Darach briefly examined it before he handed it back.
"Nay. Scotsmendinnae wear those. "Tis a matter of pride."
Katie planted a hand on her hip. Different century and country or not, that must be a universal la.s.s
gesture. "Are you suffering short-term memory loss? We just talked about this. You know-that discussion where you agreed to do what I say without arguing. When we get to my house, you can take them off and turn your big boy loose, but until then, put them on."
He wasn"t taken in by her sweet smile. d.a.m.n the wretched woman, but she was enjoying this.
He stepped into the underwear and pulled them up. "Bluidyh.e.l.l. How can a man think with his rod all bundled up next to his sack?"
"Don"t whine, Darach. Take off the kilt and put on this shirt." While he took off his kilt and shrugged into
the shirt, she examined the jacket and turned to Hamish. "Versace? Did you pick this out?"
Hamish, from his lookout, nodded and offered a sheepish grin. "Aye. Since I"ve been in the twenty-first
century, I"ve discovered I like shopping. The shopping network is addictive."
"You bought a Versace suit on the shopping network?" she asked.
Hamish laughed. "Neiman"s was having a sale and I couldn"t help myself. I kept the receipt in case he
didn"t show up." They might as well have been speaking a foreign tongue, Darach thought, because hedinnae kenVersace, the shopping network, or Neiman"s, but he knewfer d.a.m.n sure he preferred his kilt to this. Andwhile Hamish looked the same, except a good bit older, hedinnae know this man the way he knew the Hamish of old-the Hamish of his boyhood. This Hamish owned a worldliness that was at odds with the man Darach knew-neither good nor bad, just different.
He finished dressing while Kate and Hamish talked.
"Where do I store my kilt and boots?" he asked.
Hamish crossed to a small table displayingd.i.l.d.oes . He reached beneath the cloth draping it and pulled
out a black-handled leather satchel.
"This should hold them," he said as he pa.s.sed Darach the satchel.
Katie looked at him, the heat in her eyes almost worth the discomfort of the clothes he wore. But
mayhap he also knew a moment of disappointment that she seemed to like this better than his plaid,
which was as much a part of who and what he was as the blood that flowed through his veins.
"Oh. My. I"m going to have to beat the women off with a stick." She looked to Hamish. "He might as well have worn the kilt. He"s going to be noticed regardless of what he wears."
If that was the case.... "I will be glad tae change."
"No. You will actually fit in better this way-" another look that stirred his blood "-but certainly no one"s going to overlook you." Kate glanced at her wrist and then looked once more. "My watch is working again. What day is it?" she asked Hamish. "What time is it?"
"It"s the same day, same time it was when you left. Because you spent your time in the past, you lost no time here. The future had yet to exist. But it doesn"t work that way when you come from the past. The sand is still sifting through the hourgla.s.s atGlenagan just as it is here now." He nudged Darach and gestured to the painting behind him. "It"s weathered the years well, don"t you think?"
For the first time Darach looked at the painting. ""Tis the same, just a bit older."
Hamish nodded. "This is how Kate got to you and this is how you"ll return toGlenagan . As you know, the exhibit is now closed here. After tonight, it"s officially in transit. It reopens in New York in two weeks and will be there for two months. Before I leave, I"ll secure a pa.s.sport for you to make sure there"s no trouble flying to New York. We"ll get a photo taken in a couple of days. Once there, you have but to find the portrait when you"re ready to return." He clapped his arm about Darach"s shoulder, enveloping him in a hug. "Good luck, Darach."
"How do we contact you if we need to in the next two weeks?" Kate asked. She didn"t want to know how he was going to secure what would clearly be an illegal pa.s.sport.
He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a pen and paper. "If you have any questions-or if you just want to do lunch-" he jotted down a number and handed it to her "-give me a call on my cell."
"GOOD NIGHT." The same blazer-clad attendant who"d merely given her a cursory glance on the way in, was now all smiles and checking Darach out. Not surprising.
Hamish definitely had an eye for clothes.MacTavish was drop-dead gorgeous in a kilt-and she had first-hand knowledge that he was equally drop-dead gorgeous in the buff-but this suit.... The trousers and jacket were a fine wool/cashmere blend that hung from his broad shoulders and lean hips as if it had been custom-made to showcase his body. A black collared shirt, top b.u.t.ton left open, completed the outfit. His long black hair hung past his shoulders and framed the masculine beauty of his face with his hooded eyes, harsh nose, and sensual mouth.
By rights, Darach should have been just another person in a city of thousands. In 1744, atGlenagan , he was laird with absolute power. But obviously his arrogance, surety, power came from within because even in a vastly different time and place, he still exuded power, intelligence, fearlessness and s.e.x appeal-a dark, dangerous man to reckon with and s.e.xy beyond reason.
Small wonder the museum attendant couldn"t keep her eyes off of him. Kate bid the woman good-night and pushed through the gla.s.s doors with Darach right behind her.
