The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance Read Online Free Page B

Don’t know what ye’re looking for, but I set aside a few interesting things pertaining to the time period.”
    “ I appreciate it.” 
    Perhaps she’d been too harsh on him and they’d gotten off to a rocky start.  It would be good to have his cooperation and knowledge of clan history and lore.  So much was often passed down in stories rather than written down.  Indeed, it was because of her Scottish grandmother and the tales she’d heard as a child that she’d become interested in the history of her ancestors.
    “Well, don’t go getting ahead of yerself, lass.  The only way ye’re going to get access to those books is if ye first tell me what yer looking for and why ye’re really here.”
    “Look, I’m happy for any hel p you’re willing to give me, but like I said, I need more information first.  I’m not sure of things just yet, and it’d be premature to speculate.”  Why did it feel like they were constantly rehashing things?  And here she’d gone thinking she’d judged him too harshly.
    “No, my dear.”  He crossed his arms and stopped walking, his head cocked to the side with a smirk on his lips.  “Ye tell me now, or ye can find whatever it is yer looking for without my help or my clan.”
    S he was tempted to walk away.  James had set her nerves on edge, she’d yet to have a cup a coffee, and she was in no mood to negotiate with Iain when Callum had ensured her of their cooperation.
    So why was she was stuck dealing with a stubborn bastard like Iain instead of his sweet father? She wanted to turn and go, yet she knew she’d regret it the moment she did.  It would leave the treasure— her find—vulnerable to bastards like James, and that wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.  Treasure hunters would catch whiff and it would all be over—they wouldn’t care about the historical significance or what it would mean to the people of Scotland.  No.  They’d only care about pawning it off to the highest bidder. 
    “ Iain, please.  I can’t risk this getting out.  The vultures are already circling.  I’ve done my best to keep it all a secret, but it only takes a single drop of blood to bring the sharks feeding.  And they’re hungry, damn it.”
    His smirk faded to a look of concern.  “If ye’re worried I’ll tell others, I’ll not.  Ye have my word.   But I need to know what’s going on, especially if there are others looking for whatever it is ye’re trying to find.  I have my family to think of and I’ll not jeopardize their safety.”
    Now she’d gone and worried him needlessly.  James was a lot of things, but she couldn’t see him stooping so low as to hurt anyone physically, not even for a treasure as great as The Highlander’s Hope. 
    “It’s not like that.   It’s a colleague—Dr. James Tanner—who wants to take credit for anything I find.  He’s done it before, and I’m afraid it’s made me overly cautious.”
    “And can ye say for sure that there aren’t others?”
    Weariness had her letting out a long sigh.  “No, I’m not sure.  There could be other people looking for it, and they may very well be a hell of a lot more ruthless.”
    “And ye’ve brought that to my front door?  I can’t say I appreciate that, Dr. Ross.”
    Crap .  What had she done? She looked deep into his sea blue eyes, their gaze intense. “I’m sorry.  It’s never been my intention to put anyone in danger.  But I’ve been very careful, and I have to believe that no one knows what it is I’m looking for.  Not even James.”
    “ Get inside.  We’re going to sort this out right now.”  He glanced around as if expecting someone to be watching, and then with a hand on her shoulder, got her moving forward and towards the house.
    Once indoors, s he followed him down the hall to a portion of the home she’d not been in before.  Portraits and weaponry hung on the dark wood paneled walls, while elaborate rugs covered the wide plank flooring, and the