by Anna Durand
Busted.
I moved forward, bending down to rest my forearms on the sofa's back at either side of Aidan's head. He slipped a hand over one of mine, caressing my palm with his fingertips.
"You have to help me," Lachlan said, "to keep my wife satisfied. At least let us arrange a better car and hotel for you, and just a wee bit of cash to —"
"No." Aidan slapped his free hand on his thigh, but the irritation left his face swiftly, replaced by a faint smirk. "It's not my fault if you can't satisfy your wife."
"Aidan." The elder MacTaggart adopted a stern tone that wasn't quite convincing.
"Do I need to spell the word for you? N-O."
The conversation was clearly spinning in circles, with neither brother willing to concede an iota. Lachlan sounded tense and frustrated, but Aidan looked it. His shoulders had hunched a little, his mouth flattened into a line, and the fingers of the hand on his thigh crooked, clawing at the denim of his jeans.
I experienced a powerful urge to ease his tension, and I had an idea of how to accomplish it.
Leaning in, I trailed my fingers down his throat and whispered in his ear. "Let's make out."
He fidgeted, casting me a sideways glance.
The other MacTaggart kept talking. "Say yes, Aidan, or I'll tell our mother to call you."
I took Aidan's earlobe in my mouth, flicking my tongue over it. He hissed in a breath. I laid my palms over his collarbone and slid them down his chest toward his waistband. "Want to kiss me?"
He swiveled his head toward me, our lips grazing each other. "Aye."
"Thank heavens," Lachlan said, with great relief in his voice. "I'll take care of everything right away."
"What?" Aidan's head snapped to the front again, his eyes went wide. He snatched the phone from his knee. "No-no-no, I wasnae talking to you, Lachlan."
"Who were you talking to?"
Aidan's gaze darted to me and he shook his head with mock chastisement. "I'm with a saucy wench who's trying to seduce me."
"Wench?" Lachlan said with amusement. "Have you become a pirate?"
"Go ravish your wife, Lachlan." Aidan disconnected the call and tossed his phone on the table. He twisted around to grab me by the waist and haul me onto his lap, where I landed sideways. Cupping my face in one hand, he drew me closer. "Now, about your offer to make out."
"Still open."
"Good." He moved his hand to my nape, tipping my head back. "You tricked me into taking my brother's handout, which means you owe me."
"I wasn't trying to trick you. Just wanted a kiss."
"Mm." He brushed his mouth over mine and his lips vibrated my flesh when he spoke again. "You're wanting more than a kiss, aren't you?"
"Yes." Before I could close my mouth, he possessed it with his own, thrusting his tongue inside for a deep, wet, ravenous kiss. "Thought you were talking to Lachlan about your sister."
"We talked about her." He dragged his tongue up my throat while his hand closed around my breast, my shirt no protection from his touch. "Are you sure you want my sister staying here?"
"If the alternative is you going back to Chicago, yes." I worked a hand down between our bodies to rub his hardening penis through his jeans. "I want you here. Both in the sense of you staying in this house and in the sense of you taking me right here, right now."
"Let's wait a bit for that. I'll feel better when I'm sure you're not too sore."
"If that's what you really want." I clambered off his lap to sit beside him. "Sorry I inadvertently helped your brother get his way."
"Doesn't matter." Aidan let his head fall back on the sofa, his hands loose at his sides. "Lachlan would've gotten his way eventually."
"I can relate. Gavin is always positive he knows best when it comes to my life."
"Lachlan's the same." Aidan laid an arm across my shoulders and I cuddled into him. "My family thinks I'm incapable of taking care of myself."
"Your brother said you're skint. Are you unemployed?"
"I like to say I'm between opportunities." He almost smiled, but it faded away. "Told you I had a construction company, but the business dried up and now it's gone. I'm bankrupt. My bank accounts are almost empty."
Twisting my head around to look at him, I said, "Aidan, I'm so sorry."
"Doesnae matter."
I rested a hand on his chest, over his heart. "Um, I hope you won't take this the wrong way…"
"Just say it." He let his hand fall over my shoulder. "Ahmno sensitive."
