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"And Gavin?"
Calli pulls away from me, hugging herself. "His wife up and left one day for no good reason. Said she was bored and needed to find herself in New York. He was like a zombie for weeks after. Leanne seemed like a nice enough girl, but she betrayed Gavin."
I settle my hands on her upper arms. "You worry I'm not what I seem. That later, after we're married, I'll change into a selfish prick or I'll keep important things from you."
She hunches her shoulders. "That's the problem. I can't know if what I see now is the real you. I've known you for twelve days, Aidan.Twelve days."
"Asked you to give me four weeks."
"Even that isn't enough. No amount of time will be enough."
My grip on her arms tightens, no more than a wee bit but enough to reveal my frustration, though I hadn't meant to let it show. "You can never be certain of another person. I wish I could promise you nothing will ever change, but it would be a lie. I won't lie to you. All I can promise you is that I will do everything in my power to make you happy and keep you safe."
She studies my face like she had a moment ago, still searching for answers I can't give her.
I tug her a little closer, maintaining a gap of a few inches between our bodies, and glide my hands up to her shoulders. "You can ask my sister what kind of man I am. Or call Lachlan and he'll tell you. If you need references outside my family, I can give you the names of a dozen people who'd be happy to tell you I'm not a bastard."
"That's not necessary." She shuts her eyes for a moment, silent and perfectly still as if she's struggling to understand herself so she can explain it to me. "The problem is inside me. In my head and my heart. There's nothing you can do to fix this."
"I know," I say, not at all surprised that I sound resigned.
When I drag her into my arms again, she doesn't fight it. She lays her head on my chest and sags against me. I settle a hand on her head and begin to caress her hair while my other hand cradles her back.
"You remind me of Rory in certain ways," I tell her, "since he doesn't want to fall in love either. But I won't give up on you because you're afraid. I'll fight for you, Calli."
And I will, no matter how long it takes or how many times she panics and tries to chase me away.
I stroke her hair with my fingers, keeping one hand on her back, and wait for her to relax into me. It happens slowly, like she's fighting two impulses—one that wants her to give in and trust me, and one that feeds her fears. Her lids slide half-closed, then flutter open. She softens against me but keeps trying to stop herself from letting go of her anxieties, even for a moment. But her eyes drift shut again, and she peeks up at me through the ever-narrowing slit of her eyelids.
"Someone needs a nap," I announce, and I sweep her up into my arms to carry her down the hall to our bedroom.
Ah, the room we're sharing. Sort of. Not officially. I doubt she'd like to know I think of it as "our" room.
I set her on her feet, pull back the covers, and pick her up again to deposit the lass on the mattress. Then I tuck the covers over her. "Should I undress you?"
"No, but thanks for the offer."
"Anytime." I straighten. "I'll leave you to it, then."
"Stay. Please."
Though her request surprises me, I don't waste any time analyzing it. I amble around the bed to crawl across it and snuggle up behind her. Draping one arm over her belly, I press my face to her neck. After everything she just shared with me, I know I can't give up on her—on us.
But one question haunts me. Can she overcome her fears and let herself love me?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The next afternoon, the four of us—the Douglases and the MacTaggarts—sit around the picnic table in the backyard while finishing up the last remnants of our meal. Calli and I had escorted Gavin and Jamie on a tour of the local area this morning, which mostly involved visiting gift shops where Jamie could pick out souvenirs for our siblings and our parents. I told her she didn't need to buy me a gift, and though she balked, I finally won the argument. Gavin helped her choose gifts for our brothers while Calli and I observed the pair's flirtatious interactions.
Jamie kept giggling, smiling, touching his arm. Calli rarely giggles, but she does smile and touch my arm.
Do I want my sister to date Calli's brother? Not sure it's good for my sanity.
I splay a hand over Calli's thigh under the picnic table, drawing her attention to me, though she doesn't look this way. But I know she's focused on what I'm doing. I can see it in her eyes, especially when I massage her flesh in a gentle, seductive rhythm.
Her breaths quicken when my hand skims higher.
Bod an Donais, do I need to shag her.
