I wanted to climb into bed with her but I managed to resist. Montgomery was waiting for me downstairs and until he was gone, I would have to keep my desires in check.

Why hadn’t I told her who I was straight away? The truth of that was I wanted to see what she was really like. If she’d known I was the castle owner, she would have altered her behaviour, people always did. They did it with my parents and I remembered it happening, the way they’d fawn all over them once they found out how rich they were.

I wanted to observe the real her and I had done. The real her was submissive but also foolish. To have walked up the side of a mountain in what she was wearing. It was no wonder she almost drowned.

She was lucky that I had spotted her from my vantage point. I had gone up there to lay flowers where my mother’s ashes had been scattered. It was sheer luck that I glanced down the hillside and spotted her ascending.

I caught up with her quickly, moving from one rock to another as the snow fell around me, the white flakes turning to rain the closer I got to ground level.

When I’d pushed her hands between my thighs to warm them, I felt something other than her icy cold fingers. I felt the heat of her, the way her wrists shifted in place, her body pressed against mine. It made my cock grow with need as her fingers twisted.

If it wasn’t for the fact she was asleep when I deposited her in bed, I’d have been in there with her in seconds. But I noticed how swollen her ankle was and that got me on the phone to Dr Montgomery.

He was over in half an hour, examining her while I waited outside the room. I’d had enough of keeping my identity from her. It was time she knew the truth. I was ready to fuck her.

But when I went in, she looked so frightened, so pale, all I wanted to do was wrap her up in my arms and tell her I’d keep her safe.

I gave her the bell instead of fucking her. I wanted to climb into bed beside her but I couldn’t do it while she was clearly dazed and in pain. I would have to be patient, wait until her ankle was healed. Then I could pounce.

I left her with the bell and headed down to the study. Montgomery was waiting for me. “She’ll live,” he said as I walked in. “But you did the right thing in calling me out.”

“You have my gratitude for arriving so promptly.”

“That’s my job, Robert. Now, what about you? How have you been keeping?”

“I’m fine.”

“Awful shame about your mother. You taking over the castle for her? It’s what she would have wanted.”

“She threw me out of this castle, remember?”

“I know, I know. But that was a long time ago. Time to move on.”

“I intend to do exactly that. Are you back tomorrow?”

“I’ll check in first chance I get. Meanwhile, if she gets any worse, give me a ring.”

“Hedley will be waiting to take you back over.”

I walked with him to the door, closing it after him. I kept thinking about her up there, about the feelings she had brought up in me. The phone on the desk in the study rang as I headed for the stairs, bringing me out of my reverie.

I had to answer. It might be the bank.

“Yes?” I snapped down the phone, squeezing the receiver in my fist with impatience.

“Robert, it’s William Dacre here. I’ve some good news.”

“You found a million down the back of your sofa?”

“In a manner of speaking, I have. I’ve found you a buyer.”

“But the place isn’t even on the market yet. How did they find out about it?”

“You know how it is, word gets around.”

“How much are they offering?”

“Well, you wanted a quick sale and they have the cash to pay at once, no mortgage set up, no chain to deal with.

“How much?”

“I’m certain they’re genuine buyers, Robert, so don’t worry about that.”

“How much?”

“Half a million. That’s ready money, Robert, they’re good to go whenever you say the word.”

“But you said the place is worth twice that.”

“That was with the land. Think about it, put it up on the market and who knows how long you might be waiting. You told me you wanted a quick sale, you can’t get much quicker than this. What do you say? Shall I tip them the nod?”

“Hold on for now, I’ve got the rest of the paperwork to go through first.”

“I’ll do my best but they might walk if you make them wait too long.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

I hung up the phone and leaned back on the chair, thinking. Half a million would just about pay off the debts of the place and then I could walk away. It was less than it was worth but did I have a choice? The finances of the place were a mess and each document I found only made things more complicated.

I never gave much thought to money when I was growing up. It was nothing to do with me. I spent my days climbing the mountains, swimming in the loch, sailing across to the mainland on Nipper, travelling into Doon and the surrounding villages. That was where I met Charlotte. Where it all went wrong.

