Lore a’mighty. She sounded like Cook parsing out the day’s chores to the kitchen lads and maids. Graham stepped forward with a decisive nod. If this was to be a battle of the wills, the lass would soon discover she was sorely outplayed and her heart was to be his prize. “Angus and I will be a needin’ our things—our packs. Would yer friend Alberti be so kind as to bring them here so we can clean up as well?” He lifted his chin and took another step forward. “After all, I wouldna wish to shame ye as I accompany ye about yer daily tasks.”
Lilia leaned back against the counter, a dubious look on her face. “I can call Alberti and ask him to bring your packs by once he’s finished opening both stores. But I’m a little confused. Why didn’t you just clean up at Alberti’s since you’re staying there?”
“Two reasons, lass.” Graham closed the distance between them. “I needed to be here with ye and I didna wish to tarry.” He reached out and smoothed a wandering curl away from her cheek. Such silk. He’d known from the first moment he’d seen her that her hair would feel like the finest silk. “And I’ll no’ be a-stayin’ another night at Alberti’s.”
Lilia shifted and caught her breath. Did he imagine she leaned forward the slightest bit? Dare he move even closer? Aye…he dared. Else how would he ever win a taste of her tempting mouth? He laced his fingers into her hair, barely brushing the soft curve of her cheek with his thumb. Lore help me. She shook him to the verra core. He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers.
The soft weight of her hand settled to the center of his chest. But she didna push him away and for that he was sorely glad. He nibbled gently at her lower lip then kissed her again, firm and possessive yet still chaste and careful. He daren’t push her further. Not yet. He’d win her bit by bit, gentling her skittish heart like calming a fearful colt.
Graham stepped back. His heart and hopes lifted at the lovely color riding high upon her cheeks and the swift rise and fall of her chest. Aye. He’d done well enough for now. Best allow the seeds he’d planted time to set down roots and take firm hold.
“I’m…I’m gonna call Alberti.” Lilia pushed around him, scooped up the small square oddity…the phone…she’d kept tucked in her corset the night before, and hurried to the kitchen door. “I’ll have him bring your things.”
Graham nodded. “I thank ye, lass—for everythin’.”
Chapter 8
“I suppose they did need a bath.” Vivienne tore a bite-sized chunk off the bagel on her plate, smeared a dollop of clotted cream across it, then pointed it at Lilia. “But ye must admit, even though they were a bit gamey—their wild and wooly look was sexy hot.” She leaned back in the chair, grinning as she popped the morsel in her mouth and chewed. “There’s nothin’ hotter than knowin’ a man’s best bits are a mere thin plaidie away.”
Lilia had been quite aware of Graham’s bits when he’d kissed her. Even though he’d not pressed against her, nor touched her except for his mouth and his hand in her hair, she’d been keenly aware of every square inch of him. She huffed out a silent laugh. Every square inch of him—uhm…right.
Lilia pushed her untouched plate to the center of the table and folded her hands in front of her, patiently waiting until Vivienne had scarfed down the last bit of her breakfast. When Vivienne finally refolded her napkin and tossed it to the center of her empty plate, Lilia asked, “So are you coming with us to visit Eliza or are you just going to meet us at the center?”
“I’d never noticed it before but Alberti is right.” Vivienne scooped up the plates, slid Lilia’s untouched bagel back in the box, then set the dishes in the sink.
“What?”
“Whenever ye dinna wish to talk about something, ye completely ignore it and change the subject.”
The pound of heavy footsteps thumping down the back staircase echoed into the kitchen. Angus bounded around the landing, grinning broadly as he slicked a hand back across his still-damp hair. Chest puffed out and flexing his muscular arms, he sauntered over to Vivienne. “Tell me, lass. What do ye think?”
Lilia bit her bottom lip and rubbed the end of her nose to hide her smile behind her hand. Angus reminded her of a hormonal schoolboy determined to shed his virginity with the lovely Vivienne. He marched back and forth in front of her, strutting first one way then the other so she’d benefit from a full panoramic view of his well-fitted jeans and tight gray T-shirt.
Vivienne grinned as she winked and cupped a hand atop one of Angus’s bulging biceps. “Verra nice, indeed.”
