The coffee finished brewing, and he fixed himself a cup. Out in the living room, he took a seat in one of the recliners facing the couch. What were those two women up to anyway? Paige had made it clear that she wanted to keep her distance. Why did they think disappearing would change things?
His gaze settled on Paige. She had her hands curled under her chin and her legs drawn up to her stomach. He suspected Penelope or Sarah had thrown a little blanket over her. Little bits of her hair were spread over her face. Her pouty little lips were set in a thin line and looked especially kissable. The way the sun fell across her skin made it look soft and touchable. Almost angelic.
He set his coffee down on the little end table next to his chair. He wished he could go back to the other night. To convince Paige that it was worth at least seeing if there was something between them before just cutting it off completely.
Paige yawned and stretched her arms above her head before sitting up with her hand braced on the couch. She blinked a couple of times before her glazed-over eyes landed on him. “What am I doing out here?”
Rory shrugged. “I dinnae have an answer for that.”
“What time is it?”
“About noon,” he replied.
She winced and groaned. “Oh no, we were supposed to go back to the dress shop today.”
“Penelope found her dress?”
Paige smiled. “It’s perfect. It fits her personality, her figure, everything. Angus is gonna cry when he sees her in it.”
“Ye think so?”
“Yeah.” She smiled as she looked down. “You should have seen her. It was like she was floating on a cloud. I wanted to be upset with her for moving here and marrying him, but I couldn’t be. I mean, I’ve never seen her so happy in my life. She glowed.”
“So does that mean ye give yer approval?”
Paige looked up. “Yeah, I do. I can’t stand in the way when she’s that happy. I love her, and I need to trust that she’s making the right decision.”
Rory couldn’t believe his ears. “Well, blow me over.”
“Shut up.”
He chuckled.
Paige rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was working hard not to laugh with him. “Where are Penelope and Sarah anyway?”
“On a campin’ trip that will keep them overnight, apparently.” He handed her the letter.
She looked up, and their eyes met. “I smell a setup.”
At least they were on the same page. He pursed his lips and nodded. The subject needed to change before things went haywire. “What happened that ye didn’t make it upstairs last night?”
If she understood the change in direction, she masked it. “Uh, it’s a long, fuzzy story. One I will never be repeating.”
His forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows pinched together. “I’ve got nothin’ planned for now.”
She exhaled sharply and sat up on the couch. “I may have accidentally on purpose had too much to drink last night.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Accidentally on purpose? Is that a thing?”
She yawned. “I was tired of thinking. I wanted a break.”
“Thinkin’ about what?”
Paige locked eyes with him. “You.”
“What about me?”
She quickly stood. “You know what? I have a headache, and I’m going upstairs.”
Before she could get to the stairs, Rory jumped up and held her in place. “What about me?”
She gripped his arms, and her lips parted in a gasp. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay, I’ll let ye off the hook, but on one condition.”
“What condition?”
“Go out with me tonight.”
Her shoulders sagged, and she tried to pull away.
“Ye can either tell me what’s goin’ on, or ye can go out with me. Those are yer choices.”
Paige scoffed. “I don’t have to do either.”
He held her tighter. “I have a right to know what yer thinkin’ about when it comes to me.”
She grunted. “No, you don’t.”
“Naw? What would ye do if the tables were turned?”
A heartbeat passed, and a small smile formed on her lips. “Hound you until you told me.”
He slid his arms around her and pulled her closer. “Precisely. Ye would want to know.”
“But we talked about this. We agreed.”
Shaking his head, Rory said, “Naw, ye talked, and I didnae get much of a say.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Rory rubbed his thumb across her lips. “I think the truth is ye dinnae want to get hurt. Yer either afraid of gettin’ hurt by me or doin’ somethin’ to hurt yerself. Yer so set on whatever fear has ye cowerin’ that ye havenae even slowed down to really make sure it’s what ye want.”
He wasn’t letting her go this time. Not until she answered him. The house was dead still, and he could feel her heart beating wildly. Her chest was rising and falling like she’d been running miles.
“I’ll go out with you tonight,” she finally whispered.
He smiled. “Whatever it was ye were thinkin’ about me must be mighty scandalous for ye to agree to spend the evenin’ with me.”
She ran her fingers across his cheek and into his hair. “As much as I loved Tyler, I can see this having the potential to wreck me for the foreseeable future. I’ve been on two dates with you, but I’ve spent enough time around you to know that it would be the easiest thing to fall in love with you.”
This time when she pushed away, he was too dumbstruck to hold on to her. She rushed past him and up the stairs, and all he could do was watch her go. His jaw was on the floor. Paige did feel the connection. Felt the same thing. That the potential for a future was there.
As fast as her heart had been beating, his was matching its pace as he lowered himself into the chair. A thrill shot through him. She could see herself falling in love with him. As much as he loved and missed Alana, he could see himself falling in love with Paige too.
