While she congratulated herself on successfully denying Laird Sutherland’s summons for three days, she knew ’twas unlikely she could hide from the man the remainder of her time at Dunrobin. However, there were a multitude of reasons why she needed to try. For one, Ian had instructed her to avoid the man at all costs. For two, Laird Sutherland was well-reputed for his skill with women, which made him a lecher in Effie’s opinion, and she held no desire to be wed to another faithless man. And thirdly, the sight of him alone made her tingle and shiver and ache. Just thinking about him made her swell like a bleating doe in heat. Oh, it had been far too long since she’d been touched by a man, which was exactly why she needed to keep a distance from Laird Sutherland. If he came within two steps of her, she would likely let him have his way with her. She squirmed on the bench seat and forced her attention back to the chandler’s chatter.
