Chapter 1

“What do you mean you don’t have my reservation?” Abby asked the slender young woman across the counter.

Click, click, click, sounded as the woman’s, Julia as her name tag stated, fingers flew over the keyboard, shaking her blonde head.

“Miss Neil, I’m sorry. We have you down for a check-in date of tomorrow, not today and the hotel is booked solid.”

Booked solid or not, Abby had no plans to move from this spot until she got her room. It had been a really, really long day. Her ride to the airport arrived late and since there is no hurrying through airport security, especially for international flights, she nearly missed the flight. Being squeezed between the equivalent of Hans and Frans for the whole trip didn’t help matters either.

Now this. Her dream trip. The one she’d been planning for a year. The one she’d been thinking about for even longer. She knew one day she’d get here. And this was the day. The whole of Scotland was at her fingertips for the next two weeks and she planned to make the most of it, starting today.

“Look,” Abby said, sliding the sheet of paper with her printed registration across the polished wood of the counter. Thank God she remembered to bring it with her. “Right here.” She tapped a finger on the spot displaying the check-in date.

Julia looked down her very Norman nose at the sheet. Abby noted the moment the woman realized she was telling the truth. Her eyes widened, just a bit, but were soon cold and gray again as she clicked away at the keyboard.

Abby visualized taking the keyboard and knocking the woman over the head with it, the way she kept using it as a stall tactic, but she exercised self control.

A throat cleared and Julia glanced around Abby, giving the next customer in line a sincere smile. “I’ll be right with you, sir.” Then turned her attention back to the keyboard.

A smooth, melodic, “No worries.” in a most delicious Scottish accent rippled down Abby’s spine.

“Miss Neil, I’m sorry. There is nothing available at this time. I do see you’re set for tomorrow and since it is our mistake we will add an extra two nights for you to take whenever you choose.” She smiled. More of a go-away-now smile than a sincere one, Abby noticed.

The action did nothing to improve Abby’s mood. She drew in a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth, repeat, just as Lin, her yoga coach, instructed her to do in times such as these.

“Julia. I appreciate the offer of extra nights,” Abby said through clenched teeth and fake smile. “But I’m thousands of miles from home. This,” she jabbed a pointed finger on the counter, “is where I’m supposed to be staying. What do you expect me to do for the night?”

The throat cleared again. Julia glanced over Abby’s shoulder, mouthing the word ‘sorry’ to the man.

Abby moved to the side, blocking the woman’s view of the next waiting customer. Tough. He could wait. She had a room to get into.

###

Arick fought back a chuckle. It wasn’t funny. He knew. Unfortunately, hers was a situation he’d been planted in a few times in his years of traveling.

What he found amusing was the way this woman harrumphed at the employee behind the counter. She wasn’t giving in and on this night, it would get her nowhere. The hotel had been booked full for months due to some convention he couldn’t remember.

If he wanted to, he could rectify the situation for her and get the line moving again. But he found himself enjoying the scene. He took in her appearance. Her tiny blue tee shirt was matched with a pair of snug denims that hugged her curves in all the right places. He admired her bottom as he listened to her demanding turn to begging. All right, enough of this.

He tapped the woman on the shoulder. She spun and pierced him with an emerald glare. Daggers shot from her eyes.

“One mo-.” She stopped when he held up a hand to cut off her tirade. Boy, if looks could kill, he’d be dead right there on the spot.

“Excuse me. I don’t mean to pry but I notice it seems you are in a bit of a predicament regarding your lodging.”

She nodded, crossing her arms, hip cocked to the side. “Obviously.”

“Weel, it just so happens that I have an extra room in my suite. And I’m willing to share.”

###

Abby stared at the god standing before her, delight twinkling in his hazel eyes. She couldn’t stop staring. She tried. The rude factor was growing at an alarming rate, but Abby couldn’t tear her eyes away. He was over a head taller than she. He had to be at least six feet tall. Not overly tall, but compared to her five and a half feet, it meant she had to crane her neck upward to stare into those dreamy eyes.

