Chapter 7

7

A re you insane, man?

Nathan’s mouth went dry as he opened the lock, the click of the latch lingering in the hushed hallway. He pushed the door open. What was he thinking, bringing her here? Her of all people.

Gennie with a G was American and in her mid-twenties, she clearly had no idea who he was. He would have noticed it, they could never hide it for long.

Nope, she had no clue. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dreamed of letting her into his home.

But she was right. He didn’t know her.

What she didn’t know, though, was how he’d been thinking about her.

To make matters worse, Abby wasn’t here to be a buffer between them. Right after school today, she’d gone to Paul’s house for the entire weekend. That was a good thing. Did he like people in his house? No. But that didn’t mean he was going to turn his daughter into a socially inept hermit. One in the family was enough. And unlike many children, Abby was stellar in sleeping elsewhere. So there was little to no chance of a spontaneous rescue mission.

The question being who would rescue whom.

As Gennie stood in the middle of the entrance hall, her gaze swept over the antique furnishings and polished hardwood floors. ‘This place is incredible.’ Her voice was tinged with awe. ‘How can you afford all this? Are you a duke or something?’

‘No.’ He reined in a snarl. ‘Americans. Always yammering on about money and titles.’

She turned to him, one eyebrow arched in challenge.

He forced himself to meet her gaze, and his pulse raged like a torrent. ‘Did most of the work myself.’ His tone was clipped. ‘Some of the furniture was here when I bought the place. The rest, I picked up at flea markets and antique shops. And Ikea.’

Gennie nodded. Those big hazel eyes sparkled with something that looked an awful lot like fascination. His throat constricted. He needed to get the hell away from her intoxicating scent and the dangerous temptation of those puckered lips.

‘Follow me.’

He strode up the stairs and to the far end of the hall. Glenwood Lodge had five bedrooms. His own, Abby’s, and three guest rooms. He’d put Gennie in the one furthest from his own. The one with a view of the hills beyond and an ensuite bathroom with a monsoon shower.

Shite. Now all he could picture was her naked body under the steaming spray, rivulets of water trailing over her full breasts and down the smooth plane of her stomach.

No. Fuck no. He mustn’t go there. Not with her. Not with anyone, but especially not with her. She was a bloody Gen Z for Christ’s sake, and he was Gen X or something. Far too old for her.

Nathan opened the linen cupboard, grateful for the temporary reprieve. He busied himself with selecting a set of sheets and towels. Behind him, Gennie moved about the room. The thick rug dampened her steps.

‘Why don’t you turn this place into a B&B?’ she asked, her voice coming closer. ‘You could make a killing with this view.’

A cynical laugh escaped him, the sound harsh and grating to his own ears. ‘Because I hate people.’ He slammed the cupboard shut.

Her laughter filled the room. ‘What, really? You’re so good at hiding it.’ Her eyes danced with mirth.

The corners of his mouth turned up, and he suppressed the urge to grin. His jaw ached from the effort. He couldn’t let her know how she affected him, how her mere presence here calmed the storm inside and stoked his desire, all at once. He turned back to the bed and spread the sheets.

As soon as he’d finished, Gennie flung herself onto the bed, belly down. ‘Oh, that’s nice. Plenty of room to spread my arms out.’

And he wished that messing up the crisp sheets he’d just put on were her only sin.

But it wasn’t.

No, she also had to flaunt that round backside in his face. His gaze zeroed in on the curve of her pert bum. Her tight leggings strained against the supple firmness.

Then she wiggled that arse, just a little.

Did she do that on purpose?

Because that would make her a very, very naughty girl.

Blood roared in his ears, and his erection throbbed painfully against his zipper. He didn’t want her to see his boner. Problem was, it wouldn’t hide too well. If he wanted a woman, she could tell from across the village. Wasn’t his fault, simply the way he was built.

He had to get out of this room – away from her, rubbing her assets in a lonely man’s face.

She’s your guest, you animal.

Extremely out of bounds.

