by Emma Slate
“Well, to be fair, Hera’s puppy will be house trained a lot faster,” Malcolm pointed out.
Cronus waddled over to the dog bed in front of the fire and promptly fell asleep. A rattling noise began to emanate from the aging hound. I looked at Flynn and teased, “He snores just like you do!”
Flynn shook his head. “I don’t snore.”
I rolled my eyes and smiled at Malcolm. “Yes, he does.”
“Too bad about Ash and Duncan,” Flynn interjected so we would have to discuss something else.
“They couldn’t get out of it,” I said.
“I know they had to have dinner with Ash’s parents tonight. But they would’ve had more fun with us.”
“Well, we are a laugh. I mean, if I’m awake past 9 PM, it’s almost like I’m the life of the party,” I quipped.
“Would you want to spend a night with Ash’s parents?” he pressed.
“Yeah, okay. I get your point.”
Ash’s parents were cold bluebloods from old money. Any deep, lasting emotion they might’ve felt for each other at one point was gone. They’d stayed together but lived completely separate lives, except when their children were involved.
“Ash’s brother is a decent fellow,” Malcolm said.
Flynn glared. “He’s in love with Barrett.”
“No, he’s not,” I protested.
“Delusional.”
“Oh, please. Jack looks out for me like a sister. And he’s kept his distance.”
“It’s easy to keep a distance when there’s an ocean between the two of you.”
“You’re exasperating,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“Thank you.” He grinned boyishly.
Malcolm huffed out a laugh and rose from his seat. “Let’s eat. Barrett, if you accidentally stab Flynn with a butter knife I won’t say anything.” He came over to me and helped me up from the confines of his very plush, comfortable couch.
“I won’t stab him with a butter knife,” I assured.
“No?” Flynn asked in disbelief as he stood.
“No,” I said with a wide smile. “I’ll use a fork.”
Chapter 2
“Barrett, if you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late!” Flynn called from downstairs.
“I’m growing a person!” I yelled back, knowing that would shut Flynn up and buy me five more minutes.
“We have an hour drive to Inverness! Your best friend will never forgive you if you’re late!”
“Ash has forgiven me a lot! Now stop distracting me!”
With a sigh, I turned back to the full-length mirror. My auburn hair, glossier than ever due to the surge of pregnancy hormones, was pulled back into a messy teased bun. My dress was black and long-sleeved, but it dipped low in the front, showing a good amount of cleavage. That, too, had gotten better with pregnancy. At my ears were the large diamond solitaires that Flynn had given me on our wedding day.
I thought back to that moment a little over a year ago. He’d married me to protect me from the FBI. They were determined to take him down and would’ve used me to testify against him. Flynn and I had married because I needed protection, but we’d stayed together because of love.
Life was bizarre.
“Three minutes, or I’m coming up there and carrying you down the stairs!” Flynn impatiently shouted. “And you know I can!”
“Might be worth it!”
I swore I could hear him muttering under his breath. After smiling at my reflection, I grabbed my small black clutch and headed downstairs. Flynn was checking his pockets, making sure he had all his belongings.
“Don’t forget your speech,” I said, coming down the stairs, my hand on the rail.
“I don’t need—” he looked up and lost his train of thought, his eyes dipping to the swell of my breasts, the creaminess of my skin.
I hit the last step and then came towards him. I grabbed the lapels of his dress coat. “What don’t you need?” I whispered.
His head dipped slowly. “My speech.” His mouth covered mine as his hands stole across my back, trying to bring me closer. Our tongues dueled and tangled and a coil of lust unfurled in my stomach.
Flynn tore his lips from mine and pressed his forehead to mine. “Damn, woman. Are you trying to make it so that we’ll miss Ash and Duncan’s rehearsal dinner?”
I grinned wickedly. “We could be naked right now.”
He groaned when my hand skated down his body, reaching for his fly. His hand locked around my wrist. “You don’t play fair, do you?”
