The MacTaggart Brothers Trilogy

by Anna Durand

Gavin hunched his shoulders. "I'm sorry, okay? Maybe it is none of my business. But I love you, Calli, you're the only family I've got — besides Tara, who's a good kid but kind of ditsy. You're supposed to be my level-headed sister, the one I can count on to make sense."

  I supposed I couldn't blame him for being taken aback by my recent behavior. For five years, I'd had virtually nothing to do with dating or men. I might as well have joined a convent. Then one day, my brother stopped by to check on me and found his sister in flagrante with a stranger from another country.

  "Sorry I disappointed you," I told Gavin, "but you're acting like I committed a capital offense by getting involved with a man. I like Aidan. You've been spending time with him, do you really think he's a Euro-trash gigolo taking advantage of me?"

  Gavin sank back in his stool, slumping and gusting out a sigh. "No. I don't think that."

  The gleeful yips and barks of two puppies worshiping my lover echoed from down the hall. At the thought of Aidan, the tension relaxed out of my shoulders.

  "Now you're smiling," Gavin said, with a hint of wonder in his voice. He glanced at the hallway. "I may not like you sleeping with him, but I have to admit I've never seen you this happy before. Ever. When you look at him, you get… gushy."

  I stared at my brother. Gushy? No. Did I really gaze dreamily at Aidan? In front of other people? In front of my brother?

  "Yep," Gavin said, in a knowing tone, "that's right. You moon over him and I'm guessing you don't even realize you're doing it. Man, you've got it bad, don't you?"

  Got it bad? Noooo, oh no-no-no. I did not have it bad for Aidan.

  Except every time I thought of him, my insides went warm and gooey.

  I clamped my lips between my teeth and shifted my gaze to the kitchen cabinets.

  Gavin laughed softly, not mocking me, just expressing a growing understanding of the situation. "At least promise me if you marry him, you won't move to Scotland."

  My attention snapped back to my brother. "I'm not marrying Aidan."

  "No?" Gavin's brows knit together over his nose. "You say that like there's no way in hell you'd even consider it. You always wanted to get married. I remember you acting out fake weddings between your Barbie and Ken dolls."

  "That was a long time ago."

  "What's happened to you, C?"

  His question stabbed into my heart. What had happened to me? I married a foreigner so he could get a green card and then citizenship. I was trapped in a marriage I'd never wanted, struggling to break free but hampered by legal hurdles. If I went to the authorities, I'd get arrested for marriage fraud. Jail time, hefty fines, ruination. Who on earth would hire a convicted criminal?

  "Whatever's going on with you," Gavin said, "you can tell me."

  But I couldn't. I wouldn't involve him in my criminal mistake.

  I opened my mouth to speak, having no clue what I'd say, but footfalls padding down the hallway spared me from bumbling through a lie.

  Aidan sauntered into the living room dressed in khaki pants and a blue button-down shirt. The long sleeves only served to accentuate the impressive muscles in his arms. The top two buttons of the shirt were undone, granting a glimpse of the toned flesh beneath.

  Out the corner of my eye, I noticed Gavin's smirk. He might as well have stuck his tongue out and said I told you so, you moony idiot.

  Because yeah, I was mooning at the Highlander. The scent of his cologne wafted toward me, and with his wavy hair brushed back, he looked so good I wanted to run right over and lick him like a lollipop.

  "Good morning," Aidan said, smiling at my brother. "Are you joining us for breakfast, Gavin?"

  "Sure," Gavin said, still smirking. "You guys must be starving after all that… driving."

  I shot my brother a sharp look. Aidan had told him about our road trips yesterday, but Gavin seemed to have guessed our activities involved more than sightseeing.

  Gavin's lips warped as he tried not to laugh.

  "Better have a quick breakfast," I said. "We have to pick Jamie up at the airport."

  Gavin and Aidan began discussing breakfast options while I headed to my bedroom to get dressed. At least one secret was out. The other one, the big one, had to remain a secret. I wouldn't tell Gavin. But the longer Aidan stuck around, the more I longed to confide everything to him. Why should I want to confess my lawbreaking to a man I'd known for eleven days?

