His Heart Warming Touch

Julie was shaking.

The combination of fear, anger and old memories made it impossible for her to lower the gun even if the man was out of sight.

She could not help but be pulled back to the past.

The voices, the taunts. The never-ending barrage of underhanded insults kept her from growing.

[Why can't you be more like your cousins?]

[Can't you find a better job?]

[Aren't you tired of not being able to fit in your clothes?]

[See? Why do you keep saying no, deep down you want it?]

Julie could feel the walls were closing in on her. The light inside her that she tried too hard to hold on to was slowly slipping away...

"Mommy!"

"Mommy!!! Kuya took my toy!"

"I did not!"

The darkness that wanted to consume her vanished as the voices of her children broke her inner struggle. The light in her gradually began to spread.

That's right.

They were her reason for leaving the only place she called her. They traveled to the Highlands just to escape their old life. She will not succumb to a mere memory.

Warm callus hands enveloped hers, followed by hot breath against her ear, "Give me the gun, lass. I can see your children running towards us," there was no accusation nor a reprimand in his voice. "Let me take that away from you before you hurt yourself." He added.

His voice just like the hand covering hers was warm. He could easily take the gun away from her. His had looked big compared to hers. Yet he did not.

Julie slowly let go. Letting her eye candy click on its safely before it disappeared into one of his pockets.

She turned around. Intending to thank the man that helped her, but she lost her balance.

Strong arms suddenly went around her, caging her in a warm embrace. One was supporting her back, while the other held on to her waist. The loose chignon she wore finally broke free.

Julie's long black hair fell into a gentle cascade behind her as the gentle breeze of the wind blew around them.

Handsome would be a very tame word to call him. There was a rugged appearance about him. There was a fine dust of facial hair on his face but it only made him more appealing.

From the thin yet sensual red lips to his crooked nose, which looked like it was broken several times. He had a similar face to the new Superman. He was eye candy all right.

When Julie looked at his almond-shaped eyes, her heart beat faster and her body reacted. The way he was looking at her made her want to dive into one of the pools of The Belle.

He had been studying her too. Now that their eyes had finally met, she could see the bit of green dust that was like swirling around his eyes.

Julie could not help but compare what she was feeling right now to the novels that graced her shelves.

The pull, the sudden erratic beat of her heart, and the heat that she cannot understand were so similar to the feeling of the lead female in EVERY romance book she had read.

The feel of his fingertips drawing little circles on her waist was distracting her. Making her feel light-headed.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice becomes huskier than before.

Julie nodded, unable to utter a word.

Being surrounded by a man... it was, it was...

"MR. DUNCAN!"

It was the voice of her eldest child who broke the spell. She saw how his face transformed when he saw her child.

His face lit up. Like the lights of a Christmas tree. The heat that she saw was replaced by so much warmth and caring.

Two emotions Julie had never seen their biological father for them.

But when her youngest shouted, "MR. DUNCAN! YOU'RE HERE!" the laugh that escaped those sexy lips and the way he called her children, "Claude, Nikky!" Julie stiffened.

The man her kids called Mr. Duncan felt the change in her demeanor. He helped her regain her balance, he did not remove his hand on her waist.

Mr. Duncan was like a tower.

Julie had to tilt her head so she could look at his face. The man leaned down and whispered, "I'm no' your enemy, lass. Your kids are very mischievous. I will tell you how I met them when we are 'lone. Here they come..."

The last words he was about to say sounded like, "oof" as Claude and Nicole slammed their growing bodies at them. Julie was expecting that she will fall, surprisingly, Mr. Duncan was able to take all their combined weight.

The way her children spoke to "Mr. Duncan" spoke of familiarity. He glared up at him. How the heck did he become close to her children? Had he been stalking her?!

"Are you going to the lake again?" Claude asked excitement could be heard in his voice.

"LAKE~," Nicole said in a sing-song voice.

"LAKE?!" Julie exclaimed.

The children stopped talking when they realized their mother had heard them. They both had that guilty look about them.

But before she could say asked them about "the lake", Jane, the person who helped her five years ago, shouted in glee.

"DUNCAN!"

She was not the frail old woman she had envisioned when they talked the first time. She was tall for one. With silver hair that seemed impossible to achieve. Her smooth oval face had some freckles.

Jane's eyes were like her personality. Her amber-colored eyes were vibrant, anyone that looked into her eyes would feel fell happy energy flowing throughout their body.

"Why does he have to be so darn handsome?" Julie thought. His smile was so genuine. And the way he greeted Jane made her realize a part of her longs for the same affection.

Her kid's thoughts were shameless.

Each of them had their arms around his legs. They looked like little monkeys. The man they called Duncan was just chill as he exchanged greetings with Jane.

She was about to make sure her staff was okay but Jane called her.

"Julie, remember the times when I told you about my slave driver nephew?" The older woman looked up at him before adding, "here he is. The Laird of Strathpeffer's, Duncan McLaren."