Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

“I wouldn’t call it feisty, I would call it not wanting any company tonight, and you are beginning to annoy me.” She eyed him coldly. “I don’t think that is what you came over here to do.”

“Oh-ho then, what—canna ye not give a man a break? Just wanting to keep ye entertained while ye enjoy your dinner …” He reached over to take one of her chips.

She slapped his hand and rose to her feet. “Don’t want your entertainment. What I do want is for you to leave me in peace …”

“Or what, little lady, or what?” He was chuckling, but there was no humor in it. His friends had told him he would be shot down, and they were watching. He got unsteadily to his feet and made a grab for her arm, “Now listen, ye could play nice…”

A low but strong male voice at his back answered, “Or what is not a question ye want to ask of me.” A hand came down on the young man’s shoulder and squeezed. “What I think ye be wanting is to leave the lady in peace as she asked and return to yer friends, and ye want to do that right now, because the lady is with me, and ye wouldn’t want it said ye were trying to move in on another man’s woman, now would ye, lad?”

The lanky Scotsman looked around and up. He was already terrorized by the incredibly strong grip on his shoulder—a grip he thought was about to crush bone at any moment. Then he saw the grip belonged to Chase MacAdams. No one in the village really knew Chase MacAdams personally, but everyone knew who he was.

At six-foot-something and all muscle, Chase stood in a black silk shirt and black jeans—an imposing figure with his gold eyes grim and his black hair slicked back and tied at the

nape of his neck. Roxie felt a shiver of attraction as she watched him.

The ‘lad’, as Chase had called him, pushed away with his hands outstretched comically in his rush to leave. He was himself six foot and was astonished to find the man towering above him was so much taller. “Didn’t know she was taken …” He shrugged nonchalantly and then tried a smile over his shoulder as he left. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”

Chase gave him a half smile and pulled up the discarded chair, setting it in place against the wall. He then motioned for Roxie to be seated again, which she thankfully did with a sigh. She was, in fact, very much impressed with the way he had conducted himself and handled the situation. She didn’t want to be impressed, though—she was quite used to taking care of herself.

Once more a shiver raced through her blood and told her brain that this was a serious hunk. However, she didn’t want to get involved with Chase MacAdams … not on that level. She was here to do a job … get it done and step back from him. She wasn’t going to allow herself to get romantically entangled with a hybrid. Nooo, no way.

He sat not opposite her but next to her so they both had the wall to their backs and a view of the entire pub ahead of them. He also reached for one of her chips, and this time she allowed it with a welcoming smile. She moved her chair slightly so she could look at him fully.

“Thank you, but you know … I could have handled him,” she said. “He was really harmless … and I am not sure I like the fact that now the rumor will go around the village that the new gatekeeper at MacAdams Retreat is also his woman. Kinda cramps my style.” She eyed him mischievously.

He laughed. “As to cramping yer style, m’lovely, I think ye were doing a good job of that on yer own.”

Damn, but his Scottish-accented voice was mesmerizingly low, husky, and so very damned sexy. No, not sexy, but lusty, so damned lusty; sexy was not enough of a word to describe the feral tones that swept over her and made her want to lean in closer and catch every word he said.

It was more than his ‘eye candy, let me lick you all over’ looks. It was his style, which oozed sex appeal and more. Something in the way he moved, talked, and eyed a woman (her at the moment) told her—hell, promised her—that he would take her to heights never reached before and that she would be pleasured beyond belief at his hands.

Roxie conceded with a smile, “I suppose you could look at it that way, but tonight all I wanted was dinner.” She shrugged. “I didn’t have a chance to pick up any groceries today for the gatehouse.”

“What did ye do then all afternoon?” He grinned.

“I cleaned and dusted and bought some sheets and towels and a coffee maker as there wasn’t one, and I arranged for Internet service—”

“Right then.” He held up his hands and laughed. “I get it, woman—ye were busy.”

A waitress arrived then, and it was obvious the waitress knew him well—very well. She was a pretty woman, no more than twenty or so, with short auburn hair and bright eyes. She nudged him with her hip.

Roxie noted that the young waitress shot her a once-over glance and had that jealous look going on. She wondered how ‘involved’ Chase was with the pretty.

“Well then, love,” the waitress said. “What will ye be having tonight?”

He brazenly, openly stroked the hip she rubbed against his shoulder and allowed his hand to slide downwards and pat her ass. And Roxie had her answer.

“Anna—what will I be having then? Now, sweet … ye would know the answer to that, wouldn’t ye?” He flirted openly in front of Roxie, and she had the feeling he was doing it for a reason. What? Did he want to show her he was the ‘playboy type’?

Satisfied with his answer, ‘Anna’ sent a superior look to Roxie and said, “The midnight special?”

He laughed out loud. “Oh, I have enjoyed that often enough, haven’t I, but sadly, Anna, not tonight—tonight I’ll just have …” He looked at Roxie and then her plate and said, “what Miss Roxie is having.”

Anna didn’t seem pleased with this, but she turned and walked off, flirting loudly with what were obviously the regulars as she passed them.

At that juncture a draft of cold air made its way into the pub as the doors opened and a group of four young women entered, hefting musical instruments. It wasn’t long before they had set up in a corner and started playing, their voices rising in harmony.

Chase made idle conversation with Roxie as she nibbled at her food. His conversation consisted of simple pleasantries, not really interesting enough to hold her spellbound, and yet she found difficult to look away from him, which was what she wanted to do. She shouldn’t keep staring at his mouth …