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I would never apologize for kissing this miracle of a woman.
“Let me walk you safely home,” I said, instead, and gently pried her fingers loose from my shirt. Hooking an arm around her shoulder, as I sensed she still needed the comfort, I turned her back toward the village. With a last glance to the calm waters of Loch Mirren, I nudged Lia forward.
“I’m just there. At the B&B.” Lia pointed up the street.
“Perfect. I’ll see you safely to your door.” I wanted to make clear that I wasn’t expecting anything else from her. It wasn’t long before we stood at the front of the B&B, and I waited while Lia fished out her key with a hand that still trembled.
“Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to call anyone for you?” Okay, now I sounded like a fussy mum. I could hear Graham berating me in my head.
“What just happened there?” Lia paused and looked up at me.
“The kiss or the Kelpies?” I asked. Please, let’s talk more about the kiss.
“Kelpies…what are those?” Lia asked. “Is that what screamed?”
“Aye, I believe so. They are magickal water horses. And, yes, I know, it’s a lot to take in. Listen, it’s late. Let me give you my number, and I can meet you for coffee to talk more about it tomorrow. I can ask Agnes to come as well, if you’d like. She owns the bookstore in town and might be helpful here.”
“Sure, okay. Yeah. I’d like that.” Lia took my card. “Thanks, Munroe. I’m…” Lia trailed off and looked away.
“What?”Please ask me up to your room. I didn’t care if she wanted to talk until the wee hours of the morning on separate sides of the room. I’d take any moments I could get with her. “Do you not want to be alone? We can talk now. I can get some tea from the pub if you’d…”
“Oh, no, I’m okay. I mean, that was definitely freaky and deeply unsettling. But I promise you…I’m going to hold it together.” Lia gave me a tense smile and shoved her hair back from her face. “I was going to say that I’m sorry if I insulted you about the gin. I didn’t know that was your business.”
“Och, no worries, lass. I’m made of tougher stuff than that.” Was I? It didn’t feel like it tonight with the way I was tripping over myself for this woman.
“Thanks for…” Lia waved her hand at the loch. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Leave now before you screw it up, lad.
“Great, that’s grand. Really. Love to hear from you. Call any time. It won’t be too early. If you need anything else, I know a lot of people in town. I could get you food for breakfast, or…och, right, you’re at a bed and breakfast. Anyway. So, sleep well then.” I turned on my heel and walked briskly away before I embarrassed myself further.
Just before I reached the pub, her voice reached me.
“And thanks for the kiss.”
Turning, I bowed, like I was a geriatric senior, and then I ducked inside the Tipsy Thistle, torn between excitement and embarrassment.I kissed her. I kissed Lia from Boston. Is that considered the first move?
“What happened, lad?” Graham looked at me with his eyes wide. My expression must have reflected my inner turmoil.
“Whisky, neat,” I ordered.
“Och, that’s never a good thing. Have a seat, mate, and tell Papa all about it.”
CHAPTERSIX
Lia
Much to my surprise, I slept straight through until my alarm startled me awake the next morning. I lay in bed, my eyes darting around the room, as I tried to gather my wits enough to determine just where, exactly, I was.
Scotland.
The B&B.
The Kelpies.
Thekiss.
I rolled, pulling the tartan blanket up to my chin, and snuggled into my pillow as I relived the moment. Intellectually, I understood that Munroe had kissed me to shock me. It was an effective tactic that had immediately pulled me out of the quicksand of panic and thrust me into desire so fast that my body just ran along with the emotions, riding the adrenaline like its own personal wave of lust. It had taken all of my restraint not to pull Munroe up to my room and see if he could live up to the promise of his kiss.
