Lynn Montagano - Catch My Breath

“I find you very intriguing,” he stated.

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Do I need to have a specific reason?”

Caught in the emerald glow of his eyes, I parted my lips to allow more oxygen. Another foggy haze messed with my logic.

“I was, um, just curious. I’m pretty boring,” I stammered.

“I highly doubt that.”

“You probably say—”

He hovered his lips over mine, stopping me in mid-thought. I could practically taste him. And my God, he smelled delicious. Not of cologne but shampoo and body wash and… him . It made me dizzy. He curled his hand around my waist, pulling me closer. I put my hands on his toned abdomen to steady myself.

“Come with me.”

It wasn’t a request. Those three words sent a shudder through me. The intensity of his stare was enough to get me to move. He laced his fingers through mine, leading me out to the curb. We hopped in a cab and went back to the hotel. My heart was beating a furious tattoo. As we walked through the lobby toward the elevators a daunting scenario took shape. What if Stephanie had already returned? Then you sit in the living room like a normal functioning adult, you moron.

When the elevator arrived, I stood as far away from him as the space would allow. It wasn’t easy. That crazy gravitational pull he had was drawing me toward him, one cell at a time. Electricity buzzed between us so quickly we could have powered the building.

We both let out audible sighs walking into the hall. I was relieved to see an empty suite when I opened the door. Stephanie must have Darren running laps with all the shopping she had planned.

“What are you smiling about?” Alastair looked at me curiously.

“Oh, I was just picturing Darren trying to keep up with Stephanie and her shopping marathon through Edinburgh.”

“I haven’t known Darren very long, but he always speaks very fondly of his American friend."

“How long have you known each other?”

“His agency does the marketing campaigns for my grandfather’s company. I know a few people who work there and ended up bumping into him at an event last year.”

He moved toward me in calculated, controlled strides. That intense, undeniable pull ignited again.

“I had a lovely time with you today.” He leaned so close to me I could feel his breath on my neck. Gasping, my eyelids fluttered closed. He was beyond dangerous. He was downright lethal. “Are you always so easily led back to a hotel with a stranger?”

“Do you always invite yourself into a strange woman’s hotel room?”

“Cheeky.”

“I have a feeling people need to be on their toes when they’re around you,” I grinned.

“Some might say that. But you’re not the type to ever let your guard down, are you?”

My smile faltered a bit. Those luminous eyes of his were very observant. Too observant for my liking. He laced his fingers through mine.

“I made the mistake of letting my guard down too much once. I’ve been paying for it ever since.” I swallowed back an acrid lump.

“Don’t let the ghosts of your past haunt your future,” he whispered. The look in his eyes betrayed the little pearl of wisdom he just dispensed. It was almost as though he said it more to convince himself than me.

“Your eyes are like butterscotch.”

“What?”

“The color,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Oh. Yeah. Amber, or something like that. I always thought they were just, you know, regular brown.”

“There is nothing regular about them. Or you.” He lightly fingered my hair, tucking a strand behind my ear.

“Does this charm thing that you’ve got going for you work often?”

“Charm thing?” The corners of his mouth curled up. “I’ve had some success with it.”

“Have you?”

“It’s working right now.”

Someone is extremely confident . This spell he’d cast was messing with me.

“You’re quite lovely, Lia. Pity you’re leaving soon. I’d like to take you—” he paused, tracing his thumb over my lower lip. I shuddered. “—out. Again.”

“You would?” I asked hoarsely.

Nodding, he stroked the curve of my cheek. “Are you coming back to Glasgow after the wedding?”

“Yeah…yes. Saturday.”

Backing away from him, I bumped into the arm of the couch. I almost toppled over it, but managed to steady myself. Being in his presence made me so damn skittish, it was frustrating.

“I’m supposed to make an appearance at a cocktail party for my grandfather’s company.”

Oh good, he’s busy.

“You should come. Or we could go out to dinner.” Like an apparition, he was in front of me, stroking his fingers along my arm. “What do you say? Fancy spending the night with me?”

The unspoken promise behind that question nearly shattered me on the spot. This was supposed to be an easy trip across the pond. Go to the wedding, hang out with the family and go home. Not fend off an amazingly sexy, impossible-to-resist guy.

“Stop overthinking,” he ordered.

Stormy, dark eyes carved a path through my skull. I wilted beneath the strength of his stare. A shaky breath escaped my lips as he traced his finger along my jaw and down my neck. He drew me into his hypnotic orbit with such ease. I was powerless to resist.

“This is inevitable, Amelia. Don’t deny it.”

Inevitable? Each stroke of his fingers left a fiery trail in its wake. The smooth, soft skin of his cheek brushed against mine.

“Come with me.”

Oh Jesus, those three words . I jolted out of his seductive haze like I was on fire, trying to avoid his eyes. His expression was one of pure lust.

“No,” I whispered.

His mouth fell open slightly in surprise. “No?”

“No,” I repeated, louder. “Do you not hear that word very often?”

Impassivity dominated his features. He studied me as though I was the most confusing creature on the planet. We stood so close to one another I was overcome by his intoxicating scent.

“Why not?”

“Because,” I sighed. “I’m not interested.”

“In what, Lia? Food or drinks?”

“You know what I mean.”

He looked right through me, down into my soul. I didn’t know how it happened, but he pierced through my wall. There was something else behind his intense stare that made me flush. I tried to hold his penetrating gaze but dropped my eyes to his mouth. Not smart. It was very distracting.

“Tell me what you want,” he coaxed.

“I…”

The damp warmth of his lips on my neck ignited my blood. He teased along my throat, methodically kissing it. This sensual assault wreaked havoc on me, making my insides liquefy. Unable to hold off my own yearning any longer, I moaned. Alastair stopped nibbling on my neck and focused his lusty stare.

“Next Saturday?“ I asked as a hazy, sexually charged cloud fogged my brain.

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

I still wasn’t thinking straight.

“Brilliant.” He smiled. “Until we meet again.”

“You know, I found out some interesting things about Alastair while you were busy on your mysterious date,” Stephanie glanced at me. We were sitting on the train heading down to Gretna Green. The Scottish countryside flew by in a blur of green and brown. I’d been quiet most of the trip, lost in my thoughts. Damn her for piquing my curiosity.

“And?”

She grinned. “He’s thirty-one, single and filthy rich. His grandfather is Samuel Holden, owner and CEO of Holden World Media. It’s a huge, billion-dollar corporation; TV, broadband, cell phones and music. Alastair is the chief financial officer and heir to the whole thing. You certainly have a way of attracting the high rollers.”