by Alix Kelso
For so long, he’d ached for this – for connection, for emotion, for desire. In Chrissie Sullivan, he’d found all three. That they had separate bedrooms tonight didn’t matter, because the desire he felt wasn’t only physical. He desired her, all of her, every dimension and aspect of her. Tonight, he’d savour every moment they spent together, and when they went their separate ways at the end of the night, he hoped he’d do so knowing that they’d begun building something between them that might stretch beyond this one-night adventure.
Keith straightened his tie in the mirror and combed his hair, and when he left the room to join Chrissie downstairs there was a lightness in his body that he couldn’t remember feeling for a long time.
25
When Chrissie arrived downstairs in the restaurant, she found Keith already seated at a table next to the wide bay window. He wore a suit and tie, and looked so astonishingly attractive as he gazed at the view of the hills that Chrissie paused for a moment at the door just to watch him.
She’d had such fun this afternoon, far more than she’d expected. All her worries about Alison and her family, and all her worries about the wedding cake competition that was now only a few days away, had simply been forgotten. Chrissie had worried that the conversation might dry up once they found themselves with only one another for company. After all, spending half an hour on a park bench with someone was altogether different from being stuck with them for an entire twenty-four hours if you ran out of things to talk about.
But that hadn’t happened. Everything had been easy and comfortable and relaxed. And yet this man challenged something inside her, too, and awakened something that had lain dormant for too long.
“It’s quite a view,” Chrissie said when she reached the table and looked out at the hills now turning golden in the lowering sun. Keith quickly rose from his chair and stepped forward to kiss her cheek, and the scent of his aftershave once more caught her by surprise, the spiciness reminding her of those heady malt whiskies they’d drunk together. As his lips brushed her skin, she leaned close and enjoyed the tingle of the kiss and the feel of his hand as it rested gently on her waist.
His eyes were dark when he looked into hers. “You look wonderful, Chrissie.” He waved to her chair and stayed standing until she’d sat down, another gesture that touched Chrissie with its old-fashioned courtesy. The waiter took her drink order and she glanced at the menu before looking up at Keith.
“Thanks for bringing me along on this trip,” she said. “When we got back from our excursions, I realised just how much I’d needed some time away.”
Keith sipped his drink. “I can’t now imagine doing this trip by myself, even though that’s what I originally planned.”
Just then, a group of eight arrived in the restaurant and were shown to a table by the fire. Keith nodded in their direction.
“That’s the rest of our VIP tour group. If I’d come by myself last weekend, I would’ve been eating dinner with a bunch of folks like that. I would’ve had plenty of company, but I still would’ve been alone. You’ve made this a lot more fun than I thought it could be.”
The waiter delivered Chrissie’s wine and she swirled the glass before tasting. “Do you take a lot of trips on your own, Keith?”
He shook his head. “This would’ve been the first, although the truth is I don’t much like being on my own. Not that I’ve had much choice in the matter. I realised if I wanted to see a bit of the world, I’d just have to get on and see it by myself.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No, there isn’t. But this is better.”
It was better, Chrissie already knew that. She felt completely at ease with this man. It was like magic – a magic that left her feeling more like herself, her true self, than she’d felt in a very long time.
The waiter arrived to take their orders, and once he’d departed, Chrissie settled into her chair and soaked up the Highland view outside the windows.
“I could get used to this.”
He sipped his drink and studied her. “Did you enjoy the whisky tastings today?”
“I really did. More than I thought I would.”
“Different whiskies have different characters. It’s all about finding the ones that are right for you.”
“I certainly made a head start on that.”
Keith grinned. “One of the things I love most about whisky is how my own tastes change. A whisky that I like today might not be one I like a few years from now, and a new whisky will take its place. One year I might enjoy the peated malts from the islands, the next year I can’t get enough of the clean Speyside style. No matter how you’re feeling or what you’re doing or where you’re going, there’s a whisky to match your mood.”
He talked so easily about these things, drawing her in with every word.
“Whisky really is your passion.”
“It’s comfortable. It suits me. No airs or graces. It just is what it is.”
“Was it because of your pub that you got into whiskies?”
Keith shook his head. “It was because of my father. He liked his whisky. Seeing him sitting in his chair on a rare night off from the pub he ran, with the television on and a whisky in his hand, made an impression on me as a young boy. I wanted to be just like him. I still remember the first time he let me have a taste. I was only about eleven years old, probably too young, but he could see that I was curious. He poured some Famous Grouse, added a lot of water, and let me have a tiny sip. Of course, it hit me like a hammer. But there was enough sweetness and mystery there to get me interested. Once I was older, my father would allow me to have a tiny dram with him now and again, and it all grew from there. He’s been dead a long time, but even now I’ll think of him as I pour a measure, and send a silent toast up to wherever he’s gone.”
