by L. L. Muir
At her infectious laugh, he smiled automatically, though his attention was on how soft everything about Lilly appeared. Bits of her hair curled slightly as it dried, framing her face, her eyes a deep, fluid sapphire, her mouth, pink and perfect.
Nothing but tiny straps covered her shoulders, connected to something that both hugged and stretched over parts of her upper body, the way his hands yearned to do. He couldna see what she wore on the bottom. The broad expanse of the high, wide bed stood between them.
“Are you ready?” She asked, as her scent drifted to him.
Fresh. Flowery. Delicate.
Rory swallowed, noting for the first time, his heart beat far too fast. He inhaled a couple of deep breaths to slow its pace, but ’twas her fragrance he inhaled instead. The heady fragrance did nothing to clear his head.
“Aye,” he barely muttered.
“Come then.” She held out her hand. “Your turn.”
Lilly held his gaze as he rounded the bed and drew him in as surely as a sailor to a siren.
“Need any help?” she smiled, shyly.
Did the lass mean to test every ounce of his resolve? He feared any help from her might be his undoing. “I thank ye, but nay,” he answered, stepping back. “ ’Tis lovely and clean, ye are. And ye smell like heaven come to earth. But I, weel, let us just say, ’tis no’ heaven I reek of.”
She looked a wee bit disappointed, but nodded. “There’s complimentary soap, shampoo and some other toiletries on the counter.” She stepped aside to let him pass.
“Oh. Wait,” she said before he got the door fully closed. “I saw a laundry bag in the closet.” She was back in a heartbeat. “Put your clothes in here and then pass it out to me. I’ll get them cleaned.”
Once inside, he undressed quickly, drawn by curiosity over how she’d produced a room full of warm, misty, steam. He shoved his clothes in the bag, slipped them outside the door and turned to the odd-looking bathing-tub built into the wall. Droplets of water spattered the bottom and dripped from the contrivance coming from the wall above it. But what made the water come out?
Below was a spout with a handle attached. Mayhap the thing worked like a pump handle? He lifted it and water shot from the spout. Ahh! As he leaned in to examine it, the handle moved and changed the water temperature from cold to warm, and finally to hot. By the saints, what a wonder! And what, then did this tiny knob do? It only moved in one direction. Up.
Water, steamy and hot pulsed from the device above. Smiling his delight, he put as much of his big body as he could beneath the multiple, tiny streams of water. The sensation on his skin was amazing. A seductive waterfall. Why had no one thought of such a creation before?
His eyes drifted closed as he ducked his head beneath the spray and let the heat and water engulf him.
Bliss.
~ ~ ~
Lilly answered the soft knock on the door.
“Thank you.” She smiled at the young girl, shyly handing her the tea tray, and exchanged it for Rory’s laundry. “Could we get these cleaned, please?”
“Of course.” The girl nodded. “They’ll be ready by morning. I’ll just set them here, outside yer door.”
“That would be perfect.” Lilly listened for the sound of the shower as she closed the door, set the tray near the sofa, and reached for her phone. As soon as she turned it on, text messages and missed call notices pinged, one after another.
She left a message for Mr. McAdams, stating her urgency and a request that he return her call as soon as possible.
Taking a seat on the sofa, she opened the messages and instantly regretted her decision. From the time stamps, most of the seven messages and texts from Miles had begun arriving right after their conversation this morning. Right after she’d turned her phone off. The latest, just a couple of hours ago. There were two from her father. The one before her conversation with Miles this morning, and another not long after.
A welcome bright surprise was a birthday wish from an old college roommate who’d helped make college more than just a training ground for her father’s business.
Miles’ texts were a series of short demands ranging from; I can’t believe you’re not taking my calls, to Lillian, this is not amusing. Call me back immediately.
Sighing, Lilly listened to his first two voice messages which were just longer, angrier versions of his texts. She hit play on the last one, expecting more of the same but the fury in his tone caught her off guard.
“Lillian, your behavior is unconscionable. I’ve been patient with you, but you must realize the time and energy your childish conduct is costing me, not to mention your father. Plans must go forward regarding the engagement reception. Timing is of the essence in regards to the announcement, and as you know, with your entrance into the business. Our engagement will be announced as planned. Both your father and I adamantly agree on that. I’m not sure what your motivation is for this little drama you’re playing, but it must stop at once. It’s selfish and unworthy of you. Would you have us believe you’re lying in some hospital, hurt? That at least, would account for such inconsiderate behavior. I warn you, Lillian, not to continue in this selfish vein. Your father said you were stubborn and needed close management. I’m disappointed to realize just how correct he was. Call me. Immediately!
Her hands shook as she hit the delete button. A brutal attack, even for Miles. He’d never been a very sensitive man, but he’d never shown that kind of angry desperation. For a man who handled the everyday conflicts of her father’s business in a controlled, detached manner, this much emotion from Miles was unusual. Something must be going on that was more than just her trip to Scotland, or even her unwillingness to announce their engagement.
