Page 31 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands (Scottish Highland #5)

Bella reluctantly followed Carlton down the stairs, and through the foyer, past paint pots, ladders and all manner of construction detritus, to the dining room and there, in the centre of the vast space, was a single table with a white cloth, two chairs, candles, a bottle of white wine and a variety of dishes laid out.

It looked like something Harris would prepare for her at home on a romantic occasion.

It was presumptuous, and once again, inappropriate.

‘Come on before it gets completely cold.’

A delicious aroma of spices reached Bella’s nose, and her stomach betrayed her with a growl. ‘I’m not actually hungry,’ she lied, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

‘Suit yourself. Mind if I eat?’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Okay, so…’ He began to spoon Greek salad complete with the crumbliest feta cheese onto his plate along with what appeared to be lamb koftas.

Then he spooned tzatziki onto the plate and licked his thumb and finger.

The food looked and smelled rather delicious, but Bella wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of admitting that.

‘The games room…’ he said through a mouthful of food as he opened the bottle of white wine and poured some into each of the two glasses that were on the table.

‘I’m driving,’ she told him, shaking her head when he offered her one of the glasses.

‘Oh, come on, one won’t hurt.’

‘I don’t drink and drive in any amount. Not only am I not stupid and value my life, but the police on Skye have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to drink driving, and I should know because I’m marrying one of them. Now what about these plans?’

For the next thirty minutes, Carlton talked enthusiastically about his idea for a games room at the rear of the hotel in the old laundry building as he polished off the whole bottle of wine, rather too quickly in Bella’s opinion.

But he didn’t want just any games room, he wanted a casino-style place for residents to be able to play the tables and have ‘a little fun’, something he seemed obsessed with, and Bella wondered how on earth he was going to make a go of the serious part of the business, which he never seemed to mention or acknowledge.

To Bella his ideas seemed a little crass and the antithesis of the whole vibe she had created for the beautiful old place.

‘You do realise you’ll need permissions from the relevant authorities to have gambling on the premises, don’t you?

And what have your parents said about this?

It’s their hotel, after all, and it doesn’t really seem to fit in with the overall ethos of the place,’ Bella said, unsure as to whether such a place was needed or, what’s more, wanted in a peaceful, rural location such as this that would exude romance once finished.

His jaw clenched under his skin. ‘Of course I’ve spoken to them. I have carte blanche to do what I want with the old laundry,’ he informed her tersely. ‘I’m in charge.’ He had the attitude of a spoiled toddler. ‘It’s my hotel.’

Bella’s phone vibrated and she picked it up to see a message from Harris.

Hey beautiful. How is it going? Are you ok? Has he got the message?

She hit reply.

All good. I think it’s finally sunk in for him. Love you.

She put her phone back in her bag and put her bag on the floor.

‘Who was that?’ Carlton asked, nodding to her phone. ‘The ball and chain? Checking that you haven’t had a better offer?’

‘He knows that wouldn’t happen. There is no better offer out there.’

Carlton sucked air through his teeth. ‘Okay, okay. I get it. You’re marrying Mr Perfect. Jeez. What is it you Scots say? That’s me telt ?’ His attempt at her accent was terrible.

‘Aye, that’s about right.’

He ran his hands back through his hair and rested them atop his head. ‘I give up already. I never have to work this hard to get a woman into bed.’

‘I’ve told you right from the start that it won’t be happening, Carlton, ever .’ She hoped he was being truthful, about the giving up part anyway.

‘Okay… okay. Look, while you’re here can we go on up and check out the presidential suite? I have some ideas for that too.’

The room to which he was referring took up a third of the top floor and was actually known to her and the team as the Bridal Suite and the design had already been agreed, in fact it was the first of the upstairs rooms that was to be worked on in readiness for the photographs for the new website.

Bella had figured it would have the biggest appeal considering the stunning views and dual-aspect windows, perfect for a wedding night.

She narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re wanting to change the design? It’s the one you seemed happiest with when you saw it initially. It’s the one the team were due to start on today, in fact.’ She couldn’t help the twinge of annoyance that knotted her stomach.

‘Oh, I’m happy with it. I just want to go over the wallpaper samples again. I think I found one I preferred to the one you originally suggested.’

