KILTED DESIRE - Sands of Betrayal

by A. B. McKINLEY

  Later that night Britney’s hotel details were all arranged for her mid-August long weekend break. She passed the details onto Scott and he arranged for the flights out of Baghdad. He’d also booked his own flights and set everything in motion for his surprise for Katie. He’d been working on part of the surprise for a while. He had initially planned to do it at Christmas, but things changed. Due to his absence, he just felt the time was right, now. At around midnight, after Britney headed to bed, he sat on the couch in the main room and called Katie. He wasn’t that tired. He’d only been up for a few hours, and was looking forward to talking to her.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, gorgeous, how are yer?”

  “I’m good, baby. I hear you had some trouble last night. What happened?” she said, holding her anger about Britney back, not wanting to vent on him.

  “Aye, it was horrible. It was a terrorist attack on our hotel, with cowardly idiots shooting innocent people.”

  “Oh my, Scott. She didn’t tell me that.”

  “Aye, there were three people killed and lots injured. They never got up tae our floor, but I was ready and waiting, if necessary.”

  “I can’t believe this. Will you come home, please?”

  “Yer know I can’t. I have tae finish the contract tae get the money fer our new haem. I saw how much yer loved it. Plus, yer know I dinnae quit anything.”

  “You are so stubborn and I don’t care about the money. I just want you.”

  “Aye Katie I know. I want yer too. But, we need money tae live and this is what I do. Just trust me, everything will be fine.”

  “I do trust you, but hearing things like this, just scares me so much.”

  “I’m sorry. I promised tae tell yer aboot what happens here, but it’s difficult fer me tae do, as I know it will upset yer.”

  “I know. I’m glad you tell me. Oh, and by the way… that girl over there has a crush on you.”

  “Nae, dinnae be silly.”

  “I know you don’t notice these things, but trust me she wants you. So just be careful, please.”

  “Okay, will do, but I really think yer making a mistake.”

  “I’m not trying to fight with you. I just know what women are like. I know you are true to me, so I am not worried or mad at you. I just want you to watch and be aware.”

  “Okay, I believe yer. But, I just have nae noticed it. I’m glad yer know yer have nae anything tae worry aboot. I love yer, Katie.”

  “I know.”

  “Hey, I do have some guid news. Britney’s going away again fer another long weekend tae Dubai. Nae next weekend, but the weekend after, so keep that weekend free, from Thursday through tae Monday.”

  “That’s great! Are you coming here?”

  “Nae, it’s a surprise, just keep it free. I’ll tell yer more as we get closer tae the date.”

  “I’m not going to Dubai with you and her.”

  “Come on, yer should know me a wee bit better than that.”

  “Okay, sorry. I’m just still a little shocked at hearing her talk about you that way, earlier.”

  “Just trust me. Yer surprise will be worth it and it will make yer forget aboot everything else.”

  “I love you. I can’t wait to see you.”

  “I love yer, too, Katie. Try nae tae worry aboot anything and keep looking forward tae yer surprise.”

  “I’m looking forward to it already.”

  “Guid, yer should be. I’m going tae go tae bed, but I will talk tae yer soon.”

  “Night baby, stay safe. I love you.”

  “Love yer more.” He quickly hung up the phone.

  He hadn’t done that for a while. She smiled. She’d been mad all day although not at him. Somehow he always made everything seem better. She knew the surprise would have something to do with her birthday. But, she had no idea what it was. It was exciting though. First she would see him, then find out what he was going to do. It was going to be a long two weeks, but she knew she was going to see him again soon, and that would keep her going.

  Chapter 11

  As the time grew closer to her birthday weekend, Katie grew more and more anxious to see Scott. Her divorce was now final and for the first time in ages, she felt free. Scott had promised the day before she was due to leave, he would send e-tickets for her flight. She knew he’d have to send them to her soon. Where she was flying to meet him couldn’t be a complete surprise as she would have to board the plane! But, what they’d be doing when she got there, would be. It was Wednesday morning, before her big weekend and Scott told her during their conversation, that he was about to send her an email with her e-tickets. When she hung up, she hurried and turned on her computer to find out where she was going. She had no idea and was so excited. She clicked on the email revealing her tickets and itinerary.

