horrified at witnessing his heartless execution.
Nessa shook herself free of the torturous memory, rubbing her face as she slung her arm over her eyes. Maybe she should check into some sleeping pills. Some that would send her deep into a dreamless haven. If she drugged herself into a mindless state of oblivion, she’d escape any more dreams of her Highlander’s rage. As a lover, he was more than welcome to visit her every night but last night Nessa had seen a side of him she never wished to see again.
She blinked hard and tried to focus on the daily reports of her students’ findings. With a disheartening jolt, Nessa discovered they were running about a week behind. Enough of her dreams, enough of men, at least she still had her work. Nessa beat on the keyboard in tired irritation. Her voice cracked with fatigue. “Trish, have you uploaded the latest scans of Area Four? James and Lyla specifically mentioned a significant readout… Trish? Trish!”
Nessa drummed her fingers on the desk and turned to find Trish’s chair vacant at her desk. “I wonder where she’s gone to this time,” Nessa grumbled as she grabbed her journal and rose from her chair.
Still massaging her tired eyes, she ran head-on into Gabriel’s chest as he pushed through the flap of the tent. “Oh hell! Are you all right? Did I hurt your ribs?” Nessa steadied him on his crutches as she cringed at her clumsiness.
Gabriel rubbed at his ribs and hopped on one foot as he struggled to regain his balance. “I’m fine. I just thought I’d stop in to see ye, and to thank ye for taking such good care of me on our first date. Cordelia dropped me off while she ran a few errands. I thought I’d sit with ye for a bit…if that’s all right with ye and ye have a bit of time to spare?”
Nessa pulled a chair closer to him and shrugged as Gabriel eased down into the seat. “After the way you ended up, I can’t believe you want to come anywhere near me. I figured you’d think I was a jinx.”
“’Twas a strange night.” Gabriel agreed. “But I doubt that it had anything to do with you.”
Nessa fretted with the corner of her journal as she thought back over the night and everything she had seen. She remembered the strange meeting with her ghostly Highlander. She wondered if Gabriel had also noticed his presence but she was afraid to ask. If he hadn’t seen the ghost, and from the way he was acting, he hadn’t, he’d think her insane if she mentioned it.
“Here are the latest reports from Area Six and there’s something wrong with the scans from Area Four.” Trish barreled through the door, her arms piled high with papers and rolled up charts of the surrounding dig.
Trish greeted Gabriel with a saucy wink as she dumped her load on the desk.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Before he could answer, she wagged a rolled up chart in his direction as though she meant to use it for a paddle. “I told you, you should’ve gone out with me instead. I’ve never been known to send a man away from a date with a set of crutches.”
Gabriel grimaced and held his ribs as he chuckled. “I’m much better today than I was last night and somehow, I think a date with you might’ve left me in even worse shape.”
Trish winked again and tossed a paper clip at Nessa as she fixed Gabriel with a devilish grin. “Shame on you, Nessa. Have you been telling Gabriel I like it rough?”
“I think everyone pretty much gets that impression without having to be told.”
Nessa turned to Gabriel and patted him on the shoulder as she handed him an extra chair to prop his leg. “I can’t believe you’re already up and about. Didn’t Dr. Stuart tell you to take it easy for a while?”
Gabriel grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips as he gazed into her eyes. “I had to see ye since our date didn’t play out as perfect as I planned. The clerk at the inn said this was where ye would be. So, I thought I’d drop by to see if ye would go out with me
Nessa shook herself free of the torturous memory, rubbing her face as she slung her arm over her eyes. Maybe she should check into some sleeping pills. Some that would send her deep into a dreamless haven. If she drugged herself into a mindless state of oblivion, she’d escape any more dreams of her Highlander’s rage. As a lover, he was more than welcome to visit her every night but last night Nessa had seen a side of him she never wished to see again.
She blinked hard and tried to focus on the daily reports of her students’ findings. With a disheartening jolt, Nessa discovered they were running about a week behind. Enough of her dreams, enough of men, at least she still had her work. Nessa beat on the keyboard in tired irritation. Her voice cracked with fatigue. “Trish, have you uploaded the latest scans of Area Four? James and Lyla specifically mentioned a significant readout… Trish? Trish!”
Nessa drummed her fingers on the desk and turned to find Trish’s chair vacant at her desk. “I wonder where she’s gone to this time,” Nessa grumbled as she grabbed her journal and rose from her chair.
Still massaging her tired eyes, she ran head-on into Gabriel’s chest as he pushed through the flap of the tent. “Oh hell! Are you all right? Did I hurt your ribs?” Nessa steadied him on his crutches as she cringed at her clumsiness.
Gabriel rubbed at his ribs and hopped on one foot as he struggled to regain his balance. “I’m fine. I just thought I’d stop in to see ye, and to thank ye for taking such good care of me on our first date. Cordelia dropped me off while she ran a few errands. I thought I’d sit with ye for a bit…if that’s all right with ye and ye have a bit of time to spare?”
Nessa pulled a chair closer to him and shrugged as Gabriel eased down into the seat. “After the way you ended up, I can’t believe you want to come anywhere near me. I figured you’d think I was a jinx.”
“’Twas a strange night.” Gabriel agreed. “But I doubt that it had anything to do with you.”
Nessa fretted with the corner of her journal as she thought back over the night and everything she had seen. She remembered the strange meeting with her ghostly Highlander. She wondered if Gabriel had also noticed his presence but she was afraid to ask. If he hadn’t seen the ghost, and from the way he was acting, he hadn’t, he’d think her insane if she mentioned it.
“Here are the latest reports from Area Six and there’s something wrong with the scans from Area Four.” Trish barreled through the door, her arms piled high with papers and rolled up charts of the surrounding dig.
Trish greeted Gabriel with a saucy wink as she dumped her load on the desk.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Before he could answer, she wagged a rolled up chart in his direction as though she meant to use it for a paddle. “I told you, you should’ve gone out with me instead. I’ve never been known to send a man away from a date with a set of crutches.”
Gabriel grimaced and held his ribs as he chuckled. “I’m much better today than I was last night and somehow, I think a date with you might’ve left me in even worse shape.”
Trish winked again and tossed a paper clip at Nessa as she fixed Gabriel with a devilish grin. “Shame on you, Nessa. Have you been telling Gabriel I like it rough?”
“I think everyone pretty much gets that impression without having to be told.”
Nessa turned to Gabriel and patted him on the shoulder as she handed him an extra chair to prop his leg. “I can’t believe you’re already up and about. Didn’t Dr. Stuart tell you to take it easy for a while?”
Gabriel grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips as he gazed into her eyes. “I had to see ye since our date didn’t play out as perfect as I planned. The clerk at the inn said this was where ye would be. So, I thought I’d drop by to see if ye would go out with me
Similar Books