She listened to her father’s messages to see if they would explain Miles’ excessive behavior, but they too, were just curt statements regarding his disappointment in her and his expectation that she would put her responsibilities ahead of her childish fantasies, come home and do the right thing. The first of which, would be to stop balking over the wedding announcement.
Tossing the phone aside, Lilly paced the width of the room, trying to manage her jumbled emotions. She stared out the window at the storm which appeared to be subsiding a little. She’d come here to find her piece of Scotland. And she had. Finally. Even if she had a bit of fighting to do to keep it.
And now, she was expected to give it all up? Even the idea made her insides twist.
Picking up her phone again, Lilly called her father, needing desperately to know if he’d at least meet her half way. She’s spent years preparing to enter his business, yielding to his demands and ignoring her own dreams in order to rise to his expectations. Even Miles entering her life had been her father’s wish, and now she was expected to endure a loveless marriage because it fit her father’s agenda.
This trip was the first and only thing she’d ever done for herself. But it wouldn’t, couldn’t be the last. There had to be a few concessions, and choosing the man she would spend the rest of her life with, was one of them.
Her father answered on the second ring.
“It’s about time!”
At the sound of his voice, she felt like a little girl again, standing in front of his great desk. “Hello, Father.”
“What is going on over there, Lillian? You’ve got Miles in an uproar.”
“I didn’t mean to cau—”
“And, what’s this about not going through with the engagement announcement?”
“Well, it would have been nice to have been asked.” She interjected. “Not that I—”
He snorted derisively. “You’re being childish, as usual. I thought you’d eventually outgrow these tendencies. It’s time you became a responsible adult. Marry sensibly. Take your position with the company seriously. After all, that’s what I’ve spent years and a great deal of money preparing you for.”
“Yes, father,” Lilly sighed. “As you often remind me.”
His weighty sigh revealed his irritation. �
��You know, Lillian, not many women can step into the world you’re going to inhabit. I’d think you’d show some gratitude instead of this impulsive quest you’re on. I’ve overlooked this indulgent behavior, and so has Miles, but it must end. I don’t know what’s happened to you in the space of a day, but clearly Scotland has had an unprecedented negative impact on your decision-making abilities. I’ll expect you on the next available flight out of there. And without an argument. Understood?”
Lilly let the silence drag out, the same way she expected her life to, if her father and Miles had their way.
“Lillian?” Exasperation, mixed with the same warning tone she’d grown up with, clogged her father’s voice. “Answer me!”
She heard the water turn off in the shower. Rory would come out soon. Her first thought was that she didn’t want her father to hear his voice, but she instantly regretted it. That kind of instinctive reaction is what living under her father’s dictates had done to her, and if she married Miles, she could only expect more of the same.
At least Rory accepted her for who she was. And as far as she could tell, he actually liked her. Rory wanted her to be happy with no expectations or personal agenda. He’d been willing to literally fight for her and her land. Rory and Miles were not just continents apart. Lightyears separated the type of men they were.
“I’m not going to marry Miles.” The finality of her statement, spoken very quietly, surprised her almost as much as it must have her father.
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, you are. It’s all arranged.”
“Exactly. You and Miles are quite busy arranging my life. Think how much time you’ll both have when you don’t have to do that anymore.”
“Enough with these theatrics, Lillian. I’m quite weary of them.”
“They aren’t theatrics, father.” Frustration edged her voice. “They’re choices. My choices.” Her voice quivered with hurt and anger. “I know that’s a foreign concept to you, but you’re so keen on my growing up, I’ve decided to grow up and actually stand up for myself.”
“I’ll not continue this conversation until you can speak reasonably and show some respect. Return home immediately and we’ll settle these foolish notions.”
“I’m not coming home.” The words were out before she’d considered them, but now that they were, the instant freedom she felt, shocked her. “I’m staying here for a while. There’s a glitch with the property that I need to work out. I’ll be in touch once I get that done and let you know my plans.”
“Lillian!” Her father ground out, that one word bursting with dire warnings.
“Don’t forget to cancel the engagement party. You wouldn’t want to have egg on your face.”
“I’m warning you, Lillian. Do not do this.” The emotion had disappeared from her father’s voice. This was his boardroom voice. His CEO voice. The voice of steel. “I will cut off your funds, cancel all your corporate credit cards and withdraw all funding from you. For anything. Do I make myself clear?”
She hadn’t thought he’d go so far. But he probably hadn’t thought she would, either. They were at an impasse.
“Well?” He demanded. “Are you beginning to see the light?”
She saw it clearly. Probably for the first time in her life.
If she admitted the entire truth, she wanted this chance to see where her connection with Rory would lead. Even if it were possible to set the issues with her property aside until later, if she let Rory walk out of her life she’d always wonder what might have been, and regret not taking this chance. Maybe she’d come to Scotland as much to find him, as she had her heritage. There was something real between them and that alone, was enough reason to stay in Scotland.
“You’ll also want to post an opening for my position at the firm.” She said as calmly as she could manage.
“Do not threaten me, Lillian!”
“It’s not a threat,” she said wearily. “And I don’t want to fight with you anymore, Father. For once, please listen to what I’m trying to tell you. I need this time in Scotland to find out what I want for my future without you dictating it to me. To find what matters to me. Me! Please. Allow me that?”
