Sizzle All Day Read Online Free PDF Page B

vision of a woman. Her back was toward him as she bent forward at the waist while reaching through the opened window to pluck a mist-kissed yellow flower from a vine. Golden hair piled high upon her head and quality of silk in her skirt convinced him he'd found Mrs. Dunbar. Before proceeding any farther, Jake did what any red-blooded man would do. He gave a soundless, appreciative whistle at the appeal of round, shapely buttocks pointed in his direction. Then, shifting his gaze from the view to the window, he cleared his throat, and said, "Y'all sure do have some beautiful scenery here in Scotland. Good morning, Mrs. Dunbar."
    She gasped, dropped the flower, started to turn toward him, then abruptly stopped and did something downright strange. Yanking the midnight blue drapery toward her, she wrapped it around her like a bulky, badly pleated kilt before turning to face him. "Mr. Delaney. I didn't hear you come downstairs."
    "I took the long way around."
    Silence fell between them as Jake was distracted from his purpose by the sheer beauty of his hostess' face. A splash of pink embarrassment on either cheek was bridged by a light dusting of freckles across a pert little nose. Her eyes were the exact shade of bluebonnets. A wildflower, Jake was reminded, that legend claimed originally came to Texas via shipments of wool from Scotland.
    His gaze drifted downward and he puzzled over why she had wrapped herself in the drapery. Was she embarrassed about her size? Had his comments yesterday upset her, made her worry about her expanding waistline? He hoped not. He hadn't meant any criticism, only concern. Personally, Jake had always thought expectant mothers especially beautiful. This was a time when their femininity shone like no other... oh, damn .
    Jake's downward glance stopped abruptly at the sight of her bare feet peeking out from below her lilac-colored hem. His eyes narrowed. Heat flowed into his loins.
    He'd always had a passion for a woman's bare feet.
    Right along with the surge of lust came a wave of shame. Dammit, Delaney. What kind of lecher was he? She was a married woman. An expectant mother. He shouldn't even be looking at her, much less hankering after her.
    Desperate to change the direction of his thoughts, he cleared his throat and said, "I, uh, think you should know, ma'am. I had a disturbance of a sort in my bedroom last night."
    She blinked once. "Did you?"
    "Yep. I think somebody was trying to play a joke on me. I think I was supposed to believe this person was a ghost."
    "I see."
    Jake waited for more, but she wasn't forthcoming. Eventually, he gestured toward the settee. "Maybe you should sit down and listen to my story. I think this is something you should hear."
    Her smile was fast and as fake as a tonic peddler's pitch. "I'm fine as I am. Please continue, Mr. Delaney."
    Suspicious, Jake folded his arms. "Not until you sit down, ma'am. It's not good for a woman in your condition to be on your feet too much."
    Now the fake smile got some emotion in it. Heat. The woman was piqued.
    She opened her mouth to speak, then abruptly shut it. Keeping herself wrapped in the drapery, she took two steps forward, reached out and grabbed the back of a desk chair and tugged it toward her. Before Jake quite realized what had happened, she had taken the seat, folded her hands on her lap, and pasted on a smile that was downright challenging. All the while, she kept herself covered by the drapery.
    "Are you cold, Mrs. Dunbar?"
    "Just curious, Mr. Delaney. Please, tell me about your ghaist. Rowanclere has a number of them, you see, and from your description, I am uncertain which one made himself known to you."
    "Herself. She was definitely a woman. A living woman. I saw her... breathe."
    Mrs. Dunbar sat a little stiffer in her chair and her chin came up. "We have the spirits of at least three different women haunting the castle. One is a brownie, who keeps out of sight and is often quite a help around the castle. At times,