And just like that, something inside Callum, something he’d thought long dead, snapped into action.
“Damn it to hell!”
He shot a one-fingered salute at the camera and then lunged for the door.
Isobel turned away from the old house, torn between feeling relief and disappointment that the Arness Outlaw wasn’t home. It was probably for the best. She’d been going over what to say all the way to his house, which was a fair walk along the bluff from her place, and she still hadn’t come up with a way to casually mention the dead man in her freezer.
“What do you want?”
The sudden, terse words made Isobel squeak and trip over her own feet. She righted herself fast, and spun to find Callum McKay standing in his open doorway. And just like that, her mind emptied of all rational thought.
“Well?” The word rumbled out of him in a menacing growl.
Isobel looked up. And up. She almost had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. At just over five foot, Isobel was used to looking up at people. What she wasn’t used to, was feeling so incredibly vulnerable while she did it.
With his arms folded over his tight grey T-shirt, making his already oversized shoulders bulge, Callum looked like everything the villagers whispered about him—outlaw, bad boy, marauder, stealer of virtue…
“You going to talk, or just stare at me?” Even his voice was pure, rough whisky.
Isobel blinked a couple of times, trying to pull herself out of the daze he’d put her in. The cloak of danger hung heavily on him. He was a man who was used to being the strongest, meanest threat around. Isobel wasn’t sure if knowing that made her want to run from him or to him.
She licked her very dry lips and forced out some words. “You’re Callum McKay.”
She fought the urge to cringe. For an opening line, it wasn’t that impressive. But what else could she say? You’re the sexiest, most terrifying man I’ve ever met and I think I just ovulated from being in your presence. Oh, and by the way, there’s a dead man in my freezer.
His eyes narrowed, drawing her attention to the harsh planes of his face. He’d been chiselled out of granite, and the sculptor had been too intimidated by the result to polish him. Callum was all rough edges and solid power. And he was waiting for her to say something else.
“I’m Isobel Sinclair.”
He frowned. “I know that. What I don’t know is what you want.”
To be naked and at your mercy?
Isobel smacked her palm over her mouth, before she realised she hadn’t said the words aloud. Her face began to burn, and she actually considered running from Callum and taking her chances with the police.
She peeled her fingers from her mouth one at a time and tried to smile. She was pretty sure it only made her look more manic. Casual, she told herself, be casual. You can do this.
“So, I hear you were in the army?”
Oh, that was not the right thing to say. If Callum was scary before, he was downright terrifying now. Every muscle in his body turned to steel and his eyes became glacial.
“Where did you hear that?”
Isobel swallowed hard. “A-around.”
“And what’s it to you?”
Isobel took a step back and felt a bush poke into her rear. It hurt, but she didn’t step forward again. “J-just being friendly. Neighbourly. You’ve been here a few months and I-I thought I should welcome you…s-seeing as you’re here alone…and you…you know…don’t go out much.” Her face was burning up now, and with every tiny lie she told, her stutter got worse. In desperation, she reached for something to say that was truth. “I live along the bluff.” She pointed in the direction of her house. “On a clear day, I can see Ireland from my house.”
Kill me now!
Callum stared at her as though he was trying to figure out a puzzle. Isobel started to back up again before she remembered she was already in the bush. The silence became so heavy that it was hard to breathe.
“Did you see any conflict?” she blurted. “In the army, I mean. Y-you must have seen some interesting things. I’ve a-always been really i-interested in guns and other a-army stuff. Tanks! T-tanks are especially c-cool. And big. Tanks are big. And don’t have any w-windows. I-I’ve always w-wondered how the s-soldier could see to drive…w-without windows…in a tank…with tank-sized g-guns. You must know a lot about g-guns. A-and tanks. A-and…” she cast around for anything at all she could remember about the army. Anything! “And c-camouflage…” Honestly, it took all her self-control not to groan loudly and run away as fast as her legs could carry her.
Callum didn’t move, didn’t speak—he only watched her as she dug her hole deeper with every word.
“I-I hear there are d-different types of camouflage f-for different environments.”