After ten restless minutes she ventured out again. The country garden was well lit, and a paved pathway led to rocky cliffs that fell off sharply. Even from where she stood, Janine could hear the sea roaring below. She could smell its salty tang, mixed with the scent of heath. Thrusting her hands into her blazer pockets, Janine strolled along a narrow path into the garden. The night air was cool and she had no intention of walking far, not more than a few hundred feet. She’d return in the morning when she planned to walk as far as the cliffs with their buffeting winds.
The moon was full and so large it seemed to take up the entire sky, sending streaks of silvery light across the horizon. With her arms wrapped aroung her middle, she gazed up at it, certain she’d never felt more peaceful or serene. She closed her eyes, savoring the luxurious silence of the moment.
Suddenly it was broken. “So we meet again,” Zach said from behind her.
“This is getting ridiculous.” Janine turned to him and smiled, her heart beating fast. “Meeting on the moors…”
“It isn’t exactly a tryst,” Zach said.
“Not technically.”
They stood side by side, looking into the night sky, both of them silent. During their meal they’d talked nonstop, but now Janine felt tongue-tied and ill at ease. If they’d been worried about having dinner together, they were placing themselves at even greater risk here in the moonlight.
Janine knew it. Zach knew it. But neither suggested leaving.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Zach said at last, linking his hands behind his back.
“It is, isn’t it?” Janine replied brightly, as if he’d introduced the most stimulating topic of her entire vacation.
“I don’t think we should put any stock in this,” he surprised her by saying next.
“In what?”
“In meeting here, as if we’d arranged a tryst. Of course you’re a beautiful woman and it would be only natural if a man…any red-blooded man were to find himself charmed. I’d blame it on the moonlight, wouldn’t you?”
“Oh, I agree completely. I mean, we’ve been thrust together in a very romantic setting and it would be normal to…find ourselves momentarily…attracted to each other. It doesn’t mean anything, though.”
Zach moved behind her. “You’re right, of course.” He hesitated, then murmured, “You should’ve worn a heavier jacket.” Before she could assure him that she was perfectly comfortable, he ran his hands slowly down the length of her arms, as though to warm her. Unable to restrain herself, Janine sighed and leaned against him, soaking up his warmth and his strength.
“This presents a problem, doesn’t it?” he whispered, his voice husky and close to her ear. “Isn’t moonlight supposed to do something strange to people?”
“I…think it only affects werewolves.”
He chuckled and his breath shot a series of incredible light-as-air sensations along her neck. Janine felt she was about to crumple at his feet. Then his chin brushed the side of her face and she sighed again.
His hands on her shoulders, Zach urged her around so that she faced him, but not for anything would Janine allow her gaze to meet his.
He didn’t say a word.
She didn’t, either.
Janine experienced one worry after another, afraid to voice any of them. Zach apparently felt the same way, because he didn’t seem any more eager to explain things than she did. Or to stop them…
After a moment, Zach pressed his hands over her cheekbones. Leisurely, his thumbs stroked the line of her jaw, her chin. His eyes were dark, his expression unreadable. Janine’s heart was churning over and over, dragging her emotions with it. She swallowed, then moistened her lips.
He seemed to find her mouth mesmerizing. Somewhere deep inside, she discovered the strength to warn him that her grandfather’s plan was working. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a single word, Zach’s arms came around her and drew her close against him. She felt his comforting warmth seep through her, smelled the faint muskiness of his skin. The sensations were unlike anything she’d ever known. Then he lowered his mouth to hers.
The immediate shock of pleasure was almost frightening. She couldn’t keep from trembling.
He drew back slightly. “You’re cold. You should’ve said something.”
“No, that’s not it.” Even her voice was quivering.
“Then what is?”
In response she kissed him back. She hadn’t meant to, but before she could stop herself, she slipped her arms around his neck and slanted her mouth over his.
Zach’s shoulders were heaving when at last she pulled her mouth away and hid her face against his chest.
“What are we doing?” he whispered. He broke hastily away from her.
Janine was too stunned to react. In an effort to hide his effect on her, she rubbed her face as though struggling to wake up from a deep sleep.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” Zach said stiffly.
“You’re telling me,” she returned raggedly. “It certainly wasn’t the smartest move we could’ve made.”
Zach jerked his fingers roughly through his hair and frowned. “I don’t know what came over me. Over us. We both know better.”
“It’s probably because we’re both tired,” Janine said soothingly, offering a convenient excuse. “When you stop to think about it, the whole thing’s perfectly understandable. Gramps arranged for us to meet, hoping something like this would happen. Clearly the power of suggestion is stronger than either of us realized.”
“Clearly.” But he continued to frown.
“Oh, gee,” Janine said glancing at her watch, unable to read the numbers in the dark. Her voice was high and wavering. “Will you look at the time? I can’t believe it’s so late. I really should be getting back inside.”
“Janine, listen. I think we should talk about this.”
“Sure, but not now.” All she wanted was to escape and gather some perspective on what had happened. It had all started so innocently, almost a game, but quickly turned into something far more serious.
