Boss Meets Baby(123)

Keir reflected that now he had enforced an intimacy between himself and Georgia that there was probably no turning back. Perhaps it had been reckless of him, but even his infamous iron will could not resist the pure temptation that was Noah Cameron’s shapely, beguiling,— sister. Things had really started to get out of hand when she’d pushed back that lock of hair from his brow. Her touch had been so exquisite, so infinitely kind, that Keir had been undone by it. No one had ever touched him in such a tender, almost loving way…

He froze at how dangerously his emotions seemed to be unravelling. What the hell was he thinking of? Georgia Cameron fascinated him, and he definitely admired her as a person—how could he not when she had so many amazing qualities?—but right now he had only one goal in mind as far as she was concerned,— and that was to simply seduce her. Anything beyond that—especially anything remotely appertaining— to emotional need—was simply a fantasy on Keir’s part, no doubt brought about by what had just happened to him.

Yet, even if that most basic physical need were fulfilled, would he find it that easy to let her go? He wanted more from this woman than mere sex—although— he hesitated to confirm in his own mind what that something ‘more’ was.

He’d always found it difficult to relate to the concept or even the possibility of needing a deeper response from anyone. He even kept his platonic friendships as uncomplicated and commitment-free as possible. There was a deeply held belief inside him that somehow the taint of his unhappy past would ultimately end up destroying those friendships,— and so inevitably he did not allow anyone to get too close to him. There were very few, if any among his acquaintances, who could really say that they knew him.

Now, glancing down at his watch, Keir experienced mild shock when he saw the time. Had he really slept most of the afternoon away?As he made himself stand, he— tried to shake off the slightly unreal and stuffy feeling in his head that made him feel as if he’d been drugged. He was thirsty, he was hungry, and his burn throbbed like merry hell! Had anybody in the house-hold— come to check on him whilst he’d been sleeping?

As he reached the door and wrenched it open with a disgruntled frown, Keir knew full well the person he’d hoped would have undertaken that task was Georgia.

Georgia had set off walking about half an hour before dinner, to try and get her head straight. She’d hardly had any peace since Keir had kissed her, and now her feelings were in absolute turmoil.

Walking in nature usually provided a release from such inner turmoil, she’d found, and so she’d resorted to the one thing that might help her. But now she realised that the inevitable spell of the mountains and lochs had weaved their magic too potently around her senses, and the distance she’d inadvertently— covered because of her enchantment was too great to allow her to get back to Glenteign in time to sit down to the evening meal with everyone else.

Damn!

Even Hamish looked up at her with reproach in his big dark eyes, his great tongue lolling as he panted hard at his exertion. Dropping down onto her haunches, Georgia affectionately stroked back the champagne coloured fur on his head and sighed heavily.

‘I’m sorry, Hamish! I just lost track of time. Never mind—you’ll have your dinner as soon as we get back to Glenteign, I promise. We’d better get our skates on, though, because it looks like it might rain again!’

Glancing up at the darkening grey clouds that were gathering so threateningly in the previously flawless blue sky, Georgia sensed sudden fear knife through her. The last thing in the world she wanted to do was to be caught out in a storm to equal the one they’d had last night! It was one thing being inside, watching— it safely from a bedroom window, but quite another witnessing the full brunt of its elemental passion outside in the open!

Falling into a jog, she nervously increased her pace as a sudden spot of rain splashed onto her face…

‘Where the hell has she got to?’

The harshly expressed question did not fail to conceal the underlying anxiety in Keir’s voice as he paced to one of the huge dining room windows and glanced out.

Watching his stiff back in the dark cashmere sweater, and feeling the tension in him transmit itself to the other members of staff in the room, Moira silently admitted to her own concerns about the young secretary since she’d failed to turn up for dinner. She’d seen her go out with Hamish shortly after she’d finished work—and she hoped the girl had not gone and got herself lost. It was easy to do if a person didn’t know their way well round these parts. The mountainous region around Glenteign was so vast that even an experienced guide could easily make a wrong turn. Now the Chief’s obvious anxiety over Georgia’s absence was putting her on edge as well. Especially as outside the rain had started to pour as though it would never cease, and they’d all heard that angry rumble of thunder vent its spleen above them only moments ago.

‘Someone had better go and find her.’

Standing up from the dining table in the smaller, more— intimate dining room where they’d just had their meal, Moira glanced across the polished maplewood— table at one of the young gardeners employed on the estate—a lad who worked alongside his father, who— was head gardener there. Both men knew the area well.

‘Euan, will you go? The lassie told me she was a bit nervous of storms, and she might get disoriented trying to find her way back in the rain.’