Highland Secrets (English Edition) by Elena MacKenzie Page A

be so clear, just like spring water, that it was used to distill the whiskey.
    “This is the warehouse”, explained Adam and his blue eyes shined so bright that I got the feeling that his eyes alone were li ghting up the dim warehouse, which was filled right up to the ceiling with wooden barrels. He stood still and let the visitors step past him into the warehouse. I was the last to enter and Adam placed himself right next to me. He was so close that I was able to feel the warmth of his body. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and I was sure that the tickling feeling on my lower arms had come from the fine hairs on his skin. When I took a step to one side, he laughed so silently that only I could hear it.
    “Before these barrels made from Spanish oak were filled with whiskey, they contained bourbon.whiskey. This is another piece of the puzzle that is important for the taste of single malt.”
    A man entered the warehouse behind us and remained standing next to Adam. “This is our master blender, the most important man of any distillery. Connor will explain to you why it is so important.” Connor had reddish hair as far as I could see in the slightly dark room. He was quite big, but very lanky and now stepped up to the visitors. I wanted to follow him, but Adam took hold of my wrist and shook his head.
    “Where do you think you’re going? ”, he whispered and his eyes gazed into mine. I wanted to free myself from his grip, but Adam just held me tighter and pulled me into an alcove between the highly stacked barrels. He had a grin like a Cheshire cat on his face and pressed me with his body against a clammy wall. The alcove was just wide enough to prevent Adam’s shoulders from bumping into the barrels. “Nobody can see us here. And as they will all be trying the best single malt whiskey on the whole island, they are not going to miss us.”
    I was breathing rapidly and was trying to push Adam away from me, but he just pinned me harder between the stone wall and his hard chest. “Let me go”, I protested in silence, because I had lost my voice as his breath hit my face.
    “So you’re interested in whis key are you?”, he enquired and wrapped his hand around both my wrists. He lifted my arms above my head and pressed my hands against the cold stone just hard enough for the stone to press against my knuckles, but it wasn’t painful.
    I wanted to tell him that the tour was Molly’s idea, but I didn’t trust my voice, so I just nodded breathlessly.
    He put his other hand on my waist and slowly inch by inch slid it up my ribs until his thums were pressing against the bottom of my breast. Shaking, I drew in some air. Adam’s eyes were narrow slits and he was breathing just as heavily as I was. However, I doubted very much that he was also scared. Adam sank his mouth into my ear, his nose stroked along my ear muscle. “If you want to win this competition, you should keep away from me.” His thum stroked my erect nipple which made me lose control of my knees. They briefly gave way. “Even if you try to defend yourself, you can’t resist me just like all the other women in this room.”
    I slid my hands between our bodies and pushed him away from me with all my might. Erotic heat may still have been flowing through me and every cell in my body longed to be touched by Adam, but the last sentence felt like a cold shower.
    “Only you believe that! ”, I berated him and fled immediately from the alcove. My face went even redder when the visitors looked at me in astonishment and when Adam left the alcove behind me and refastened my blouse in front of everybody, I just wanted the ground to swallow me up in shame.
    Instead, I held my head up high and went towards the group. “Thank you for telling me more about the production of these barrels, Mr . MacLeod”, I said loudly. Connor raised his eyebrows and most of the tourists turned away from me in shame and all of a sudden were very busy trying the whiskey.
    Adam