The House on the Shore

by Victoria Howard

  “Like hell you will. Get off my land now! If you come anywhere near Tigh na Cladach again, I’ll have you arrested.”

  “I don’t know what the survey is for, or who authorized it,” the man said, getting into his pickup. “But if you’ve any sense, you’ll not interfere. You’ll let us get on with our work.”

  Anna blushed with rage. “I’ll find out who sent you. Now get off my land before I set my dogs on you.” She fished her keys out of her soggy pocket and thrust them into Luke’s hand.

  The surveyor let out a long breath and scribbled something on a piece of paper. “Here’s the office number. The guy you need to speak to is called George. He usually gets in around ten o’clock. I suggest you take your argument up with him.”

  “Oh, I will. Trust me.”

  Anna watched the surveyor drive off before turning and storming towards the croft. She marched into the kitchen, filled the kettle and slammed it down on the hotplate, spilling some water in the process.

  “As soon as I’ve showered and changed, I’m going down to the gate and locking it. That way, no one will get in or out without my knowledge. I’ll phone Proteus Surveys in the morning and get to the bottom of this.”

  “Do you have a lawyer? You might need one to find out what the legal deal is.”

  “I do, and I shall speak to him in the morning as well.” Grateful for its warmth, Anna leaned against the Aga.

  “Good. You’ll get it figured out tomorrow,” Luke said, as he came and stood beside her.

  “Do you really think so?” she asked, her voice fading.

  “I have faith in you. You’re one strong chick,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  “Yeah, right. I’m a real tower of power. First someone tries to break into my house, now a surveyor turns up. All I can do is shake. What’s going on Luke?”

  “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out. Go and take a hot bath. I don’t want you getting sick on top of everything else.”

  Luke waited until he heard the water running before removing the revolver tucked in the waistband of his jeans. He figured it was a bit too soon in his relationship with Anna to explain why an artist needed to carry firearms. When he judged she was safely up to her neck in bubbles, he climbed the stairs to his bedroom and opened one of the drawers.

  He held the gun for a moment, feeling its weight in his hand. He dropped it in the drawer. Firearms belonged to a part of his life he preferred to forget. This gun was usually locked away in the safe in his cabin. Until he could be sure that the events of last night, and the unexpected appearance of the surveyor weren’t connected, he wasn’t taking any chances. He was prepared to shoot.

  To kill.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Anna sank down into the tub of hot water and thought about the events of the last twenty-four hours. Morag was her only visitor, or had been until Luke showed up. Luke…now there was an enigma. A man who, by his own admission, was successful, yet he’d sailed across the Atlantic on a whim. Why? Morag had said something—what was it? Oh, yes. Something about looking for a past he didn’t know he had. If he was seeking his ancestors, what did they have to do with her and Tigh na Cladach?

  Pondering the answers, she poured a dollop of shampoo into her hand and massaged it into her hair.

  The croft had been in her family for generations. Surely, her grandmother would have told her if any of her ancestors had emigrated.

  Luke should have been unprepared for the croft’s remoteness and inaccessibility. Yet he hadn’t seemed surprised. What if he’d been acting? That would explain why he’d made such a big deal about her staying there on her own.

  He was in an ideal position to kill her. All he had to do was row across the loch and bash her head in. However, that wasn’t the man she was getting to know. He’d shown up yesterday morning full of concern. No, she reasoned as she towelled herself dry, Luke couldn’t be the prowler. Besides, when he looked at her, the air positively crackled with sexual tension, and just thinking about the way his mouth felt on hers made her lips tingle and her pulse quicken all over again.

  A knock on the bathroom door interrupted her thoughts. “Dinner’s ready.”

  “I’ll be down in a tick!” She zipped up her denim skirt, fastened the buttons of her blouse, and scurried down the stairs into the kitchen.

  “I hope this is all right,” Luke said placing a bowl of soup in front of her. “There’s cheese and ham, and salad too.”

  “It’s perfect. Thank you, Luke. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “On still nights, sound carries clear across the loch, so I was wondering…the night someone tried to break in, did you hear anything?”

  “I tend to listen to the radio before I go to sleep, it helps me relax. I’m sorry, I didn’t hear a thing.”

  “In that case, do you recall if there were any other boats anchored in the loch that night?”

  “The loch doesn’t run straight to the sea, it narrows into a dog-leg about a third of the way down. You know that. I guess it’s possible another vessel was anchored further out. Why do you ask?”

  “If my midnight caller arrived and left by car, the dogs would have heard its engine. I probably would have done so, too. I didn’t. Either the prowler came on foot, in which case he’s familiar with the terrain, or he came by boat.”

  “I see what you’re getting at.” His gaze caught and held hers as his mouth spread into a thin-lipped smile. “You’re not suggesting it was me, are you?”

  Anna moistened her dry lips, and avoided looking at him. “Of course not.”

  Luke studied her face for an extra beat. “You are! I can see it in your face.” He pushed back his chair and carried his empty soup bowl and plate to the sink. “You think I tampered with the generator, and slashed your tyres.”