CHAPTER 27
P aige smoothed down the front of her shirt for the millionth time as she stood in front of the mirror. She’d agreed to go out with Rory, and now she regretted it. There was truth in what he’d said. Getting hurt by him would be easy. Not only was it possible, but it was also more than likely if she kept going out with him.
Moving to Scotland? After knowing someone for such a short time? She’d called Penelope crazy. But since the moment Rory had asked Paige out, it’s all she’d been thinking about. She liked him, and it was going beyond like the more time she spent with him.
“You are out of your mind. Completely mental. Do you know that?”
Her reflection gawked at her.
“Some help you are.”
One last deep breath as she opened the door, and she walked down the steps, struggling to keep her erratic thoughts from overwhelming her. Before her feet hit the last step, Rory came into view. Everything fell away, and all she could do was stare at him. Nothing else mattered to her. In a few short weeks, he had become more than just another good-looking guy. He’d become someone she could see herself growing old with.
“Ye look great.” His smile went to his eyes.
Words were lost on the way from her brain to her mouth, and she was speechless. Even if she could speak, she wasn’t sure they’d come out in a language he’d understand.
“Paige? Are ye okay?”
Was she okay? No, she wasn’t okay. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. She wanted to spend the evening snuggled up with him on the couch, watching TV and eating ice cream. Or cooking with him in the kitchen, even though cooking was a stretch when it came to her skills. It was more like an arcade game with flames and fire extinguishers.
Instead of doing what she wanted, she walked toward him and smiled. “I’m okay. Just a little nervous.”
“Why?”
Like she’d answer that. “That’s a long story I’m not sure I’m ready to sh
are yet.”
“All right, I’ll let it go for now.”
If he kept looking at her and smiling like that, she wasn’t going to be able to stop herself from kissing him. “Where are we going?”
“A ghost tour and dinner.”
Her eyes widened. “I hate scary stuff.” Not hate, loathed.
“Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing I’ll be there to protect ye.”
She swallowed hard. “You won’t be able to. I’ll be sticking to you like glue. You’ll have no freedom of movement.”
Rory stepped closer and leaned in. “Ye will get no protest from me.”
Her lips parted, and again her quick wit had left her high and dry. The spicy scent of him enveloped her like a hug, and her heartbeat jumped like a jackrabbit. She discretely pinched herself. “I guess we should go, huh?”
“If we dinnae want to be late.”
Rory followed her out of the house and held the door of the SUV open for her. The intensity of the moment in the living room had followed them to the car. The tension was so thick it was as if she’d dropped a hairdryer in her bathtub. It crackled and popped and made it hard to breathe. The moment the car stopped, she was out the door. She was desperate for air and a moment to think.
“I would’ve opened the door for ye,” he said as he stopped in front of her.
“Oh, yeah, I just…” Had no good reason for nearly jumping out of the car.
He tilted his head. “Just what?”
She chuckled nervously. “I thought by the time I got to the end of the sentence I’d have a good reason, but then I realized I don’t.”
He stepped toward her, and she stepped back. The car pressed into her back as she leaned against the door. “Are ye okay?” he asked, following her step.
Nope. Still not okay. There was no way she was getting through a ghost tour and dinner. She was a crazy mess of nerves. Her lungs were screaming as though the atmosphere had sprung a leak and the air had been drained from the world.
Paige couldn’t stop herself any longer. She balled her fists in the collar of his shirt and kissed him. She felt the muscles in his chest tense and then soften as he melted against her, pressing her back further into the SUV door. His lips on hers and the feel of him against her was like giving in to a craving while going through withdrawals. It was a delicious relief.
His lips softened against hers, and all she could feel was him. He encased her in his arms and deepened the kiss. Rory was all she cared about as she gave herself to him. It didn’t matter who was around or what they thought.
The tension between them grew heavier and hotter the longer they remained tangled. She didn’t want to move to Scotland, but the idea of walking away from whatever was growing between them made her heartsick.
A soft gasp came from Paige and cut through the air as she pulled back. She had nothing to offer as a way of explanation other than she wanted him.
“Can ye tell me what just happened?” asked Rory as his chest heaved in and out in rhythm with hers.
Paige shook her head. “No.”
“Let’s take that tour, okay? Maybe by the end of it, you’ll have an idea.”
“Probably not.” She touched her lips with her fingers.
He took her free hand and kissed her palm. “Okay. Are ye ready to go?”
She nodded, and he laced his fingers in hers. They walked toward the gathering group of tourists. During the drive, she hadn’t paid attention to her surroundings. Now that she was halfway thinking, her eyes widened. “The tour starts in a graveyard?”
“Everyone’s dead. I think yer safe.”
Paige curled her arms around his bicep and snuggled closer. “I hate them.”
“Why?”
“They’re scary. And this one is at the top of my nope list now that I know it’s here.”
“The tour ends at another cemetery.”
Her jaw dropped. “Another one,” she squeaked.
Rory pulled her hand to his chest and patted it. “It’ll be okay. I’m right here.”
She nodded, but “okay” was not on her list of feelings at the moment.