  “Oh, my god! I can’t believe it,” she said, not being able to look away from her destination.

  The tickets were to Glasgow, Scotland. She wanted to hug him, right now. She’d always wanted to go to Scotland, even before she’d met Scott. He knew she’d never even been out of the United States. She was beyond excited! Katie quickly ran to the bookshelf and grabbed her big Scottish travel guide book. She gasped as she looked through the breathtaking, stunning pictures. The landscapes and architecture were so different from anything she’d ever seen and there were castles too, lots of them. She would be stepping into the past. The bonus was she would be there with Scott. The icing on the cake was that she was going to visit his homeland. She hurried to start packing.

  The violence had not slowed or calmed down in Baghdad at all. It was getting much worse every day. Scott was under a lot of pressure to make sure Britney was safe. Each day they encountered more incidents on the roads. Every type of bomb and rocket landed closer to their hotel and there was a rash of suicide bombings aimed at Green Zone check points. Everything was far from ideal. Still, they managed to avoid any direct trouble and both remained physically unhurt. Scott was thankful he still hadn’t needed to fire a single shot. Scott and Britney both looked forward to their weekend break.

  Scott had planned the journey for Thursday evening. He made plans, the same as the last trip out of Iraq. Scott would accompany Britney to Kuwait and make sure she safely boarded her flight to Dubai before catching his flight to London. This time, he’d only have the short one-hour trip up to Glasgow instead of the grueling transatlantic venture. He would arrive in Glasgow early Friday morning and get the rest of Katie’s surprise ready before he met her at the airport early that afternoon. Everything was going smoothly. Britney arrived safely in Dubai, Katie was making her way across the Atlantic and Scott was in Glasgow putting his special birthday plan into place.

  At lunchtime, Scott drove into the airport parking lot. He rented a car when he arrived earlier in the morning. He needed to rent a car since he’d sold his own car a few months before when things started to get serious with Katie and he knew he’d be staying in the U.S. He had left his car at a friend’s house, who had taken care of all the details for the over the internet sale.

  Scott planned to show Katie around a few of his favorite local sights that afternoon, before going to their hotel. He didn’t make a lot of plans for later. He knew she’d be tired after her long flight. They would be leaving tomorrow for the real place where he wanted to surprise her.

  While Scott sat in the arrivals area, all he could think about was what Katie’s reaction would be to the surprise he planned for her. He was confident she was going to be very surprised and happy. She would smile that beautiful smile that he loved so much.

  As Katie departed the plane and was walking to customs, she couldn’t hide her excitement. It was slightly cloudy outside, but it wasn’t raining. Scott had told her many times that Scotland wasn’t as warm as Ohio.

  Most airports were pretty much the same, but hearing so many people talking with the same accent as Scott made her grin. In fact, she couldn’t stop smiling! She was also smiling because she knew
Scott would tease her about needing a suitcase for a two-day trip. She couldn’t do what he did when he came back to the States and just bring a backpack onto the plane. She couldn’t wait to see him and enjoy some of his country with him. It was going to be the best birthday ever, she thought, as she grabbed her case from the carousel. As she walked through the customs area, she panicked. She had packed some very sexy, racy underwear that she’d bought especially for this trip. What if they went through her suitcase and pulled those out for everyone to see. Luckily, she and her bag were not chosen for inspection and she strolled through without incident, pulling her purple suitcase behind her. She made her way to the area where Scott was waiting. She was almost with him. She was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a purple zip-up hooded sweatshirt. Scott warned her about the weather and always joked that there were about three sunny days a year. As she exited customs, Katie didn’t see Scott in the waiting area. She spotted a vacant seat where she could sit and wait, and was about to head towards it when a pair of hands grabbed her waist from behind. She was startled, but a recognizable kiss was placed gently on the side of her neck.