Something she could do all day. Those were eyes where you lost yourself in the depths of them. Hazel flecked with warm brown. They truly were beautiful.

The annoying voice of Julia interrupted Abby’s assessment and she blushed, realizing she’d been staring and he’d noticed.

“Mr. MacLean, sir, I can hardly allow you to do such a thing.” Julia stated.

Mr. MacLean? Apparently Julia knew the man and from the look on her face, she wasn’t happy. Hmph. Abby snorted. Too bad.

“’Tis really no problem at all.”

“I’m sure we can find accommodations for Miss Neil. Just one moment, please.”

That damn clicking again.

“Ah, here we go. We’ve got a single that just became available, Miss Neil.”

Interesting. It would seem that Julia had no intention of seeing the two of them together. So much so that she made a room appear out of nowhere. Oh well, she’d wonder about the probabilities later. Right now she needed sleep and she finally had her room.

After giving Julia her credit card and signing for the room, she glanced shyly at the man behind her. “Thank you for the offer. I appreciate it.”

“Any time.” Came the strong burr of his warm voice, dashing her hormones into overdrive.

Abby knew he watched her as she walked away. She felt his eyes boring into her back, sending heat through her body from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. When she reached her room, a warm tingle thrummed through her.

But all was forgotten as soon as she opened the door. The room was bright and cheery, decorated in varying hues of blue and red. The huge bed, ornamented with tartan pillows, was soft as a cloud. She sighed with satisfaction as she sank into the softness. This was heaven.

It had been a long day of traveling and since her legs refused to move, a bit of rest might be in order. Just a few minutes. A little catnap and then she’d be ready to take on Glasgow.

Not only that, she already had plans for later this evening. A friend from college recently transferred to Scotland due to her job. They were meeting for drinks to catch up on old times.

She’ll just close her eyes for a few minutes.

###

“Mr. MacLean, how nice to see you again!”

He grimaced. He wanted to smack that smug grin right off Julia’s face. “Julia,” he acknowledged.

“Arick, I’m so sorry. I was trying to get the twit to leave, but she refused. To think you two were to share a suite…” Julia visibly shivered instead of finishing the sentence.

“I’d not have minded.”

“Please!” Julia snorted.

“Tell me, what made you suddenly find the room? You actually doing your job, or you just couldn’t stand the thought of me sharing my suite?” Before she could answer, he picked up his room key and stalked off towards the elevator.

Damn woman was a pain in his arse. Had been ever since he’d known her, which unfortunately, was a very long time. Arick and her older brother, Kenneth, had been school mates. She’d tag along, nipping at their heels wherever they went.

Once school finished and they’d gone heir separate ways with different careers, Arick thought he’d seen the last of Julia. Until she popped up working at this hotel. The hotel that just so happened to be his favorite while he stayed in Glasgow. He believed she somehow knew that and got the job for the purpose of seeing him whenever he was around.

She’d caused more problems with the opposite sex for him than he could count. He’d be very happy when she realized that one kiss whilst he was deep in his cups did not mean anything.

His mind wandered back to the woman before him at the counter. What had Julia called her? Miss Neil. Mmm. She was definitely American and full of fire. She gave Julia enough of a hard time to get under her skin. No easy task.

“Wesley.” Arick greeted the young lift boy with a nod as he entered the elevator.

“Mr. MacLean. Good afternoon. You’re usual suite, sir?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Arick watched as each floor ticked off with a ding. The spitfire had him intrigued. It’d been a long time since a chance meeting with a woman affected him. Interested him even. The fun had long since been taken out of the picture. Most times now, there were no chance meetings. He was well-known. No effort needed to be put forth.

But with Miss Neil. She was different and he wanted to know more about her.

When Arick stepped off the lift and walked to his suite, his mind was made up. He would learn more about the mysterious Miss Neil. Suddenly, he was the predator and she, she was his prey.