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Calli glances down at her dress and freezes for a moment as if she's only just realized the slit has fallen open to reveal her leg. She drops her right foot to the floor, yanking the dress to cover her thigh, and crosses her left leg over the right one.
No slit on the left side. She's embarrassed, I think, by her accidental exposure. It was only her leg, though. Cannae see why she'd feel uncomfortable, but women can be odd that way.
I gaze into her emerald eyes while she gazes right back at me. "Calli Douglas, I was hoping to get you alone again."
She folds her hands on her lap. "We're not alone. We're in the middle of a packed wedding reception."
"Everyone else is over there." I wave a hand toward the other side of the room where the rest of the party loiters. "And we are over here."
"How do you know my last name?"
"Your cousin told me."
Calli points at my trousers. "No kilt?"
"Don't wear one every day."
"Only at nightclubs?"
"Ah…" For some reason, I'm feeling embarrassed now, which is barmy. I scratch the back of my neck, grimace, and mumble, "Bloody Lachlan."
"Is that some kind of Scottish cocktail?"
"No." I sigh. "My brother, Lachlan. He told me every Friday is kilt night at the club. Now I'm thinking he said that so he could get his revenge on me."
"Revenge?" she says, slanting toward me. "What did you do to him?"
I clear my throat, shifting in my seat, and wonder why I feel anxious about telling her the truth. She might think I'm an erse, or maybe she'll think it's entertaining. Might as well confess.
A smirk tightens my lips. "At Lachlan's wedding last fall, I tried to trick his bride into repeating a Gaelic phrase. She's American and didn't know the language."
"What did you get her to say?"
"An toir thu dhomh pòg." My smirk widens into a grin. "It means will you give me a kiss. Lachlan, the uptight man he is, warned her before she said it. Erica's a bonnie lass, and I really don't see how he can blame me for trying."
Calli sighs, almost smiling, and shakes her head. "You are a wicked one, aren't you?"
"Noticed, have you?"
Leaning back in her chair, she studies me with a touch of suspicion. "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?"
"Have a good time. Drink mediocre whiskey." I gaze into her eyes. "Dance with a beautiful woman."
She watches me again, but this time, her cheeks turn faintly pink. Is she remembering our kiss last night? I am, for sure. Calli kisses with passion, with all her heart and soul, and I've never enjoyed a kiss that much in my life.
Coughing, she gestures toward the throng of people in attendance. "Plenty of pretty girls to choose from."
"Only interested in one." I stroke the tabletop with my fingertips. "Dance with me, Calli. Please."
"I think you've gotten the wrong impression of me."
"You're a bonnie, sexy lass who's well-spoken and charming. Am I mistaken?"
"Well-spoken?"
I sit forward, hands linked between my knees. "I heard your speech at dinner this evening. You're eloquent, entertaining, and clearly love your cousin very much."
"Oh." She bites her lip. "I still think you might have the wrong idea about me. Despite my behavior last night, I'm not the kind of girl who makes out with strangers in nightclubs."
