Kane's Reckoning. A Blackwood Series Novel.

I sat back in my chair as they began ladling a delicious looking lobster bisque into fine white bowls. Davina took a sip of her wine, then turned to me. “I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten yet,” she said courteously, “so I had the chef prepare something hearty, but light, just in case. I hope you like seafood,” she smiled.

Too nervous to eat on the plane, I’d skipped the in-flight meal, munching instead on some crackers to help calm my stomach. And as it was nearing eight o’clock, my belly reminded me that I’d also skipped breakfast, so yeah, I was pretty much ready to gnaw someone’s arm off. “I love it,” I answered, as a large basket of warmed bread was placed in the center of the table. “This smells delicious.”

“Let’s eat then, shall we?” Kane suggested, taking the silver ring off of his napkin holder and placing the silky white cloth over his lap. It was then that I saw the simple band of white gold on his left hand.

Pausing as I unfolded my own napkin, I was a bit taken aback as I stared at the ring.

When I’d researched him online a week ago…. or more precisely, stalked him…, there had been nothing in his Google profile that said he was married. But then, I reminded myself once again, the man’s relationship status was no concern of mine. It just seemed odd that, if he were married, why would he have his assistant, possibly even his lover, living here? And why would he invite another woman to his home without mentioning the fact? He could be divorced I supposed. But if that were the case, why was he still wearing a ring? And that was definitely a wedding band on his finger.

As I picked up my spoon to dip into the fragrant bisque, Kane offered me some bread. “Tell me Emily, have you always had an interest in antiques?” he asked, as he offered the basket to Davina, then took a piece for himself. Davina, her glass raised to her lips, turned towards me as she waited for my answer as well.

A little uncomfortable at their attention, solely focused on me, I shifted in my chair,

positioning and repositioning my napkin over my lap before I answered. “Uh…well, my father’s an antique dealer,” I explained. “When I was a little girl, I used to work with him in his shop, so I grew up learning all about artifacts from different parts of the world. I found them all so fascinating. Like…,’ I shrugged a shoulder, “I dunno…. like each one had a story to tell.” I pursed my lips with a tilt of my head. “I suppose that’s why I went into the business myself. It just seemed natural to follow in his footsteps.”

Kane nodded thoughtfully, tearing off a corner of his bread. Reaching for his knife, he dipped it into the small dish of creamy butter beside his plate. “And your love of history? Was that because of your father as well?”

I smiled. “No. That comes from my mother.”

“Your mother?” he asked curiously, buttering the yeasty roll.

I nodded. “She’s a history teacher. At the same school I grew up attending with my sisters, actually.”

He arched a dark brow. “How many sisters do you have, then?” he asked.

“Five.” I replied, then waited for the inevitable look of surprise. It happened all the time, whenever anyone found out how many siblings I had. And all girls at that. Their reactions always amused me.

But Kane simply nodded. “And are they in the antiquities business as well?” he asked, as if the idea of having five sisters was not so very odd.

“Oh…no,” I laughed. “Unlike me, my sisters were all very athletic,” I confessed. “I was the nerd of the bunch. While they were all off doing after school stuff like soccer or cheerleading, mom and I would go to the library together. We’d sit for hours, pouring over old books, learning about different cultures and such.”

“You’re close to your mother, then,” Kane surmised.

“I’m close to all of my family, really,” I replied. “But my mother and I…well, we’ve always had a certain bond. Probably because I’m the oldest,” I admitted.

“The oldest of five sisters,” Kane said with a grin as he raised the roll to his lips. “I imagine your father is quite protective.”

“Yes, he is,” I smiled. “Even though we’re all grown up now.”

Trying hard not to stare at the ring on his hand as he bit into the bread, I decided to change the subject. “So, you mentioned on the phone that you just recently returned to Scotland.”

Swallowing the crusty piece in his mouth, he gave me a nod. “We have, yes. Only a few weeks ago, actually.”

“How long did you live in France?” I asked. France was another place I’d always wanted to visit. Although not quite as alluring to me as Scotland, I always thought it might be a place I’d like to see some day.

“We were there for quite a while,” Kane replied as he took a sip from his glass, and I couldn’t help but notice that he while he’d answered my question, he hadn’t really answered my question.

“Your business was there?” I asked, recalling what I had read when I’d Googled him.

“My main offices are there, yes,” he answered. “At the moment. But now that we’ve come back to Scotland, I’ll be relocating here.”

“I see,” I said, nodding. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you decide to move back?” I asked curiously. “Did you not like it there?”

Kane glanced at Davina, and as the two shared a look, I wondered once again at the nature of their relationship. The two were obviously close, given the way they interacted with each other. But was it more than that? As his personal assistant, they would be required to spend a great deal of time together. And of course, there was the fact that she lived in his home and was perfectly comfortable assuming the role of lady of the manor. Men slept with their employees all the time, and given Ms. Ross’s stunning beauty, was it really such a stretch that they were personally involved as well? “I liked it well enough,” Kane replied coolly. “When I left here many years ago it was…necessary.” His emerald-green eyes filled with a despondency that I found oddly wrenching, as a sadness crossed his handsome features. There was a story there. I could feel it. From our short conversations, I could tell he was proud of his heritage. And well he should be. So what could have happened to make him leave this place he loved so much? What could have been so terrible that he had felt the need to not only live, but relocate his business all the way to France?