  “Hi, gorgeous! Welcome tae Scotland.”

  She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, before kissing him.

  “Hello. It’s great to see you.”

  “Great tae see yer too, baby. How was yer flight?”

  “It was good. I’m a little tired, but so excited.”

  He smiled and grabbed her suitcase. He reached to hold her hand and looked into deeply into her eyes.

  “Let’s get oot of here. I have a lot tae show yer.”

  Before long they were driving in Glasgow traffic. Katie was fascinated with everything; the cars were different, much smaller. No sign of any pickup trucks, even the big semi-rigs looked different. They drove on the opposite side of the road and there was even a difference in the traffic lights. Her beautiful face beamed, eyes sparkled and she looked continuously at all the things around her. Scott smiled.

  “What do yer think?”

  “It’s so different. I thought the traffic in Columbus was bad, but this is crazy. I’m glad I’m not driving.”

  “Aye, I know, I dinnae like the traffic. We’ll be oot of the city soon.”

  “Where are we heading?”

  “I’m going tae quickly show yer my haem toon then we’re going tae go across tae Edinburgh so yer can see the sights and we’ll stay in a hotel there tonight. It will nae take long tae get there, I know yer tired.”

  “Sounds great, I can’t wait.”

  It didn’t take them long to see the sights of Clydebank; it was a fairly small town. Scott showed her the street and house where he grew up, his school and a few other places that gave her more insight about his childhood. They visited the cemetery where his parents are resting, side-by-side. Just after Scott joined the Army, they had been killed in a road accident by a drunk driver. He was devastated and it took him a long time to come to terms with the loss. He rarely spoke about it, because it wasn’t a subject he really liked to talk much about, even after so many years. Scott’s younger sister was a very strong believer in peace and a member of many anti-war movements. She took their parents’ deaths very hard too. When Scott joined the Army, she refused to speak to him, not even at their parents’ funeral. Many times he tried to restore their relationship and tried to contact her over the years, to no avail. Eventually he admitted defeat. It was very hard on him as she was his only family member left. His grandparents in Ohio had died a few months after he’d started seeing Katie. His Grandmother first then his Grandfather followed within a few weeks. Scott believed he died from a broken heart, missing his beloved wife. He took their passing very hard too.

  Scott was quiet. They placed flowers on his parents’ graves and then continued their journey to Edinburgh.

  “Thank you for showing me your hometown and for letting me come with you to your parents’ graves,” she said. She could see he was visibly upset.

  “Nae problem. I just want yer tae see as much as yer can while yer here.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Aye, I’m fine. It just upsets me a wee bit going there, especially that yer and my parent’s never got tae meet.”

  “I understand, I love you,” she said, as she rested her hand on his leg.

  “I’m fine. Now, let’s just concentrate on making this weekend very special. This is tae be yer weekend. I know it’s been stressful fer yer, especially now, with me working away,” he said, as he took hold of her hand.

  “Thank you, Scott, for all of this,” she said, sweetly.

  “Yer welcome, babe. We’ll be in Edinburgh in an hoor or so and we can check in tae our hotel. Then if yer up tae it, we can go oot tae dinner and I can show yer around, tonight.”

  “Oh, I’ll be up to it! Don’t worry.”

  They both smiled. As he continued to drive, she enjoyed her wondrous surroundings.

  Later that afternoon, they checked in to the hotel and decided to have a short rest and freshen up before they headed out for the evening in Edinburgh. As they drove into the city, Katie was amazed at the architecture and general feel of the city. She wanted to get out and explore. They took a quick lay down in the room, holding each other and rested a while. Katie was excited to get out and look around the city. She jumped out of bed to take a shower.

  The shower cubicle was very nice and the massaging power-shower was heaven on her shoulders which were still stiff from her long flight. She allowed the water to cascade over her as she washed her long hair and soaped up her body. She was deep in thought and excited about how much fun it was going to be exploring Edinburgh. After rinsing off the soap, she reached for the handle to turn the water off. A strong pair of arms wrapped around her. This was the second time he’d surprised her from behind, in one day. She hadn’t heard him walk into the bathroom or step into the shower.

