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"You go first."
He studies me for a moment, then relaxes into the sofa. "What is a bonnie American doing in Scotland? Do you have family here? Or a boyfriend?"
"None of the above." I want to tell him that's too personal and not his concern, but getting to know each other was my idea. "I got divorced. It was finalized fifteen months ago. My husband had cheated on me repeatedly, and I kept forgiving him—until I couldn't forgive him anymore. He slept with my boss. I had to find another job, and getting as far away from my ex as possible sounded like a good idea. Then I saw an ad in a journal for a psychology conference in London, which seemed like the perfect getaway. I met Jack there. He told me about the Inverness clinic and that they'd been looking for someone like me, a combination physical therapist and psychologist."
"Jack helped you get the job?"
"He provided a reference. Two months later, I was living and working in Scotland."
"That's quite a change. How are you getting on in a new country?"
I cross my legs and rest my arms on the chair. "Sometimes I get confused by the things you Scots say, but I love it here. The land is beautiful, the people are kind and welcoming, and I'm far away from the ghosts of my past."
"Have you dated anyone since your husband?"
"No. I've decided to be celibate for a while."
"Celibate?" He sounds surprised. After our kiss yesterday, I can't blame him. "You're a bonnie, passionate woman. Cannae let one bleeding ersehole put you off men." He eyes me with a touch of suspicion. "But you went on a date with Hugh."
"No, I almost went on a date with him. He charmed me into saying yes, but I quickly realized I'm not ready for that. He said he understood."
"I'm sure he did understand. Hugh's not atolla-thon." Callum smirks. "Not like me."
"What is atolla-thon?"
"An ersehole."
"You are not an asshole, Callum." I sit forward, gazing straight at him. "I can tell you've got issues, and I think some of them involve your accident, but I won't push you on that today. I have a different question for you. Why don't you like to talk about your brother? Seems like you two get along well."
"We do. But Jack is…" Callum bows his head. "I was always the one the lasses liked the best. Jack didn't have many girlfriends. He was never spontaneous or impulsive like I am. But then he married a woman he met in Las Vegas and had known for twelve days. They got divorced, but now they're together again—married and having a bairn."
"It's natural to feel a little jealous, especially when you're struggling with your own life."
"Ahmno jealous, and ahmno struggling." He shuts his eyes and scrunches up his face. "All right, maybe I am a wee bit jealous. I'm happy for Jack and Autumn, but… Donnae know. Maybe it's just that I haven't been with a lass in almost nine months."
"You haven't had sex since just after your accident?"
He nods, his mouth tight and his fingers curled into his thighs. "Tried to shag a girl a few weeks after my injury, but I, ah, couldn't perform."
"Do you mean you couldn't get an erection?"
Callum flashes me a scowl. "No. I am notbreallach. I meant I couldn't do it because my bloody knee hurt too much. Can't expect a bloke to perform when he's in pain."
Breallachmust mean impotent, based on what he said after that.
I think about what he just told me, and something occurs to me. "Were you on top?"
"Of course." He sounds only a touch irritated, despite the fact he's frowning—at the wall, not me.
"Why not let the woman take control? Your knee wouldn't be an issue if—"
"Tried that too. The lass suggested it, but it didn't work." He crosses his arms over his chest and finally looks at me. "Let me guess. You're the sort who always has to be on top and in control."
"No, but I can't understand why you're so stubborn about this. There are a lot of submissive positions for a man that might alleviate the pain issue during sex."
"Submissive? I am not letting a lass tie me up."
"I didn't mean it that way. Letting your partner take control, so you can relax and enjoy it without causing yourself pain, that's what I meant."