"Yes, I've noticed that." I hesitated, but then plowed ahead. "I'm wondering why you're on the hunt for a wife, with the intention of starting a family, when you're bankrupt and unemployed. If you're looking for a rich woman who'll support you, I have to tell you I'm as poor as you are."
He stiffened but kept his hand on my shoulder. "I am not looking for a rich woman. And I didnae plan anything. Acted on impulse is what I did." He clenched his jaw, averting his eyes. "Begged Lachlan for a loan to finance my trip to America, but I wouldnae take more than I needed, and I insisted on staying at Erica's house in Chicago instead of a posh hotel. Had to give in a little, since Lachlan refused to help me at all unless I flew here in his jet. But I will pay him back for every penny I owe him."
I cringed inwardly. "And I made sure you owe him even more, thanks to you accidentally agreeing to let him do more for you."
Aidan pulled me in closer, sheltered under his arm. "I told you, Lachlan usually gets his way in the end. Being the oldest, he thinks it's his right and duty to stick his nose in the lives of every one of his brothers and sisters. And he's right, more often than not."
"He's not one of those greedy people who won't help out their relatives."
"Definitely not. He loves spending money on us. You should've seen how much he spent getting Erica cleared of embezzling charges after her former lover set her up. Lachlan is the most generous person you'll ever meet — except for Rory. They're tied for the title."
I rested my chin on his shoulder. "You love your brothers, don't you?"
"Of course I do. Love all my brothers and sisters." He kissed my forehead and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "I hope one day you'll tell me what's going on with you, why you're hiding in the woods."
"It's a very long, very tedious story."
"Doubt that." He whisked his hand up and down my arm in a comforting gesture, and I laid my head on his chest. He murmured, "Nothing about you is tedious."
"You either. But you have to take my word for it that you probably wouldn't like it if you knew everything about me."
He rested his head against mine, his breaths ruffling my hair. "No judgment from me. Made plenty of mistakes, some worse than others."
Wouldn't ask for details, though my curiosity prodded me to do exactly that. As long as I refused to confide in him, my curiosity would have to shut up. Changing the subject seemed the most prudent action.
An idea occurred to me and I said, "Should we take a drive today? I can show you my favorite parts of the scenery."
"I'll go anywhere with you. Anywhere at all." He placed his palm over my hand, on my lap, and threaded his fingers through mine. "I'm easy to please."
Right. All he wanted was me — body, heart, and soul.
My first rule was shattered. Maintaining the other two suddenly became of the utmost importance as if the safety of my very soul depended on it. I'd given away a sliver of myself when I agreed to marry Rade and participate in a fraud, violating the law out of guilt over everything he'd done for me. Had he planned it that way? Taking advantage of my grief and desperation to trick me into helping him.
I couldn't believe that. If I did, then everything I'd thought I knew about the man I married was wrong. And if I could be wrong about a man I'd known for seven years, two of those years before we married, then I couldn't trust my instincts about anyone.
As I sat there, enveloped by Aidan, I remembered how I'd told him I trusted him. And I
began to wonder if I should.
Chapter Nineteen
An hour later, we were preparing to climb into my old car when the crunching of tires on gravel drew our attention to the long driveway, where it wound through the deep woods toward the house. The vehicle became visible gradually as it passed through the shadows into the dappled sunlight and, finally, into the full sun. A blond-haired man sat behind the wheel of the red sports car, which he parked alongside my old beater. Aidan's rental was stashed on the opposite side of my car.
The blond man shut off the car's engine, swung open the door, and hopped out with a big smile on his face. He turned to Aidan, offering his hand. "Mr. MacTaggart?"
Aidan, appearing wary and somewhat confused, took the man's hand. "Aye, I'm Aidan MacTaggart. Who are you?"
"Billy, from the rental agency."
My Scot's eyebrows knit together. "From the what?"
"The car rental agency. Your brother called about getting you an upgrade."
"Upgrade?" Aidan's confusion crumbled away, replaced by the light of understanding. "Ah, Lachlan said he was going to get me a better car. I almost forgot."
