"Wasted talent," Kirk states with surprising conviction."You should be designing bridges or rockets or whatever makes that brilliant mind of yours light up."
"Says the man who jumps motorcycles over rivers for whisky commercials."
"That's different."He slows the car as we approach his apartment building and pulls into a slot."I do what I love.Every day, every stunt.Even when it scares the piss out of me."
That makes me laugh."You?Scared?I find that hard to believe."
"Oh aye, it can happen."He parks and turns to face me."Fear is what makes the adrenaline worth it.Without it, what's the point?It's like whisky without the burn."
"I guess I never thought about it that way."I can't help wondering if...maybe I've been playing it too safe for too long, hiding behind my laptop screen instead of taking risks.
"Stay with me tonight,gràidh.Tomorrow we'll drive to Inverness, get you some proper clothes, and I'll show you the battlefield that changed Scotland forever."
I unbuckle my seatbelt and lean across the console to kiss him, drawn by some invisible magnetic force field between us."I'll stay.But only if you promise to get me out of these clothes the minute we're inside your flat."
"Aye, lass.That's one promise I'll gladly keep.We can pick up your clothes at the hotel in the morning, assuming ye want to give up your room there."
"Yeah, that would make sense."
The walk upstairs to his apartment feels like a marathon run at sprint pace.Kirk keeps his hand at the small of my back, guiding me through the building with a possessiveness that sends shivers up my spine.The moment his front door closes behind us, he makes good on his promise, peeling my clothes off with the same focused intensity he applies to his stunts.
Later, wrapped in nothing but his sheets and the warmth of his body pressed against mine, a strange sense of peace comes over me.It's like I've been searching for something without knowing what it was, and somehow stumbled across it in this small Highland village.
"Are you always this quiet after sex?"Kirk whispers, his breath warm on my neck.
"Only when my brain's been thoroughly scrambled.Twice in one day is a personal record."I trace lazy patterns on his chest, trying to time the rise and fall of his breathing.
"We could go for three," he suggests, his hand sliding down my back.
I laugh and bat his hand away."Let me recover first, you insatiable beast."
The soft glow from the bedside lamp casts shadows across his face, highlighting the strong line of his jaw and the curve of his lips.I study him, trying to memorize every detail.This moment feels fragile somehow, as if I've stumbled into someone else's fairy tale.But I wouldn't give up these days with him for all the gold in the world.
Kirk Balfour is like no one else on earth, and I plan on mining all his lust and sweetness and dauntless daring.
Chapter Twenty
Kirk
In the morning, I wake to the titillating sight of Gretchen slithering up my body with her tits brushing against my skin.My cock begins to rouse immediately, begging for the feel of her slick folds enveloping me.She's just coiled her tongue around my nipple when I notice an odd shadow in the far corner of the bedroom.A shadow that slithers about.
Then the shadow chuckles.
And I abruptly realize what's happening.I leap out of bed, tossing the covers over Gretchen as I stalk toward the intruder, not bothering to grab a robe.The second I reach the bastard, he chuckles again.
I wrap both hands around the neck of Dougal MacWraith.
"What the bloody hell are you doing in my flat?"I demand, my fingers digging into his throat.The fury coursing through me is white-hot and primal, like a lion about to murder his nemesis."Breaking and entering is a crime, even for scum like you."
Dougal doesn't flinch, even with my hands around his throat.His eyes flick past me to where Gretchen lies huddled under the covers, and his lips curl into a smirk that makes my fists curl and my jaw tighten.
"Just checking in on the happy couple," MacWraith wheezes."Time's up, Balfour.I came to collect what you owe me."
Behind me, I hear Gretchen's sharp intake of breath.As I tighten my hold, I feel Dougal's pulse jump beneath my fingers.
"Get.Out," I snarl, shoving him toward the door.He catches his balance with infuriating grace with that same malicious smirk still plastered on his face.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Dougal warns while straightening his jacket."Not when I have so much leverage."
