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“What’s interesting?” A gravelly voice at my side had a shiver of awareness dancing over my skin. Turning, I looked to see Lachlan taking the seat next to me, fully clothed this time and looking like he just stepped out of a catalog for rugged Scotsmen. What was it with the people in this town? Particularly the men? Not to say that the ladies weren’t likely appealing as well, I was just paying more attention to the broad-shouldered hulking overabundance of masculinity that dominated.
“I see you found your clothes,” I said, raising my glass at Lachlan.
“I’m not sure being naked around the lass is any way to woo her,” Graham said, leaning onto the bar. “If anything, it’s enough to send her screaming for the hills.”
“That’s not what your sister said,” Lachlan said, and my eyes rounded. Before I could intervene, Graham grinned.
“Having her stitch up your bum because you tripped on a rake doesn’t exactly qualify for a romantic rendezvous. Not to mention she was seeing you naked in a professional capacity.” Graham rolled his eyes.
“You tripped on a rake?” I asked. The very thought of being impaled on a rake and the fact that he needed stitches made my stomach turn.
“More like I was shoved.” Lachlan glared at Graham.
“All’s fair in love and war. I couldn’t let that pretty Lisa Murphy think you were the stronger one, now could I?” Graham asked.
“Did you have to maim me in the process?” Lachlan asked.
“Och, it was nothing but a scratch,” Graham said, sliding a pint in front of Lachlan. “You’d think you’d had open-heart surgery the way you still moan about it.”
“I only moan about it to remind you that your plan backfired, and the pretty Lisa took pity on me and nursed me back to health.” Lachlan smiled sweetly at Graham.
“So why were you seeing our lad here naked?” Graham asked, returning his attention to me. “And might I offer my deepest apologies. We do try to be a welcoming town, but it seems someone needs to work on his definition of welcoming.”
“Yes, Sophie? Why did you see him naked?” Matthew asked, his eyes dancing with laughter. “Also, I think you need to describe what you saw in great detail.”
“He’s a fine specimen at that,” Agnes said, joining Lachlan. “I’m sure it wasn’t a hardship on your eyes.”
“Specimen, is it?” Lachlan looked aggrieved. “Is that all I am to you ladies? Just something to be ogled at?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. There are not many eligible bachelors left in this town. So we need something to look at…anything at all,” Agnes said.
“Yes, Sophie,” Graham said, deepening his voice and leaning closer with a sultry look on his face. Even though I got the sense that he was putting this on for show, I flushed. “Anytime you’d like me to put myself on display for you, I’d be more than happy to.”
Agnes snorted and picked up Lachlan’s beer to take a sip.
“Well,” I said, fighting through the natural shyness that wanted to take over, “I suppose it would be only fair that I saw you naked as well. In that case, I could make a ruling on who is the finest specimen. For research purposes of course.”
Lachlan muttered something under his breath next to me.
“This is a full-service pub, hen,” Graham said with another one of his delicious winks. “You just say the word, and I’m more than happy to serve.”
“Surely, that doesn’t work on you, Sophie,” Agnes interjected, rolling her eyes.
Matthew fanned himself with a napkin from the bar. “It’s working on me.”
“And I don’t see why you’re giving him a hard time for being less than welcoming,” I interjected, wanting to take my mind away from the constant loop of Lachlan’s naked body currently playing in my head. “You barely said two words to us the whole ride from the airport.”
“That’s called good service,” Graham argued. “You want a driver with his eyes on the road, particularly in the rain.”
“You weren’t driving when you dumped our luggage on the front door of the castle and disappeared with barely a word,” I continued, my eyes narrowing as a man appeared from the kitchen with two plates in his hand. “Is that the haggis? I think it’s the haggis. Oh, tell me what it is again, Matthew.”
“Best not, I think,” Matthew said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as our steaming plates were deposited in front of us.
“Ah, a proper pub meal for you.” Lachlan leaned over, nodding his approval. I caught the same whiff of soap that the sweater I was wearing had, and suddenly the pub felt much too warm. Leaning back, I raised my arms and stripped the sweater from my shoulders.
“Trying to return the favor?” Lachlan asked, his eyes heated when I’d gotten the sweater over my head. Confused, I glanced down to see that I’d pulled my undershirt almost to my neck and my neon-pink lace bra was on shining display for everyone in the pub to see.
“At least it’s not your old sports bra,” Matthew said, tugging my shirt down while I sat there frozen. “I’ve seen those, and they aren’t pretty.”