Chrissie smiled. “You believe in heaven?”
“I believe there’s more out there than we could ever understand and that there are mysteries we’ll never solve. I’m comfortable with that.”
“Look at us, talking about all this big stuff.”
“I like talking about all this big stuff with you.”
Chrissie liked it too. It was so natural, so easy. “I feel the same way about cakes and baking as you do about whisky.”
“They’re your passion,” he said simply.
“I didn’t always feel that way. I used to work as a college lecturer, teaching commercial cookery, and I was put in charge of developing a new pastry module, and found myself carried away with it all. I loved the precision and the skill and the prettiness of it. And there’s a different sort of cake or dessert for every mood. Baking something wonderful brings joy to people, me most of all, and I like that.”
“You’re very good at it.”
“It’s strange the things we find ourselves passionate about.”
“I suppose it is.”
His gaze held hers and Chrissie found she couldn’t have looked away even if she’d wanted to. After a moment, he shifted in his seat and sipped his drink.
“There’s something I’ve been thinking about and I’m wondering whether I should share it with you.”
“What’s holding you back?”
“You might run a mile.”
“Not after all the whisky I’ve had, and now this glass of wine, too.”
Keith laughed and glanced out at the hills for a moment, as if still debating with himself, before turning back to her.
“Last year, I decided I wanted to take more of these sorts of trips. I drew up a list of whisky distilleries I wanted to visit and decided it would be a nice way to see a bit of Scotland, too. We live in a beautiful country and I haven’t seen as much of it as I’d like, so why not combine some sightseeing with some whisky drinking?”
He looked out the window again and Chrissie saw his expression turn distant.
“Last year, a good friend of mine, Natalie, set off travelling. She lost her husband a few years ago and needed a new start, and although
I was sorry to see her go, I knew it was the right thing for her to do. The more I thought about it, the more I realised it’s so easy to assume that we’ll always have plenty of time ahead of us to do those things. Natalie and her husband had planned to travel together once they stepped back a little from their business, but they never got the chance, and lately it’s been on my mind.”
Chrissie watched him and waited.
“You’re thinking you’d like to travel more? You should definitely do it.”
He nodded. “But I don’t really want to do it by myself. And asking you to come with me here might have been a last-minute fit of madness, but I’ve loved every minute of it. And so…”
“And so?” Chrissie said when Keith stayed silent.
He drew in a deep breath. “Having Janice turn up on my doorstep this week and fall apart has reminded me how much companionship means to me and how hard it is when it’s gone. How lonely life can be. I’ve been lonely for a long time. And then I met you.”
A strange mixture of excitement and fear began bubbling as Chrissie listened.
“So, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that maybe it would be nice if we saw a little bit of the world together,” Keith said, his eyes on her. “As friends, as companions, as people who enjoy each other’s company. I’m not pretending I don’t want more than that, because I do. But if things don’t go that way for us, I can still imagine us spending time together, going places together, and just being together. I didn’t understand that until today. Now that I do understand it, I want you to know about it.”
“You’re looking for a holiday buddy,” she said, laughing.
But his expression remained serious. “I haven’t felt this relaxed and comfortable for a long time. That’s because of you and I want more of it.”
Chrissie watched him as he spoke. It felt good to hear this man say these things.
“I think I want that, too.”
Smiling, Keith blew out a breath. “I’m glad you said that.”
“So, where do you have in mind?”
“Well, there’s this beautiful golden beach I want to visit on the Isle of Harris.”
“Luskentyre Beach?”
His face lit up. “That’s the one!”
“I’ve seen pictures and it looks amazing.”
“Then let’s go there. We’ll eat a picnic dinner on the beach and watch the sun go down over the sea. What do you think?”
Chrissie laughed at the sparkle in his eyes. Was she really about to agree to this? Yes, she was. Something had clicked between them, it was as simple as that. And after so many long years alone, what was wrong with wanting to be with someone she liked?
Nothing was wrong with it.
And what about the fact that she was falling for this man? Was there anything wrong with that?
No, there wasn’t.
“And I’d like to see some of the north coast,” Keith was saying. “And visit the distilleries on Islay. And tour some of the castles around the Highlands. And—”
“Hang on!” Chrissie laughed, pulling a pen from her bag and opening a paper napkin to write on. “I think we should make a list.”
“Good thinking,” Keith said and grinned. “We’re going to have some great trips together, Chrissie.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
He raised his glass. “To new adventures.”
“To new adventures,” Chrissie echoed, excitement whirling in her belly at the prospect.
It was close to midnight when they finally left the hotel restaurant. They’d talked so much, and laughed so much, that Chrissie had lost track of time, and the rounds of whiskies that had accompanied each dinner course had only made the night rush by more quickly.
“I had a wonderful evening,” Keith said as he walked her to her bedroom.
