“But you still want to, right?”
She groaned in defeat. “Yeah.”
“Well, climb on board, Kat. This love train is ready to be ridden.”
They were both laughing when their mouths found each other, their kiss teasing and slightly desperate.
“Are you sure?” Katya said against his lips. “I won’t respect you in the morning if you just offer yourself up to the woman who left you without any conditions.”
“Aye, well, maybe that woman didn’t have much choice in the matter.” His words barely registered as his hands cradled her breasts, thumbs rubbing over her nipples, making her shiver with the sensations his touch evoked. “Plus, nobody respects me around here, so why should you be different?”
“Fine, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to escape.” She reached around to unhook her bra.
Brodie’s hands were under her bra as soon as the band loosened. “They’re definitely heavier.” He cocked his head to the side and frowned as though thinking hard as he tested their weight. Solemnly, he gazed up at her. “I can’t make a definitive conclusion until I’ve considered all the evidence. You have to show me your boobs, Kat. Off with that T-shirt.”
She faked a sigh as she gripped the bottom of her shirt. “I suppose it’s only fair. I mean, I can see all of you.”
“I look good, don’t I?” He grinned down at himself—until her shirt was gone. Then his attention was firmly on her. “Damn,” he whispered in reverence. “Age has made you even more beautiful.”
Her heart stuttered at his words.
And then his mouth was on her breast, kissing, sucking, nibbling, and it felt like the room was spinning.
Katya’s hands clasped the back of his head, holding him to her. Oh yeah. This was a bad idea. The best bad idea she’d ever had.
“You taste like Empire biscuits,” he growled against her.
Only Brodie would compare her to his favorite baked treat. Katya was laughing when he sucked her nipple deep into his mouth. Her laughter turned into a gasp.
“Do the other one too,” she demanded.
Her nipple still in his mouth, he nodded before releasing her with a pop. “Absolutely. No woman wants lopsided boobs.” And then he devoured her other breast.
If her knees hadn’t been locked in place, Katya would have crumpled at his feet. Brodie knew exactly how to touch her to turn her to mush. They’d learned those secrets together, practicing hard and often until their techniques became second nature. Nothing felt like Brodie’s mouth on her body. Nothing.
It had been far too long since she’d felt the sensations only he could induce. Her body had been starved of him, and now it wanted to glut itself on Brodie’s touch until it was drunk from it.
“Room service for the loving couple,” came the call, accompanied by a loud knock.
Dougal. With breakfast.
Katya squeaked, scooped up her shirt from the floor, and ran into the bathroom, banging the door shut behind her.
“Hey, Dougal,” she heard Brodie say once the door to their room opened and closed.
After a beat of silence, Dougal said, “You’re paying for the dry cleaning for that cushion cover, son. I provide cushions for guests to use to sit comfortably, not for them to rub their…nether regions all over. What do you think my guests would say if they knew the cushions were being used like that? It’s indecent; that’s what it is.”
Katya shoved her T-shirt into her mouth to keep from laughing hysterically, then decided it would be much better if she wore it.
“I wasn’t rubbing my…anything on the cushion,” Brodie said. “You came barging in, and I had to cover up.”
“I didn’t barge—I entered as agreed, expecting to find two fully dressed people barely talking to each other.”
“If it makes you feel better, we’re still barely talking. Now, if you hand me my jeans, I’ll return the cushion.”
“There’s no hurry. I’ll have one of the maids bring up a plastic sack for you to put it in before you check out.” There was the sound of something being put on a hard surface. Probably the tray of food.
That’s when Katya realized it would be easier to leave with a buffer between her and Brodie in the room. Throwing the bathroom door open, she beamed at a frowning Dougal.
“Good morning,” she said chirpily. A glance at Brodie confirmed he still sat on the edge of the bed, one of Dougal’s precious tartan cushions pressed to his lap. Her lips quivering, she swallowed another giggle as she pointed at Brodie. “This isn’t what it looks like. It’s still a fake relationship.”
