Chapter One

Alex

I lie here in this bed, in a posh hotel suite in a strange town, and wonder why I keep seducing women whose names I don’t care to learn and who I never intend to see again. Oh, I know why. It’s because I’m a bastard. I can’t risk getting to know anyone too well, which means I will never allow myself to become embroiled in any sort of romantic relationship, whether I want that or not. My desires are irrelevant. So I roll onto my side and slap the hip of the anonymous American woman lying naked beside me. “Time for me to go, pet.”

She pouts. “Stay a little longer, or even for the night. This was so much fun.”

“Yes, but I’m tired of you now. Sorry, darling, it’s time to say good night.”

This woman has a fantastic body and an insatiable hunger for sex, but I do not want to fuck her again. She kept shouting, “I love your dick, I love your dick!” What a bloody stupid phrase to repeat over and over during sex. I realized the moment I saw her in the hotel bar that she has the IQ and temperament of a chihuahua, but I hadn’t chosen her for my fling because I wanted to plumb the depths of her soul. I needed a good shag, that’s all. I wish I could meet an intelligent, beautiful, sweet woman who arouses not only my lust, but also my curiosity. I can’t search for a soul mate, though, if that sort of thing even exists. I cannot get involved with anyone. No girlfriends, no mates, no ties whatsoever. Only two people in all the world know the real me—not Dr. Alex Thorne, professor of archaeology, but the lost boy who still hides inside that persona.

“You’re gorgeous,” my bedmate purrs. “But why does a hot British guy live in New Mexico?”

“None of your business, pet.” I slide off the bed and start reassembling my clothes. “You don’t need to know anything about me, and vice versa.”

She crawls across the bed toward me, apparently assuming I can’t resist her naked body. She’s wrong.

I pull my shoes on, check that my wallet is still inside my trouser pocket, and march out the door without glancing back. Why did I choose that woman for tonight’s lover? Because I know I can never care for a pouting sex kitten like her. She’s probably married to a geriatric multimillionaire. I walk at a brisk pace as I head for my car, which I’d parked two blocks from the hotel. Yes, I might also have hired a car for this occasion, strictly to make it harder for anyone to track me. Privacy matters to me, more so than for most people.

I return the car to the rental agency and drive my personal vehicle for the rest of the two-hour trip to my home.

Do I sleep well? No. But that’s a frequent problem for me. I awaken in the morning feeling less than enthused about the day ahead, because classes begin this morning. I’m destined to spend the day lecturing to students who would rather be playing video games or shagging in their dorm rooms. As much as I look forward to my new job as an associate professor of archaeology and ancient history at Ballesteros University, I always feel a bit exposed whenever I need to speak in public. I’m not shy, but I have reasons for this anxiety. It’s only a twinge, anyway. Hardly anything at all.

I go to my office to get situated, but once I’ve finished, I realize I still have thirty minutes before my first class begins. What should I do? Sit here in my office fiddling with pens and pencils? My gaze shifts to the window and the sunshine outside. Fresh air sounds good.

So I grab a book—the text I’ll be teaching from today—and make my way to the quad and one of the benches I find there, under a tree that shades me from the heat of the sun. Sitting down, I lay the textbook on my lap and begin to browse the chapters. Yes, all right, maybe I should have read the text before today, but honestly, I know more about archaeology than the stuffed shirts who wrote this book. Still, I dutifully skim the pages. And I groan. I could’ve written a better book than this when I was a teenager.

Movement peripherally catches my attention, and I glance up.

A beautiful girl hovers a few yards away, clutching a spiral-bound notebook to her chest. A rucksack hangs over one shoulder, but it’s not her academic paraphernalia that seizes my attention. She has the loveliest face I’ve ever seen, with blue eyes as pale as glacial ice and cinnamon hair that complements her creamy complexion. I love the faint pinkness of her cheeks, which seems natural rather than cosmetic. Her thick hair tumbles over her shoulders and nearly reaches her full breasts. I can’t see those mounds, but I can imagine what they might look like.

She’s a student. I should not be fantasizing about her naked body.

I can’t help it. My lips curve up a touch, and like a moron, I wave at her. “Hello there.”

The girl smiles shyly.

“You must be new here,” I say. “You have that slightly dazed look about you.”

She nods.

Her shyness makes me want to pull her into my arms and kiss her. Unlike the woman I’d shagged last night, this girl does not shamelessly flirt with me or devour my body with her gaze. She just stands there, seeming uncomfortable yet curious. She is a breath of fresh air, and I want to inhale every bit of her sweetness.

