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

enjoy the chance to engage in an innocent flirtationwi’ ye.” His thumb slipped between her fingers and slid across thecenter of her palm. The calloused pad chafed lightly, leaving atingling warmth trailing behind the caress, and Claire repressed ashiver, pulling her hand away.

“I think your definition of ‘innocent’ andmine might be vastly different.”

“Indeed? Innocent words can describe yerbeauty. Like how I wonder if yer skin is as soft and silky as itlooks and how I long tae touch ye, how I love tae see yer blushcreeping up yer cheeks and I wonder at the thoughts that prompt yerpulse tae quiver just here.” As if having the full force of Hugh’shusky brogue turned on her hadn’t been enough, he traced a linedown the side of her neck, sending that pulse skyrocketing andClaire’s head spinning. “Ahh, ’tis as soft as I imagined,” hewhispered, his eyes dark with desire.

Claire fell back in her chair and graspedthe handle of her beer mug once more, eager to cool the fire thatwas building inside of her. “God, you’re good. I’d hate to see whatyou can do when you have a vested interest.”

“Who says I dinnae?” Hugh asked, andClaire’s gaze clashed with his, wondering at his words and what sheread in his eyes.

It was the same look he had given her on thestreet. It wasn’t playful flirtation there but compelling seductionthat enticed her to cast her caution and fears aside. Theirattraction was a mutual one, she knew that, but she had thought itto be a casual one, at least from Hugh’s perspective. Just athis-leads-to-that sort of thing that he had downplayed as anythingmore powerful with his invitation for light flirtation. But unlessshe truly was verging on nunhood, that wasn’t simply wanton desireshe saw in his eyes. It was hunger. The kind that demanded total,soul-baring surrender.

It was thrilling andterrifying at the same time, and Claire was once again aboard herproverbial ship at sea, tossing and tipping. A part of her wantedto ride out the storm, while the other part demanded that sheabandon ship immediately.

An image flashed through her mind from anold movie she had seen once where the people aboard a ship lashedthemselves to the masts during a storm to avoid being sweptoverboard, and Claire mentally did the same. In laying out theterms of their flirtation, she had committed to taking a leap intothe unknown, not the leap overboard. She needed this challenge iffor no other reason than to force a change in her life, and she wasgoing to brave it even if she had to mentally tie herself down forit.

Chapter 24

Thankfully, their food arrived—again withunusual speed—to break the thoughtful mood, and Becky, accompaniedby a pair of helpers—each one predictably female—set cutting boardsand mallets in front of Claire and Hugh and arranged a plate ofskewered salmon and halibut and another of little cups of meltedbutter and lemon slices at one end of the table before dumping outa large bowl of Dungeness crab, snow crab, clams, mussels, oysters,shrimp, Andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes ontothe thick white paper that served as their tablecloth. The bowl anda roll of paper towels found a home on the other end of thetable.

The delicious scent of the hot seafoodfilled the air, and, eyes closed, Claire leaned forward to sniffappreciatively. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation of the carnagethat was about to take place. Fingers curling around the mallet,Claire opened her eyes to find Hugh staring at her, aghast.

“What is this?”

Claire frowned, looking to the food and backat Hugh. “Dinner.” She pointed with the mallet here and there,listing, “Clams, oysters, mussels …”

“I know what they are,” hesaid with some exasperation. “But tae simply shovel it upon the table so! Whatare we … Do ye truly expect me tae use this?” He picked up thewooden mallet as if it were something foreign.

“And these.” Claire lifted her hands,spreading them wide and wiggling her fingers. Hugh’s expressionwent from shocked to appalled, and Claire couldn’t help thelaughter that bubbled up and spilled over. “Oh, come on, Hugh! It’sfun! I wouldn’t think you would mind.”

“Ye think yers is the only culture taeemploy a fork?” he asked, eyeing the feast apprehensively. “It doessmell most appetizing, though.”

“It is,” Claire said, then smiled deviously.“Wait! We’re forgetting something.” Taking a small, plastic-wrappedpackage off the table, Claire rose and walked around behind Hugh.Within seconds, Hugh’s expression was beyond priceless as he staredup at her in horror.

“I willnae!” Claire burst out laughing asHugh tore the plastic bib she’d just tied around his neck off andcrumbled it in his hand. “I am nae some wee bairn tae be needingsuch a thing!”

Forcing her lungs to draw in air, Clairefought for breath as she continued to laugh. Eyes dancing, sheopened her own bib and tied it on, smoothing the red and whiteprinted plastic over her chest before picking up a snow crab legand expertly cracking it on first one side and then the other.Pulling it apart, Claire popped the long piece of crabmeat into hermouth and smiled brightly. “You’ll ruin your sweater,” she warnedwhen Hugh followed suit.

“I might rather do so than look so foolish,”he said, taking up the skewered salmon and pulling a piece of fishoff the wooden stick carefully before putting it in his mouth.

Eyes still dancing merrily, Claire signaledto Becky, who was still lingering nearby, and the waitressapproached instantly. “Becky, you forgot our forks. Could you bringus a couple?”

The waitress nodded and dashed off, and Hughstared at Claire incredulously. “Ye knew there were tae beutensils?”

“Of course, you silly thing,” she saidcheerfully as she squeezed a few lemon wedges over the pile offood. “You can’t eat potatoes or get the clams out of their shellswithout a fork, you know.”

Hugh scowled at Sorcha, whose attention wasfirmly focused on shelling the shrimp in her hands, an amused smilestill playing at her lips. The angry expression was merely forshow, and he suspected that Sorcha knew that. But he did so enjoyher propensity to tease and provoke.

Unless she was provoking him in far morestimulating ways.

“Another of those moments I spoke