Part 30 (1/2)
An enthusiastic tail swish showed the dog had no intention of obeying.
He kept his canine stare pinned on Jil y, total y ignoring the man who drew to a halt beside him.
Jil y looked at him and forgot to breathe.
”Holy heather, la.s.s, I'm sorry!” The man-probably the most gorgeous she'd ever seen-curled firm fingers beneath the dog's col ar and pul ed him away from her. ”He meant no harm, I swear. It was the haggis, no' you.”
”The haggis?” Jil y glanced at the clean-licked plate.
Cutie nodded. ”He has an insatiable hunger for haggis.
That's the reason I have him.”
”Oh?” Jil y stared at him, thunderstruck by his dimples and b.u.t.tery-rich burr.
The dimples deepened, his clear blue gaze not wavering from hers. ”Haggis can't resist haggis. He-”
”His name is Haggis?” Jil y glanced at the dog, his wagging tail answer enough.
”Och, aye, he's Haggis right enough.” The man smiled.
”He belonged to the owners of another inn, but when they couldn't put a stop to his haggis-napping, they meant to put him away. I couldn't bear to think of him in a kennel and so”-he shoved a hand through his dark hair-”he's been mine ever since.”
A thump of Haggis's tail against a chair said how much he approved of the relations.h.i.+p.
Jil y understood. With his bold good looks-there was definitely a flair of the Celt about him-she was sure the Scot charmed everyone, including capricious canines.
But it was hard to ful y appreciate him with his furry-faced friend stil eyeing her as if she might be as edible as her haggis.
Even so, she did note his remarkable blue eyes and the sensual curve of his lips. He had the kind of mouth that would have set her heart to gal oping if they'd met under different circ.u.mstances.
Such as not in Luss of al places and certainly not with her last clean pair of travel pants stained by mud smears and dog s...o...b..r.
She started to tel him to just take his haggis-addicted dog and leave, but before she could the proprietress returned with a gla.s.s of water and a smal , linen towel.
”Ach, Kieran, whatever are you going to do with that beast?” She flashed him a look as she plunked down the water and the cloth.
To Jil y, she added, ”I'l have a fresh plate of haggis for you shortly. If”-she glanced at the dog before hurrying away-”Kieran can shepherd his dog outside where he belongs!”
”He was in my boat where he always is.” Kieran s.n.a.t.c.hed up the cloth and dipped it into the water. ”He would've stayed there if he hadn't caught sight of some fool Jack Russel running circles on the beach.”
”A Jack Russel ?” The pretty American's brow knit. ”A smal brown and white one?”
Kieran wrung out the cloth. ”I was too busy trying to cal back Haggis to pay much attention to the little b.u.g.g.e.r. I only knew he bolted away from the strand and made a beeline for the Colquhoun Inn.”
He offered the girl an apologetic smile. ”With Haggis on his tail that meant trouble.”
”Indeed.” She glanced at her mud-stained thighs.
She had sweet, shapely thighs. And he was dabbing at them with the dampened cloth.
”Och, sorry!” He jerked back as if he'd scorched himself.
”I didn't mean-”
”I'm sure.” She s.n.a.t.c.hed the towel and rubbed vigorously against her knee, the color in her cheeks revealing she real y had thought the worst of him. ”I can get the stains out myself, thank you.”
”No, please . . .” Kieran felt his own face flaming. ”I'd like to make it up to you. I'm Kieran MacCol , a local . . .”
He broke off, horrified to realize he'd been about to a.s.sure her he wasn't some reprobate. Blast, he'd wanted to make amends, not put his foot in his mouth.
Not that she appeared to be listening.
In fact, he was sure she'd dismissed him.
Kieran frowned.
”Look,” he began, ”I have a boat-the Salty Seal-and I'l take you on a tour of the loch. You can meet me at the pier, at four o'clock if you're interested.”
”The Salty Seal? ” She looked up, her hand stil ing on her knee.
He nodded. ”The name is a story in itself. I'l tel you on the boat.”
Her eyes narrowed with a bit too much apprehension for his liking.
Kieran gave her his best I-am-not-an-axe-murderer smile. ”You won't be sorry, I swear it.”
”I have things to do.” She went back to scrubbing her thigh. ”I doubt I'l have time.”
Haggis chose that moment to lunge forward and lick her hand. Unfortunately, it was one of his ful -out slurpy-wet kisses.
She jerked back, dropping the cloth.
Then, to his surprise, her lips twitched. ”I'l think about it,”
she said, looking on as he bent to scoop up the towel. ”But I can't make any promises. I real y do have a ful schedule.”
”Four o'clock at the pier.” Kieran gave Haggis a look that said it was time to go and started for the door, some half- crazed instinct tel ing him not to give her a chance to say a definite no.
There was something about her that made him determined to see her again. Something indefinable that went beyond her obvious charms.
Something oddly familiar.
He just needed to figure out what it was.
CHAPTER TWO.