“All right, we’ll discuss it in the morning.” Zach didn’t sound pleased. He walked through the garden with her, muttering under his breath. “Damn it!” he said, again shoving his fingers through his hair. “I knew I should never have come here.”
“There’s no need to be so angry. Blame the moonlight. It obviously disrupts the brain and interferes with wave patterns or something.”
“Right,” Zach said, his voice still gruff.
“Well, good night,” Janine managed cheerfully when they reached the staircase.
“Good night.” Zach’s tone was equally nonchalant.
Once Janine was in her room, she threw herself on the bed and covered her eyes with one hand. Oh, no, she lamented silently. They’d crossed the line. Tempted fate. Spit in the eye of common sense.
They’d kissed.
Several minutes later, still shaking, Janine got up and undressed. She slid under the blankets and tried to find a relaxing position. But she didn’t feel like sleeping. Tomorrow she’d have to make polite conversation with Zach and she didn’t know if she could bear it. She was sure he’d feel just as uncomfortable with her. She’d seen how he could barely look at her when they entered the inn.
Tossing aside the blankets, Janine decided she had only one option. She’d leave Scotland, the sooner the better. Grabbing the phone, she called the airport, booked a seat on the earliest flight home and immediately set about packing her bags.
Not bothering to even try to sleep, she crept down the stairs a little before midnight and checked out.
“You’re leaving sooner than you expected, aren’t you, Miss Hartman?” the night manager asked after calling for a cab.
“Yes,” she said.
“I hope everything was satisfactory?”
“It was wonderful.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her purse and placed it on the counter. “Would you see to it that Mr. Thomas receives
this in the morning?”
“Of course.” The young man tucked it in a small cubbyhole behind him.
Satisfied that Zach would know she was leaving and wouldn’t be concerned by her hurried return to Seattle, she sat in a chair in the small lobby to wait for her cab.
About fifteen minutes later, Janine watched silently as the cabdriver stowed her luggage in the trunk. She paused before climbing in the backseat of the car and glanced one last time at the muted moonlit landscape, disappointed that she wouldn’t have an opportunity to visit the cliffs.
The ride to the airport seemed to take an eternity. She felt a burning sense of regret at leaving Scotland. She’d fallen in love with the country during her short visit and hoped someday to return. Although the memory of her evening stroll through the garden would always bring with it a certain chagrin, she couldn’t completely regret that time with Zach. In fact, she’d always remember the fleeting sense of contentment she’d felt in his arms.
Janine arrived at the airport long before her flight was scheduled to leave. She spent an hour drinking coffee and leafing through fashion magazines, several of which she took with her to give to Pam later.
A cup of coffee in one hand, she approached the airline counter with her passport in the other. The bag she had draped over her shoulder accidentally collided with the man standing next to her. An automatic apology formed on her lips, but before she could voice it, that same man turned to face her.
“Zach,” she cried, nearly dropping her coffee in shock. “What are you doing here?”
Five
“You think this is intentional, don’t you?” Zach demanded. “It’s obvious you’re the one running after me. You found the note I slipped under your door and—”
“I checked out just before midnight so I couldn’t possibly have read your note,” she said angrily. “And furthermore I left a message for you.”
“I didn’t get it.”
“Then there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“To say the least,” Zach muttered. “A misunderstanding…” His tone was doubtful, as if he suspected she’d purposely arranged to fly home with him. She launched into an indignant protest.
“Excuse me, please.”
The interruption was from a uniformed airline employee who was leaning over the counter and waving in an effort to gain their attention.
“May I have your ticket and passport?” she asked Janine. “You’re holding up the line.”
“Of course. I’m sorry.” The best thing to do, she decided, was to ignore Zach completely. Just because they were booked on the same flight didn’t mean they had to have anything to do with each other. Evidently they’d both panicked after their encounter in the garden. He was as eager to escape as she was.
Okay, so she’d ignore him and he’d ignore her. She’d return to her life, and he’d return to his. From this point forward, they need never have contact with each other again. Then they’d both be satisfied.
The airline clerk punched something into her computer. “I can give you your seat assignment now,” she remarked, concentrating on the screen.
Standing on tiptoe, Janine leaned toward the woman and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Could you make sure I’m as far from Mr. Thomas’s seat as possible?”
“This flight is booked solid,” the attendant said impaiently. “The only reason you and your…friend were able to get seats was because of a last-minute cancellation. I’ll do the best I can, but I can’t rearrange everyone’s seat assignments just before the flight.”
“I understand,” Janine said, feeling foolish and petty. But the way her luck had been going, Zach would end up in the seat beside hers, believing she’d purposely arranged that, too.
They boarded the flight separately; in fact, Zach was one of the last passengers to step onto the plane.
By that time, Janine was settled in the second row of the first-class section, flipping through the in-flight magazine. Zach strolled past her, intent on the boarding pass clutched in his hand.
Pretending she hadn’t seen him seemed the best tactic, and she turned to gaze out the window.