I close my book and shimmy sideways to make room. Then I pat the bench beside me. “Have a seat. Maybe I can help you with that confusion.”

She bites her lip.

Can’t stop myself. I grin at the adorable girl.

And she finally shambles over to the bench to sit down beside me.

I offer her my hand. “I’m Alex Thorne.”

The girl slips her hand into mine. “Catriona MacTaggart. I just moved here from Scotland. To get my PhD.”

“Ah, a grad student.” I can’t make myself release her hand because I love the feel of her soft, warm palm clasped to mine. “What department are you in?”

Catriona hesitates. “Archaeology.”

Did she think I’d be disappointed by that fact? I can’t resist moving my thumb over her skin in slow circles. “Me too. But I’m not your adviser, that I’m sure of. I’d remember being assigned a Scots student.”

“No, you’re not my adviser. I haven’t met her yet.”

“Just set foot on campus, have you?”

“Aye.”

I smile again, enchanted by the angel beside me. “I do love the way Scots speak. Your accent is lovely.”

“I like yours too.”

Her eyes widen briefly, as if she thinks she’s made an egregious error in etiquette. If she knew me, she wouldn’t worry about rubbish like propriety. Not sure I want her to experience my world, though. She’s perfect, just as she is.

And I am toxic.

“Thank you,” I say in response to her statement. Then I tip my head to the side to study her and imagine what it would feel like to kiss her sensuous lips. “I hope we’ll see each other again sometime. Even though I’m not your adviser, feel free to stop by my office anytime.”

“I appreciate that.” She pulls her hand free of mine and gets up. “I need to go, or I’ll be late for my first meeting with my adviser.”

“Good luck, Catriona.”

She gives me another sweet little smile, then walks away.

But she glances back at me several times before she disappears from view.

That lass wants me. I want her too, but getting involved with any woman is too dangerous. Dating a student probably wouldn’t violate the university’s ethics rules, since Catriona is a graduate student. So I could ask her out, strictly to discover if we have as much chemistry as I think we do. No, I cannot do that. Stay away from the bonnie Scots lass, you sodding arse.

Being with me would stain her sweet soul.

My morning goes the way I’d thought. I attempt to force-feed education to students who can’t stop chatting to each other. I resign myself to having only half the class, at most, listening to my lecture. At lunch, I grab food from the cafeteria and eat in my office with the door closed and locked. If students want to confer with me, they’ll have to wait until another day. In the afternoon, I make my way to a different lecture hall to give another lesson, but this time, I have a room full of fourth-year students who seem more inclined to pay attention.

A miracle, for sure.

In the middle of my lecture about ancient Rome, I glance around the cavernous hall to make eye contact with some of the students. Most of them I can’t see because they’re in the back, too far away from me. I’m surprised I have a full house for this lecture. But I only consider that thought for half a second. Then my attention veers to a familiar face.

Catriona MacTaggart stands near the open door, at the top of the sloping floor.

Our gazes collide. I can’t look away from her, and I realize I’ve stopped speaking. Even when I return to my lecture, I can’t look away from Catriona, and she gazes right back at me as if she can’t look away either. The lass who loves my accent seems entranced, but I don’t think it’s because of the subject matter. She has hypnotized me, and I know I will need to speak to her again, soon, if only to hear her lovely voice again.

No, I will not do that. Never again will I speak to her.

My resolve lasts only until the students vacate the hall. I see Catriona lingering by the open door as if she’s waiting for me. I could exit via the other set of doors on the opposite side of the hall, but that would make me a bleeding coward. Walking past the Scots lass won’t be difficult at all. If she tries to grab me, I will overpower her.

Oh, bloody hell. Now I’m afraid a woman will assault me because she’s so desperately attracted to me. Even I’m not that arrogant.

I nod to Catriona as I pass her. She says nothing. But just as I turn to head down the corridor, I hear her voice.

“Dr. Thorne?”

I haltingly turn toward her and affect an air of casual interest. “Yes, Ms. MacTaggart?”

“Please call me Catriona.” She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin. “You said I could come to your office anytime.”

Oh, fuck. I’d also said I hoped I would see her again. When did I develop loose lips? Mine have always been tightly sealed. But if I tell her to go away… Nothing bad will happen. Yes, I should tell her to bugger off. Those aren’t the words that come out of my mouth, though.

“My office is on the second floor,” I tell her. “We can talk while we walk.”

Catriona smiles. “Thank you, Dr. Thorne.”