“You want to talk about playing fair? You own a kilt!”
“I’ll be wearing it tomorrow at the wedding, so you better make use of it.”
“Oh, I will,” I promised. I reached for my coat that hung on the coat rack and with Flynn’s help somehow got into it.
“We can always leave early tonight—blame it on pregnancy exhaustion,” Flynn said, holding the front door open for me. Thankfully the rain had abated, and we made it to the car without getting doused, but I never left the house without an umbrella.
Our driver opened the car door for us, and I climbed inside the Rolls. Flynn went around the other side, not bothering to ask if I could scoot over. When we were on our way, I said, “They’ll know.”
“What’s that, hen?” Flynn asked distractedly.
“They’ll know if we leave early why we’re leaving early,” I explained. “I might have told Ash that I can barely control myself due to the influx of hormones.”
“I’m not complaining,” Flynn said. “I like that you can’t keep your hands to yourself. It’s like you’re tipsy all the time.”
I grinned and reached for his hand across the seat. “At least I haven’t completely tired you out.”
“Yet. You can try later tonight if you want.”
“Oh, I plan on leaving you exhausted and wearing nothing but a smile.”
He chuckled and then turned to look out the window of the car. The highlands passed by in rolling hills and craggy mountains. I settled in for the hour drive to Inverness, resting my hands on the swell of my belly.
“I can’t believe my best friend is marrying your surrogate brother,” I said. “Then again I can’t believe Ash is really getting married.”
“Because the last time she was engaged ended badly?”
“Exactly.” Not too long ago Ash had been engaged and then entered into a torrid love affair with her fiancé’s father. It had all come crashing down around her and I thought for sure she’d swear off marriage forever. “Is Duncan worried about it? That she was engaged before?”
“No, he’s not worried.”
I bit my lip. Flynn knew Ash had been engaged before, but he didn’t know why it had ended. It wasn’t my story to share. Duncan knew about Ash’s past and it was between them.
“Ash needed a strong-willed man because she’s a strong-willed woman. From what I’ve heard of her other fiancé, he didn’t challenge her or excite her.”
“He was nice.”
“Nice is not enough for women like you and Ash.”
“Women like us?” I glanced at him and smirked in amusement.
“Aye.” Flynn grinned. “You’re both intelligent and you know your own minds. You don’t respect men you can push around. Ash can’t push Duncan around and you can’t—”
“Careful,” I warned with a teasing glint. “I don’t push you around, but I do know how to gently coerce you.”
“Maybe I let you coerce me,” he shot back with a smug smile.
“Maybe we coerce each other,” I said with a shake of my head. “I really can’t believe it though. I was sure when Duncan popped the question a few months ago, they’d be engaged at least a year so she’d have time to plan the wedding. But it all came together so fast and her parents are overjoyed.”
“I can’t believe she agreed to live in Scotland. She didn’t even put up a fight about it,” Flynn said.
“Ash always liked the idea of being an ex-patriot. An
d it’s not as though Duncan could move to New York,” I pointed out.
“His heart his here.”
By heart he meant the SINS. As Malcolm’s oldest son, Duncan was due to inherit the title of leader when Malcolm stepped down. “The cause comes first,” I murmured.
Flynn squeezed my hand but said nothing. I hadn’t really known what I was getting into when I’d learned about Flynn’s affiliations. I had been able to reconcile it when I thought our life wouldn’t have included children. But that had changed. I didn’t walk away when I found I was pregnant, but realizing my children would grow up in this world, weaned on the cause for a free Scotland, was something else entirely. Unlike Ash who didn’t care about her future husband’s loyalties, she had no problem compartmentalizing it. Duncan’s cause wasn’t her cause, but that wasn’t how Flynn and I operated. We were a true team.
I’d die for Flynn.
