She watches me in the car, her face lit by flickers of neon and traffic lights as we head back into town.
“Are ye gonna turn into Stoic Lucas again?”
That startles a laugh from me. “Stoic? You’ve been calling me that?”
“There has been a certain reputation established…” She smiles impishly as we turn into the parking garage. Scanning the cars parked around us, I lead her into the lift.
I can feel her growing unease as I stay silent in the lift, both of us watching the numbers climb. When I finally escort her into her flat, I cradle her face in my hands, thumbs stroking her cheekbones.
“Why tonight, Lucas?”
Resting my forehead against hers, I breathe in her sweet almond and lavender scent. “Because ye are beautiful and infuriating as feck, Catriona McKenzie MacTavish, outrageous and cheekyand because I needed to be inside you more than I needed air.”
“That’s…” She licks her lips and I follow the movement before kissing her again. “That’s the loveliest thing you’ve ever said to me, Lucas.”
“Get some sleep,” I whisper. “We’ll talk later.”
She wants me to stay. I know it. I canna do that. I’ll never be able to leave if I do. “Aye,” she relents, going up on tiptoe to kiss me again. “I like being able to do that, kissing ye.”
“I like ye kissing me too. If your mouth is on mine, ye canna give me cheek.”
Cat’s eyes narrow, making her look even more feline. “Aye, you’re back to your usual.” Still, she gives me another kiss as I leave and I wait, listening for the sound of the beep that tells me she activated her security system.
Shower and shave.
A fresh suit. Staring out my bedroom window, I dial the Chieftain.
“Lucas.” Cormac says, “My daughter’s well?” The man gets less sleep than I do, yet he always sounds alert.
“Aye, Chieftain. She’s fine. Safe. May I speak with you?”
There’s a silence, I can hear his fingers tapping on his desk. “My home office, in an hour.”
The Chieftain still lives in the enormous mansion he renovated for his family when he and his wife Mala first got together. It’s on the outskirts of Edinburgh, close to the coastline. Bits and pieces have been added on since, a huge pool house holding a pool and a hot tub. A putting green. Two arbors and a multitude of terraces. He’d added on by buying his neighbors out and demolishing their mansions. You’d be daft to say no to Cormac MacTavish if he wanted to buy your home.
His office is in the back with a separate entrance and another set of gates and guards to go through.
“Stewart!” My friend Rory steps out of the guardhouse, and leans in my car window, “Dinnae have ye on the schedule for today.”
“Last minute meeting with the Chieftain,” I say.
“Ach, best not keep ye, then.” He raps his knuckles on my door and clicks the remote, opening the heavy iron gates.
The next time Rory sees me, he might be carrying me out in a body bag.
The stone entryway to the Chieftain’s office is buzzing; his personal assistant hurries by, guards are changing shifts, and two of Cat’s cousins,Logan and Kai are arguing about a missing shipment of C4. “Ye know Uncle Lachlan’s got it,” Kai rubs his eyes.
Logan’s known as the loose cannon of this generation and he brightens. “Aye? I gotta give him a call.” His gaze falls on me. “Hey, Stewart, good to see ya, brother! And not having to trail after my Bessie of a cousin? True braw.”
“Good to see ya both,” I say as there’s a round of handshakes and back-slapping.
“If the Chieftain lets you loose within the next hour,” Logan grins like a bairn on Christmas morn, “ye should come with me to check out the new shipment of long-range flamethrowers, these bastards can blow apart a warehouse in-”
“Mr. Stewart, the Chieftain will see ye now.” Miss Kevin, a butler/personal bodyguard and the most sought-after employee in the entire MacTavish empire, is standing at the door, their suit and appearance impeccable.
“Thank ye, Miss Kevin.”
We walk down the hall today, footsteps echoing on the polished parquet floor. “Ye look especially dapper today,” they say, casting me a side glance. “I like to think of myself as one of the better-dressed in the Chieftain's employ-”