“Aye.” Dougal cocked an eyebrow. “I suppose he’s only fake naked as well.”
“Oh, no, he’s naked, but there’s a reason for it.”
“This, I’ve got to hear,” Brodie muttered.
Katya ignored him. “He had a fever.” She blurted the first thing that came to mind. “We had to cool him down to break it.”
“Weak,” Brodie muttered, shaking his head.
“I agree.” Dougal stroked his white Santa beard. “Last I checked, a smack in the face with a ball didn’t cause fever.”
Good point. “Something else must have caused it. Are you sure you don’t keep these rooms too warm?”
Dougal’s face turned beetroot red with outrage at the mere suggestion his hotel was less than perfect.
“I’ve got to go.” Katya rushed for the door. “Maybe Brodie can explain the room temperature issue with you, so it won’t happen again. I don’t think you need to tell anyone about what you walked in on. Trust me, nothing happened here. It was all a misunderstanding.”
As she rushed out the door, Brodie called after her, “Like hell nothing happened, you little coward.”
Katya was still laughing when she let herself into Brodie’s car. She drove out of town, feeling the need to shop for something new to wear to lunch with her parents. And she felt no guilt whatsoever at having abandoned Brodie to suffer through one of Dougal’s epic lectures.
27
Brodie didn’t see Katya again until they met up outside her parents’ house a few hours later for Sunday lunch. She climbed out of his SUV as if she owned it, wearing clothes that looked new—which would explain how she’d managed to change without bumping into him at home. The witch had obviously spent the morning shopping in Fort William.
“Coward,” he said by way of hello.
Her grin was unrepentant. “How was the lecture?”
“Long.” Dougal enjoyed the sound of his own voice. “That man knows a lot of euphemisms for penis.”
Her laughter was like sunshine after a storm. “Well, you did have one of his precious cushions pressed to your nether regions.”
As he held open the gate for her, he nodded to his car. “You do know that’s mine, right?” He’d had to get a lift to the Savages from Bain, who’d whined the whole way about his brothers ruining his chances with Denise by telling her he farted in his sleep.
“We’re still married, which means half of the car belongs to me.”
Katya looked so pleased with herself that he didn’t bother arguing. It would have been pointless anyway because she was right. Under Scottish law, everything they’d acquired during their marriage, even while apart, was owned by them both.
“You do realize the same rule also means I own half your plane?” he said.
She tripped over the crazy paving making up the path to the front door. Brodie’s hands shot out to steady her. “Guess you didn’t think about that after all.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I hope that wasn’t a veiled threat.”
He held up his hands. “No threat. The plane’s all yours. I’ll sign whatever you want to make you believe me. Now, are you ready for this? We need to convince your parents we’re back together. Otherwise, there’s no knowing what they’ll do before the meeting with the lawyers tomorrow.”
Katya didn’t argue. The potential for Savage chaos was a very real concern.
“I’m r
eady.” She checked the buttons on the black shirt she wore with blue jeans.
“It could do with one more undone.” He offered his opinion willingly. The memory of Katya’s breasts in his hands made his mouth water and his jeans tighten.
Very slowly, eyes on him, she fastened all the buttons right up to her throat.
“Tease,” he said as they approached the front door, which was currently painted bright yellow. The color changed depending on Delia’s moods.
Like everything in their lives, the Savages had put their own stamp on the bog-standard two-story brick house years earlier. Dotted throughout the garden were sculptures Fraser had made from found materials—mainly old tires and metal parts. A large cement gargoyle stood sentry at the gate, and there was a small, striped marquee in the middle of the lawn—where Delia rehearsed for her many roles in local productions. As for the house itself, their main addition had been the ceramic geckos clambering up and around the door and onto the roof. He noticed one of them held a tiny plastic person in its teeth.
“That’s new.” Brodie pointed out the offending lizard to Katya.