They stepped out into Atlanta"s warm autumn evening. The door closed behind them and Kate stopped to give Darach a moment to take it all in and get his bearings. Leaves, kicked up by a wind carrying a hint of chill, danced about their feet. Traffic flowed along Peachtree Street, a cacophony of sound-the muted blare of rap played too loud, the intermittent honk of horns, the rumble of cars, and the voices of pedestrians. The city, the resplendent melting pot of the south, lay before them.
"This is Atlanta, Georgia," she said. What would he think of her world and the city she"d adopted as her own in the last few years? b.u.t.terflies fluttered in her stomach and she realized she was nervous which was altogether silly. It didn"t matter what he thought of her world any more than her opinion of his. She had been sent to give him a heads-up. He was here seeking a solution. End of story. It was amazing their paths had crossed in the vastness of time. But that"s all it was, a brief encounter outside time"s continuum as she knew it, as the world knew it. She needed to bear that in mind.
For a full minute he scanned the horizon, his gaze sharp, and she knew he missed nothing from the hi-rises to the couple hand-holding at the museum"s courtyard fountain to their left. "It has a strange beauty. I"ve been to Edinburgh before, but much here is beyond my ken."
Kate thought back to when she"d looked out of the castle window at the small village and then the moor that seemed to stretch for miles beyond. She recalled how she"d felt and saw her city through his eyes and his perspective. "It"s amazing isn"t it?"
"Aye. Even though I don"t understand all that I see, "tis amazing indeed." He turned to her and it was as if a laser had pinpointed her. He had an intensity about him, an energy. He"d dismissed the city and focused now on her. Despite the wind-borne chill, a flush spread through her. "And "tis amazing I"m here. Thankyou, Katie-love, for coming to get me." He caught her hand up in his, his touch tingling through her. "Thankyou for giving me the chance to save my people-for bringing me back with you."
He turned her hands in his and brought them to his mouth. He pressed a warm kiss to the blue vein in her wrist, his lips lingering on her pulse point as if he were paying homage to the beat of her heart, to the life force flowing through her. Kate"s breath caught in her throat and time seemed to hang suspended, wrapping them in an intimacy. He raised his head and the air chilled her skin in the absence of his warmth.
"My pleasure, DarachMacTavish ."
The heat in his hooded eyes told her he felt the same s.e.xual tug. "Aye. And your pleasure is my pleasure. How far to your home from here?"
His husky tone left her pulse racing and her body humming a response. Yes, they had a mission and this was all new and different to him, but they also had two weeks to come up with a solution. Thus far today, they"d made tremendous progress. She was here and he was here. And now she"d like to take him home and get him out of that suit. She wanted to feel him hot and hard inside her again.
"My car"s at the hospital-about a twenty-minute walk. It"s another ten minute drive to my place."
The wind shifted his hair against his collar. "Take me to your home, Katie." The look in his eyes said he wanted the same thing she did.
The walk pa.s.sed quickly. Along the way Kate explained the technology that formed the backdrop for her world-automobiles, electricity, cell phones, ma.s.s transit. Darach, a quick study, asked intelligent, thoughtful questions. Below the surface of their very urbane discussion, the fire of want and need burned between them, licked at them with flames of desire.
Although he looked at everything with a genuine interest, he seemed oblivious to the myriad female heads he turned. They didn"t pa.s.s a woman, young or old, who didn"t look twice at him. A few even stopped and gawked, but they all noticed.
It reminded her of a demonstration her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Fitzroy, had performed in elementary school. Mrs. Fitzroy had scattered metal filings all over a table. Then she"d dragged a large magnet down the table"s center. All the filings had skimmed across the surface, drawn by the force of the magnet. The magnet, however, had not been impacted at all by the clinging filings.
She wouldn"t lie to herself. It was heady stuff that he didn"t even blink an eye of interest in their direction. All of his energy, all of his attention remained centered on her.
They stood at the corner, part of a crowd, waiting on the traffic light to change. Ahead of them, a couple stood, arms twined about each other"s waist. Darach slipped his arm about her waist, leaned down and murmured in her ear, "Idunnae want to lose you in the crush."
She slid her arm around him, beneath the edge of his jacket, welcoming his heat and the play of muscle beneath his shirt. "And here I thought you just wanted to touch me."
He leaned down, his breath gusting warm against her ear. "Aye. I want to touch you. And when we get to your house, I"ll show you...."
Maybe she was giddy at having managed to get back home and bring him with her. Perhaps it was the s.e.xual energy flowing between them. But, on impulse, she slid her hand down his waist, over his backside and grabbed his left cheek. He started in surprise. She smiled up at him and widened her eyes in faux innocence. "Sorry, I couldn"t help myself."
"Wench." His eyes glinted with a volatile combination of laughter and s.e.xual heat. She"d try not to get a speeding ticket getting them to her condo.
The light changed and they crossed the street, dodging aworkboot on the other corner that someone had obviously lost.MacTavish looked at her, one eyebrow raised in question. She shook her head and laughed. "I have no idea."
They were half a block from the hospital and Kate was about to point out where she worked when someone hailed her from behind.
"Kate? Dr. Wexford?"