  “No, Luke, I don’t.”

  “You might remember that I was with you when someone took a pot shot at us.”

  Anna’s face paled. “You said that was an accident!”

  “Maybe I’m not so sure anymore. There’s a pattern forming here. Can you see it?”

  “No, I can’t.” She bit her lip and looked away. “It just seems a coincidence that all these things started happening right after you turned up on my doorstep.”

  “What possible motive could I have for trying to drive you out of this place? I’d never set foot on Scottish soil until a few weeks ago. My passport confirms that. I’m exactly who I say I am, an artist. Call Jack. I’ll give you his number. He’ll vouch for me, or if you prefer, call the police and have them check me out. Either way, I have got nothing to hide.”

  Anna flushed with humiliation. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were in any way responsible for what happened. Please let’s not argue. We’ve spent a lovely day together. Let’s not spoil it because of a simple misunderstanding.”

  “You mean your misunderstanding.”

  “Yes, my misunderstanding.”

  He held out his arms. “Come here.”

  She covered the distance to him in two quick strides.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and gazed down into her eyes. “I’m sorry too. I overreacted. The thought of you not trusting me was a kick in the guts. Anna, I think I’m—”

  Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

  “Don’t think, just kiss me,” she whispered huskily in his ear.

  That was all the invitation Luke needed. His kiss was slow and thoughtful, and meant to be conciliatory, but when Anna’s lips parted, seeking more, he found himself fighting for control. His arms tightened around her waist. He reclaimed her mouth and deepened the kiss. The depth of her response broke all his earlier resolve to behave like a gentleman. Suddenly kissing her wasn’t enough. He wanted her naked, and under him, and now. When he finally got his ragged breathing under control his voice was thick and unsteady.

  “Sweetheart, I think we should continue this somewhere more comfortable.
Don’t you?” He took her hand and led her towards the stairs. When she hesitated, he turned and pulled her against him, the hardness of his arousal pressing into her thigh.

  “Don’t get all coy on me,” he whispered. “We both know we’ve been moving toward this moment ever since we met.” He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with a ferocity that made her fully aware of his intentions. Without waiting for her denial, he swept her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom, then closed the door behind him with his foot.

  Once by the bed, he set Anna on her feet. With one fingertip he traced the line of her trembling lips. The passion he saw reflected in her emerald green eyes answered the fire in his own. He reclaimed her lips. His left hand slowly explored the hollow of her back while his right hand moulded her soft derrière to the contour of his hard, lean body. Hungrily, he took all she gave and more, his tongue exploring the soft recesses of her mouth. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, his breathing was ragged and fast.

  Anna clung to him, responding without hesitation or thought as her body instinctively arched towards his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his thick jet-black hair. Her senses reeled as his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips before seeking the velvet softness of her mouth once more.

  When his lips left hers to trail a path down her neck to the pulse beating at the base of her throat, sending shivers of delight through her, she inhaled sharply. She felt his hands slide under her blouse, and skim her back, caressing every contour. The gentle massage sent desire spiralling through her, filling her with an inner excitement she never believed possible.

  “Luke,” she said huskily, tugging his T-shirt out of his shorts.

  “Mm—” he murmured against her neck as his fingertips traced the outline of her bra.

  “I haven’t…I haven’t done this in a while.”

  “That makes two of us, honey. Don’t worry. I’ll take it slow.”

  Luke pulled his T-shirt over his head. Unbuttoning Anna’s blouse with trembling fingers, he slipped it off her shoulders and down her arms. It fell to the floor. Her skirt quickly followed. His eyes dropped from her mouth to her shoulders, and then to her breasts.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said huskily as he outlined their fullness through the black lace of her bra. “I’ve wanted to make love to you, since the moment I saw you.” He watched her intently as his unsteady hands reached for the fastening. When she didn’t protest, he freed her breasts from the lace, gently fondling each smooth, firm globe. Slowly and seductively he traced circles around her dusky pink nipples, the nubs hardening under his expert touch. His body quivered with desire, the ache in his groin almost unbearable. He tried desperately to slow the pace, wanting their first time to be perfect, but he couldn’t resist the invitation in her eyes.

  Gently, he eased her down on to the bed. His gaze lingered over her full breasts with their swollen rosy nipples, and the curve of her thighs. In one quick movement he stripped off his shorts and stepped out of his boxers, then joined her on the bed. His hands roamed intimately over her body, and when his tongue sought her taut nipples, drawing them into his mouth, she arched her back and called out his name. He stroked her legs and thighs, the silky skin of her belly, before finally pulling aside the lace of her panties and slipping a finger inside, seeking the core of her desire.

  Anna’s skin burned where he touched her. His lovemaking was exquisite, sending flames of passion racing through her. It was as if they had been lovers forever. He knew exactly how to arouse her, to give her pleasure. When she thought she could take no more, he slowed the pace and showered feather-light kisses on her face and shoulders. Her body ached for fulfilment, and with a sigh of pleasure, she rested her cheek on his chest. She could feel his heart thudding, answering the beat of her own. Slowly her fingers explored the muscles of his chest under the covering of hair, and where they touched, her lips followed, sending fire coursing through his veins. She pushed Luke on to his back, and straddled him. Her fingertips softly brushed his lower lip before tracing the line of his collarbone, luxuriating in the feel of the coarse hair on his chest.

