Page 51

“Oh no, don’t be silly. I’m just a few minutes away,” she replied.

“Wow, that was quick!” Lizzie said, surprised as taxis started pulling up.

As they headed to the first cab, Ally glanced sideways at Lizzie, his voice low. “Just us then, Elizabeth.”

Lizzie gave a little shake of her head, though the smile breaking through betrayed her. “Thanks for an awesome night, guys!”

There were hugs, cheers, and goodbyes before their taxi pulled away.

Just as Jenn turned to follow Vivi to their cab, Ruairidh caught her wrist and pulled her gently back.

“I think we can do a better goodbye, don’t you?” he said, his voice husky, velvet-edged with hunger.

Then he kissed her—long and searing, his mouth claiming hers with a heat that left no room for doubt. His hands slid into her hair, gripping just enough to angle her head so he could deepen the kiss. His lips were hot, his tongue teasing, coaxing, devouring.

Jenn clutched at his back for support, her fingers digging into the solid muscle beneath his shirt. The world tilted, her knees threatening to give out under the sheer force of it, and she pressed closer, needing the grounding weight of him. His chest was firm against her breasts, his body radiating heat, the faint rasp of stubble scraping her chin as his mouth moved over hers.

The kiss stretched, deepened, until her lungs burned.

When they finally came up for air, their breaths tangled in the narrow space between them. Jenn stayed close, lips still brushing his, her voice a whisper against his mouth.

“Still think we’ve got chemistry?” she murmured, her pulse racing.

His smile was slow, dangerous, his eyes dark with want. “Off the charts.”

Her lips curved against his. “Mmm. Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said softly, though the words trembled with everything left unsaid.

“No, thank you.” His gaze burned into hers, unflinching, his thumb brushing along her jaw as though memorising the shape of her face. “I’ll see you soon.”

That tone—that careful, composed one she’d first heard at the airport—was back. But this time, she was the business.

He kissed her again, a brief, possessive press of lips that felt like both a promise and a claim, before finally pulling back.

“Yes,” Jenn whispered, the promise hanging between them, and then she turned and walked to the taxi.

Màiri gave her a tight, squeezy hug before Jenn got into the taxi. “I’ll message you later,” she said with a grin.

“Lovely to meet you, Ruairidh!” Vivi called out in a sing-song voice as she climbed in.

“You too, Vivi!” he shouted back. “I’ll see you on the duelling field later, eh?”

“Haha, shut up, you!” Vivi yelled as the cab rolled off into the dark, star-strewn night.

Jenn twisted in her seat for one last look, catching the faint outline of Ruairidh on his doorstep, hands shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders squared, still watching her go. Even from this distance she could feel it—that weight of his gaze, sure and unflinching, like a tether she wasn’t quite ready to cut.

Her lips still tingled, swollen from his kiss, the taste of salt and heat and him lingering at the back of her tongue. His scent clung to her skin, citrus and wood threaded with the faintest musk, warm and male and utterly Ruairidh. She inhaled it with every breath, sharp and intoxicating, like she could trap the moment inside her lungs if she just held it long enough.

Her pulse refused to settle. Her whole body hummed with aftershocks, nerves alive, legs weak. Even the ghost of his hand in her hair, his grip on her jaw, seemed to linger, phantom touches sparking across her skin.

Sleep was going to be impossible tonight.

Chapter 26

Ruairidh woke up feeling better than he had any right to. He’d set his alarm for 11 a.m., just in case, but surprisingly, he woke up earlier and didn’t feel half-dead. Considering the beer and those lethal cocktails, he’d expected to be crawling. Then again, he hadn’t exactly overdone it at the beach party—his mouth had been occupied with other things.

What a night. It had been years since he’d properly done Halloween on Hellisay, and he’d forgotten how wild—and weirdly wholesome—it could be. And Jenn… Ìosa. He was hard just thinking about her. She’d been on his mind for months. No regrets there. None. He just hoped she felt the same. The way she’d responded—how she’d kissed him first—was a good sign, surely?

He grabbed a quick shower and threw on a light-grey tracksuit. His mum had promised brunch, and he wasn’t about to pass up free food or a chance to fish for a bit of intel from Màiri. He didn’t want to rush things—but he did want to see Jenn again. No point pretending otherwise. He was in. All in, if she was.