“I guess not. At least not this time.” But I won’t always be so quick to give in to him.
“That’s my girl.”
Leith kisses the side of my neck and gets out of bed. Of course, I admire his naked body when he gets up and crosses the room. I couldn’t look away if I tried. And I smile when I notice red lines down his back.
My God, the man knows how to fuck. And he also knows how to make love. I am one lucky girl.
I get out of bed, a bit slower than Leith did, and I follow him into the bathroom. “Can I use your toothbrush?”
“No need. I just bought a new pack. They’re in the drawer.”
I open the drawer and smile when I see what’s in the back. “You didn’t throw away my body spray?”
“No. I love the fragrance too much.”
“It’s been sitting in the drawer all of this time?”
“Well, no. Sometimes when I was missing you, I would take it out and smell it.”
“It still has fragrance?”
“Just like it did when you left it.”
Wow. I can’t believe he kept it. That’s unexpected.
I tear into the pack of toothbrushes. “Can I have the pink one or would you like to keep it for yourself?”
“I think I can give up the pink one for you.”
When I’m finished brushing my teeth, I put my new pink toothbrush in the holder next to Leith’s. It’s such a simple act yet so significant, seeing them side by side.
“I kept all of my Duncan’s uniforms, but I’ll have to go through my storage boxes to find them.” I dread digging through that stuff. I didn’t exactly keep things organized when I threw my shite in those boxes at Wallace’s.
“There’s no fucking way you’ll ever wear that barmaid uniform again.”
What? “Then what am I supposed to wear?”
“Something that doesn’t put your tits and bum on display.”
No doubt about it, the uniform is tight and short. “You didn’t have a problem with my wearing it before.”
“Oh, trust me. I had a problem with it. A big one. Especially when I saw brothers ogling you. I didn’t have a say about it then, but I have a say about it now. You won’t be wearing it again.”
“You admit that the uniform shows off a barmaid’s tits and bum, which means that your female employees are displaying theirs for you to see.”
“Not for me to see.”
“But you’re there. How is it possible that you don’t see them?”
“I don’t see them because I choose to not look. I stopped looking a long time ago.”
“Why?”
“Because none of them are you.”
Well, hell. It’s hard to be pissed off when he says something sweet like that.
The girls told me that Leith had changed his ways after I left Duncan’s. No more fucking his barmaids. No more girls in his office with the door closed. I wasn’t so sure about it, but I guess they were right.
“I changed… because of you.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I stopped fucking around when I realized what I was doing to you. I made the decision to live like we were together even though we weren’t. I swear to you that I haven’t been with anyone in a year, over a year actually. It was all part of devoting myself to you.”
Oh my God. I can’t believe that I didn’t see it. “I was so hard on you. I didn’t give you a bit of slack.”
“You were no pushover. That’s for sure. I had no idea that you were so strong. Maybe not then, but now I’m glad that you didn’t take it easy on me. It means that I earned your trust and forgiveness and it wasn’t given freely. I won’t be forgetting that anytime soon.”
Bleu is all smiles when Sin leads Leith and me into the reception room. “Well, good morning, Miss I’m-not-coming-home-tonight.”
“Good morning.” I’m dying to tell Bleu about our engagement.
“How good of a morning is it?”
I hold up my left hand. “It’s a wonderful morning. The best I’ve ever had, actually.”
Sin chuckles. “Well, fuck. Would you look at that?”
Bleu points at my hand. “Bam! Look at that, dear husband. One date with Maddock Hendry and Leith caved. I win.”
She wins? Wins what?
“You did indeed, love.”
I’m not sure what to call the dance that Bleu is doing. “That means that you get all three babies for a full day while I do whatever I want to do. I get some me time.”
Sin looks at Leith and shakes his head. “Could you not have held out just a wee bit longer, mate?”
“No way; I’ve held out long enough.”
“I need you to say it and make it official,” Sin says.
“I’ve claimed Lorna and we’re getting married.” Hearing him say those words sends chills over my body.
Sin slaps Leith on his back. “Finally. When can we expect a wedding?”
“We’re notifying the registrar on Monday, and we’ll plan to do it as soon as the paperwork goes through and we’re approved.”
Bleu comes to me and wraps her arms around me, squeezing tightly. “This has been such a long time coming. I almost can’t believe that it’s happening.”
“Girl, you’re the not the only one.”
“I want you to call Maddock and let him know that Lorna is no longer single, and he needs to look somewhere else for a wife,” Leith says.
Sin nods. “I will happily let him know that her situation has changed and that his interest should be directed elsewhere.”
Leith puts his arm around me. “We want to have an engagement party to formally announce our intent to marry.”
“How soon?” Bleu asks.
“As soon as possible. And I want the entire brotherhood to be there to hear me call this woman mine.”
He’s so proud to call me his. It sort of reminds me of the way my father was with my mother.
