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“And I’m yours.”
Epilogue
Stuart
“Oh my God, Stuart! A yacht to get across the sound?”
“Glad you’re impressed.” I grinned. “Hard to beat a week in the Greek Islands, though.”
When I’d told Amanda I was taking her away for the weekend, after she returned from a cruise in the Greek Islands, I was a little worried our family’s holiday cottage on Mull, across the Firth of Lorn, would be underwhelming.
We made our way from the railway station to the docks, where Lachlan had his private yacht moored. Having a boss who had a private yacht had perks. He’d lent it to me for this weekend.
“It looks like a cottage you’d see on a biscuit tin at Christmas.” She swiped her phone’s screen, staring at a photo of a whitewashed stone house with slate roof with two chimneys, in front of woodland grove. A stone wall ran along one edge and sheep grazed in the surrounding paddocks.
“And I heard from our caretaker the snowdrops are out too,” I held out my hand to help Amanda onto the deck. “We’d better get moving, hen. Else we’ll be arriving after dark.”
We crossed the sound easily, with the help of two of Lachlan’s crew. and made it to the cottage just past four in the afternoon. Sunset wouldn’t be long and a chill hung in the air but the grass was emerald green and, sure enough, snowdrops were bursting up.
I unlocked the door and stepped back with a flourish. “Ladies, first.”
The cottage was essentially a kitchen to the left and a lounge to the right with a steep narrow staircase to two bedrooms upstairs in the roof. Fireplaces in both the kitchen and lounge were ready to be lit with kindling and firewood. Candles were strategically placed around the lounge. The caretaker had done everything to my specifications.
“Oh my God, Stuart, it’s just lovely!”
“I wanted it to be special.” My voice was raw with emotion. Everything rode on this weekend.
Amanda faced me and dropped a quick kiss. “It’s perfect, Stuart.”
“Full disclosure: Caroline helped as did our caretaker. I’m not very good on the romantic things but she insisted these candles are great. And she stocked the fridge for us too, via the island’s store.”
Even though Amanda grinned, I frowned, scrutinising every surface. She placed her hand over my heart. The beats were coming hard and fast, as if I’d just ran a race.
“Stuart, I meant it. It’s absolutely perfect.”
“I’m so glad.” I inhaled a deep breath and my heartrate slowed. “I love ye, hen.”
“I love you too, Beast.”
I smirked and carried our bags up the stairs with surprising ease for a such a big man on a tiny staircase. I found Amanda checking out supplies in the fridge: a platter of cured meats, cheese, carrot sticks and celery and dip sat on one shelf, and a bowl of berries and a quart of cream under it. Eggs, bread, butter sat on the bench.
“Pick what ye want, hen. I’ll make a fire.”
We left the lights off and let night descend over the cottage, listening to the wind in the trees and the gulls, and lazed on the couch by the firelight.
I put on a playlist as we ate cherries and cheese. Maybe I should wait after dinner? Gentle touches and conversation turned into kisses and dirty whispers. Christ, this felt good. Should I stop and ask her now? But our kisses soon turned to panting and moans as hands fumbled under jumpers and shirts.
“I missed you while I was gone.” Amanda whipped off her knit and climbed onto my lap, when my mobile starting ringing.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she growled, wrapping my arms around my neck. “Ignore it.”
She planted feather light kisses just under my earlobe that made my toes curl. I moaned as my mobile stopped.
“Keep going, hen. Like that.” But it rang again almost immediately, and I sighed. “It might be an important call.”
“You’re not the CEO anymore,” she murmured against my ear, as she rolled her hips against my ever-hardening erection.
I groaned and grabbed her waist, stilling her movement.