I looked around, still in awe. “You must have missed this place very much.”

“I did, yes,” he replied softly. “But I always knew I’d return again. Someday. No matter where I am in the world, Scotland will always be home.”

“I know what you mean,” I smiled. “A couple years ago I moved to Fort Collins for a while. I was young, thought I needed my independence. But it didn’t take long before I started missing my family. So, I decided to move back to Loveland.”

Kane lifted his glass, taking another small sip as he studied me over the rim. He did that a lot, I noticed. It was very intimidating, and I wondered if it was a business tactic, or just his personality. Either way, it was disconcerting to say the least, and I was relieved when he finally lowered his eyes. “I’m curious, Miss Snow,” Davina asked from her seat across the table. “What made you decide to research the painting?”

In the process of lowering his glass to the table, Kane’s hand stilled at her question.

Raising his head, the two of them stared at me for a long moment, and Kane’s expression was oddly intent as he too waited for me to answer. I felt trapped in their gazes. “Well…it’s such an extraordinary piece. I was quite fascinated with it.” There was no way either of them could know the extent of my fascination with William’s portrait of course, but as they both continued to stare at me, I began to feel a bit uneasy again under their scrutiny. “As a collector, of course.”

The sudden tension in the room seemed to last forever, although truthfully, it was only seconds, until finally, Kane’s mouth curved into an easy smile. “Of course,” he murmured pleasantly, the deep timbre of his voice once again sending a tingle into the pit of my belly. “Tell me, Emily. What are your plans while you’re here?” he asked mildly.

I scooped a morsel of the bisque onto my spoon as I pondered my answer. “I was actually planning to use this as a holiday. As I mentioned, Scotland has long been someplace I’ve  wanted to visit, and I’d love to see some of the sites while I’m here.”

Another delectable smile curved the edges of Kane’s lips, bringing out those delectable dimples,….or were they laugh lines? I wondered…before he replied. “There are certainly many interesting places to see, to be sure.”

“I’d be happy to recommend some that might interest you,” Davina offered graciously. “Some of the more historic areas. If you’d like?” 

At her generous offer, I felt a little ashamed of my earlier thoughts towards this woman. Whether she was sleeping with her boss or not, she had been nothing but kind to me since I arrived, and she didn’t deserve the harsh judgement I’d given her. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

 *

After dinner, Davina excused herself, claiming she had some work to do in her office before retiring for the evening. “It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Snow,” she said, as she pushed her chair back from the table.

Kane, ever the gentleman, rose from his chair, and out of respect, I did the same. After talking during dinner, I found that I actually liked Kane’s pleasant assistant. Very much in fact. “Please, call me Emily,” I insisted.

“Emily.” Davina said with a smile. “And again, please let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see or do while you’re here. I’d be happy to have Kenneth take you anywhere you’d like to go,”

“Thank you, Davina. I may just take you up on that.”

Coming around the table, Kane placed a light kiss on his assistant’s cheek. “Good night, Dove.”

I followed her progress as she made her way out of the dining room. “I really should be getting back to the Inn as well,” I mentioned, turning to face Kane as he stood by his chair. “It’s been a long day.”

“Of course,” he immediately replied, coming to my side. “I’ll walk you out.” He kept a hand at my waist as we walked thru the grand foyer. I was sure he was just being polite, but I found his nearness extremely unnerving.

When Kane opened the wide double doors, I spotted Kenneth in the circular drive, standing by the car that had brought me to the castle. “Miss Snow,” he greeted, bending slightly at the waist with a twinkling smile.

I found the handsome driver utterly charming. “Kenneth,” I smiled back as he opened the door.

Standing beside the luxurious town car, Kane took me completely by surprise when he took my hand in his. “I want to thank you again for making the journey to return the painting,” he said, gazing down at me. “It really was very kind of you.”

My pulse jumped at his touch, and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to reach up and place my lips on his sinfully sensual mouth. The pull was so strong, I had to force myself to look away before I did something stupid. “You’re very welcome,” I said instead. “It was my pleasure.”

And before I did something really stupid,… like invite the man back to my room,… I bent and practically dove headfirst into the backseat of the car, tossing a shaky, “Good night, Kane,” over my shoulder.

“Good night, Emily,” Kane said quietly, waiting until I was settled before closing the door behind me.

As we pulled out of the long drive, I wanted more than anything to look back and see if he watched as we pulled away from the castle. Since I didn’t want to look like a gushing teenager leaving her first date, however, I forced myself to look straight ahead. 

But I knew, when I closed my eyes tonight in my swanky, country chic room at the Inn, I’d be seeing his handsome face in my dreams.

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Kane's Reckoning

A Blackwood Series Novel

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