The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance (7 page)

He served up dinner, grabbed a couple of beers, and headed to the library. 

“Here ye go.”  She thanked him, while he set her food down on the side table and then took a seat next to her on the sofa.  “The doors and windows are locked, though anyone who really wants to get in can, given that the windows aren’t barred.”

“A comforting thought.”  She forked a piece of frittata into her mouth, and then looked up him, eyes wide.  “This is
really
good.”

“Ye sound shocked.”  He ate a bit of his own and then
, uncapping the beers, handed her one, before taking a long pull of his own. 

“I hadn’t really expected you to know how to cook, is all.  And certainly
didn’t think the food would be amazing.”

“
Amazing, aye?  I’ll take it.”  He gave her a sideways glance and a smile.

S
ettling back, he continued eating while looking at the paintings they had propped up across from the sofa.  The woman in the painting was beautiful, but was it Nessa?  He had to wonder if she even left any clues behind. Nessa may have told a select few in confidence, but would she risk the information and the necklace being lost, especially when those times were precarious and those taken into her confidence could easily perish?   He doubted it.  She would’ve had some sort of backup.

Once they
finished their meal, he got back to the matter of who’d been snooping around.  “Since that was likely James peeping at the windows, I think it’s time ye told me about him—and what transpired between the two of ye.”

She let out a huff of annoyance. 
“Fine.  He’s a colleague at the university.  We were working together on a research project.”  She sighed and he sensed there was more to the story.

“So ye fell in love?”  He could see it.  The long hours spent in each other’s company, shared interests.

“I wouldn’t say that.  In my experience, love is for fairytales and fools—or at the very least, other people.  Just not me.”

“Have ye ne’er been in love then?”  She shrugged in answer to his question. “I can’t believe it, lass.  Or did some arse break yer heart?”

“I’ll discuss James, since he’s likely the one snooping around, but I’m not discussing my love life.  Besides, you’d be bored to tears.”

Bored, eh?  Why did he like that she hadn’t had much of a love life?  “Fine.  James then.”

“We’re both at the same depart
ment, and were collaborating on a project that overlapped.  Long nights comparing notes, and we eventually started dating—until he went and published my research under his name, save for a brief footnote.”  Those last words were spoken through a stiff jaw.

“Was there no evidence to back up yer claim?”  There had to be a way
she could prove the work was hers.

“There would have been, except that he deleted my files from my laptop and school computer.  With our research overlapping, he had enough informatio
n gathered to make a convincing argument.”  She took a deep breath that looked forced and then let it out slowly.

“He really is a bastard.” 
Iain shook his head, annoyed.  What sort of person would do that?  “That he’d go as far as wiping yer files from yer hard drives… And I’m assuming he left behind no clues that it’d been him.”

“No.  Not that the board really looked too deep when one of their esteemed professors was involved
.  He knew exactly what he was doing—likely from the start.”  She bit her lip and then took a long swig from her beer, quiet for a bit before talking again.  “I think that’s the worst part of it.  That he played me for a fool from the very beginning, and I was stupid enough to fall for it.”

“Ye’re no fool, lass
; just trusting.  Ye thought he’d be a decent guy, when he’s nothing more than an arse.”  Anger bubbled up inside him, that James could make her second-guess herself, and that he’d treat her so poorly.  “Ye said he’s not capable of violence, and yet he’s obviously capable of deception and going through yer computer files.”

“I know.  I just can’t think of him as violent.”

“Well, I can.  He obviously cares for nothing but what will benefit him and him alone.  And how did he get access to yer office?  I can’t imagine ye’d leave yer door unlocked.”

“What does it matter?”

Annoyance crept into his voice.  “It matters because I need to know exactly how far he’ll go.  If he stole yer keys and had copies made, then that’s a wee bit different to finding yer door open—though not by much.  If he went to those lengths for a bloody research paper, then just think what he’d do to get his hands on a priceless piece like the Hope.”

“You’re right.”  She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed with worry.  “And the worst
part is, if it was him snooping around, then he probably saw all the paintings we’ve pulled out and will know we’re up to something.”

“
Then our only option is to find the necklace before James has a chance to act.”

Chapter
Seven

Cat ignored her nerves as Iain introduced her to his brother, Malcolm.  “It’s a pleasure.”

There were definite similarities in the men’s l
ooks.  Both were tall and good-looking, with dark wavy hair, and those intelligent blue eyes.  Yet Malcolm seemed to have a completely different air about him, as if he didn’t have a care in the world when in the presence of anyone female.

“The pleasure’s mine.” 
He shook her hand with a curious smile and a glint in his eyes, his touch lingering a second longer than one would expect.  “Iain’s girlfriend?  I hadn’t realized.”

Even though Malcolm lived in Edinburgh, t
hey’d decided it’d be best to keep up the charade of being in a relationship, in case Malcolm spoke with anyone from town.  Even if James figured out they weren’t truly a couple, it’d still be best to keep up appearances, so others wouldn’t start to suspect their true motivations.

