“If it comes down to it.”
Nairie shivered and gripped her mug closer to her chest. “Can’t we let the police handle this?”
“They’re already involved. They’re still gathering evidence on his operation, and they’ll be doing a raid of the compound soon.” I brushed my lips against her cheek. “Now tell me who you were talking to at the pub.”
“He said his name was Caleb and that he runs the local art gallery. He heard I was an artist from word about town and wanted to see if I was interested in showcasing some of my work.”
I hummed in thought.
She turned and looked back at me. “What?”
“I’ll just have to make sure everything’s on the up and up.”
Nairie snuggled closer and let her head rest against my shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to help with the Angus situation?”
“You’ve always stood up for me when it came to Angus. I’ll always be grateful to you for that, love. But it’s time I settle this on my own. You give me the courage to do that now, Nairie. That being said, I don’t think it’ll hurt to teach you a few self-defense moves.”
“Really?”
“First thing tomorrow morning.”
“We could start tonight.”
I gave her a devilish smile and pinned her against the carpet to demonstrate her first lesson.
Chapter 25
Nairie
Over the next week, our self-defense lessons were more than just rubbing our bodies against each other. William even gave me a knife to keep in my boot at all times. Practicing with a weapon made things a bit harder, but it made him feel at ease if I knew how to use it, so I didn’t complain. After one of our sessions, we were drinking coffee and tea in the backyard of the inn. William was looking over paperwork, and I was sketching a deer that was grazing at the forest’s edge in the distance.
William cleared his throat. “There are a few friends of mine I’d like you to meet tomorrow.”
“You have friends?” I said, not looking up from my sketchbook.
William’s lips quirked up. “Hard to believe, but yes. They tend to stick to the shadows, so this should be an interesting reunion.”
“Okay, well, I’ll cook a big dinner for everyone.”
“It’s not a dinner party, love.”
“What? You guys don’t eat? Get over yourself. We can eat and discuss at the same time.”
After we went to the market to pick up supplies, I was setting the table at the cottage, feeling fully domesticated in William’s home. It was the first time I would be hosting his friends, and I wanted to make a good impression. It almost felt like a casual dinner partyif the topic of discussion wasn’t taking down William’s dangerous drug-dealing brother.
I dressed in something casual but cute, black jeans that made my butt look spectacular and a wrap top that accentuated my waist and bust. William emerged from the bedroom wearing his jeans and a dark long-sleeved tee that hugged his biceps and chest in the most delicious way.
I added the finishing touches to the meal, which was a family recipe with hummus from scratch, a spicy meatball soup, and plenty of pita bread. It was the best I could do with short notice, but it should be comforting in the chilly weather.
William wrapped his strong arms around my waist from behind and shifted my long hair to the side of my neck. He kissed the skin behind my ear and hummed in enjoyment.
I giggled. “Is that yummy noise for the food or me?”
William continued trailing kisses along my skin and nipped my earlobe. “Can’t it be for both?”
He gently rocked his growing hard-on against my hips, and I was ready to risk it all until there was a knock at the door.
William grumbled, “Christ.”
