AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fourteen
Catriona
On this Monday morning, I'm in the university library scouring books for information that will help me with my dissertation. I've settled on a topic, and soon I will graduate from doctoral student to PhD candidate. That means I need to get a head start on my dissertation. Alex offered to help me, as my unofficial adviser, but he needed to do some paperwork first.
For the past week, Alex has not behaved strangely or gone on secret missions that he calls "work-related research." I let him get away with that because I know he wouldn't keep anything important from me. Whatever he needed to do, it must be exactly what he said.
Hands cover my eyes. "Guess who, darling."
I smile and peel his hands away, then glance up at Alex and pretend to be surprised. "Oh, I thought you were my other boyfriend."
"Hmm. I think I'll take these back." He thrusts a bouquet of daisies in front of me. "Unless you care to apologize."
I grasp the back of his neck and pull his head down so I can press my lips to his. "I'll give you my full apology tonight."
"When we're naked, I hope."
"Aye, of course."
He rests his erse on the table's edge beside me. Glancing around, he sighs with mock disappointment. "I was hoping you'd be in the basement again so we could ruin another flimsy table. But you're on the first floor within sight of the circulation desk."
"And a number of other students."
He picks up my hand, kissing it. "What are the chances I can talk you into doing something very naughty with me?"
"Your chances are excellent—when we're at home."
"What if I can't wait that long?"
I rise and pick up my rucksack. "Let's go home now."
"What about your afternoon classes?"
"Mhac na galla. I forgot about that."
Alex's mouth quirks into an amused expression. "I do love it when you curse in Gaelic. Did your brothers teach you to do that?"
"No. My sister Fiona did."
He raises his brows. "The MacTaggart women are a foul-mouthed bunch, eh? I need to meet your family."
Does he want that? I doubt he was being serious, but I wonder if he might actually like to meet my family someday. I've mentioned many of my cousins to him, and he didn't seem shocked by how large the MacTaggart clan is.
I sniff the flowers and smile again. "Thank you for these. They're lovely. But is there a special occasion I forgot about?"
"Do I need a reason to spoil you?"
"Of course not. I love it when you surprise me like this."
He slings an arm around my shoulders as we walk out of the library. "I'll walk you to the humanities building, then run a few errands. I grabbed your list off the refrigerator door this morning."
How many men would volunteer to go grocery shopping? Well, my brothers would. And some of my male cousins too. But I haven't met many other lads who would. Alex is an unusual man, but I love that about him.
We part ways outside the humanities building, and I go to my classes. Both lectures are interesting, but I can't wait for these two hours to be over with so I can go home with Alex. The moment class ends, I snatch up my rucksack and hurry outside to find him, knowing he won't be far away. I see him, but he is not alone. Gloria Harris is talking to him, and while she seems quite pleased with herself, Alex looks the opposite. He isn't angry, not exactly. But he does appear tense and uncomfortable.
"Alex, there you are," I say, trying to sound casual as I approach him. I hook my arm around his and aim a polite smile at Gloria. "How nice to see you again."
The woman smiles in a way that does not seem friendly. "Catriona. Isn't it a coincidence that we all bumped into each other here? I've never been to the campus before."