“With Isobel’s help, we can pull it together in three days but that means the party will be on a Tuesday,” Bleu says.
“I’d prefer to not wait until the weekend if that’s all right with you.”
I’m happy that he’s proud but why is he so impatient? Is it because I’m coming back to work at the pub?
“Tuesday is fine with me.”
“Will you let us throw the party here? Our gift,” Bleu says.
“Are you sure?” A party for the entire brotherhood is a lot of work.
“We would love to do that for you.”
“Then yes. We would love to announce our engagement at your house.”
Chapter 9
Leith Duncan
I reach for Lorna’s left hand and bring it to my mouth, kissing the top. “We’re official.”
“We are.”
“How does it feel to no longer worry about being labeled as tainted?”
“It’s a huge relief.”
“No more worrying about marks on your neck.”
“Good thing that I don’t have to worry about them because I certainly have plenty after last night.”
I’m a man who hasn’t fucked in a really long time. My hand is the only form of contact that my cock has had. I may have been a wee bit overeager.
“Last night was the best ever.” The physical act itself was great, but the emotional side of it was everything.
“It was wonderful, Leith. Every part of it.”
I wrap her hand around mine and look at the diamond ring on her finger. “How does it look in the daylight to you?”
“Beautiful and perfect. I can’t believe you bought it four years ago and I never knew.”
“I was ready to marry you then.” I’m beyond ready now.
“I would have said yes.”
I squeeze her hand and chuckle. “I know.”
“Cocky much?”
“Very.”
“It’s an expensive ring. Why didn’t you return it after everything that happened?”
“It was already yours even if
you didn’t know that it existed. It didn’t belong on another woman’s hand.”
I liked taking it out and looking at it from time to time. It was a painful yet comforting reminder of the life that Lorna and I almost had.
“You’re right. This is my ring, and it doesn’t belong on any other woman’s hand.”
I pull into my reserved parking space and turn off the engine. Lorna returning to the pub today feels a little like the queen is returning to her court. “Ready?”
“I never asked how many barmaids you currently have working for you.”
“Four.”
“Which ones are scheduled for today?”
“Nessa and Kyla. Gwyneth and Cora will work tomorrow.”
“Which ones flirt with you or try to get you into bed?”
“Lorna…”
“I’m not going to make a scene. But I am going to be very clear about what won’t be tolerated.”
Lorna is claiming what belongs to her. I like it. It’s sexy.
“Nessa is a good girl. She and Kenrick talk a lot. I think that something is happening between them, but he hasn’t admitted to anything.” More than one time I’ve caught them coming out of the storage room at the same time, both looking a bit mussed up.
“You know how Kyla is. She’s very friendly with the brothers, but she’s never propositioned me.”
She goes into the back alley with brothers. I’m not certain what she does with them while she’s there, or if they pay her for whatever she does, and I don’t want to know.
“Gwyneth is here to earn a living. That’s all she’s interested in.”
She was widowed two years ago. I thought highly of her husband, so I help her out with her bills when she’s strapped. She says that it isn’t fair to the other barmaids because they work just as hard as she does, but they don’t have small children at home to feed.
“Cora has expressed an interest in pursuing something more than a boss-employee relationship.”
“How has she expressed interest?”
“The first time was when she came into my office, shut the door, and began unfastening her shirt. Two buttons was as far as she got. I made her stop and I sent her back to work.”
“And the second incident was what?”
“About a month later, it was after hours and everyone had gone home. Or so I thought. She cornered me in the storage room and tried to get me to fuck her. I told her that I would fire her if she pulled that shite again. She must have believed me because there’s not been another incident.”
“And Greer? Does she still come around?”
“Unfortunately.” Greer was the last woman I fucked, and she wasn’t happy when I put a stop to our hookups.
“What does she do when she comes to the pub?”
“She always makes sure that I see her with other brothers. She thinks that she’s making me jealous, but that’s because she doesn’t see that I don’t give a fuck about her or what she does.”
“She’s going to have a harsh reality check when we announce our engagement. And the best part is that she’s not going to see it coming. I can’t wait.”
Lorna is bitter where Greer is concerned. And I can’t blame her. Greer is the one that I paraded most in front of Lorna. I hate myself for doing that. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself for treating Lorna that way.
“Greer isn’t the only one who won’t see this coming.”
Fellowship members are aware that Lorna and I grew up together and also that I employed her for several years, but none of them are aware of our romantic past. Only our closest friends know about that. We’re going to blow a lot of minds when they find out that we’re together.
“People aren’t going to see this coming, Leith. It’s going to be epic.”
“You’re epic.” I lean over and press a kiss to Lorna’s lips. “Ready to go in?”
“Definitely.”
We enter the building through the back entrance, hand in hand. We’re walking down the hallway and I can tell that Lorna is feeling something. Nervous? Anxious? Excited? I’m not sure where her head is at the moment. “What are you thinking?”