I start down the corridor with Catriona beside me, and she keeps smiling in the sweetest way.

Oh yes, I am doomed.

Chapter Two

Catriona

Alex Thorne is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, and I get a flutter in my tummy every time I see him. I’ve only seen him twice, but the fluttering happened on both occasions. He makes me feel like a teenage virgin, which inspires my mouth to say silly things and my body to behave like a shy schoolgirl. What must Alex think of me? I’ve acted like an eejit. Maybe he wears pheromone cologne so he can seduce lasses more easily.

As we walk up the stairs toward the second floor, I can’t help noticing his body. He clearly has muscles under his dress shirt and trousers. Since I’d gazed into his eyes while we had our wee conversation on that bench in the quad, I know he has gorgeous brown eyes that seem almost the same shade as his hair. Whenever he smiles, a tingly sensation sweeps over my skin, and I suddenly can’t piece together a single word. How could any woman stay coherent in his presence? Alex reminds me of a Michelangelo statue, the picture of masculine beauty and angelic grace.

I wonder if his, um, private parts resemble the statue of David.

Oh, for heaven’s sake. I am a grown woman, not a bairn, and a PhD student too. It’s time I stop gawping at Alex.

He leads me into his office and sits down behind the desk, then gestures for me to take one of the chairs in front of him. The sunlight streaming through the windows paints his features in shades of gold, accentuating his full lips. What would it feel like if he kissed me? I’d wager he knows how to kiss a woman, not like the lads back home who can’t figure out what to do with their tongues.

I’m sure Alex knows exactly what to do with his tongue.

“Catriona?” he says. “Are you all right?”

“What? Oh, aye.” Settling onto my chair, I set my rucksack on the floor and fold my hands on my lap. “This is a nice office.”

Maybe if I’d tried harder, I could’ve said something even stupider.

“Thank you.” His lips kink up at one corner. “I’ve never been complimented on my office before.”

“Well, I, um—” Haud yer wheesht, ye eejit.

Alex relaxes against his chair and raises his brows. “What did you want to discuss with me?”

“I’m bothering you. Aren’t I, Dr. Thorne?”

“Not at all. And please call me Alex.” He gives me a wry smile. “Dr. Thorne sounds like the name of a Victorian arse.”

“I think it’s a sexy name.” Why the bloody hell did I say that? Maybe I should ask him for a roll of tape so I can seal my stupid lips.

“Sexy?” he says while smiling even more. His eyes twinkle in the sunlight. “Well, that name is beginning to grow on me. But I’d still rather you called me Alex. All right?”

“Aye.”

He studies me for a moment while gently rocking his chair. “You still haven’t told me what I can do for you, Catriona. I’m not your adviser, so…”

I have no idea what I wanted him to do for me. All I thought about was how much I wanted to see him again. “You teach archaeology. That’s what I’m studying in my PhD program, so I hoped you might have advice or suggestions.”

“For what? Those would be questions for your adviser.”

“Oh. Aye, of course.”

He tips his head to the side, gazing at me with curiosity. “How long have been in America?”

“Eight days.”

“No wonder you seem ill at ease here. Do you have any mates in this country?”

I shake my head. “Donnae know anyone. Well, except for you.”

“And your adviser.”

Does he keep mentioning that because he wants me to go away and leave him alone? Maybe I do feel a wee bit out of place here in another country, far from my home. But I cannae tell Alex that.

“I’ve been in America for a few years,” he says. “So I can understand what you might be feeling right now. Perhaps I could be your adviser on how to acclimate to a new and very different environment. It might be more accurate to say we could be mates.”

He wants to be my friend? My pulse accelerates, and that fluttery sensation returns. Aye, I want to be Alex’s mate a bit too much.

“What do you say?” he asks. “Will you be my mate, Catriona?”

“Aye. That would be, um, lovely.”

His mouth slides into a sexy grin. “Brilliant.”

I pick up my rucksack. “You must have work to do, so I’ll leave you to that.”

“Yes, I do have lessons to plan. However, I’m free this evening.” He eyes me up and down, and his tongue flicks out to moisten his lips. “Would you have dinner with me, Catriona? As a mate.”

Will dinner with him be a platonic event? I’m not sure. My attraction to him could have influenced how I interpret his actions and words. Maybe he isn’t attracted to me. He might only want to help a newcomer to this country.

But I need him to want me the way I want him.

“That would be lovely,” I say. “Thank you, Alex.”

“Where are you staying?”

“Graduate student housing. I have my own flat.”