Angus’s chest swelled even more, his face glowing as though someone had flipped his light switch to high beam.
“Where’s…” Lilia lost the ability to speak as she turned back to the raised landing at the end of the stair.
“Aye?”
Totally climbable, ripped abs seemed even—
Lilia closed her mouth and swallowed hard, struggling to recover from the exquisite example of male hotness right in her own kitchen.
Hard ridges of muscle shimmered and teased beneath the silky black tee stretched tight across Graham’s chest. Black jeans showcased the rest of his body. The material hugged his hips and thighs and the lovely bulging package in between. The man looked like he’d been poured into his clothes and polished to sculpted-god perfection.
Holy shit. Where the hell did Granny learn to dress a man like that?
Graham stepped down from the landing, lifting his hands as he turned. “I’ve no idea why the woman selected black but this is what yer grandmother stowed in me pack. Will it do for the day’s errands?”
“Uhm…” Lilia rubbed her thumbs across her fingertips, her hands itching to trace and explore. Wonder if he feels as good as he looks?
“Lass?” Graham moved closer, his heavy black biker boots thumping with each step. “Does this suit ye?”
“If it doesn’t, she’s a feckin’ daftie.”
Lilia turned away from Vivienne, hid her fist against the small of her back, and saluted Vivienne with her middle finger. She inhaled a deep breath and weakly waved at Graham’s attire. “You look…fine.” Fine? Bullshit. More like fine-fucking-tastic.
Graham smiled a seductive, knowing smile, one that glinted pure mischief clear to his eyes and promised so much more. “ ’Tis well and good then. Shall we be on about our day?”
On about their day. He really did mean to accompany her everywhere she went. Shit. A wicked idea sprouted. “Do you want me to put the oil of peppermint in my purse or are you going to keep it in your pocket?” Lilia lifted her keys off the hook beside the door as she tucked her purse into the crook of her elbow.
The phases of realization, abhorrence, and downright fear flashing across Graham’s features gave her a victorious rush. Ha! I win. She couldn’t resist. She held up the keys, rattled them again, and smiled. She was okay with his tagging along to the stables, the center, or the paintball field but her visits with Eliza were private. Lilia glanced at the time backlit on her phone. She was already late. She should’ve been to the hospital and had their morning visit a long time ago. She held up the keys and nodded toward the garage door. “Well?”
Graham’s Adam’s apple skittered up and down his throat as he swallowed hard, his unblinking stare locked on the keys. “Could we no’ walk?”
Lilia shook her head. “No. The hospital’s too far to walk. Especially with some of the streets blocked off because of Fringe. I’ll have to take a longer route.” A belated pang of sympathy softened her resolve—a little. Poor guy. He was already getting a little green around the gills and they hadn’t even gotten out of the kitchen. She’d be generous and give him an easy out. No sense in being overly cruel. “The center and the stables are only a few blocks away. If you and Angus want to walk over there and wait for me, I’m sure Vivienne wouldn’t mind escorting the two of you.”
Vivienne looped her arm through Angus’s then beamed her best smile at Graham. “Absolutely. There’s no finer way to walk through the streets of Edinburgh than with a handsome man on each arm
.”
Graham’s scowl deepened, his moustache twitching as he appeared to be gnawing on the corner of his lip. His gaze slid from Lilia to Vivienne then back to Lilia again. He sucked in a deep breath, then noisily blew it out. “Nay. I canna go with Mistress Vivienne and wait. ’Twould no’ be honorable. I must pay m’respects to Mistress Eliza.”
A sense of protectiveness for her ailing guardian flared. Lilia lifted her chin and shook her head. “That’s really not necessary.” She fisted the ring of keys so hard, the bits of metal chewed into her palm. “She might not even know you’re there. Her sleep is…uhm…deeper…these days.” More like drug-induced to give her a brief reprieve from the pain, but some things were just better left unsaid.
Shuttering away that thought, Lilia spun about and headed to the door leading to the garage. She locked her focus on the worn brass doorknob, squeezing it hard as she struggled to get a grip on the new wave of despair threatening to overtake her. Her hand shook until the metal latch softly rattled. Tensing against losing control, Lilia forced her hand to still. Graham needed to back off. “I’ll meet up with everyone at the field in a few hours,” she said without looking up.