The group started walking down the little path, and the guide began to tell stories of the Royal family and the nasty things they’d done. Deaths associated with them. Harrowing tales of dark and evil things. The more the woman talked, the tighter her grip on Rory became.
Halfway through, Rory took her hands. “I think I’m losin’ blood flow.”
“I’m sorry. I hate ghost stuff. I’m going to have nightmares.”
“It’s just stories.” He laughed.
“True stories. Bad people doing bad things.”
“I will nae let them get ye.”
She nodded, and they continued walking. Two and a half hours later, the tour concluded in the second graveyard. Paige took off at a run and didn’t stop until she couldn’t see it anymore. She had to get out of there. It was completely irrational and silly.
She was bent over, hands braced against her thighs and breathing hard when Rory caught up with her. “Ye were really scared.”
Paige straightened and nodded. “I know it’s pathetic and stupid. I don’t know why I’m scared like that at all.”
Rory took her hand and pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay. Ye have the right to be scared about things. I will nae ever do that again. I kinda thought ye were kiddin’ at first.”
“I wasn’t.” Paige buried her face in his chest. Thoughts of home and laughter and love filled her. Waking up with him next to her in the morning. Seeing him the last thing before she closed her eyes at night. Florida was a house, and he was home.
“Yer shakin’. I’m so sorry.” He kissed the top of her head.
She looked up at him. “I’ll be fine. I could use some water, though.”
He smoothed her hair back and combed his fingers through it. “I’m a little thirsty myself.”
CHAPTER 28
T he water was cool going down. It settled in the pit of Rory’s stomach, and for the first time since he’d seen Paige that evening, he could actually breathe. When she’d come down the stairs and stopped, she had a look on her face he couldn’t figure out.
The connection they shared was intense. Even more so than his connection with Alana. At that thought, the knife he’d hoped was gone slid between his ribs and stuck its point to his heart. To even think that made him feel like a traitor.
But Paige was sitting next to him, and to deny what he was feeling for her would be lying to himself. He was falling for her. A deeper, harder feeling than he’d had for the woman who he thought would own his heart for life.
“I needed that drink.” Paige’s glass clinked as she set it down.
He looked over to find she’d finished it off in one gulp. “Ye do like to drink fast.”
The pink hue of her cheeks made his stomach do a somersault. She was adorable, cute, and beautiful all rolled into one. He ran his thumb across her cheeks. “I like it when ye blush.”
“I do it a lot when you’re around.”
“I dinnae mind.” He took her chin and tilted her face up. “I need ye to do me a favor.” It didn’t matter how desperate he sounded.
“What?”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I need ye to forget about tomorrow or the future and everythin’ else that’s causin’ ye to run. Can ye do that for me? Can ye give me the next few weeks to explore what this is and drink ye in?”
She closed the tiny gap between them, knotted her fingers in the back of his hair, and brought his mouth down to hers. He didn’t want to assume, but the way she was holding on to him and kissing him made him think she was at least open to it.
Paige broke the kiss and snuggled close to him with her head under his chin. “I don’t think I have a choice anymore.”
He took her arms and sat back so he could look at her. “I would’ve been disappointed if ye had said no.”
Soft hands cradled his face. “I would be lying if I said
I wasn’t torn. On the sensible side, this is crazy. You can’t feel the way I do about someone when you’ve just met them. The other side, the one that has zero caution, says, ‘Who cares.’ Staying away from you was painful.” She dropped her hands in her lap and looked down.
“Is that why ye accidentally on purpose drank too much?”
Searing green eyes peered up through long lashes. She may not have been trying to be sensuous, but she was. The look was ablaze with unspoken feelings. “I was tired of the war going on between my head and heart. I just needed to be numb for a while.”
“It might be hard to believe, but I understand that.”
“What are we going to do?” Her eyebrows kneaded together.
Rory shook his head. “Naw. Nae thinkin’ or worryin’ about tomorrow. There’s now, and I’ll be happy with that. I dinnae want to think beyond this moment.”
Her features were laced with pain. “How can you do that? Do you want to get hurt?”
Shaking his head, he put his arm around her shoulders. “Naw, but I also dinnae want to stop this, and if all I get are the next nine or so weeks, I’ll take what I can get.”
“I could use another drink and then maybe a walk. Would you be up for that?”
“Some more water?” He grinned.
“That sounds…like a smart choice.” She chuckled.
Rory waved for the waiter and gave him a quick order. The waiter returned with the water, and while they each finished their drinks, she sat nestled next to him with his arm around her.
Once they were done, Rory drove them to the park where they’d first kissed. The path around it was lengthy, and he didn’t want the night to end. As they walked, Paige locked her fingers in his and wrapped her free hand around his arm.
“Still scared?”
“A little. I wasn’t kidding about having nightmares.”
“I will nae let anythin’ happen to ye.” He hated that he’d scared her so badly, but he couldn’t deny loving the feel of her being so close.
“I know.”
They walked the path in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable; it was just silence. He liked the feel of her next to him and savored it.
Mending the Billionaire Scotsman: A Clean Scottish Romance Book Two Page 13