She takes a deep breath and exhales. “That it feels like I’ve come home.”
“That’s because you have.”
Her being here feels like old times, only better. Perfect.
“Do you want me to handle telling the barmaids about you and why you’re here?”
“No, I’ve got that under control.”
I press a kiss to Lorna’s lips and we part ways. She goes to the barmaids’ serving station, and I go behind the bar to see what my brother has to say about what he just saw happen between us.
Kenrick stares at me. “What the fuck was that?”
This is going to be fun. “You must be referring to the kiss I just gave my fiancée?”
“Your fiancée?”
“Aye. Lorna and I are engaged.”
“The fuck you say? Since when?”
“Last night.”
“I didn’t know that you were seeing each other.”
I leave off telling him that we weren’t. “Surprise.”
“Wow. My brother is getting married. When?”
“Next month.”
“Is she pregnant?”
I shrug. “Could be. We’ll see.”
“Congratulations.”
Kenrick doesn’t seem freaked out about this. “Thanks.”
“Does Mum know?”
“Not yet. We’re going by to tell her tomorrow.”
“She’ll be happy. She thinks the world of Lorna.”
I do too. Maybe the news about our marriage will be the kick in the arse that Kenrick needs. “You should tell Mum about Nessa.”
He stops wiping down the bar and looks at me. “What are you talking about?”
Oh, he wants to play that game? “Are you really going to deny that something is going on between you and that pretty wee redhead?”
Kenrick chuckles. “Well, fuck. Is it that obvious?”
“It is to the man who used to do the exact same thing with the woman he’s about to marry.”
He shakes his head. “Damn, I can’t believe that I didn’t know about you and Lorna.”
“Don’t feel bad. We were very good at keeping our relationship a secret.”
“Obviously.”
“What’s going on with you and Nessa?”
“We’ve been fucking around for a while.”
“Do you love her?”
Oh, he definitely does. His smile tells me everything I need to know.
“I believe I do.”
“Are you thinking about marrying her?”
“The thought has crossed my mind. A lot, actually.”
“You should do it. Don’t wait.”
“Marry her? Just like that?”
“I wish that someone would have given me that advice when I was your age. Maybe then I wouldn’t have lost so many years with the woman that I love.”
“We had a pregnancy scare a few weeks ago. It’s so funny. When she told me that she was late, all I could do was hope that she wasn’t pregnant. And then the test was negative and she got her period and all I could think about was how I wished that it had gone the other way.”
My baby brother is finally growing up. He’s becoming a real man.
“Does she want to marry you?”
“Aye.”
“I like Nessa. She’s a good girl, and I think she would make a fine wife for you.”
“A commitment like marriage is scary as fuck.”
“Marriage isn’t scary. Losing the woman you love? That’s terrifying.”
Kenrick looks over at the barmaids’ station. “I don’t like the brothers looking at her. And I want to choke the fuck out of them when they touch her. But I can’t say anything because we’re flying below the radar.”
“Been there, done that, and it sucks.”
“I’m doing it to save Nessa from being labeled.”
“Believe me, I get it.” More than you could possibly understand.
“Are you and Lorna planning to make some kind of announcement?”
“Clear your calendar. Sin and Bleu are having an engagement party for us at their house on Tuesday night.”
“That’s good. It’s best if the brothers hear the news in a sanctioned setting.”
A sanctioned setting? “What does that mean?”
“Our leaders are giving you and Lorna their blessing, and the brothers will have no choice but to respect that.”
“The brothers will have no choice but to respect our marriage regardless of the way we announce it.”
“I’m not saying it’s right, but a lot of the brothers think that her position here gives them the right to treat her the way they like. Having the event at our leader’s house will show everyone that they support your union and that they expect others to as well.”
Kenrick has a good point.
“Lorna wants to come back to work at Duncan’s.”
“I miss working with her. She ran a tight ship when she was here, but do you think it’s a wise decision to let your wife work in the pub? You can kind of be a hothead sometimes.”
No shite.
“I don’t think it’s wise at all. I know the brothers and how they see any woman who’s employed here. And that’s why I told her that she won’t work here after we’re married.”
“What did she say to that?”
“‘We’ll see.’ She believes she’ll change my mind but she’s wrong.”
“I don’t blame you for feeling that way. Although I do have to say that she looks like she should be managing a ritzy club instead of this pub in that outfit that she’s wearing.”
Black button-down blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt. Black tights. Black heels. Hair twisted into a tight bun. She’s pure sophistication with confidence oozing from every pore. She certainly doesn’t look like the woman who only a year ago was slinging drinks in this pub while wearing a short kilt and tight white button-down.
This woman looks like a wife and mother.
A sexy wife and mother.
“Your favorite customers just walked in.”
I turn and look at the front entrance. Neil Rutherford and Ross Underwood. “I think those two come in here with the sole goal of chapping my arse.”
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