Before she could pull open the door, Graham’s calloused hand covered hers, holding her fingers firmly in place. His warm breath tickled across her nape as he leaned in closer. “I said I’ll be a-goin’ wi’ ye, lass. Ye’ll find I always keep to m’word.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and barely nuzzled the tickling softness of his short beard across the back of her neck. “Yer Mistress Eliza will ken I’m there. I feel certain of it,” he whispered.
Lilia closed her eyes, concentrating on slowing her breathing and praying Graham couldn’t hear her pounding heart.
“Let me in, lass,” he coaxed in an even lower whisper. The raw huskiness of his voice stroked her, implored her to give him a chance. “I’m here for ye. I swear it. All ye need do is give me a chance. Ye have nothin’ t’fear, ye ken?”
Staring down at their clasped hands atop the doorknob, Lilia gave in to the slightest glimmer of hope as Graham’s emotions washed across her like a warm gentle caress. The tensed knots in her shoulders lessened the barest bit. Maybe she should let Graham visit Eliza. Maybe, even in her current state, Eliza might rouse enough to know he was there and find some small comfort in knowing Lilia wasn’t alone anymore—even though she’d just met the man and he’d probably be hopping back to the past again very soon.
Lilia nodded. “I can give you for now,” she forced out in a strained whisper. “That’s it.”
Graham pressed a soft kiss atop her shoulder. “I’ll take for now and make it forever. Ye’ll see.”
“For now,” Lilia repeated a bit louder, reinforcing the phrase more for her own peace of mind than for Graham. “Now let’s go.”
Chapter 9
“You okay?” Lilia wafted the oil of peppermint under Graham’s nose as he butted himself back against the side of the car, bent forward, and sucked in a series of deep shuddering gulps of air. “I was hoping this ride would be a little better for you but evidently I was wrong.”
Holy crap, she’d never seen anyone so prone to motion sickness. Her sister Kenna had always been queasy when they’d jumped across the centuries but she’d never been this bad with cars. Graham had turned a sickly shade of green as soon as she started the engine and he’d gotten worse at every turn. Thank heavens they’d only driven across town. The poor man would’ve heaved himself to death if he’d had to ride any farther.
Graham scrubbed a hand across the sheen of sweat covering his brow, grabbed the vial of scented oil, and fisted it under his nose. Snorting in a deep inhale, he closed his eyes and held it. His greenish pallor morphed into a vein-popping red, much like a time-lapse video of a ripening tomato. He blew the breath out hard. “I will be”—he shuddered, swallowed hard, and inhaled another deep whiff of the peppermint—“fine.”
Lilia leaned beside him back against the car, wishing there was some way she could make him feel better. Poor guy. The perfect specimen of a hot hunky Highlander taken down by technology. “You wait here and keep deep-breathing that peppermint oil. I’ll be right back.”
Graham didn’t open his eyes, just kept sucking in wheezing gasps over the glass vial as he waved her away.
Snagging her purse out of the car, Lilia hurried out of the parking garage, jogged across the street, and tested the door of the local pharmacy. No luck. It was nearly lunchtime and the drugstore always closed for an hour at noon. So much for the idea of getting Graham some motion sickness pills. The way the poor man reacted to riding in a car, he needed something a hell of a lot stronger than oil of peppermint.
She glanced up and down the street, hoping to spot a store that might carry the medicine—maybe a place of business she’d somehow overlooked during her daily visits to the hospital. Still no luck. None of the stores lining the busy avenue would carry what Graham needed.
Maybe the tiny shop in the lobby of the hospital? She’d only been in there once to buy Eliza a small vase of her beloved roses, but if she remembered correctly, there had been one wall dedicated to daily necessities. Back across the street she jogged. She didn’t bother stopping to check on Graham. She could hear his retching groan echoing through the concrete tomb of the parking garage.