“Stephen. Got to be. Mum loves those lizards; she wouldn’t add to them. She thinks they’re the epitome of good taste.”
He gestured to the blue one beside the doorbell. “That’s the one we mail-ordered her for Christmas one year. Which reminds me, I’m still getting requests from women who want a Scottish husband. I thought you were going to delist me from those sites?”
“When have I had the time? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve been kind of busy since Lawrence told us we had to look genuinely married by tomorrow morning.”
She had a point. Brodie tugged at the navy blazer he’d worn with his best jeans and a white tee. “You ready?”
“Yep.” Katya reached for the door handle.
“Why am I nervous?” he asked. “I’ve eaten here countless times. Hell, I wasn’t even this nervous when we first started dating.”
“Probably because you’d practically lived here since you were a toddler. I don’t know why you’re nervous, but if it helps, I won’t tell anyone you’ve been trying to get me into bed again.” She was laughing at him.
“I wasn’t trying. I was succeeding.”
She threw open the door. “That’s what you think.”
His hand curled around her hip from behind as he leaned in to whisper against her ear. “Don’t worry, you’ll have another chance to seduce me later. I know how desperate you are to get your hands on me.”
She twisted toward him, ready to argue, but Delia appeared in the hallway before she could.
“Wonderful, you’re here!” Today, she wore a tweed skirt suit, obviously channeling the queen’s “at home” look. Brodie half expected to see a rifle tucked under her arm. She hugged Katya before clasping Brodie’s face in her hands and plastering a kiss to his lips. “Thank goodness you two have come to your senses at last. Now, come eat. I have a surprise for you.”
They had no choice but to bustle after her to the kitchen/dining room. Where they stopped dead in the doorway because Brodie’s parents sat at the table with Fraser.
“Ma, Da,” Brodie said. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re celebrating with the in-laws,” his da said drolly.
“I’m so excited,” his ma said. “Aren’t we excited, Joseph?”
“Aye, we definitely are, Theresa.” His da beamed at them. “It’s good to know my sons still listen to my advice.”
“What advice?” Katya whispered to him.
“I don’t have a clue,” he whispered back.
“Come give me a hug.” Brodie’s ma stood and held out her hands to Katya. “I’m glad we’ve got our daughter back again. Seven sons, and none of them married but Brodie. Although poor Knox did have Linda for a while, God rest her soul.” She made the sign of the cross. “As for the rest of them, I don’t know where I went wrong. At this rate, I’ll be dead before I get grandbabies to fuss over.”
Really, there was nothing to say to that, so Brodie kept his mouth shut.
As Katya hugged his parents, Brodie nodded to her dad. “Fraser.”
His reply was a tight-lipped smile and a narrow-eyed glare.
“I see you’re in a celebratory mood.” Brodie indicated Fraser’s mourning tartan. “Glad to see you’re taking the news about us getting back together so well.”
“Delia?” Fraser called, still staring at Brodie. “Where’s my shotgun? I’ve a feeling I’ll need it.”
“Dad,” Katya admonished. “That’s not funny.”
“Ah wasnae joking,” her father said.
“Enough of that,” Delia called from the kitchen area. “Katya, come give me a hand with these dishes. Brodie, take a seat.”
Since Fraser was at one end of the table, and his ma and da took up a side of it, he sat on the other side with a space between him and Katya’s dad. Fraser smirked at his choice of seats, but growing up with six brothers had taught Brodie to stay out of arm’s reach of anyone bearing a grudge.
“Here you go.” Delia placed the dishes on the table with a flourish. “I made your favorite, Brodie—sausage and tomato surprise.”
Katya gave her mother a droll look. “I thought that was my favorite.”
“Don’t be daft,” Delia said. “Everyone knows you love my macaroni cheese.”
Katya shook her head, making Brodie wonder what he was missing.
“Where’s Steven?” Katya asked as she placed a dish on the table.
