Romansa Castle where love is all around—if you dare take a chance on it.
When Lois McDonald discovers just what sort of person she has become, it makes her take a long, hard look at herself. She doesn’t like what she discovers and resolves to change. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Now she has to do her best to create a new person and stick to it, even though many people are sceptical and it would be oh-so easy to be snappy and catty.
Zac Moncrieff is one of those people who doubts what he sees and hears. Nevertheless he is intrigued by this new Lois and wants to get to know her better.
They have to decide if it is worth putting aside past differences and seeing if the spark of interest between them will grow stronger. And if so whether they decide to become a couple.
General Release Date: 20th February 2024
If looks could kill, Zac Moncrieff decided he’d be pushing up daisies. Idly, he wondered what hymns would have been sung at his funeral and who would have given the eulogy. Or would it be only have been him in his coffin and the minister standing by? Would he have been shunned by any friends he did have because of something he’d said or done?
Cheerful. Not. He gave himself a metal shake. All that introspection because he’d asked the woman in front of him if it made her happy to be so horrible.
“I mean,” he said snarkily, “do you have to work at it, or did your nastiness come naturally? You know? Were you born a bitch or have you developed it over the years? Honed it to perfection and still practising on anyone you choose? If that’s the case, why do you think you can act the way you did and people not call you out on it?”
Now who’s the bitch…bastard…whatever? It does not take one to know one, so why am I being one?
As he glanced at her and saw the sheen of tears in her eyes, he did feel a bastard. Why on earth had he chosen to snipe? There was no need to retaliate just because she’d upset two of his friends and threatened their chance of happiness. It didn’t affect him. Tit for tat was not normally the sort of behaviour he indulged in. Why now? He opened his mouth to say something—he had no idea what—but she beat him to it.
“You… You know nothing,” she said fiercely and poked him in the stomach. It was about as uncomfortable as a tap of a cotton wool ball, but he got the idea. She’d prefer it to be a knife.
“Nothing at all,” she continued and sniffed. “So do not come the holier-than-thou stuff with me, mister.”
“I know you’ve upset a lot of people with your attitude and meddling,” Zac retaliated as he fought not to either poke her back—harder—or kiss her senseless. Where the hell did that come from? “And I don’t like you for it.”
“Well, I don’t like you either, for many reasons, but we’ll both have to suck it up.” The words were childish, the woman in front of him was not. She crossed her arms over her stomach, tapped one trainer-clad foot and glared.
She’s gorgeous when she’s angry. What? No, no and no again. Think of something else. Do not go there.
“And I suggest you get your facts straight before you go around accusing people and impugning their attitude,” the furious woman continued. “I do not need to explain anything to you, but to see you squirm, I will. I have spoken to the people you are talking about and we have straightened everything out to our satisfaction. Watch my lips. Our satisfaction. We have decided it is over and done with, and it is no one’s business except ours. Get it? Now, I would like you to arrange a taxi for me. Alex will settle my bill even though I no longer work for him.”
Watch your lips? Bugger it. The uneasy thought hit him that if he watched her lips he’d want to kiss them. Feel them on him and—
That shook him.
Enough.
Zac glanced around the spacious entrance hall of Romansa Castle and noticed several cases stacked near the door.
All designer no doubt. That brought him up with a start.
“You’re leaving?” The lump of dismay in his stomach hit him hard. “Not on my account I hope.”
“You?” She shook her head and gave him a scornful glance. ”You attach too much importance to your being.”
My being? Zac ducked to miss the tresses that were about to smack him in the face. A bit like she wishes she would dare do, but with her hands?
“Why would you be important enough to make me want to leave?” The scathing words matched the expression of contempt now on her face. “You flatter yourself.”
“I run the place.” It was a lame reply but the best he could do on the spur of the moment.
“Congratulations. You get one thing correct. Romansa Castle is beautiful. I cannot say the same thing about you.” The sarcasm was obvious, and the tone of her voice showed Zac how furious she was.
It was better than the flash of hurt he’d seen. That had made him uncomfortable and aware that his behaviour was far from exemplary. If he were less in control of his outward emotions he’d be squirming and showing it. Instead, he just squirmed inside.
“I suppose every Eden has to have its serpent,” she continued. “Pity this one is so in my face. How to spoil somewhere without even trying. I rescind my comment about how you got the running of the castle right. Congratulations.”
That’s told me.
Zac watched as she stalked to the door and looked outside. What could he say to try to put things right? And what was different about her? He stared at her back for a moment then it dawned on him. No clack-clack from her footwear on the flags.
Where was the designer suit or dress? She was wearing a pair of jogging bottoms, a sweatshirt and scruffy to the point of ready for the bin trainers. They might have been white once, but there was no way of telling. Even more astonishing, nothing had a logo as far as he could tell. Where was her usual attire? Her smart jackets and top-notch shoes? Surely they hadn’t had to go when she’d left her job?
As if she could sense his concentration on her, she turned and stared at him with contempt. “You feel sorry for me? Well, at least I’ve learned the error of my ways and done something about it. Maybe you need to do the same. I’ll wait for my taxi outside.”
Dare he forget to call the taxi?
She waved her mobile phone at him. “I’ve called for it myself. It will be here in ten minutes.”
Was the woman a bloody mind reader?
After 30 plus years in Scotland, Raven now lives near the east Yorkshire coast, with her long-suffering husband, who is used to rescuing the dinner, when she gets immersed in her writing, keeping her coffee pot warm and making sure the wine is chilled.
With a new home to decorate and a garden to plan, she’s never short of things to do, but writing is always at the top of her list.
Her other hobbies include walking along the coast and spotting the wildlife, reading, researching, cros stitch and trying not to drop stitches as she endeavours to knit.
Being left-handed, and knitting right-handed, that’s not always easy.
She loves hearing from her readers, either via her website, by email or social media.
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