He was clearly trying to assert his dominance. The paper had already been delivered but it was fairly neutral, so could be utilised elsewhere, if necessary, she just hoped that didn’t have to be the case because in her mind it was perfect.

She lifted her chin and forced a smile. ‘I see, okay, well, the samples are through in the foyer on the old reception desk so we can just go look there.’

He stood. ‘No, they’re up in the suite. I took them up when I went up there earlier before you got here, so I could hold them against the wall to see which worked best with the natural light that comes into that room.

It won’t take a minute.’ So, you’re a designer now, are you? was what she wanted to say.

Something felt off. Her stomach was knotted, and her heart rate had picked up.

But he was her boss, and she possibly was overreacting.

Although her Granny Isla had always told her to listen to her gut – if something felt off it probably was.

Nervously, she followed him back through to the foyer, partly dreading what could happen to her alone in this place in the middle of nowhere and it would be her word against his, and partly dreading which paper he was going to ask her to order.

Some of the samples were quite bright and didn’t at all gel with the calming, romantic aesthetic she had gone for on her mood board.

The previously agreed and signed off mood board.

‘You can leave your bag. We’re just looking at paper.’

Not on your nelly, pal , she thought as she slung her bag across her body and followed him, I’m keeping my phone to hand .

He paused at the single elevator in the foyer.

A rickety old thing that had been installed in the seventies and that Bella wouldn’t trust with a tray of food, never mind a human being.

‘I’ll be taking the stairs,’ she informed him. ‘The lift hasn’t been serviced yet and it’ll definitely need work, or even to be condemned and removed. That’s why the hazard tape was on it.’

‘Oh, that? Yeah, I took that off.’ His words were slurring a little now. ‘I’ve been using the elevator all week and it’s been fine. My legs are tired from my workout, so I don’t feel like stomping up three flights again. Come on. Live a little.’ The door opened and he stepped inside. ‘Bella?’

She stepped forward but hesitated. Wait, why the hell am I actually considering this? Wasn’t I just comparing him to Ted Bundy? And wasn’t I just telling him this lift is a death trap?

She shook her head. ‘Nah. I’ll meet you up there.’ She turned to walk away but he reached out and grabbed her hand, laughing as he yanked her inside and into his arms.

As the door closed, he pushed her against the fake wood-panelled wall and pressed his mouth to hers.

She shoved at his chest and reached up to scratch his face, then swiftly kneed him in the crotch as she screamed, ‘Get off me!’

He stepped back and dropped to his knees, holding his groin. ‘Ow! What the hell was that for?’ He coughed, his voice was strained and his face red.

The lift was moving now, and she yelled at him, ‘You arrogant shithead! How dare you?—’

He clambered to his feet. ‘Oh, come on, I’ve only done what you wanted me to do.’

‘I didn’t want any such thing, Carlton. I haven’t exactly been subtle about things. I told you in no uncertain terms that I’m not interested!’ There was a loud clunk, and the lift halted with a judder, shunting her towards him once more.

He grabbed for her again and held her tightly. ‘You don’t need to carry on playing hard to get, Bella. Harris isn’t here; it’s just us, so give in to it. I’ve seen how you look at me.’ He laughed, reminding her of a movie villain.

She flailed, kicking his shin. ‘Let go of me!’ she squealed.

He continued to laugh but released her. ‘Ow! Take it easy. I’m only messin’ around. I just wanted a little kiss, that’s all. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.’

Bella’s chest heaved as she glared at him, wide-eyed. ‘My God, you’re so conceited. No. I have not thought about kissing you. What part of no do you not get? You do know that was assault, don’t you?’

He rubbed at his cheek where visible red lines had formed. ‘Says the woman who tried to scratch my eyes out and then kicked me in the nuts.’

‘In self-defence!’ she yelled.

He held out his arms. ‘Why would you need to defend yourself against me? I’m not gonna hurt you. It was just a kiss.’

‘It was an unwanted advance, Carlton, and that is absolutely not okay!’ He didn’t speak, instead he stood there with a smug smirk on his face that she was desperate to slap away.

She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself.

‘I honestly can’t believe your behaviour.

In this day and age too. You’ve heard of the “me too” movement, I presume?

Do you even realise how serious this is? My fiancé is?—’