“With friends.” Delia waved a hand toward the town. “All I know is that when I told him we were having a big family dinner, he grabbed his skateboard and ran for the door.”
“At least one of us has some sense,” Katya muttered.
“Interesting dining table you’ve got here,” his da said as Katya and her mum took their seats.
“Chopped the last one up for a sculpture,” Fraser said.
“Of course you did.” His da shot his ma a look that made it clear his opinion of Fraser Savage hadn’t improved over the years.
“I like having three tables instead of one.” Delia smiled as she passed the potatoes. “It’s so versatile. Now Brodie and Katya are back together, we’ll have lots of big family dinners, and we can arrange the tables to fit everyone.”
Brodie’s da looked around at the overstuffed room. “I’m sure you could,” he said, convincing no one.
“So,” Delia said to Katya and Brodie, scarcely containing her excitement, “Theresa and I had an idea we know you’re going to love.” As she covered Brodie’s ma’s hand with hers, Katya slapped her hand onto Brodie’s thigh and held on tight. Waiting for the bomb to fall.
The two mothers grinned at one another.
“You tell them,” Delia said.
His ma didn’t need to be told twice. “We’ve booked the church for your wedding!”
There was an expectant silence as both sets of parents waited for their response.
“Uh,” Katya said slowly, “we’re still married. Right?” She looked up at Brodie.
“Definitely.”
“We know, silly.” Delia waved a dismissive hand. “The last time, you two eloped to Gretna Green, and we all missed the ceremony. This time, we thought it would be good if we were all involved.”
“This time?” Brodie said, bewildered.
“Um”—again, Katya spoke slowly—“we did that because you lot banned us from getting married.”
“Aye,” Fraser barked. “Because we thought it would be a disaster seeing as how you were so young. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that we were wrong.”
His mother tucked her short black hair behind her ear. “Now, Fraser, this is no time for humor.”
Katya’s nails dug into Brodie’s leg, reminding him her father had no sense of humor. Something Brodie was well aware of.
“We thought,” his mother said, “you might like to renew your vows as a sign that you’re committed to each other again.”
Brodie’s da glared at Fraser. “What your ma means is that she wants her son’s marriage blessed by the church this time. Father McMurty is in town for a few weeks, and he could perform the ceremony.”
“It’s as though God himself planned it,” his ma gushed. “The priest who baptized you will be able to marry you, and I’ll be able to stop lighting candles for the two of you. Something I wouldn’t have had to do if you’d just had a church wedding in the first place.” She beamed at them. “Don’t you think this is a great idea?”
What Brodie thought was that his ma was fed up lighting candles for her wayward son.
Before they could answer, Delia spoke up. “We thought we could have a reception in Dougal’s new conference center. Nobody else is using it anyway.”
A ringing endorsement if ever Brodie heard one.
“Your brother could make a cake for you,” his ma added.
“And,” Delia said, bursting with excitement, “you could wear your great-grandmother’s wedding dress.”
Katya’s fork fell to her plate. “You found Granny Natasha’s dress? The one made from a parachute?”
“I did.” Delia bounced out of her seat and rushed from the room, only to return a moment later with an old leather suitcase. “Your Aunty Janice found it in their storage unit, along with a bunch of other stuff none of the family wanted.”
Katya cleared a space on the table between her and Brodie for the case. The lid creaked with age as Delia opened it to reveal a whole lot of tissue paper. Carefully, she peeled back the layers to uncover cream silk fabric.
Brodie watched Katya’s face as the dress was carefully removed from the case. She seemed awestruck, and her hands shook with nerves.
“Move those dishes further away,” Delia ordered. “I don’t want to get food on it.”
Brodie pushed the plates into the middle of the table as Delia lifted the dress out of the suitcase.
As the long silken creation appeared, his ma gasped, placing her hands over her heart. But it was Katya’s reaction that interested Brodie the most. If there was such a thing as love at first sight, he was watching it happen.
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