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When she returned, he saw that his shirt was too large for her s, they covered her hands, and the hem of the shirt went past her knees

"I' herself to her full, uniht of five feet and three inches She squared her shoulders as she faced hiht, intimidate him just a little

"Besides, I'ry, and I don't have o now"

Alec raised his shapely eyebrows, the corner of his hty hard not to sed to coh she were the Lady of the House, and he, no more than her submissive servant

She had to tilt her head in order to see him properly God, he was so tall Perhaps she should have called hihest le and looked down so he wouldn't see thein her eyes

He swiftly shifted toward her, his eyes casting doard to look at the silver elephant pendant resting on her chest His throat tightened

She noticed hi at her oddly and shivered Her heart leapt, and she took a step back, preparing to run He grabbed her wrist, but she juet away

"I won't hurt you," he said, breaking his gaze fro a tur one sleeve up her forearm to distract himself

She didn't relax; but stood as still as a rock

When he was satisfied with that side, he grabbed her other wrist and rolled that sleeve up too Once finished, he touched her chin so she could look up at him He oin' now Don't do anything silly" He s her, and locking the door behind him

Ruby hated that clicking sound

Stay calet out soon

She strolled to the table and ate her dinner of roast laetables It was very delicious After she finished, she got into bed and tried to sleep

Sleep, however, was hard to come by She was restless The time difference between New Zealand and Britain elve hours or so, and she still hadn't gotten used to the jet lag

She wanted to do soet out of this rooeous Mr Cook, the Scottish driver, or whoever he was What about Brian? Did he know she wasfor her Most importantly, she hoped he hadn't told her mum and sisters because they would be very worried, which was so she preferred to avoid

She could just ier than Ruby, being twenty-four years of age, would surely prove to be the strong one She would organize everything and take charge Alexandrite and Rhonalite, non-identical twins, and as opposite as day and night, born three e of nineteen They would have to coentle soul of a mother ould, undoubtedly, cry for days on end Eest of the with theirsuch a tender soul, and baby sister that she was Her dead father, a kind Kiwicamp when he volunteered as a nurse at the hospital there, naeed to hear of her kidnapping, like Rhona; but, like Aed everything, bless his good soul He would still have been alive, of course, if not for that damn cancer

Ruby sighed and turned over Perhaps, fond thoughts of her family, and their happier tie of Mr Cook appeared in her mind's eye His broavy hair that was in obvious need of a cut, hisdoom every time she looked into theainst her better judgers, his hard cheekbones, and his fir about them

When she finally slept, she drea her

FIVE

Alec rode his thoroughbred, Stor Estate He loved the way the cool Highland air whooshed past his face as his stallion galloped across the verdant field He also loved the srass, the wild flowers, and the pine trees They made him feel at home, and offered a sense of peace This place was so much a part of him

He ree He was in the store, buying her a bottle of water, and when he returned, he saw her closing her eyes, spreading her ar her fair face to the sun She looked as though she were at peace The expression of tranquility on her face tugged deeply in his heart, which he found quite annoying

Since teeks ago in the airplane, when he first helped that slip of a girl, his childhood friend who still couldn't recognize hi confined in the narrow lane of economy class, as soon as he carried her to the first class seat beside him, he was affected by her He shouldn't have been really, since he knew many women ere far more beautiful and sophisticated, and had dated about a dozen of them as well But none, however, could affect him the way she did Not even his ex-wife, Aly attractive with her pale blond hair and ereen eyes He liked wo more to it than that He never cared too much about any of them, except for his sister, Susan But this one, somehow, made him feel responsible She made him want her God damn it! He wanted to touch her

In the photo, she looked out of place--a place where he, Susan, and Brian belonged And when he first saw her, he was drawn to her like a net

Darn it! This wasn't supposed to happen He never iined that his life could turn upside-down so unexpectedly He realized also that he didn't do the stupid kidnapping thing just to help his sister either It was in the spur of the moment, and he never even planned it He was always the type to plan and do things a certain way--logically andexactly what he was doing, and where he was going But not this ti wo her since he first saw her on the plane Then, when Susan showed hi and desire rush through him

His hts of his sister He wondered how she was getting on noith Brian, and sincerely hoped everything was going all right

"Back from yer ride?" McKenzie asked

"Hmm" Alec dismounted from the saddle and handed Bernard, the stableman, the reins Bernard led the horse away into the stables

"Has your wife given food to her yet?"

"Aye Are ya goin' ta see 'er?"

"Nay, the less I see of her, the better," Alec said as he strolled across the small distance to the manor

Alec went into the drawing room, picked up his BlackBerry on the oak table, and started dialing his sister's nu

Mrs McKenzie appeared at the door and said, "Sir?"

Alec turned to look at her, a questioning frown on his face

"'Tis yer girl She's been wantin' ta see ya"

Alec nodded, and she left He turned his attention back to the phone when he heard his sister's voice

"Alec?"

"Aye," he responded "How are you, Sue?"

"I' well Oh, Alec, this is ton Garden He's a bit down though He told h that the girl left, and he shouldn't wait for her, that she changed her mind I don't kno I could've do

ne this without you, Alec Thank you sonow Brian, it's Alec"

Alec heard Brian say hi, and told Susan to say hi back for him

"Alec, I have to go now We're going out to lunch," Susan said excitedly

"All right then, have fun," Alec replied and hung up He threw the BlackBerry on the table, left the drawing room, and went up the stairs

At Ruby's door, he unlocked it and stepped inside He took two steps and immediately halted

He halted not because he physically couldn't ht he beheld before him It took his breath away

She was fast asleep on the Georgian sofa He couldn't help staring at her She looked like an angel sleeping there so peacefully with the afternoon sunlight bea over her

Heher

Since he first set eyes on her, he couldn't see at her She was so unique Her oval face was flawless and smooth, her perfectly arched black eyebrows rested above her slightly slanted eyes; her nose was straight, and those generous, full lips of hers--lips anyBotox and surgery to achieve such perfection

Instinctively, he wanted to touch her lips He was just about to act on his irresistible urge when she opened her eyes--dark brown orbs that looked at hinition

Ruby focused her eyes so that she could see hilasses ith her other belongings, and he hadn't yet given those back to her

"What's your nalasses, if you don't mind"

Alec hid a grin No wonder she narrowed her eyes at him It was because she couldn't see properly Good, then she wouldn't think about running away He was sure she'd probably get lost on the way and trip over things because she couldn't see properly

"Alec, and nay, you will not be getting your glasses back until the ti his hands into the pockets of his jeans to avoid his stupid urge of wanting to touch her lips

"Beast," she hissed at hi before her She closed her eyes and breathed deeply and slowly She had to re calm

Alec couldn't help noticing her skin--which was fair, and smooth from where he could see because the collar of the shirt dropped down over her right shoulder He could alination

Shit!

God, he hadn't been with a woman for threehim on He better stop it this instant

"Is that what you wanted to seeaway

"Of course That, and I want you to release me from this room this instant"

Alec hid his sain, another order