The rest of the drive to Inverness passed in comfortable silence. The car stopped outside an old gray cobblestone building, lit with antique gas lanterns that cast a welcoming glow. A slight drizzle-mist had begun to fall and it coated everything it touched. It dusted our coats and hair and made the uneven sidewalk slippery. Flynn held onto me as we walked towards the entrance and I was grateful for his strong hold. Though my heels were barely heels, it would have been easy enough to lose my footing and tumble to the ground.
When we walked inside, a female hostess greeted us. She was thin, blonde and gorgeous, and gave Flynn an obvious once-over before realizing that I was standing right next to him. I bristled with annoyance, but Flynn put me at ease immediately when he helped me with my coat and kissed me softly on the lips. He stared into my eyes like I was the only person he saw.
“Let’s get you some sparking water,” Flynn said, holding my hand. Without a backward glance we left the hostess area of the tavern and walked down the hall. Our party was in the main dining room. Round tables with white tablecloths and expensive red orchid centerpieces were scattered around the room, but there wouldn’t be a formal sit down dinner. Guests had already begun to arrive. Duncan and Ash stood in the center of the room and we strolled towards them despite the fact that they were surrounded by family and friends.
When Ash saw me, her face lit up. She embraced me but I released her just as quickly, wanting to take in what she was wearing. Ash looked like a fairy ice queen. Her blonde hair was up in an array of curls, and her strawberries and cream complexion was set off perfectly by the floor length pale blue gown. At her ears were diamond chandelier earrings that twinkled in the soft light.
“You look gorgeous,” I told her.
She shook her head. “Me? Look at you.”
“Please don’t,” I muttered. “I feel invisible and huge at the same time.”
Ash frowned. “Well, that’s ridiculous because you’re gorgeous. Here, have some of my wine.” She thrust her half drunk glass of wine at me.
I stared at it for a moment. I’d read that once a woman was in her third trimester, a bit of wine was fine. Besides, this turkey was almost cooked. Taking a small sip, I sighed in relief.
“How gorgeous is Barrett,” Ash asked Duncan who laughed at something Flynn said.
Duncan looked me up and down and if I hadn’t already been in love with Flynn, I definitely would’ve had a thing for Duncan. Sexy, broad, with a brogue thicker than cream, he knew how to make a woman feel beautiful. His smile was wide and genuine when he said, “Bonnie lass.” He wrapped me in a bear hug before pulling back.
“Paw your own woman,” Flynn said with a good-natured shove at Duncan’s shoulder. Duncan’s arm wrapped around Ash’s side and hauled her close.
“That’s a damn fine idea. Want to leave this party and go find a more private one?” he asked Ash, waggling his eyebrows at her.
“My son never could behave,” Malcolm said as he joined our group.
Malcolm’s whiskered jaw gently scraped my cheek when he kissed me.
“That’s family loyalty for you,” Duncan muttered. “How was I supposed to behave when Flynn was the one getting me into trouble? A year after he came to live with us, he swiped that bottle of 100-year-old scotch and forced me to do shots.”
“Like hell that’s true,” Flynn grumbled, but there was a teasing twinkle in his eye. “It was you, you bastard. Wanting to impress some local girls. If I recall you were the one who threw up all over both of them.”
Ash couldn’t contain her laughter. “Guess you weren’t always a smooth criminal.”
“He’s still not smooth,” another voice said.
I turned and saw Duncan’s younger brother flashing Ash a megawatt grin. Ramsey Buchanan had inherited all the Buchanan charm. He had dark hair like Duncan, but it was a mop of curls that made a woman want to run her fingers through it. But instead of silver eyes, Ramsey’s were a shocking green the color of the Highland hills. Deep, rich, and erotic.
“Please tell me you’re running away with me tomorrow and not marrying this clown,” Ramsey went on, hugging Ash.
Duncan growled and removed his brother’s arms from around his fiancée. “Enough. Get yourself a drink and your own woman.”
Immediately, Ramsey looked to me and turned on the flirt. “Hi, Barrett. You’re looking ravishing. Or ravished—as it were.” His gaze dropped pointedly to my belly before he plucked the half drunk glass of wine from my hand and downed it.
