Only because it was illegal for human males and female dragon-shifters to mate had he kept his feelings about Lorna a secret and delayed his plans to pursue her. Well, secret might not be the right word. But if the laws had been different, he would’ve coaxed a kiss from the fiery woman the day he’d learned his cancer was gone.
And yet, with the recent mating on the telly between a female dragon-shifter named Nikki Gray and a human male named Rafe Hartley, Ross was starting to think he might have a chance with Lorna MacKenzie.
Right, Anderson. The longer you put it off, the greater the chance someone else will steal her away. As it were, he was surprised Lorna didn’t have a horde of men after her. Probably because the bloody woman only seemed concerned with taking care of everyone else and never herself.
That would soon change if Ross had anything to say about it. After Lorna helping him for so many months, he wanted to repay the favor and then some.
Just thinking of holding Lorna close and kissing her caused heat to rush through his body. He’d spent many a night dreaming of the woman.
It was time to make those dreams a reality.
He just needed to think of a plan. Sitting in the chair in the front room, Ross tried to think of how to get some alone time with the dragonwoman when he spotted Lorna walking away on the arm of a tall man through the window. The man turned his head with a smile. The bloke was too old and gray to be her son.
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While Ross didn’t know everyone on Lochguard as well as most, he couldn’t recall ever seeing the man.
His heart skipped a beat. Maybe he’d been a daft fool and waited too long after all.
No. He wasn’t about to give up until he knew more. The other man leaning down to smile at Lorna might be a friend or even a relative. Ross wouldn’t think the worst.
He would find a way to be alone with Lorna this evening and find out all he could. If there was even a sliver of a chance, Ross would pull out all the stops to convince the stubborn woman to give him a chance.
Lorna had spent decades raising her children and looking out for them. With them all grown, it was high time she had some pleasure for herself. And Ross was going to be the one to give it to her.
Chapter Two
A silence lulled as Lorna walked with Stuart MacKay and she decided she was done with pleasantries. “Why did you volunteer to come to Lochguard?”
Stuart raised his brows. “You don’t want peace between our clans?”
“Aye, of course I do. However, Fergus and Finn are in charge of the negotiations, not me. I want to know why you wanted to see me specifically.”
He winked. “You always did get straight to the point.”
“Of course. It saves a lot of time. Clan leaders would get twice as much done if they only spoke their minds.” She pulled gently on his arm. “So, why?”
Stuart looked to Fergus slightly ahead of them and back to her. He leaned down to whisper into her ear, “We were friends once, Lorna. I’d like to be friends again. So when I heard my brother was looking for a go-between for Lochguard, I volunteered.” He leaned closer and his hot breath tickled her ear. “As far as I hear it, you’re unattached.”
Not caring if Fergus heard or not, she replied, “That isn’t any of your bloody business.”
“Ah, so there is someone.”
She hesitated. Ross had come close to kissing her a few times during his stay on Lochguard, but he had never seen it through. Every time she’d accepted that they’d only be friends, the blasted male would take her hand, and a sizzle would travel up her spine, confusing her.
Her beast spoke up. There’s nothing saying you can’t be the one to kiss him. Times are different now.
Ignoring her dragon, she tried to think of how to reply to Stuart’s supposition. She could say yes and drive him away. On the other hand, if Ross fancied someone else, it would be nice to have someone to talk to. After all, she and Stuart had been close once.
She wanted to slap her cheeks. For nearly thirty years, she’d never once thought about pursuing another male. And yet there she was, thinking about two in a day.
Goodness gracious, she wasn’t much better than a teenager.
Clearing her throat, she answered, “You focus on your meeting and negotiations and we can talk later.”
Determination flashed in Stuart’s eyes. Maybe he’d taken it as encouragement.
Stuart nodded. “I look forward to that.”