that you might have the wrong guy.” I turned to see two police officers standing there with Duncan up against the door with his hands behind his back. “I’m sure that I can give a few dollars to your policemen’s fund and make this go away.”

  I did see that one of the officers was tempted to use more force than was necessary. It could be that he had found a way to get himself in trouble with the law, but it was also possible that these officers had it in for him and were willing to make sure that he wasn’t there for the big game.

  The older officer was about to pull out his club from his duty belt. He would claim that it was self defense and that Duncan was resisting arrest. He had not seen me on the couch yet and I was about to make my presence very well known.

  “Before you decide to do that, be aware that I’m not going to stand for it. This is my client. If you intend to take him in, you better have a damn good reason. If not, you are abusing your power and I’ll have your badges by the end of the day.” I pulled out a notebook, pretending that I was his lawyer and writing down their badge numbers. They didn’t look very happy by this turn of events. I could see that they were looking at each other and trying to decide how to best proceed.

  “My name is Officer Connors, and we have an eyewitness that has come forward to point at your client as being the person responsible for putting a young man in a coma. We have no choice but to bring him in for questioning. If you want to meet us there, then by all means follow us.”

  They didn’t ask what my profession was and I did not give out any pertinent details. “Your client is in deep trouble and this time there is no amount of money that is going to get him out of it.” There was obviously something personal, but I think that the officer did have reason to act.

  “Duncan, don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Don’t say anything until we get a lawyer there with you. Remember that anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Don’t be belligerent or try to fight, because that will only make things worse. We’ll clear this up and get you out, as soon as possible.”

  I saw that he was angry, but my words had soothed the savage beast. He breathed a sigh of relief and I felt like I had at least calmed the waters enough that I would be able to get him a lawyer posthaste. Being a publicist, I had two on speed dial and one was better than the other. I figured for this case, I would use Sheila.

  They went through the door and I watched as he did not seem to struggle or show any kind of animosity. He was going to take his lumps, until such time that I could get him out.

  Chapter three

  “I’ll do what I can, but the evidence is overwhelming. I’ve already made sure that he is alone. I’ll talk to him and find out the truth and we’ll go from there.” Sheila was a ball buster and didn’t take crap from any man or any woman for that matter. Her red hair and attitude to match was something that you had to witness and behold for yourself. “There are a lot of witnesses that claim that there was an altercation between Duncan and the young man in the hospital. Duncan apparently broke a bottle over his head. I believe that it had something to do with some amorous attention on his date.”

  We were on the steps to the police station and I had given her a carte blanche to bail him out. Having him in there was only going to sully his good name.

  “I know that if anybody can help it’s you, Sheila. You know your way around the law. If we can find something innocuous that will clear his name, then w
e need to do that. I have to have him at that fundraiser tonight, but he can’t show up with this hanging over his head. You’ve already seen that the press is having a field day and I’m going to have to spin this, until such time that he is actually found guilty. After all, he is innocent until proven guilty. That is his inalienable right as a citizen of the United States.”

  “Erica, you really should have been a lawyer. You know the ins and outs of the law almost as well as I do, and that’s saying something. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this and set a fire underneath those who decide his preliminary hearing. There, we can either put this to bed once and for all, or request bail to be set immediately. He has not shown himself to be a flight risk, so getting bail is not going to be out of the realm of possibility.” She was dressed impeccably in a black suit with a red power blouse that made her look like she was going to war.

  “I learned from the best. I’ve watched you work on various occasions and I’ve even done my own research to make sure that I’m up to date. I have to be, because my clients tend to think that they are above the law. Any kind of infraction is usually made to go away, but it’s when they get into the kind of trouble that is more a federal crime that things begin to take a turn for the worse. These prosecutors are looking to make a name for themselves and they’re willing to make an example out of anyone to do it. The more fame and notoriety the better. Right now, Duncan is skirting between being recognized and not.”

  “That might be the only way that we’re going to get him out of this. Leave it to me – I have a few friends that can give me everything that I need to mount a defense. I have my firm looking at the video as we speak. They will determine if it’s enough to convict, or not. Right now it’s all circumstantial evidence and a matter of ‘he said, she said.’ I can easily punch a hole in anybody’s story and make them feel uncomfortable in their own skin. I’ll make sure that the prosecutor knows that I will be standing by Duncan’s side. It might be enough to make him back down, unless he has undeniable proof.” She went inside and I stayed out, waiting in my silver Lexis with my fingers drumming on the steering wheel.