There was a derisive snort on the other end. “You’re just like your mother. If you do this, I’m washing my hands of you. Don’t come running to me to pick up the pieces when your life falls apart. Because it will. I guarantee it!”
She swayed on her feet. “I guess you can’t make it any clearer than that.”
“Understand me. There won’t be another chance.”
“I know.”
She disconnected, unsure if she trembled in triumph, or fear. She’d never stood totally alone before. She couldn’t help thinking of what her grandmother had faced after Culloden, and the bravery she’d had to find in the face of such grave danger. If Iseabail had that much courage, surely there was a tiny bit buried in her own heart?
Still shaking from the confrontation with her father, she turned off her phone and tossed it on a side table. She couldn’t endure a similar call from Miles, tonight.
Rory emerged from the bathroom, tucking in the end of the towel wrapped around his waist.
At her indrawn breath, his head came up and their gazes locked.
Her thoughts of him in nothing but a towel didn’t half measure up to the real thing. The intensity of his jade-green eyes, filtered by a half-curtain of hair that fell just past his bare shoulders seemed almost…primal. She shivered, despite the moist heat spilling from the bathroom. Dry, his hair was the color of a bright penny, but wet it was burnished bronze, as it had been in the rain. She wanted to touch it again, memorize its texture.
Instead, she let her gaze drift down his broad, carved chest to his narrow waist and the towel that wrapped his hips. She’d thought him beautiful, before. But this man, tall, broad, straight, his strength barely contained, called to her in a way she’d never imagined.
“Did you…did you find everything you needed?”
When he raked his hair back with both hands, her breath caught.
“Aye. ’Twas bonny. I dinna want to stop.”
“There’s, uh, tea, if you’d like some. And some cream buns.” She couldn’t pull her eyes away, even though he watched her, watch him. “You must be hungry.”
He scanned the room, spied the tray near the sofa, and brought his attention back to her. “Ravenous.”
“Then, I’ll pour. But first…” She went to the closet and pulled down a spare blanket. “As much as I’m enjoying you in that towel, you’re a bit of a distraction.” She shook out the blanket and indicated he should wrap it around his waist.
He laughed, folded the blanket in half and wrapped it as he would his kilt, then settled back on the sofa as she finished pouring the tea and set a cream bun on a delicate flowered plate. She served him, then herself, far too aware of his bare upper body.
“Do ye mean to tease me?” Rory asked, leaning forward to reach for another bun. “These wee things taste like heaven, but they’ve naught but a bite or two in ‘em.” He plunked a couple more on his plate as Lilly’s laugh froze in her throat.
Ugly ridges of scar tissue crisscrossed the broad expanse of his back. It was painfully clear the pattern could only have been created by a series of wickedly evil beatings. Her cup and saucer rattled in her hand. Who could have done such a violent thing, and why?
“Rory,” she whispered, turning to him.
Tears burned her eyes and the bun she’d just eaten threatened to come back. She managed to set her cup on the table, wanting to ask what happened, to comfort him, though the scars were clearly old.
He must have read the shock on her face, despite her attempt to hide it. He set his dishes aside and eased back against the sofa. “I’m sorry, lass.”
“Why would you—?”
“ ’Tis been a part of me for so long, I sometimes forget. I ken the sight of it is no’ a pleasant thing to see. For that, I’m sorry.” He shrugged. “I dinna usually go about
w’out my long shirt, and even if I did, the lads are used to—”
“What lads?” she asked, curious about the people in his life. All she really knew about him were her own assumptions.
An odd look crossed his face and he shook his head, as if he’d said too much. “They’re…uh, companions. Friends, ye might say.” Men I’ve known for a verra long time.”
She leaned closer, her elbows on her knees. “Tell me about your family.”
“Gone, a long time ago,” he replied, running a thumb across her bottom lip before she could ask more. “What about ye? Brothers or sisters? What family have ye besides yer father?” He grimaced and added, “And Miles, o’course.”
Feeling bad over his lack of family, she realized she no longer had one, either. “None. And Miles does not qualify as ‘family’.” She pressed her lips together, determined not to cry, but despite her efforts, tears welled in her eyes.
“Ahh, lass,” he gathered her to him. “Dinna greet over somethin’ ye canna change.”
She rested her head on his chest and released a shuddering breath. “That’s the thing. I could change it, but I’m not going to.”
“I dinna ken. How could ye possibly change no’ having brothers or sisters?”
“No, not that. It’s my father I’m talking about. I spoke with him on the phone while you were in the shower. We argued because he wanted something I wasn’t willing to give. So…” Saying the words proved much more difficult than she’d imagined. “So, he disowned me.”
Rory was silent for a moment. “He must have wanted a great deal. What did he ask for?”
“Three things, actually. Two that I refused to give, and…one I refused to give up.” She could see where their conversation was headed and she hoped she had the courage to follow through. “I refused to marry Miles.”
“I knew ye to be a smart lass the moment I saw ye on the moor.”
He laughed, but Lilly wasn’t sure if he was teasing, or if that was actual relief in his voice.