Hurrying through the quietly shushing doors of the entrance, Lilia slowed her careening pace to a much more respectable walk. No matter how old she got, Granny’s voice would always be in her head telling her to mind her manners. A pang of loneliness slowed her even more. It had been too long since she’d last jumped back for a visit. She missed them all so much.
Her heart lifted a bit at the brightly lit interior of the gift shop and the glass door propped wide open for customers. Thank goodness. The pink-coated volunteers were there today and the store was open. Now to find poor Graham some drugs. She went straight to the cluttered square of glass countertops hemming in the cash register and an elderly volunteer deeply engrossed in the daily paper’s crossword puzzle.
“Excuse me?” Lilia shifted her weight from side to side. She didn’t want to be rude but Graham needed help and she needed to get him stabilized so they could get up to Eliza’s room without him gagging his way through the hallways.
The silver-haired matron peered up from her folded paper, her ink pen frozen in space mere centimeters from the black and white squares of the puzzle. “Aye? Can I be a-helpin’ ye then?”
“Do you have anything for nausea?” Lilia fished her wallet out of her purse and waited.
“Nausea, ye say?” The elderly lady pushed her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose and, in painstakingly slow motion, tapped the nib of her black ink pen against the blocks of the puzzle in front of her. “First off, I need t’ask ye a question. Four letters. Strongest power in the world. Ends with an ‘e.’ What say ye?”
Lilia curbed the urge to drum her fingers atop the glass counter. I’ve gotta be polite. She had to respect her elders or Granny would reach through time and tan her hide. “Uhm…I’m not sure. Now about the nausea, do you have anything? More specifically, something for motion sickness?”
“Ends with an ‘e,’ ” the volunteer repeated, frowning down at the crossword puzzle, her arthritic fingers slowly tapping against the paper.
Oh. My. God. Are you kidding me? Lilia bit her tongue to keep from raising her voice. She had to mind her manners. Granny would somehow know it if she didn’t. The answer easily came to mind, thank heavens—maybe if she helped the old woman finish that damn puzzle it would speed things along. “It’s ‘love.’ ”
“Eh?” The old woman peered up into her face, her thin silvery brows drawn together in a confused scowl.
Lilia pointed down at the puzzle. “Four-letter word. Strongest power in the world. Ends with an ‘e.’ It’s ‘love.’ L-O-V-E.”
“Well, look at that. So it is.” The little old lady blocked the word into the squares with a happy chortle. As soon as she’d written the last letter
, she laid her pen atop the paper and patted it with a contented swat. Sliding off her stool, she toddled over to the cluttered wall behind the counter and snatched down several pale blue packets. She deposited them into a tiny paper bag and handed it over to Lilia.
Lilia smiled at the kindly volunteer and took the bag. “How much?”
“Oh, not a thing, dearie.” The little old woman struggled to resume her perch on the wobbly stool and took up her pen.
Frowning down at the bag, Lilia opened it and looked for some sort of price on the packets of pills but there weren’t any numbers to be found. She leaned over the counter, lowering her voice as she looked around. “I don’t want to get you in trouble. I know these can’t be free.”
The old woman looked up from her paper and winked. “Trust in the power of love, dearie. ’Tis the greatest power of all.” Then she bent back to her puzzle, softly humming under her breath as she slowly filled in the rest of the squares.
What a weird old lady. “Well…okay then…thank you for your help.” Lilia tucked the bag into the crook of her arm and backed out the door.
“Think nothin’ of it, dearie.” The old woman glanced up from her paper and smiled.
Lilia stopped by the alcove filled with vending machines, popped in the required change, and pushed the button for ginger ale. Perfect. Ginger ale and antinausea pills. Pair those with the peppermint oil and Graham should soon feel a lot better than he did right now. She snatched up the bottle from the machine and hurried back to the car.
Graham was still leaning back against the side of the car, bent over with both hands propped on top of his knees. He didn’t appear to be retching anymore but he remained extremely pale. In fact, against the backdrop of his inky black shirt, he looked ghostly white.
“Here.” Lilia twisted the cap off the bottle of ginger ale and fished one of the pill packets out of the brown paper sack. “This will make you feel better. Swallow these pills then sip at the ginger ale.”
My Seductive Highlander Page 8