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“I’m sorry,” Blair interjects. “Come again?”

I roll my eyes. “Never you mind.” To Key, I add, “I’ll try to make sure I’m decent.” My lip quirks. “I’m sure you’ll be very disappointed by it.”

The slight pinkening of her cheeks is admittedly lovely, and I wonder if it’s possible that I actuallyenjoymaking her so irritated. Almost like this odd back-and-forth between us is…fun.

Her eyes glitter with amusement. “In your dreams, Nessie.”

On second thought…

15

Keyanna

“I think my spleen is rupturing.”

I hear a disgruntled sound from ahead, Lachlan not even bothering to turn around for my dozenth complaint since we set out. “Quit your whinging. You wanted to take this trip.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grumble. I hoist my backpack higher up on my shoulders, pausing to peer out at the rolling hills of lush green ahead of us. The sky casts a gray light with the promise of another dreary day, and I frown as I continue walking. “Is it supposed to rain?”

“It’s always supposed to rain,” Lachlan tosses over his shoulder.

“So what do we do if it rains?”

“Walk faster.”

I huff out a breath. “You’re a real ray of sunshine, you know that?”

“That is what people say about me. Yes.”

I scowl even though he can’t see me, trudging along in the path of his footsteps as I try to keep up. I swear the man must have some super-monster strength even when he’s in human form, because the guy moves like the fucking Terminator.

Still. I can’t pretend that the view is…all that bad. From my few steps behind, I can’t help but notice the way his burgundy-colored wool sweater hugs his shoulders, and if I glance down a little lower(which I wish I could lie and say that I haven’t), it’s impossible to miss the way his jeans hug his thick thighs and his firm ass, which is actually kind of hypnotizing in the way it moves with his every step.

Jesus. Get a grip, Key.

I clear my throat, tearing my eyes away from the ass’s ass.

“So what’s the castle like?”

I can’t see his frown, but I can hear it, I think. “It’s a castle.”

“Okay, but what is itlike? Are we talking about collapsing roofs and crumbling walls or…?”

He doesn’t say anything for a moment, and from my vantage point I can just make out the way his jaw works. “Roof is still mostly okay. There are definitely some unstable parts in the floor, so you’ll want to watch your step, and the walls have begun to crumble in many places. No one has lived there for centuries.”

“Why not?”

“Wars,” he says. “These lands were invaded by the English not even a decade after my family was cursed.” He snorts. “My ancestor was so busy worrying about neighboring clans, he didn’t prepare himself for the possibility of anyone else.”

“So it’s been abandoned that long?”

“Aye. I hear tell of some great-great-something-or-other trying to repair it back in the thirties, but…Well. Numpty got his picture taken and everyone had to go into hiding after.”

I stop walking, my mouth falling open. “You don’t mean the surgeon’s photo.”

“Mhm.” He pauses, turning to take in my shell-shocked expression. “What?”

“You mean the photo was actually real?”