Page 38 of A Scottish Highland Hideaway

I led the way towards my office and made a point of saying to Amber and Marcus that I wouldn’t be long. I had to stay on alert. It was mentally exhausting, but it had to be done.

I eased open my office door and encouraged him to go first. “I don’t know how you think I can help you, Mr Stern. Er, I mean, Zach.”

He gave me a withering look. “I can’t help it if I’m an eternal optimist.”

I scowled at him and shut my office door. Smart arse!

“So that was your brother?” he asked, all long legs and broad shoulders as he sat down opposite my desk.

“Yes.”

Zach seemed to be waiting for me to give him a little more information, but there was no way I was doing that. The less information he had about me and my family, the better.

Zach folded his arms, his gaze travelling over my face. I found myself shuffling in my seat. I instructed myself to sit still.

The man is an arrogant cretin!

Yes, oozed an inner voice. But a very handsome one with come-to-bed eyes.

For something to do, I snatched up a pen from my desk and twiddled it around and around in my hands, trying not to think about bed and Zach.

“It’s nice that he’s visiting you.”

“It would be, were it under different circumstances.”

A questioning look lit up in his eyes. Ah. Ever the journalist.

“Is everything all right? Can I help?”

“What, by writing about it?”

Zach cocked a brow. “Ouch. That hurt.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. He kept staring at me with an expectant look on his face.

God, he was good. Quite easy to talk to, if you ignored the self-satisfied smile. I let out a resigned sigh. I knew I shouldn’t be confiding in him, but those dark, inviting eyes were hypnotic.

Jesus!

Zach tilted his head to the side.

I tried to refocus. “Relationship heartache.”

Zach looked solemn. “Sorry to hear that. How’s he doing?”

“Not great. He’s doing what he always does when he has a problem; putting on a brave face.”

Zach’s gaze misted over for a few seconds before it hardened.

“He’ll get over it. If you ask me, folks would be better off concentrating on the things that really matter, not relationships. They never work out.”

Ouch. His blunt tone made me blink. “Well, speak your mind, why don’t you?”

Zach gave a dismissive shrug. “I’m just being honest. You’re far better off relying on yourself. No risk of getting hurt.” He hesitated. “Or hurting someone else.”

Blimey. He didn’t believe in sugar-coating, did he? “What other things should people focus on?” I asked. He sounded just like me. “Their career?”

Zach’s jaw clenched. “Absolutely. Far more rewarding. Relationships are overrated.”