He sounded like he wished Lachlan had forgotten.
Billy the Car Guy handed Aidan the keys to the cherry-red vehicle. "It's a convertible, by the way, perfect for beautiful summer days."
Aidan accepted the keys, but his gaze swiveled to me and he smiled in his secret way that made my body hum. "Mm, perfect for enjoying a beautiful lass on a beautiful summer day."
"Exactly," Billy said, seeming oblivious of the innuendo in Aidan's words.
I understood what he meant by enjoying me — and he wasn't talking about making me laugh. The sparkle in his eyes confirmed my analysis.
Aidan hooked the key ring over his middle finger and flipped the keys around it once, with a bright jangling sound. "Billy, how are you to get back to wherever you came from?"
"I'll take the other car. The one you rented yourself."
"Of course." Aidan extracted the keys to that vehicle and tossed them to Billy. "Do I tip you? I'm new to this country and don't know all the etiquette."
"No tip required, sir. Your brother took care of everything."
Aidan's mouth warped downward at one corner, half annoyance, half humor. "Naturally, he did. Lachlan takes care of everything for everyone, whether you want him to or not."
I slipped my arm through his, leaning into him. "Brothers. They can be presumptuous, but they do it out of love."
Billy glanced back and forth between us, his brows furrowed. "Sure, I guess they do. I should get back to work. Have fun with the car."
The youthful blond all but ran to the other rental car, apparently put off by our conversation. The poor boy must've been confused by our interactions. As the rejected rental roared off down the gravel drive, spewing dust and gravel in its wake, I rested my cheek on Aidan's upper arm and gazed up at him.
"So," I said, "shall we take your gift for a drive?"
"Yes." He straightened, determination on his face. "I planned to take you for a drive and I intend to keep my word."
"Actually, it was my idea." I stepped away from him to circle around the front of the sports car, approaching the driver's side. "Cool, it's a Mustang."
"If Lachlan could've hired an Aston Martin, I'm sure he would have."
"Here in the U.P., you aren't likely to find a rentable luxury car, especially not one as expensive as an Aston Martin."
"Lachlan owns two of them." Aidan puckered his mouth. "He keeps trying to give me one."
"Oh, don't be so petulant about it. Your brother's only trying to help." I walked back to him and looped my arms around his neck. "I think it's nice your rich brother wants to help out his family. In my experience, a lot of people who have money don't like to share it with anyone. Or if they do share, it comes with chains attached."
"Chains?" He crooked a finger under my chin, tipping my head up until our gazes met. "You say the oddest things at times. Have you known someone who —"
"Let's not talk about serious things." I tightened my arms around his neck, pulling my body snug against his, loving the feel of his hard muscles pressed into my breasts. "Let's take advantage of this wonderful summer's day."
"We will." He peeled my hands away from his neck, taking one in his big hand and leading me toward the Mustang's passenger door. Like a perfect gentleman, he held the door open while I climbed inside and settled onto the lush leather seat. I ran my hands over the upholstery. "Oooh, this is nice. I could get used to the high life."
He frowned. "Guess Lachlan should be dating you."
Before I could respond, he slammed the door shut. I watched him stalk around the front of the vehicle, tear open the driver's door, and throw his big body into the seat. He yanked the door shut with a huff.
"Oh come on," I said. "You have to get over this aversion to being pampered. Are you jealous of Lachlan? Because I'm here with you. I invited you to stay with me, not your brother. I'm sleeping with you, not your brother."
"If you met Lachlan, you'd probably prefer him. Or maybe Rory." Aidan jammed the key in the ignition, jerking it to stir the engine to grumbling life.
I let that go for the moment, more concerned with the nature of Aidan's statement. "Is Rory well off too? Because if he is, I'm starting to see a definite pattern."
"He's got money. Not as much as Lachlan, but at least fifty-fold more than I've got." He shifted the car into reverse, flung an arm over the back of my seat, and craned his neck to glance behind. "And of course there's a pattern. They're successful and I'm a failure."
"That is not true."