‘Good night. Stick to your room and the kitchen.’ The words snagged in his throat like thorns. ‘I don’t like people wandering around. This is a private home. Emphasis on private. Got it?’

‘Sure.’

His pulse jackhammered in his temples as Nathan strode out of the room. He didn’t dare look back. Fuck. He’d invited his own personal hell into his home. Out of the goodness of his heart.

Or maybe because there was a hidden part of him that was truly, truly bad.

Gennie lay draped across the bed and her mind raced a million miles a minute. She couldn’t shake his weird behaviour just now. The way his eyes had darkened to thunderclouds as they’d locked in on hers, a muscle twitching in his jaw. Like he was holding back a tsunami.

Had she actually seen what she thought she saw? The thick outline of his bulge as hard as the Scottish boulders in the forest?

Jesus Christ on a cracker.

The idea of Nathan wanting her sent a shiver down her spine and her nipples hardened against her tank top. Was that even appropriate? He was older than her, but there was an inexplicable draw to his brooding, restrained vibe that made her lady parts sit up and beg like a puppy. She enjoyed teasing him a bit, bringing him out of his shell, testing his limits. See how far she could push him before he snapped.

But would she be able to handle it if…?

Gennie’s skin bristled as her body reacted to the mere thought of Nathan in a way she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

She shifted restlessly on the mattress. The plush duvet bunched up and rubbed against her sensitive bits, forcing her to stifle a tiny gasp.

Sex had never been an issue for her. She knew exactly how to get that itch scratched, thank you very much. Just a quick hit, no mess, no fuss. Her few actual relationships, on the other hand, had never exceeded the typical three-month shelf life. Except for Daniel, and she was so done with his drama.

The truth was, she was single because… Well, she just hadn’t found the guy, simple as that. Not that she was looking. She liked keeping things light and breezy. Lower expectations meant less disappointment. Less risk of getting hurt. Distance was her safe space.

Though sometimes, when she let her mind wander, a little voice whispered about the idea of a family, a place to belong. A bunch of kids, a picket fence. But that wasn’t really her scene, was it? She was too wild, too reckless, too self-sufficient to be tied down. Besides, how could she want something when she had no idea what it felt like?

Nope, someone like her simply wasn’t romance material.

Gennie told herself to focus on her surroundings, seeking a distraction from those ridiculous thoughts swirling through her brain.

The room was like something out of a period drama, all dark wood panelling and heavy curtains that looked like they’d been around since the time of Queen Victoria. The striped wallpaper was simple yet elegant. Everything else was made of wood or covered in a fabric that had seen too much sun. It was stylish, in a classic sort of way. Thoughtful. The stunning centrepiece of the room was this massive canopy bed with four posters. The kind that asked for someone to be tied up and spread out on it like a buffet.

Gennie groaned and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes.

This was not helping. Not at all.

She had to pull herself together, to concentrate on something other than the pulse between her thighs.

Yoga. That was what she needed. A little downward dog to clear her head and calm her raging libido.

As she moved through the poses, the stretching and burning of her muscles grounded her and brought her back to her centre. She focused on her breath, the solidity of the hardwood floor beneath her bare feet, the way the moonlight filtered through the windows and painted the room in shades of blue and silver.

Gradually, the chaos in her mind settled and the thoughts of Nathan faded into the background. She sat cross-legged on the floor, closed her eyes, and let the peace of the moment wash over her.

She wasn’t here to get caught up with a guy. She’d just got rid of Daniel. Her taste in men was evidently terrible. She had to protect herself from heartache, be independent, and stay on her own, avoiding getting involved with anyone.

Career first, dicks second.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun. Live a little.

This weekend was a script break, a rare pause in the gruelling shooting schedule that had brought her to this remote corner of Scotland in the first place. No shooting, no set, no camera. She had two whole days to herself, to explore the untamed beauty of Perthshire and its forests.

Maybe Nathan would join her. If she asked nicely – and wiggled her butt for him again.