It was talk in the heat of the moment, easy to say when she was being filled by him, but it was also the truth and it would remain so, even when they had tumbled down, ragged and breathless, from their climaxes and she was lying in his arms again. Niall Butler had been the first man Carli had let into her body and into her heart and she couldn’t imagine ever wanting anyone else again. He wouldabsolutely be her last. That had been the truth from the very first day they met.
The rain outside had diminished to a light pattering on the windowpane, and the bedroom seemed to glow warmer than ever. Maybe it was the beautiful man radiating heat next to her. How long had she and Niall been gazing into each other’s eyes like lovelorn teenagers? Who knew? And who cared because what else mattered? Not time, not the outside world. Only her and Niall.
‘Hey,’ he said, soft blinks punctuating the hold his hypnotic face had on her.
‘Hey,’ she murmured.
‘Can I ask you something.’
‘Uh-oh. Go ahead.’
‘It’s nothing bad. How’d you fancy a trip to Edinburgh to visit Cal and Bea? They had to rush off after the party and I said I’d go down and visit them. I’d love for you to come with me.’
Okay, so during sex they’d talked about moving to Timbuktu, but visiting his brother and fiancée seemed like a far bigger deal. ‘Are you sure?’ she asked. ‘They won’t mind?’
‘Cass, they’d love to see you. And there’s nothing I want more than to walk in there and show them that my girl is now my woman. Because you are, right?’
Being Niall’s girl at school had been a badge Carli wore with pride. Graduating to the grown-up version was as much of an honour and did things to her body that she hadn’t experienced back then.
‘Aye, Butler.’ She squeezed his gorgeous arm. ‘I’m your woman.’
‘Good. I meant all that about moving to be with you, by the way.’
‘But you were planning on moving back here, to be with your family. One root and you’re a goner.’
‘Two roots… And I’m a goner for you, even without the rooting.’
‘Are you sure? You can say you got carried away in the madness of the moment. I mean, I’m not quite ready to move to Timbuktu, as enthusiastic as I might have sounded.’
Niall laughed. ‘Aye, I meant it. Anywhere with you, besides Timbuktu – unless they have epic surf there, in which case I’ll consider it. The main thing is we’re together, right?’
‘Absolutely.’ It was like Carli had finally reached home after seventeen years of being lost. No way was she giving up the keys to the castle now.
Chapter 25
Niall
In Edinburgh, the sun was shining like a new beginning. As much as Niall had enjoyed being back in the safety of Kintyre and more specifically, Kinshore, he was used to big city life, so it was refreshing to visit Scotland’s capital city, which by other world capital standards was more like a town.
Niall’s older brother Cal, lived with his fiancée, romance author, Bea, in a cottage in the village of Belhaven outside Edinburgh. Belhaven Bay was a great surfing spot and Cal lived there so he had access to the waves all the Butler siblings had grown up with. He ran a series of bars in Edinburgh itself but lived here to ‘keep the heid’. Niall understood that sentiment.
They arrived in the evening and were ushered into the warmth and cosiness of the cottage by Bea, a vibrant redheaded American who had met Cal a few years previous whilst on a short trip to Edinburgh to write her romance novel. Cal had employed her in his bar and things had gone from there. They were now completely loved up. Of course, all of this had happened when Niall was in Sydney so thiswas his first encounter with Bea, and he could see why his brother was smitten.
‘I’m taking this opportunity to showcase – or maybe that should be practise – my Scottish cuisine skills,’ Bea said. ‘Cal has disowned me on this one in case it goes badly.’
‘I promise I’ve not disowned you.’ Cal leaned over Bea’s shoulder to check what she was cooking. ‘Because that looks and smells incredible. She’s a fantastic cook, guys.’ He kissed Bea on the cheek in a way that suggested he wanted to hunker in for more. Niall was pleased his eldest brother had found someone like Bea. Cal had always vacillated between being completely discerning with women or making unwise, passion-fuelled choices. Fortunately, the pendulum had swung towards passion and stability with Bea.
‘You okay?’ Niall asked Carli as they settled their luggage into the bedroom upstairs.
‘Of course.’ She tucked herself under his arm. ‘It’s lovely here. This view!’ She gaped out the window towards the sea where surf rolled gustily into shore. ‘I remember Cal as the strong silent type when we were younger, but he seems to have burst open a bit more in Bea’s presence.’
‘Aye, he’s never been as grumpy as folk think, but she’s definitely broken him. In a good way. Like you’ve broken me.’
‘You were never grumpy, mister.’
‘Aye. When I say broken, I mean destroyed…ruined…for any other women.’ He rubbed her nose with his and dusted her with featherlight kisses. ‘The most pleasurable ruining I’ve ever had.’
‘I should hope so.’ She meandered her fingers down his jawline. ‘For someone who’s ruined, you appear pretty perfect to me.’