  He stood behind her and caressed her breasts as he softly kissed her neck. It excited them both. He drew her closer to his body, as the water continued to flow over them. He pressed hard against her knowing she loved being held tight. He felt her try to reach her hand back to touch him, but he hadn’t released his grip. Scott smiled as she quickly gave up. She stretched her arms up, arching her back a little. He knew she was enjoying and had submitted to his touch. He enjoyed exploring and caressing every inch of her body and her soft moans and reactions told him she did too. As the hot water continued to cascade over her breasts. His hands continued to caress and excite her, his body still pressed hard against her. He knew she could feel how aroused he was against her lower back. His hands played with her breasts. Taking turns teasing her nipples, making them erect. His right hand then moved lower, exploring and awakening all her senses. As her back arched and her hands braced against the shower wall, he knew she was getting close. He held her tightly and could feel pleasure building within her. When she would try to turn in his arms, he just held her tighter.

  As he moved his hands and fingers more sensually, he kissed and nibbled the side of her neck. It turned him on even more when she attempted to break free from his embrace. It only made him want to excite her even further. Within seconds of trying to turn towards him, her breathing became rapid. All at once, her screams of pleasure could probably be heard on the other floors of their hotel. Right now, in this moment he knew she had no control. Just as her waves of pleasure were lessening, he made sure he drew her closer and brought her to another orgasm.

  Scott moved his hands, wrapped his arms around to her breasts and pressed deep inside her. He took hold of her hips and began to thrust. She put her hands forward, resting them again on the shower wall as he continued to move deeper inside of her.

  “What do you think, baby? Do yer like this?” he asked, nibbling some more on her neck. He was getting very excited.

  “Oh, yeah! Don’t stop!” she said, thinking this was the ultimate excitement. They had never done anything in the shower before. Every time they were together, the intima
te side always seemed to get steamier.

  He wasn’t stopping, but continued to move further within her, his hand lowered to touch her as they made love. He was too far beyond aroused. When he could no longer wait, he moaned loudly with pleasure. His lips found their way back to her neck. He pulled her body to rest upon his as their bodies lowered to the floor of the cubicle, kissing each other while the water fell over them.

  “Damn, baby! I missed yer.”

  “I missed you too.” she said smiling, as they slowly got up and stepped out of the shower.

  “Yer ready tae go eat and see Edinburgh?” he asked, as he wrapped a towel around her.

  “Definitely! Oh, and I wouldn’t mind doing that again, later,” she said, winking at him, as they walked hand-in-hand out of the bathroom, both now wrapped in towels.

  “Aye. I think yer could probably persuade me.” He smiled, pleased that he had thought of it.

  They quickly got dressed and headed out into a pleasant, Edinburgh evening. The weather was, so far, kind to them. It had been a little cloudy most of the day, but as the afternoon wore on, the sun emerged from behind the clouds. It was dry and in the 60’s. They couldn’t have asked for much more than that, for an evening in Scotland. Scott took her to the Royal Mile, the main attraction in the oldest part of the city. The buildings themselves are hundreds of years old and have been converted into quaint shops, bars, restaurants and museums.

  Katie gasped when she first saw the area; she had never seen anything like it before. She snapped pictures with a small camera she brought with her. The architecture fascinated her. There was nothing remotely similar back home. The entire experience was unbelievable. Edinburgh Castle loomed at the end of Royal Mile and she asked many questions about it. The castle was the most remarkable thing she’d ever seen and she desperately wanted to have a look around inside.

  Scott relished seeing her like this. So excited, so animated! He was only too happy to show her everything she wanted to see and enjoyed being her personal tour guide. After all, she’d shown him around Ohio the previous year, so now it was his turn. He thought they should go to dinner first and do more exploring later. They went to a traditional Scottish restaurant, near the castle. Scott tried to tempt her into trying haggis, but she graciously declined. He asked if he could order for her and she was happy to accept, as long as he avoided the haggis!