Chapter Six
An hour or so later, there was a knock at the door. She put the book down and answered it to find a young woman she didn’t know but assumed she was a maid by her outfit.
“Miss, I was told to bring you this outfit. You’re supposed to get ready, and then Mr. Maclean will be here to pick you up for dinner in a few hours.”
“All right. What’s your name?”
“My name is Josie, ma’am.”
“You may call me Hope.”
“Thank you,” the girl said and smiled.
“Thank you for the outfit.”
“You’re welcome.”
Hope watched her walk away before she closed the door. She took the bag into the bathroom and hung it on the back of the door. She found a smaller bag inside of it and set it aside.
The dress she pulled out was a beautiful shimmery blue color. The neckline was high, and it looked like it would go to her knees, which she appreciated. The last thing she wanted to do was strut around half-naked in front of a bunch of men.
She couldn’t believe how nervous she was to meet more of his family, but then she reminded herself she had never been around a lot of people before, so it was going to be a new experience for her. It helped to know Faith and Beth would be there with her.
She was standing by the window looking into the side yard when the door opened, and Blake walked in.
By the light of passion and appreciation that filled his face, she was glad she’d made the extra effort to look beautiful. She’d taken a long bath with scented oil that made her skin look luminous. She blow-dried and curled her long black hair, and Beth and Faith had also sent her a bit of makeup. She had never used it much, mostly because she never had anywhere to go and she didn’t know how to apply it, and secondly, she thought it made her look like a clown if she overdid it. She’d gotten some tips from the magazines she read in the past, but she still didn’t feel competent enough to do the contouring and shading the models did.
“Fuck, babe, you’re gorgeous.”
She blushed. “Thank you.”
He chuckled as he pulled her into his arms, tilted her head back, and pressed his lips to hers. Within a minute, it had turned hot and heavy, and she was letting him take her weight as she opened her mouth for his tongue’s invasion.
The heat and taste of him went to her head, making her feel dizzy and needy. Her pussy started to throb, and she could feel the cream slide from her, wetting her panties.
Blake jerked his head up. “Fuck, if we don’t stop now, I won’t let you out of the room tonight.”
She nodded, stepped back, and smoothed down her dress. She didn’t understand what it was about the man that made her self-control and good senses evaporate. If someone had told her a few days before that she’d find a man so attractive that she immediately wanted to give herself to them, she would have laughed.
“Let me change, and then we’ll go down to dinner.”
“All right.”
It wasn’t long before he had her hand in his, and he was leading her through the house. The thing was so massive she knew she’d get lost if she was left on her own.
Faith rushed to her and hugged her. “I am so excited to be able to see you,” she said.
“I am too. That bastard father of ours kept us separated from each other, but he didn’t take away the closeness we felt for each other.”
Blake stood with his arm around her waist and introduced her to a few people in the room. It would take her a while to get to know them and remember their names, but she wasn’t going to worry about it right then.
Alastair came in with Beth, and Hope couldn’t help but stare at them. They couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other, and she could practically feel the love between the two, it was so strong. Beth had a glow of happiness about her that Hope envied, and she wondered if she’d ever find that depth of love.
She glanced up at Blake. He hadn’t let go of her for a second, and although he was talking to others, she knew his attention was on her at the same time.
“Let’s sit down,” Angus said.
Beth walked over to the older man, bent, and kissed his cheek, and Hope thought it was incredibly sweet.