He swerved the car backward in a semicircle, so fast I was thrown forward. Since I hadn't done up my seatbelt yet, I had to thrust my hands out to stop from careening into the dashboard. I yelped.
Aidan hit the brakes hard, which flung me backward into my seat.
"Jesus Christ," I hissed, "if this is how you drive, you can forget me going anywhere with you."
He dropped his face into his hands briefly, then looked at me with regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry. That was childish and stupid, and I could've hurt you. It will never happen again."
"Damn straight it won't. If it does, I'm out of here and you can sleep in this car."
"I'll be more careful, I swear it." He pointed at my lap. "But you should still do up your seatbelt."
"Oh yeah." I secured the belt and rested my arm on the center console. "By the way, you are not a failure. Everybody has bad times, and that does not make you a failure in life in general."
He grunted, then shifted the car into drive and eased it down the gravel road.
Okay, I guessed we weren't going to talk about this anymore for the moment. Probably for the best, since I had no desire to become roadkill. Men could be sensitive about money and perceived status, even men who were otherwise self-assured. When it came to seduction, Aidan had no doubts about himself. But clearly, his brothers and their monetary success made him feel inferior. In a way, I could understand. As someone who'd suffered my own financial woes, I knew how easy it was to define yourself by the lack of zeroes at the end of your bank balance. I'd also learned to avoid that particular trap.
Aidan would have to figure that out on his own, though. I couldn't make him believe it.
Just like he couldn't make me believe we belonged together.
Sighing, Aidan relaxed into his driving with a satisfied smile on his lips. "Where should we go?"
"What are you in the mood for? Secluded or crowded?"
"Secluded." He glanced at me sideways, his smile heating up to a steamy simmer. "I have plans for you that might be illegal in public."
I sank into my seat, warm and soft and tingling with anticipation. "Take a left at the end of the driveway. We're heading north, into the wilds."
Chapter Twenty
The Mustang hugged the asphalt as it flew up the winding, two-lane highway through the woods towa
rd the summit of Brockway Mountain. Aidan had rolled the top down. I luxuriated in the wind whipping through my hair, the sensuousness of the cushy leather seat enveloping me, and the warmth of Aidan's hand wrapped around mine. He drove with one hand draped over the wheel, his muscular body cradled in his seat. Our joined hands lay on the center console, our fingers intertwined.
I hadn't felt this relaxed in years. Relaxed and… content.
"There," Aidan said with great conviction, pointing at a turnout along the side of the highway. "We'll stop for a bit."
"Okay, but it's just a view of trees."
"It's secluded." He glanced in the rearview mirror. "And we have no company at the moment."
The side mirror showed me no cars behind us and I noted the lack of oncoming traffic he'd mentioned. No big surprise. Even at the height of tourist season, this road wasn't packed.
Aidan slowed the Mustang, pulling off into the turnout. It was a dirt patch situated at the edge of the mountainside, hemmed in by a wooden railing. Aidan stood up and stepped out of the car over the top of the door.
I watched in awe as he strode around the front of the car to swing my door open for me. "You have something against using the driver's door?"
"With the top down, I don't need the door."
"Uh-huh." I took the hand he offered me and let him help me out of the vehicle. "I've never seen anyone get out of a car that way. Got to admit, it's kind of sexy."
"Kind of? Is that all?" He feigned a scoff. "Must've done it wrong. You should've been weak with desire after witnessing my stunning display of masculine prowess."
I laughed and leaned in, lifting onto my tiptoes to peck a kiss on his lips. "I was very impressed. Does that count?"
He pretended to consider my question. "I suppose I'll accept it."
Couldn't help it, I laughed again.
Aidan folded his hand around mine, shut the car door, and guided me toward the railing. We admired the view for about a minute before he said, "Back in the car."
"Don't you want to absorb the scenery a little longer?"
"Ahmno interested in trees or water at the moment." He threw an arm around my waist, pulling me tight against him. His blue eyes blazed with a need I recognized. My body responded of its own volition, softening and warming. He dipped his head close to mine. "I have other ideas."