“I’m sorry,” she said to me when we sat by the loch looking out at the water, me unable to believe what she’d just said.

“You’re taking his money?”

“It’ll come in really handy.”

“For?”

“You know I wanted to travel.”

That was when I vowed to have nothing to do with money or with people. I was the fool, getting attached to someone was my mistake and not one I was going to make again.

I might fuck Tilly but that was as far as that would go. As for the castle, what did it matter if it sold for less than it was worth as long as it was done quickly?

The phone rang again and I thought it was Dacre but it wasn’t. It was the bank. “Mr King,” the voice said at the other end. “Noel Seabert here, we spoke briefly yesterday.”

“Mr Seabert.”

“I’ll come straight to the point. I wondered if you might be free to pop into the bank. There are a few things I think you need to see.”

“Like what?”

“I think it’ll be easier in person than over the phone.”

I heard something from upstairs. “One moment.” I listened. It was the bell ringing. “I have to go.”

“Could you call in this afternoon. It is rather urgent? Three o’clock?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Excellent.”

The bell again. I hung up and headed upstairs, reaching her room in no time at all. I knocked on the door and waited.

“Come in,” she said. Even her voice made me hard.

I walked in to find her sitting up in bed, shifting slightly in place, wincing as she did so. “What’s wrong?”

She looked embarrassed, her lips twisting as she muttered something. “I didn’t catch that,” I said, crossing the space until I was standing in front of her.

“I need help getting to the bathroom. I have to pee.”

My hard on throbbed at hearing those words. “Lean on me,” I replied, getting my arm under hers, lifting her to her feet.

She groaned with pain as we shuffled across the bedroom floor. I hoped she wouldn’t notice the bulge in my trousers. I shoved open the door to the bathroom and helped her limp inside. “Thank you,” she said, trying to stand on her own. “I should be all right now.”

“Fine,” I said, stepping back and pulling the door closed.

“I’m not all right,” she said a second later. I went back in to find her leaning on the wall, looking on the verge of tears. “Help.”

“Come here,” I said, kneeling before her. I reached up under her skirt, trying to ignore the aching need inside me to grab her and fuck the hell out of her.

“What are you doing?” she asked, looking down at me in disbelief.

“Helping,” I replied, hooking my fingers into her panties, sliding them down her legs towards her knees. They came into view, white, lacy, beautiful. “Sit,” I commanded, standing once again. I tugged her skirt upwards as she shifted down onto the toilet seat. “There, that wasn’t so bad was it?”

“You can go now,” she said.

“I’ll stay,” I replied, standing in front of her, no longer caring if she saw my hard on. I had caught the scent of her when I’d lifted her skirt and although I hadn’t seen her pussy, I was lost with need to be inside it. “Unless you can get back to bed on your own.”

She shook her head and a moment later, she sighed. She looked more embarrassed than ever but I wanted to tell her there was no need for shame. I wanted to see a lot more than her peeing. I wanted to see her naked, I wanted to see her screaming my name, grinding down on my cock.

All too soon, she was done and I was pulling her panties back up her legs. As I did so, I let my hands lift her skirt just enough to catch a glimpse of what was underneath.

I knew I shouldn’t have done it but I couldn’t help myself. She was doing things to me that had never been done before.

I remained on my knees, my hands on the outside of her thighs for a second. I looked up into her eyes. She looked back without blinking, her expression unreadable. Was she afraid? Ashamed? Angry?

“I should put you back into bed,” I said, getting to my feet and putting my arm under hers, letting her lean on me. “How does it feel?”

“Painful,” she replied.

Once we were out of the bathroom, it was easy to pretend that hadn’t just happened. I eased her down under the covers, her wrists locked behind my neck, her face inches from mine. “Get some rest,” I said, pulling away.

Another second and I’d have kissed her and I didn’t have time. I needed to get to the bank and do what I came here to do. Kissing her could wait until I got back. Then I would do far more than kiss her.

I would tear those panties off her, dive into that scent of hers, make her moan, make her mine.