His lips twitch, though it’s not quite a smile. “I know where that is. May I pick you up at eight?”

“Yes. I’ll be ready.”

“Excellent.” He stands and escorts me to the open doorway. “I look forward to seeing you again, Catriona.”

“I look forward to seeing you too, Alex.”

As I walk down the corridor, I can’t help glancing back. Alex is still standing on the threshold of his office, watching me. I wave to him, and he waves back. This time, though, I do not look back four more times. No, I restrain that impulse and keep moving at a brisk pace while I exit the building, cross the quad, and find my vehicle in the car park. I think Americans call it a parking lot. Tonight, Alex can help me get used to the way people in this country speak and teach me their idioms. I do know some of them from watching American television.

I shut the car door and sag into my seat. Cannae stop my lips from forming a smile or my body from tingling yet again. Alex Thorne wants to have dinner with me. Aye, with me.

Since I have no more classes today, I drive back to my flat in the graduate housing complex. I’ve just walked into the bedroom and kicked off my shoes when the phone on the bedside table rings. I snatch it up. “Hello?”

“Cat, how are you settling in?”

“Lachlan?”

“Aye, it’s me. I asked how—”

“I’m settling in fine.” Should I tell my oldest brother about Alex? No, not yet. We’re just friends, anyway. “It’s only my first day on campus, so ye donnae need to check up on me yet.”

“Of course I do. My wee sister is on another continent, and you’ve been there for eight days.”

“Ahmno ‘wee,’ and I can take care of myself.”

“I know that.” Lachlan pauses as someone in the background speaks, but I can’t tell who it is or what that person says. “Rory wants to say hello.”

Honestly, my brothers are so overprotective.

Rory comes on the line. “Are you sure you’re all right, Cat? America is nothing like Scotland.”

“How would you know? You’ve never been here.”

“No, but Iain told me what it’s like.”

I can’t help making a derisive noise. “He lived in this country for one year.”

“Which means he has one year’s more experience than you.”

All I can do is sigh. “I’m fine, Rory. And I’m a grown woman who can take care of herself.”

“Fair enough. Do you like it over there?”

At first, I felt homesick. But since I met Alex… Aye, things are looking up. “Yes, I do like it here. Satisfied, Rory?”

“We are your brothers. That means we have the right and the responsibility to check on you.”

“Fine, aye, you do.”

I chat to my brothers for a while, then we say goodbye. It must be the middle of the night in Scotland, yet my brothers rang me just to make sure I’m all right. Aye, I love them. And aye, I miss my family. But I don’t regret moving to America.

For the next few hours, I debate what I should wear for my dinner with Alex. It’s not a date. But I don’t want to dress like a student. I want to present myself as a woman. How do I do that? Why do I want to do it? The how part is fairly simple, but I can’t explain why I care if Alex views me as a woman instead of a student. Oh, aye, it’s a mystery. That desire has nothing to do with how attracted I am to Alex.

I eventually decide on a pale-blue dress with a hem just above my knees and matching shoes. Then I realize I should really shave my legs, and after that, I spend twenty minutes putting on makeup and fixing my hair. I decide to leave my hair loose because I like the way it feels brushing against my bare shoulders. No, I don’t care what Alex thinks of the way I’m dressed. I wanted to feel feminine for me, not for him.

Someone knocks on my door at precisely eight o’clock.

I rush to pull the door open and smile when I see Alex standing there.

“Are you ready?” he asks. “I’ve reserved a table at a restaurant that sounds quite nice.”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

He offers me his arm. “You look stunning, Catriona.”

“Thank you.” I hook my arm around his and take note of his charcoal suit and golden tan dress shirt that has two buttons undone. “You look very handsome yourself.”

But he looks more than handsome. The color of his shirt complements the warm brown of his eyes, and the suit makes him look so dapper and sexy that I experience the strongest wave of tingly anticipation that I’ve ever felt in my life.

Alex leads me down the concrete steps and across the concrete walkway, guiding me straight to his car. It’s a Mercedes convertible, though he hasn’t rolled the top down. Is Alex rich? I didn’t think associate professors made that much money. Not that I will ever ask him about that.

He opens the passenger door for me and offers me his hand as I climb into the car. Then he hurries to the driver’s side and settles into his seat.

We glance at each other at the same time and smile at each other too. Gooseflesh pebbles my arms. I have never been this excited to spend time with any man, even one who only wants to be my mate.

As Alex drives the Mercedes down the streets of Ballesteros, I gaze at his profile and wonder what will happen next.