“It seems I’m sitting here,” Zach announced brusquely, loading his carry-on luggage in the compartment above the seats.
Janine had to bite her tongue to keep from insisting she’d had nothing to do with that. She’d even tried to prevent it, but she doubted Zach would believe her.
“Before you claim otherwise, I want you to know I didn’t arrange this,” he said, sitting down beside her.
“I know that.”
“You do?”
“Of course,” Janine told him. “The fates are against us. I don’t know how my grandfather arranged our meeting at the airport or the adjoining seats, any more than I know why I stumbled on you my first day at the Bonnie Inn. We might never have crossed paths. But somehow, some way, Gramps is responsible.” That didn’t sound entirely reasonable, but she thought it best not to mention their stroll in the moonlight.
“So you’re not ready to unleash the full force of your anger on me?”
“I don’t see how I can be upset with you—or the reverse. Neither of us asked for this.”
“Exactly.”
Janine yawned loudly and covered her mouth. “Excuse me. I didn’t sleep last night and now it’s catching up with me.”
Her yawn was contagous and soon Zach’s hand was warding off his own admission of drowsiness. The flight attendant came by with coffee, which both Zach and Janine declined.
“Frankly, I’d be more interested in a pillow,” Janine said, yawning again. The attendant handed her one, as well as a blanket, then offered the same to Zach. He refused both, intending to work on some papers he’d withdrawn from his briefcase. The minute the plane was safely in the air, Janine laid her head back and closed her eyes. Almost immediately she felt herself drifting into a peaceful slumber.
She stirred twice in the long hours that followed, but both times a gentle voice soothed her back to sleep. Sighing, she snuggled into the warmth, feeling more comfortable than she had in weeks.
She began to dream and could see herself walking across the moors, wearing traditional Scottish dress, while bagpipes wailed in the background.
Then, on the crest of a hill, Zach appeared, dressed in a Black Watch kilt and tam-o’-shanter; a set of bagpipes was draped over his shoulder. Their eyes met and the music ceased. Then, out of nowhere, her grandfather appeared, standing halfway between the two of them, looking distinctly pleased. He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted to Janine. “Is this romance?”
“Yes,” she shouted back.
“What else do you need?”
“Love.”
“Love,” Gramps repeated. He turned to Zach, apparently seeking some kind of assistance.
Zach started fiddling with his bagpipes, avoiding the question. He scowled as he concentrated on his task.
“Look at the pair of you,” Gramps called. “You’re perfect together. Zach, when are you going to wake up and realize what a wonderful girl my Janine is?”
“If I do get married, you can be sure I’ll choose my own bride,” Zach hollered.
“And I’d prefer to pick out my own husband!”
“You’re falling in love with Zach!” Gramps declared, obviously elated.
“I—I—” Janine was so flustered she couldn’t complete her thought, which only served to please her grandfather more.
“Look at her, boy,” Gramps directed his attention to Zach again. “See how lovely she is. And think of what beautiful children you’ll have.”
“Gramps! Enough about babies! I’m not marrying Zach!”
“Janine.” Zach’s voice echoed in her ear.
“Keep out of this,” she cried. He was the last person she wanted to hear from.
“You’re having a dream.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Zach’s face close to her own, her head nestled against his chest. “Oh…” she mumbled, bolting upright
. “Oh, dear…I am sorry. I didn’t realize I was leaning on you.”
“I hated to wake you, but you seemed to be having a nightmare.”
She blinked and tried to focus on him, but it was difficult, and to complicate matters her eyes started to water. She wiped her face with one sleeve. Then, straightening, she removed the pillow from behind her back and folded the blanket, trying to disguise how badly her hands were trembling.
“You’re worried about what happened after dinner last night, aren’t you?”
Janine released a pent-up breath and smiled brightly as she lied. “Nothing really happened.”
“In the garden, when we kissed. Listen,” Zach said in a low voice, glancing quickly around to ensure that no one could overhear their conversation, “I think it’s time we talked about last night.”
“I…You’re right, of course.” She didn’t feel up to this, but she supposed it was best dealt with before she had to face her grandfather.
“Egos aside.”
“By all means,” Janine agreed. She braced herself, not knowing what to expect. Zach had made his views on the idea of an arranged marriage plain from the first; so had she. In fact, even her feelings about a marriage based on love weren’t all that positive at the moment. Brian had taught her a valuable lesson, a painful lesson, one she wouldn’t easily forget. She’d given him her heart and her trust, and he’d betrayed both. Falling in love had been the most shattering experience of her life, and she had no intention of repeating it anytime soon.
“I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit how nice kissing you was,” Zach said, “but I wish it had never happened. It created more problems than it solved.”
Janine wasn’t exactly flattered by his remark. Keeping egos out of this was harder than it sounded, she thought ruefully. Her expression must have revealed her thoughts because Zach elaborated. “Before I arrived in Scotland, we hardly knew each other. We met that first afternoon over lunch—with Anton—and talked a couple of times, but basically we were strangers.”
“We had dinner one night,” Janine reminded him, annoyed that he could so casually dismiss it.