  When her hand found his erection and stroked the hard, silky length, his body jerked and throbbed in response. All he could think about was sinking into her. Luke watched as her tongue slowly followed the trail left by her fingers and remembered to breathe—just. When she lowered her mouth to taste him, the pleasure was pure, and explosive, and almost drove him over the edge.

  In one quick movement he rolled Anna on to her back and covered her soft, warm body with his, one muscular leg resting between hers. With passion-darkened eyes he entered her, moving slowly at first, prolonging the moment, until desire and passion overwhelmed them and they sought release. Just when he thought he couldn’t get any deeper, she opened herself to him, welcoming him further into her body.

  Luke felt the first waves of her orgasm, and his body picked up the rhythm. Anna trembled under him, her breath coming in long surrendering moans as her body arched in final surrender to his. Unable to hold back, his powerful orgasm coursed through him, exploding in a million fiery sensations.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The following morning Anna and Luke drove to the hotel to use the phone. As they entered reception, they bumped into Morag who was carrying a tray of glasses through to the kitchen, and explained the reason for their visit.

  Luke leaned against the doorframe and watched the play of emotions on Anna’s face as he listened to her side of the conversation.

  “Well?”

  “There’s no such number,” she replied, replacing the receiver. “I’ve checked with Directory Enquiries, and they have no listing for Proteus Surveys. It would appear that the surveyor gave me a wrong number.”

  “Or Proteus Surveys is a fake company,” said Luke. “I’ve got a bad feeling about them. Is there some kind of business registry you could check with?”

  Anna let out a long, audible sigh and sat down at the kitchen table. Morag placed a mug of coffee in front of her. She nodded her thanks, and turned to face Luke once more.

  “In this country anyone can set up a business, irrespective of whether they have the know-how or experience to run it. Only limited companies have to be formally registered.”

  “Aye,” Morag chimed in. “There are a lot of cowboys, right enough. The television is always showing programmes about people being ripped off.”

  Anna took a sip from her mug and looked at Morag and Luke. They were both deep in thought.

  “Have you heard any rumours, Morag? Is it possible that the estate is planning to enlarge the hillwalkers’ car park? Or does the Forestry Commission have plans for a new plantation?” Anna asked.

  “No, lass, it doesn’t. Sandy always knew what was going on, but since he’s left—”

  “I don’t see what else I can do.”

  “You could always go and see Mr. Alistair,” suggested Morag.

  Anna shook her head. “If I thought he would be honest with me, I would do that. Alistair’s changed. He’s become very business orientated. I think it’s better if I try and find out what’s happening for myself. The only thing is, I don’t know who to ask.”

  Luke dropped down beside her chair.

  “Supposing I wanted to build a house. Would I have to submit the plans to the authorities for approval?”

  Morag and Anna spoke as one. “The local council!”

  “Luke, you’re wonderful,” Anna said and planted a kiss on his lips. She snatched her purse off the table and grabbed his hand. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Fort William. To the Council Offices. That’s where all the planning applications are filed. Are you coming too, Morag?”

  “What, in that old bone shaker you call a vehicle? I don’t think so. Besides, some of us have work to do.”

  “In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow as usual.”

  Luke wrapped his arm around Anna’s
shoulder, and they walked towards the door.

  “Wait lass,” Morag said. “I’ll look after the dogs for you. I’d feel much happier if you took my pickup.” She handed Anna the keys. “You can drop it off at the house on your way home and collect the Land Rover then.”

  “I don’t deserve a friend like you,” Anna said, giving her a hug.

  “Oh, be off with you. And mind you take care of her, Luke.”

  “You can count on me,” he replied.

  As Luke and Anna walked across the car park toward the pickup, a man stepped out of the hotel. His bushy eyebrows drew to a frown as he watched them climb into the vehicle.

  “Did you see that guy staring at us, Luke?” Anna asked as she started the engine.

  “What guy?”

  “The one standing in the doorway.”

  Luke bristled. “What does he look like?”

  “Dark hair, foreign looking, strange eyes. He’s staying at the hotel.”

  Luke turned and looked over his shoulder. “There’s no one there now. He must have gone back inside.”

  “I just keep seeing him, that’s all—”

  It was nearly three by the time they reached Fort William. They left the pickup in the railway station car park, and walked along the bustling High Street toward the modern glass and concrete, three-storey building, which housed the Council Offices.

  “We’ve two hours to check out all the recent planning applications before they lock up for the night,” Anna smiled as they entered the building.

  “Well, given the number of houses in the glen, I would think that’s more than ample. Who owns the land that borders yours, anyway?”

  “The Grants. It’s been in their family for generations, although there’s a strong rumour circulating the village that they’ve transferred it into a holding company to avoid taxes and death duties. I don’t understand the legalities, but no doubt Morag knows the reason behind their decision.”