She fully intended to pretend she simply hadn"t heard butMacTavish ruined that plan by coming to a dead halt, stopping her with him. "Someone"s calling for you."
Peachy. She knew. And she knew who-she"d recognized the voice. And she"d prefer dental drilling without the benefit of novocaine over stopping to talk, butMacTavish had left her with no option. She played stupid.
"Oh? Really?" She looked over her shoulder just asTorri bore down on them, her predatory gleam devouring Darach.
"h.e.l.lo, Dr. Campbell," Kate said.
Torritossed her long blonde hair over one shoulder, a look-at-me seductive move Kate had seen her employ hundreds of times. "It was you. I was standing in the back, waiting on the light and I thought it was you, but I wasn"t certain."
Kate saw it inTorri"s surprised expression. Of all people,Torri had seen her grab Darach"s a.s.s. Good.
"It"s me."
More hair tossing and a lipmoue to go with it this time.Torri was pulling out all the stops. "So, this is your hot date?" She looked Darach up and down like a hungry dog eyeing a juicy bone. "I can see why you were so eager to end your shift."
b.i.t.c.h! Not only was she laying him naked on his back with her eyes,Torri made it sound as if Kate had shunned her duty and run out of the hospital when in actuality she"d stayed two hours after her shift had officially ended. If she pointed that out then she, Kate, would be the one who came off looking b.i.t.c.hy-it was simply one of those injustices in life. And while she might"ve pretended she didn"t hearTorri , she couldn"t not offer the introductionTorri was angling for so blatantly.
"Torri, this is, DarachMacTavish . Darach, Dr.Torri Campbell."
With the overnight bag Hamish had provided in his left hand, Darach had to take his arm from around Kate to shakeTorri"s hand. Yet one more reason to dislike her.
""Tis a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Campbell." His mouth said one thing but his stiff body and terse handshake said another. His att.i.tude clicked a thought into place for Kate.Torri bore the same last name as those that had killed his mother and brothers.
"Hmmm." The woman actually purred. "Love the accent. And the pleasure"sall mine. "
Kate wouldn"t have been surprised hadTorri gone into a writhing o.r.g.a.s.m then and there on the sidewalk. Darach regained his hand and wrapped his arm around Kate again.
"You are gorgeous." She visually ate him up. Kate wasn"t given to violence, but she had a terrible itch to slap the lasciviousness off the other woman"s face.Torri shot Kate an arch look. "I can see why you"ve been hiding him from the rest of us." Men seemed blind toTorri"s cattiness, but Kate very clearly read Torri"s incredulity that Darach was with her. "What a shame. Kate said you"re leaving town tomorrow."
"Nae. I will be here a fortnight." Thankyou,MacTavish . He wantedTorri to know he"d be around? Kate felt as if he"d dashed cold water in her face. "Mayhap, "tis her other man who is on his way out of town, eh, Katie?"
"Right." She laughed up at him forTorri"s benefit. "You know you"re the only one, darling."
Torritotally ignored Kate and sent her mane flying once again. Amazing that she didn"t have a chronic neck condition. "Really? For two weeks. That"s fabulous. Where are you staying?"
"Why, with Katie, of course."
"I know she keeps a busy schedule. Give me a call. I"d be glad to show you around the city." She looked at Kate. "Anything to help a friend." Uh-huh. And Kate would love to invest in some oceanfront property in Kansas.Torri stroked Darach"s left arm. "I know how time can drag when you"re alone with nothing fun to do."
"You are a good friend to Katie to offer-"
What? If he...
"-but I need that time when she is at work. Keep it to yourself," he lowered his voice as if sharing a secret-Torrileaned in closer, "because I would rather the other lads not know, but she fair wears me out and I need that time to recover." His intimate smile, now aimed at Kate, was obviously that of a lover. For a second it was just the two of them when she smiled back at him. Darach glanced back at Torri . "I am not complaining, no man would, but my Katie-love is a l.u.s.ty wench."
Torri"sface portrayed a fast-action sequence of expressions. Surprise. Consternation. Fury. A tight smile. "Who would"ve guessed? Well, if you get bored or lonely, just give me a call. I"m in the book."
"Idunnae think so."
Torriturned on her heel and marched down the sidewalk.
"Idinnae like her. She is abluidy Campbell and youcannae trust her, Katie. Idinnae like the way she looked at you. That is why I told her I would be here a fortnight."
Darach, ever the protector-except Kate didn"t need protecting from anyone, not evenTorri . Delighted by his response, Kate laughed. "I certainly didn"t like the way she looked at you."
Kate could"ve kissed him for what he"d just done and said. In fact, that seemed like a grand idea. Despite the fact that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk in front of her hospital, Kate wrapped her other arm around his neck and kissed him, short and hard and full of promise.
"Your l.u.s.ty wench is ready to go home," she murmured in his ear.
Darach released her and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Nay, not until I have heard about this other man." Planted in the middle of the sidewalk, he looked about as tractable as dried glue.
Was that a note of jealousy or insecurity or perhaps both? "There is no other man."
"Then who was she talking about? You told her you had a man who was leaving after tonight?"