  I didn't dare consider the answer. No matter what my heart might want, no matter what my body craved every second I was in Aidan's presence, this relationship could go no further than sex.

  When you look at him, you get gushy.

  Shutting the bedroom door behind me, I leaned back against it. I couldn't afford to fall for Aidan. But could I prevent it?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Aidan threw the front door open and his sister tumbled into the house, oohing and ahhing as she spun in circles, traveling across the floor without paying any heed to the obstacles in her path. When she veered toward the end table, Aidan took hold of her shoulders, bringing her to a stop. Her long, golden-brown hair whooshed around her shoulders.

  Mouth open, hazel eyes wide, she said in a hushed voice, "This is beautiful. Can't believe I'm in America. I want to see it all, every bit of it."

  "Easy," Aidan said, giving her a tolerant, slightly amused look. "You just arrived, Jamie. Give yourself time to adjust to the jet lag."

  "But I want to see everything." She spun again, the sunshine streaming through the windows igniting green sparks in her pale gold eyes.

  Though I hated to admit it, since the moment I'd met Jamie today I'd envied her. She was so full of innocent joy, so free of worries. Of course, everyone had something that bothered them, and I'd known her for a matter of hours. I shouldn't assume she was worry-free, but I still envied her ability to thrive in a completely foreign environment. I would've been nervous about my first trip to another country.

  An explosive thwap announced the arrival of Mandy and Misty, who rushed at the newcomer in their home. Misty slapped her big paws on Jamie's tummy, struggling to stretch up tall enough to slather wet kisses on her face but unable to reach that far. Meanwhile, Mandy licked Jamie's ankles, bared by her sandals and knee-length skirt.

  Jamie giggled. "That tickles."

  I moved to shoo the puppies away, but Jamie shook her head.

  "Don't worry," she said, "I love animals. Dogs are my favorite."

  She knelt to let the furry girls maul her with their tongues and climb all over her.

  Right then, Gavin entered through the glass doors at the back of the house. He stopped a few feet inside, watching the spectacle taking place on the floor with a bemused expression.

  My enjoyment of the situation had been tempered by the call I'd received earlier at the airport. While Aidan had helped Jamie retrieve her checked bags, I'd stepped aside to answer my ringing phone. From the caller ID, I knew who it was. "What do you want, Rade?"

  "To speak with my wife."

  "Sign the papers. There's nothing else to say."

  "I need to speak with you in person."

  A hand on my forehead did nothing to quell the headache sprouting there. "I have guests. There's nothing more to talk about, anyway."

  "Please. A few moments is all I ask."

  "No, sorry."

  He fell silent for a few seconds, the dull roar of traffic in the background. "I've already made arrangements to fly there. When we see each other, you will realize we should talk. If you don't, then I will leave again. You have my word."

  "All I want is for you to please-please-please take the divorce papers and stop trying to put the skids on the whole process."

  "I will you see in a few days. Have a good afternoon, Calli."

  Before I could balk, he'd hung up.

  The here and now swam back into focus around me.

  "You can love me more later," Jamie told the puppies. She straightened, smoothing out her s
kirt, and turned toward Gavin. "You must be Calli's brother. I'm Jamie, Aidan's sister."

  At the sight of Jamie — so perky and cute, full of life and armed with that MacTaggart charm — my brother grinned and hustled over to shake the hand of our newest houseguest. "Hey. Nice to, uh, meet you. I'm Gavin. Douglas. Calli's brother, Gavin Douglas."

  Was my brother nervous? Or, heaven forbid, smitten at first sight? After the way he'd reamed me for letting Aidan stay here. After accusing me of going gushy for the Scot. Oh, I'd have lots of fun exacting Gavin's comeuppance for this.

  Jamie's cheeks dimpled, she giggled again. "Nice to meet you too, Gavin."

  Aidan grasped Jamie's wrist and urged her hand free of Gavin's. "Let me show you to your room."

  Though she allowed her brother to haul her out of the living room, she glanced back to smile at Gavin, who — swear to God — mooned at her.

  Hands on my hips, I shook my head. "Gee, Gav, looks to me like you're going gushy over Aidan's sister."

  "What?" His eyes flared wide for a second before he regained his hold on stoicism. "I was being friendly to your guest, that's all."

