Lion of Caledonia: International Billionaires VII: The Scots Read Online Free

in.
    “You’re late.”
    He stood in the murky light of one of two window bays. He still wore all black, though she thought the jumper was a different one than he’d worn yesterday. His hair still lay messily on his head, as if he’d spent the night running his hands through it. And he still had those predator eyes pinned on her.
    Did the man sleep? She didn’t detect any hazy drowsiness in those eyes, even though he’d been up as late as she had. At least as late. No, instead, they were sharp and alert.
    “Nothing to say?” His voice went from a deep grumble to a muted roar.
    She’d grown up with this kind of man. Best to draw some lines of defense early on. “I’m here to gather the work.”
    The tawny brows rose. Then, he paced to his huge desk and slapped the nearest mound of papers. “Gather the work?” he said. “The work is going to be done here.”
    He meant her to slave away in this cold, intimidating library, not in her snug, little suite. Inwardly, she groaned. Not only because the nap appeared to be receding into the distance, but she sensed this man intended to pace around her as she worked.
    You can do this for a few days.
    “All right.” She forced herself into the room, padding to the desk and looking down at the work. “I’ll go get my laptop and headset and start right in.”
    “Headset?” His brows rose further.
    “Did you handwrite all of it, or is there some audio to go through?” The mound of papers told her he’d done most of it longhand and the sheer breadth of the project made her suck in a breath.
    “There seems to be some confusion.” His hand, a broad male paw, slapped the papers again. “I haven’t started.”
    “What?” Lifting her head, she stared at him from across the desk. She was grateful for the expanse of it, because she was finally close enough to see his eyes clearly. A bolt of stunned awareness went through her, causing her knees to wobble and making her glad there was something to hold on to right in front of her.
    Her hand grabbed the edge of the desk.
    The center of his eye went from the black of his pupil into a dusky brown that matched his brows. What startled her was how the color turned into a rich gold at the edges, reminding her of her grandfather’s prized collection of antique English coins.
    Coins she’d treasured throughout her childhood.
    “I said I haven’t started telling the story yet.” The brown and gold snapped with impatience. “I’ve been ready to start dictating for the last half hour.”
    “But…but…” She stepped back from her predicament. “I’m a transcriber.”
    “Transcribers take dictation too, don’t they?” The impatience in his gaze also flowed from his voice.
    “I don’t.” The words blurted from her mouth before she thought them through and remembered her goal.
    A rumble of disgust came from deep in his throat. “Ye signed the contract yesterday. I don’t have time to find another person for this job.”
    “But—”
    “It’s pretty simple.” He yanked on the tall leather chair. “You’ll type into my computer.”
    Jen ignored his imperious wave, a demand she come around the desk to comply. “I type into my laptop.”
    “I’m not letting my story get into someone else’s computer.”
    He talked about his story as if it were a real person or thing. Her previous transcribing had been mostly medical reports and a smattering of college lectures. None of the voices coming from the audio tapes had ever held the intensity this man’s voice did for his work.
    “Well?” His ferocious frown turned into an annoyed lift of one tawny brow at her continued silence. “Ye reckon we can get started now?”
    The ring, Jennet, the ring .
    Her grandfather’s whispered voice in her memory made the choice for her. The only choice she could make.
    She found herself obediently circling the massive desk and coming within touching distance of her troublesome employer. Thankfully, he stepped back from the chair so