“It’s been a bit of a long-
distance thing.”  Iain wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his eyes lingering on hers to reinforce their lie.  “We’ll not stay long, but I appreciate ye taking Da on such short notice.”

Malcolm gave his father a smile and put a hand on the old man’s shoulder.  “Anytime
.  The two of us will find plenty to keep us entertained and busy.  Won’t get into too much trouble, will we, Da?”

Iain
’s smile turned stiff, though it was only for a second.  “Can I speak to ye a moment?”

Without waiting for an answer
Iain walked into another room, waited for Malcolm to join him, and then shut the door.

“
Dinnae fash yerself, girl.”  Callum patted her arm, before taking a seat.  “They’ve ne’er quite seen eye to eye, and Iain, being the oldest, has always taken it upon himself to care for everything and everyone.”

She’
d noticed.  Cat still thought Iain was being a bit paranoid about James, especially going to the extent of having his father stay with his brother.  Still, better safe than sorry.  He was right about people going to extreme measures when there was fame and fortune to gain.

“Well, I hope I’ll get to see you again before I leave
Dunmuir.  I’ve yet to hear any of your stories.”

“Och well,
Iain probably knows them better than I do at this point.”  He laughed, his blue eyes kind and keen.  “And don’t let his gruff exterior get to ye—he’s a lamb underneath it all.  But I think ye already knew that.  He’s used to getting his way, so don’t go letting him push ye around.  Put him in his place if ye see fit.”

Before
she could say anything, the door opened and the brothers joined them.  The air in the room suddenly felt charged with tension.  Iain turned to his father.  “Like we discussed.  And if you need anything at all, ye have my number.”

“Aye, son.  Take care.”

“Will do, Da.”  Iain then turned a harsh gaze on his brother.  “I’ll be in touch.”

They headed out the door
and down the stairs, his walk brisk and his stride long. 

She picked up her pace to keep up with him.
“I don’t suppose you want to tell me what that was about?” 

“Ye supposed right.
  This isn’t a real relationship, Cat.”

“Luckily!”

They climbed into Iain’s car, and before she’d even buckled up, he’d pulled out.  “Bloody hell, Iain.”

He pounded
the steering wheel in frustration, gritting his teeth and taking a long breath.  “Sorry.”

“Look, I don’t mean to be n
osy, but if we’re going to be stuck together for the foreseeable future, then maybe…”

“Maybe what? 
Maybe we can do each other’s hair and confess all our secret crushes like a bunch of school girls?  It’s not happening, love.”  He flicked her a glance through narrowed eyes, his jaw tight and his entire body bristling with tension.

“Then
I refuse to be on the receiving end of your wrath.  I get being angry.  But if you’re not going to talk to me about whatever dragged your beautiful sunshiny mood out to play, then you need to vent elsewhere.  I have no problem with you being upset, but if you’re going to have a fit, then you better start talking.”

Iain
glared at her, his hands tight around the wheel.  “Do ye not have any siblings that drive ye absolutely mad?  Or are they all as perfect as you?”

“You’re being a
real jerk, Iain.”

He said nothing for a long while, and Cat refused to speak to him.  She knew families could be a pain, and whatever had
gone down between Iain and his brother seemed to have really ticked him off.  Still.  She wasn’t going to be the punching bag for his sour moods.

He swerved the car over to the side of the road and threw the gear in
to park, spinning in his seat to face her.  “A jerk?  Maybe I am.  But guess what?  Ye’re stuck with me, just like I’m stuck with you.  So deal with it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.  I don’t have to deal with it,
Iain.  I’ll find the jewels without you.  You can take your help and shove it up your Scottish arse.” 

She flung the door open, furious, and stepped out into the rain that always seemed to be falling
, slamming the door behind her.  He came after her, but she ignored him and kept moving down the road, refusing to acknowledge him.  Tears stung her eyes as she wondered whether she’d just thrown out her one chance of finding the jewels.  Yet she refused to back down.  

He grabbed her hand, and she flinched, pain surging up her arm as her cut started to throb.
  “Shit!  Sorry.” 

She pulled her hand away and
kept walking, leaving him to try and catch up. 

“Cat. Ye’re getting drenched.  Come back to the car.”

When she continued to ignore him, he picked up his pace and cut her off, so he was now standing in her path.  He gently grabbed her arms to keep her from escaping and was met with a glare. 

“Let go of me,
Iain.  I’ll find my own back to Dunmuir.”

“And what then
?  Ye’re staying with me.  Remember?”

She laughed
, ignoring the burn in her eyes.  “You really think I’m still staying with you?  Think again.  I’m gone as soon as I grab my stuff and my car.  And even that will be far too much time spent in your company.”

His eyes narrowed in scrutiny, before his gaze softened.  “Cat… I’m sorry
.”

He cupped her cheek, and before she could pull away, he kissed her, his lips on hers in a sweet and tender kiss.  She resisted, but
could only manage it for a moment. 

Her head spun as their kiss d
eepened, her heart racing as he pulled her in close, her body molding to his, as she forgot about the other people walking by, forgot about the rain pouring down on them, and forgot about why she’d been mad at him.

