A Time & Place for Every Laird Angeline Fortin (read full novel txt) 📖

errands. She hadn’t really needed more gasin her hybrid, but topped it off anyway. Returning to the salonexpecting to find Hugh waiting impatiently for her, she was insteadmet by the sight of the lone stylist sweeping a large pile of darkhair from the floor. Hugh was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he?” she asked, trying to keep thepanic from her voice.

“In the back, changing,”he told her with a broad smile. “You’re going to love this, honey.He looks amazing!”

This last word was drawn out musically andClaire’s brows rose in surprise before she offered tentatively,“Well, he couldn’t get much worse, could he?”

The stylist made a sound in the back of histhroat and his gaze shifted beyond her. “Decide for yourself.”

Claire turned and her breath literallycaught. She exhaled a soft sigh but her next attempt to inhale alsohitched, her throat tightening around the effort. Sweet baby Jesus,she thought as her eyes drifted downward and back up again.

“I dinnae ken, William,” Hugh was saying,“are ye certain I should leave these buttons open?”

Hugh fingered the buttons of the bluestriped dress shirt he was wearing over a t-shirt and under acharcoal grey, wool sport coat.

“Yes, yes!” the stylist exclaimed, rushingover to fiddle with the buttons, fastening just one near Hugh’swaist before smoothing the shirt down over Hugh’s chest. “Leave therest open! You look fabulous!”

“Are ye quite certain?”

If William wasn’t, Claire was. With theheavy beard gone and his shaggy hair trimmed into a short,fashionable style, Hugh was … stunning. She hadn’t been able to seeanything but his eyes before, and under that beard, she might haveimagined him chubby-cheeked and slack jawed but his nowclean-shaven face revealed high cheekbones that turned to sharpplanes before meeting his strong square jaw. Under his dark, thickbrows, his vivid blue eyes now twinkled merrily as he glanced up tofind her staring at him. A wide grin flashed white against his darkskin and … oh, Lord! Were those dimples?

To her everlasting shame, Claire’s head swamdeliriously and dark spots danced across her vision. She wasn’tactually going to swoon at the sight of him, was she?

“How do I look, Sorcha?” he askedinnocently, putting a roguish purr behind his thick brogue.

Fabulous. Glorious. And he knew it, too. Inretrospect, his reaction in the car spoke clearly of hisexpectations, and she felt oddly deceived. Still, as he neared,Claire swayed toward him as if he had a magnetic pull. “Ah,William!” Hugh chuckled. “I told ye she would fall in love wi’ mewhen she saw me thus!”

Claire straightened abruptly and gave acareless laugh, still trying to tear her eyes away. “Ha! Don’tflatter yourself.”

Hugh only grinned down at her, flashing thatdeep, provocative dimple. “’Tis all right. All the lasses do.”

What conceit! Claire sniffed and turnedaway. “Don’t worry, Hugh. I’ve already had love. I’ve had mymoment. It won’t happen again.”

Hugh just winked and turned to thank thestylist once again, adding, “My secretary will see to yer fee. Ishall await ye in the car,” he added to her before he left.

Claire watched him go, noting the tight fitof the jacket across his broad shoulders, remembering how theathletic cut of the shirt hugged the long V of his torso and howthe jeans followed the muscular line of his thighs. Her breath lefther in a shudder that was echoed by William’s soft sigh.

“Yummy, isn’t he? I never would haveimagined he was so good-looking under all that hair,” the stylistsaid. “And that body!”

Yummy, delicious. Yes, Hugh was that andmore. Claire couldn’t remember having ever been so taken aback bythe sight of a man. He was perfect. The epitome of the clichédtall, dark, and handsome. Even Matt …

Claire bit back the thought but the betrayalin her mind was already flooding her with guilt and anger.

William wasn’t finished, though. “You luckygirl, have you worked for him long?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking of giving mynotice,” she ground out. “How much do I owe you?”

Chapter 12

Hugh looked at her expectantly when she gotinto the car. Waiting, she knew, for some comment on histransformation. Well, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction andwasn’t in the mood for any of his nonsensical banter. She was tooangry with him. Angry that he had played her so well. Angry that hemade her make a comparison between him and her Matthew.

Angry that Hugh looked so damned good.

“Hae ye nothing tae say?” he prompted.

“Secretary?”

He shrugged in that irritating way he had,making Claire grit her teeth even more. “I had tae say somethingtae explain why ye took charge, why I dinnae carry any funds on myperson.”

“If you had asked, I’m sure I could havecome up with something better than that. I’m a pretty smartperson,” she said, shifting Goose into reverse.

“Most women think they are.”

“Like most men think they’re funny?” sheasked snappishly. “I could tell you got a kick out of that.”

It took Hugh a few moments to work throughher words. “Do ye nae like the way I look?”

It wasn’t so much a question as a tease. Hewas fishing for the compliments that Claire was certain hadfollowed him throughout his life. “You’ll do,” she said shortly,refusing to give him the satisfaction of something more. “I doubtanyone would recognize you now.”

But they would remember him. Claire wasbeginning to think that if they wanted to get by unnoticed, shavingoff all that hair was the worst thing they could have done. Lookingas he did now, any red-blooded woman they crossed paths with wouldbe able to describe him thoroughly, right down to those slashingdimples. Ugh! Claire mentally slapped herself.

“I’ll do?”

“You look fine,” sheallowed. “Good, even, and I’m sure you know it. But don’t worrythat I’ll fall in love with you like all the other lasses. You’renot my type.”

“Yer type?”

“You know, like Matt. My husband, Matthew.You saw his picture. You’re, like, his polar opposite.” Clairepictured her husband in her mind, clinging to the image. Indeed,Matt was completely different. He’d been blond, god-like. Alwayslaughing. He was nothing like this dark, brooding Scot except thatthey were both tall and fit. “You might think you’re all that,Hugh, but times have changed. William seemed to like you though,”she added, hoping to shock