  "Uh-huh. Flirting is a requirement for proper etiquette?"

  He spluttered, attempting to seem offended but failing. "All I said was hello."

  Grinning, I pointed out, "No, you said 'uh, hey, nice to meet you, can I please shave your legs for you.' Right before you mooned at her."

  And my brother's mouth fell open. Wide open. He flapped a hand as if trying to pump the shock out of his brain. "I did not say that."

  "Okay, maybe I ad-libbed the shaving part. But you were stammering and gaping at her like you'd never seen a pretty girl before."

  Gavin clapped his mouth shut. "I'm not the one getting naked with somebody I barely know."

  "But you'd like to make time with Aidan's sister. His little sister."

  I could tell by his chagrined look he hadn't missed the double standard. Him, ogling the younger sister of a man he'd criticized for ogling his little sister.

  "Well —" Gavin jammed his hands in his pants pockets, assuming his stoic demeanor once more. "You're a grown-up, you can do what you want."

  Ah, of course. Now that he had eyes for Jamie, suddenly I could do whatever I wanted.

  I compressed my lips, struggling to hold back a smile. "Gee thanks, Gav."

  With a grunt and a roll of his eyes, he stalked out the glass doors and toward the yard gate, heading back to his little haven in the woods.

  Jamie and Aidan emerged from the guest bedroom, returning to the living room. Aidan looked harried while his sister seemed quite chipper and pleased with herself.

  "Sooo," Jamie cooed, "we should get to know each other, Calli. Since you're going to be my sister-in-law."

  Aidan raised his hands, mouth open, and shook his head. "Didnae say a word to her."

  Jamie studied us both, her lips quirked. "Didnae have to, Aidan. I have eyes and I'm not an eejit. Besides, you told everyone you were coming to America to find a wife like Lachlan did."

  Aidan gave me a pleading look.

  I took pity on him and refrained from telling his sister I wouldn't marry him. Instead, I told her, "It's a bit early to think about that."

  "Aye," she said, "but Aidan has a way of convincing women to do almost anything."

  "Does he now." I arched a brow at Aidan, who hiked up his shoulders, showing me his palms.

  If his sister only knew the things he'd convinced me to do. I hadn't needed much convincing. Making love with Aidan gave me more pleasure than I'd dreamed possible, pleasure both physical and emotional.

  Making love? Emotional pleasure? My stomach plunged through the floor. If I was thinking in those terms…

  Thankfully, I had no time to ponder the end of that thought.

  "Where's Gavin?" Jamie asked, glancing around as if he might be hiding behind the bar.

  "He's staying in the hunting cabin out in the woods," I said. "We'll see him again at lunch."

  Did Jamie seem disappointed by the news? Maybe Gavin would be the one moving to Scotland.

  "Mind if I have a shower?" Jamie asked. "Airline travel makes me feel grimy."

  "Go right ahead." I gestured toward the hallway. "Bathroom's on the right."

  "I know, Aidan showed me." She started to turn away, then looked at me. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Calli."

  "No problem."

  Jamie MacTaggart disappeared down the hall.

  When the bathroom door clicked shut, Aidan approached me and slipped his hand into mine as we faced each other. I laced my fingers with his, loving the warmth and roughness of his palm on mine. The hands of a man unafraid of hard work. He gazed into my eyes for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

  At last, he sighed and said, "Quite a full house, eh?"

  "Definitely." I canted toward him a tiny bit. "Your sister and my brother seem rather smitten with each other."

  "I'd like to tell Gavin to stay away from my sister, but I suppose that would be, ah…"

  "Hypocritical?"

  "Yes."

  I rose onto my tiptoes to peck a kiss on his lips. "You MacTaggarts are a gorgeous bunch. Can't blame us mere mortals for falling to our knees before you."

  "You haven't gone on your knees before me." He slid his free hand around to the small of my back, tugging me into his body. "But it's an intriguing idea."

  Flattening my palm on his chest, I gazed up into those hypnotizing eyes. "Have you forgotten? I dropped to my knees and took you in my mouth."

  A slow, naughty smile curved his mouth. "So you did. I have some other ideas for getting you on your knees, though, ones I'd love to try out tonight."