“I honestly can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.” In her hand, Chrissie held a napkin on which they’d scribbled a list of places around Scotland that they’d agreed to visit together, and she smiled wryly at how uneven her handwriting had become as the evening had progressed.
She shook the napkin playfully in Keith’s face. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. My cake shop will go out of business if I take off the time I’ll need in order to see all these places.”
“We’ll start with Harris and that beach at Luskentyre and take things from there,” Keith said. “That’s the jewel in the crown as far as I’m concerned.”
They reached her bedroom door and stopped. Keith rocked on his heels for a moment, his gaze on her. Chrissie felt that flutter again and laughed inside at how delicious it felt.
“Goodnight, Chrissie,” Keith said.
“Goodnight, Keith.”
He smiled and turned towards his own room further down the corridor, but before he could go, Chrissie stepped closer and tilted her head up and brushed his lips with a kiss. A bright burst of heat shot through her as their mouths met and his lips opened. She liked how he tasted, the lingering spice of whisky still caught in his mouth, and when she felt his arm move around her waist and pull her close, the taste of him on her tongue only deepened.
Keith was the one who broke the kiss and stepped back with a smile. “See you in the morning, Chrissie.” And then he gave her arm a gentle squeeze and walked off down the corridor before disappearing into his room at the other end. Chrissie heard his door click closed and tapped her room key card against her palm, her lips still tingling.
Keith hadn’t left because he wasn’t interested, that much she knew for sure. From the way he looked at her, to the way he spoke to her, to the way he’d responded when she’d pressed herself against him, there was no question that he wanted more than just friendship. The reason he’d left was because he’d promised a no-strings night away in a lovely hotel, and if he’d stood any longer outside her bedroom door kissing her, she guessed maybe that no-strings guarantee might have begun to look a little threadbare.
Keith McGraw was a gentleman who stuck to his word. Chrissie liked that about him.
Inside her room, Chrissie dumped her handbag and checked her phone. She’d missed a message from Alison earlier in the evening and Chrissie frowned at the oversight, wondering if something might be wrong. But the message said only that they were all doing fine back in Fairhill and that Alison hoped the trip was going well. A photo was attached, showing Poppy blowing a big kiss and lighting up the screen with her toddler smile.
Chrissie grinned and typed a quick reply. She walked to the window to look out at the hillside now covered in darkness, and then stepped into the bathroom to consider her toothbrush, before tossing it back into her toiletry bag.
She could still taste Keith on her lips and she wanted to taste more of him.
Chrissie grabbed her room key card and walked to the door before pausing there. It had been a long time since she’d gone to bed with a man. Desire had been a stranger to her. But it flickered now like a fire that was growing out of control. And why should she even want to control it? She wanted Keith and it felt good to want him.
The desire surprised her, because he wasn’t the kind of man she thought she’d ever want. Those mad tufts of hair sprouting from his head, even when he’d clearly tried to tame them. That scowl he so often wore, which only made her want to laugh. Those big hands and those icy eyes and that crooked smile.
That good heart.
The two of them fitted together in a way she hadn’t imagined she’d ever experience.
Chrissie left the room and walked down the corridor quickly before she could talk herself out of it. At Keith’s door, she paused for only a second before she knocked.
The door opened and Keith’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Chrissie, is everything okay?”
She stepped into the room and laid a hand on his chest. He’d removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie and she could feel the heat of his skin beneath his shirt. She looked into his eyes and saw them darken.
“
You left before I’d finished kissing you,” she said, letting the door close behind her.
Keith grinned. “It took a lot of willpower.”
“You should know I haven’t done this for a while.”
“Me neither.”
“There might be some sloppy fumbling.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Chrissie laughed and felt joy spear her heart.
“You do something to me, Keith McGraw.”
“Is that a statement or an order?”
Chrissie laughed again as Keith moved closer and laid his mouth against hers. Then the edges of her world shimmered and turned golden and fell away beneath her as he pulled her into his arms and into a world she’d forgotten existed.
Chrissie lay curled into Keith’s side, his arm around her, his fingers threading through her hair. Rain was falling outside and the quiet ticking of raindrops against the windowpanes was hypnotic. Every muscle in Chrissie’s body felt loose and a beautiful sense of peace had settled deep inside her.
“Do you want anything?” Keith asked. “Water maybe? Are you thirsty?”
“I’m not thirsty. But if you were willing to open it, I’d like some of that whisky you bought at the distillery.”
In the faint light she saw him smile before he rose from the bed to dig around in the bags by the wardrobe. A moment later, he passed her a glass containing a generous measure of whisky. They clinked glasses and sipped.
“That tastes so good,” Chrissie said, savouring the rich amber liquid. “You’ve turned me into a whisky convert, Keith.”
“Then my work here is done,” he said, climbing back into bed and pulling her close as they leaned against the pillows to enjoy their drinks.