When their
kiss finally slowed, he still held her close, his eyes searching her face.  “Can ye forgive me?”

She let out a weary sigh, fighting through the dizziness of that kiss. 
“Yes—but only if you stop being a jerk.  I certainly don’t need to know your life story and I’m not one to pry, but if whatever’s going on with you is going to affect our working relationship, then I need to know about it.  I told you about James, didn’t I?  Now it’s your turn to spill the beans.”

“Our working relationship?”  His lips quirked into a smile as he leaned in to kiss her again—only to have her pull away.

“And that kiss?  That never happened.”

“Never happened, aye?”  His smug grin and her racing heart had her pulling out of his arms and walking back to the car
.

“No, it didn
’t.  And whatever didn’t happen is not going to happen again.  You hear me?”

His eyes sparkled with amusement
as they got into his car. “Aye, love.  It ne’er happened and I swear I won’t ne’er kiss ye again.”

“Was that a double negative?”  The only response she got was
a laugh as he pulled out into traffic and headed towards home.

***

“Duncan?”  Iain called out but the dog didn’t come.  “That’s odd.”

Cat could see
Iain was worried.  And then they heard a bark.  “Down the hall.  One of the rooms down there.” 

Iain
opened the closed door, and the dog came barreling towards them in a full body wiggle.  “Did ye get yerself trapped?  Come on then.  It’s been a long day.  Go on out.”

Iain
let Duncan out, but the dog only took a few minutes before running back in.

“I think he missed you.”

“Something’s not quite right.  He seems panicked.”  Iain knelt down and grabbed the dog, murmuring to him to try and calm him down.  “Are ye alright, pup?  What happened?”

“It’s probably because he got locked in the room.”

“Aye, but that’s unusual in and of itself.  The doors will catch a draft from time to time and slam shut, but it doesn’t happen that often, and not when all the windows are closed.”  Iain dug into his pocket.  “Take my keys.  I want ye to wait for me in my car.”

“You think someone broke in?”  She felt the surge of adrenaline as her heart started to pound.  “The paintings and letters.”

She raced forward, but he grabbed her arm, preventing her moving past him.  “If ye’re not going to listen to me, then we’ll go together.  Stay behind me, and if I tell ye to go, ye’re to run to my car and lock the doors.”

He grabbed the shotgun from the closet, checked the ammunition and then moved forward towards the library, poking his head in the other rooms as they went past.

Cat saw the paintings, but couldn’t find the rest.  “The letters and journals are gone.”

Iain
stood by his desk, fumbling with a key.  “I locked them away before leaving this morning.  They’re still here.”

Cat
let out a huge sigh of relief.  “Bloody hell.  I nearly had a heart attack.”

Iain
looked around the room, pulling back the curtains, before heading for the hall.  “Stay here with Duncan.  I’m going to check out the rest of the house.  Make sure to lock the door behind me.”

She wanted to
tell Iain he was being paranoid again, but she remembered the footsteps on the patio last night, and knew he was right to be cautious.  While she waited, she took the time to go through their items to make sure nothing had gone missing.  If someone had riffled through things, they’d done a decent enough job of leaving them undisturbed—just like James had done with her laptop and computer. 

If it was him—and in all likelihood, it was—
Iain would have a hard time keeping her from murdering the lying, sneaky ass.  She still couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to fall for James. 

As for
Iain and that kiss?  What the hell had she been thinking?  She could
not
let herself get caught in that trap, and she most definitely had to stop replaying their kiss over and over in her mind.  It was a one-off, and it had to stay that way.  She had to focus on what was important, and that was finding the Highlander’s Hope—not some steamy entanglement with a cantankerous laird.

The knock on the library door was followed by
Iain’s voice and Duncan trotting across the room.  Cat let Iain in, but already knew he had bad news if the look on his face was anything to go by.

“There’s a broken pane in the room we found Duncan in
, and a grease stain on the rug, in addition to an unlocked door they likely used to leave.”

“That makes sense then. 
They could keep Duncan distracted with food, giving them time to close the door behind them, and then leave using a different exit.”

“Did ye ha
ve a closer look to make sure things didn’t go missing?”

“I don’t think he took anything, but
there’s a good chance he got photos of the paintings and may have found my notes, though they were tucked away in my work bag.”  She shook her head.  “I swear, if I see James again…”

“If ye see him, ye’re to pretend nothing happened.  It’ll only reinforce that ye’re looking for something of value.” 
He took her hand and pulled her in close, nuzzling her cheek, as she tried not to turn towards his lips, her heart racing to have him so near.  “For now, we’re going to keep pretending to be a couple, without a care in the world.  I doubt he knows what we’re looking for, and we might still be able to get away with him thinking the paintings and your notes were nothing more than your curiosity about my clan.”

“Are you sure this isn’t just an excuse to kiss me again?”  Her eyebrow perked in question, but
really, her cool demeanor was nothing more than a façade to cover up the inner voice telling her she’d lost her mind.

He leaned in with a smile, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.  “Again?  I
don’t recall any kiss, my dear.  Nor will I recall this…”