  "Sounds good." I glanced toward the hallway. "We have two visitors within earshot of our screaming orgasms. How do we keep them from hearing?"

  He gave a short, airy laugh. "Jamie won't care how much noise we make."

  "I care." Realizing I sounded like a prude, I added, "I like my privacy."

  "Don't worry." He brushed his fingers across my cheek. "We can be quiet."

  "Not sure I can manage it. Not with you driving me out of my mind."

  Aidan moved his hand in lazy circles on my back, bending his head to skim his lips over mine. "Trust me, I can make certain no one else hears your screams."

  "No gags, please."

  He shook his head slowly. "No gags. I wouldn't do anything like that to you. But I will swallow your screams with my mouth on yours."

  I imagined him doing that, our open mouths fused and muffling my cries of ecstasy, and my nipples hardened at the mere idea of it. "Just making sure." I eyed him with a touch of suspicion. "How exactly do you plan on keeping anyone from hearing us?"

  "You'll see."

  Releasing my hand, he wrapped both arms around me and lifted me onto my toes. His lips found mine, exploring with light sweeps that grew firmer the more he kissed me. I threw my arms around his neck and thrust my tongue between his lips, moaning at the feel of him. He coiled his tongue around mine with a moan of his own.

  And just like that, I didn't give a damn who heard us.

  He pulled back, frowning as if an unpleasant thought had occurred to him. "I brought my sister here to keep her out of trouble. And what happened? The minute she arrived, she found an American man to captivate."

  "Poor Aidan." I skated my fingers over his cheek. "You can't catch a break, can you?"

  With a devious gleam in his eyes, he ran his tongue across my lips. "After a day with your brother and my sister, I will be needing some physical therapy." He dropped one hand to cup my behind. "A lot of it, in fact."

  "Here to serve."

  As we began to kiss again, I tried not to think about what everyone else seemed to know. Jamie assumed we were seriously involved with marriage not far in the future. And Gavin, well…

  Not gushy, not mooning.

  The only one I seemed likely to fool was myself.r />
  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Aidan flopped onto my bed on his back, right on top of the covers, his arms spread wide and his head on one of the pillows. He groaned, eyes closed. "No one should have that much energy, bouncing around like a little bird. It's no wonder your dogs love Jamie, she's as energetic as they are."

  I sat on the bed's edge, with his hand at my hip, and patted his chest. "Oh, poor Aidan. You have a sweet, happy sister who adores you. Must be awful."

  "Hm." He cracked an eyelid to peek at me. "Thought I'd get more sympathy from you. After all, your brother was turning you into a bampot."

  "You called me that in the club. It means crazy?"

  He nodded. "You're not literally insane, but sometimes you act like it when you're stressed."

  "I don't mind if Gavin makes me a little crazy. I'm glad to see him having a good time. After the way his wife left him, I didn't know if he'd ever show interest in a woman again."

  Aidan lifted his head. "What did his wife do?"

  Oops. I tried to salvage the situation. "Sorry, that shouldn't have slipped out. I doubt Gavin would want me telling you the story, but I'm wiped out and my brain filter isn't working properly."

  He dropped his head onto the mattress with a grunt. "I'll have to ask your brother."

  "You wouldn't."

  "No?" He rolled his head to the side, giving me a mischievous smile. "Maybe I would. Or you could tell me, and I'll keep it a secret so he'll never know I know."

  "Oh, you are wicked. Devious and canny, in bed and out."

  He walked his fingers up my hip. "I'm in bed at the moment."

  "So you are." I crawled on top of him, on all fours, my hair feathering around my face. "Wouldn't you rather have sex than hear about my brother's failed marriage?"

  Aidan rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "At the moment, no. I'm exhausted from spending an entire day with Jamie and Gavin. Siblings are a right trial."

  "But we love them anyway, don't we?" I lowered my head to nibble his lips.

  "Mm, aye." He inserted a hand between our mouths, thwarting me. "I'm genuinely exhausted."

  I fell onto the bed beside him and rolled onto my side, cuddling into my pillow. "Aidan MacTaggart is too tired for sex. Does this mean the world is spinning backwards?"