Malcolm shook his head in mock regret. “It seems I have two ill-behaved sons.”
“Hey,” Flynn protested.
Malcolm smiled. “I stand corrected. I meant three.”
“Ramsey drank the rest of my wine,” I complained to Flynn.
“I’ll get you another,” he said.
Ash looked at Duncan. “Barrett drank the rest of my wine.”
Duncan chuckled. “I’ll get you another. Come on, Flynn. We’ve got to keep our women happy otherwise they might leave us.”
Chapter 3
The willowy brunette that looked like she stepped out of the 1920’s glided towards me on four-inch heels that put her taller than most men in the room. The manager of the Rex Hotel invented glamour. I suddenly hated the skinny bitch.
“Don’t look at me that way,” Lacey stated.
“What way is that?” I demanded.
“Like you want to kill me for being thin.”
I grinned. “Am I that transparent?”
“No, you’re just that—”
“Careful,” I warned. “I’m a feral pregnant lady.”
Lacey shook her head and smiled wide red lips. “How many people have you scared into submission?”
“Her husband, for sure,” Brad Shapiro stated with a huge grin on his face. Brad resembled an aging linebacker; he was both broad and tall and his hands looked more like paws than anything else. He was head of security for the hotel and he was the perfect candidate for it.
“My husband is a saint,” I joked with them.
“Flynn Campbell, bound for sainthood,” Brad replied. “Now I’ve heard everything.”
We all laughed.
Six months ago, I’d learned that Brad and Lacey were hooking up. I had no way of knowing if they were still secretly involved since I couldn’t read their body language. They acted like nothing was out of the ordinary, just two old friends enjoying the evening.
Lacey put her hand on my arm. “I know we’re here to celebrate Duncan and Ash getting married, but I brought you a gift.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked with a raise of my eyebrows.
She nodded. “Come on. We’ll leave Brad here.”
Taking my hand, she led me away from Brad to one of the round tables. A few empty glasses rested on the top that the serving staff hadn’t yet cleared away.
Lacey went behind the table and picked up a blue gift bag with white tissue paper sticking out of the top. “Here.”
I put my hand in the bag and pulled out a white onesie. On the front it had a “Made in Scotland” stamp.
“This is too cut
e,” I said, awkwardly trying to hug Lacey. “Thank you!”
“And when he grows out of it, I’ll buy him another.”
I grinned as I folded the onesie and put it back in the bag. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Brad?”
She peered at me. “You sure you want to know?”
“Give me full disclosure.”
“We’re work and sex and that’s it.”
I frowned. “You’re kidding? You’ve been able to keep it going this whole time?”
She sighed. “Well, we did try to date right after you and Flynn moved over here. But as it turned out, the only parts we’re good at are the sex and work parts. And, by the way, Flynn totally knows about it.”
“Really? But he never mentioned it to me.”
“Probably because it’s not a big deal.”
“Wow, are you in denial.”
“No. You are. Flynn doesn’t care because work hasn’t suffered and Brad and I can be adults.”
“Work and sex, huh? I never could keep it that way.”
Lacey smiled. “I know. I’m glad things worked out for you and Flynn, but that’s not the way it is for everyone.”
I nodded. “Fair enough.”
“I really miss you guys,” she admitted. “The hotel isn’t the same without you both there.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I’m thinking of making a change,” she said, lowering her voice. “In the coming months.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “I need to do something different. Helping to open the club in London was amazing, but ever since I got back to New York, I’ve felt a bit restless.”
This past spring Flynn and I had stayed in London while Flynn opened up the newest Rex Hotel. Lacey had stayed just long enough to train the staff who worked in the club. It had been nice having her so close by.
“I understand your feelings of restlessness. I can’t imagine the club run by anyone else, though.”
“Change is good for everyone. I was thinking of pitching Alia for the job. Start training her when I get back to New York.”
