Page 67 of The Highland Bad Boy

“Then no harm done. But what if I’m right?”

This gives him pause. “All right. If I notice anything weird, I’ll message you.”

“Thanks, mate. Anyway, I’ll be off.” I stand and he walks me to the door, where I clap him on the shoulder. “Well, be careful. Because if she did frame me, who knows what else she’s capable of?”

Outside, the evening air has cooled. I settle myself on my motorcycle, my mind racing. Drew seemed genuinely surprised by my accusation against Samantha, so I’m inclined to believe he wasn’t involved. But his revelation about her being on edge? That only makes me even more certain she’s behind this.

I fire up the engine.

Now I just need to figure out how to prove Samantha’s guilt before the police decide they have enough evidence to charge me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CAT

My flat feels unnaturally quiet as I pace around and check my phone for the hundredth time. The newly painted walls of the living room gleam pristine white in the evening light.

Where is he? It’s been well over an hour since he left to confront Drew.

I’ve tried distracting myself with lesson planning, but my mind keeps circling back to Robbie. To the way he told me about the stories etched into his skin, a rare flash of vulnerability beneath his tough exterior. To how it felt when he was inside me, his body moving against mine . . . and then afterwards, when we lay together, my head resting on his chest . . .

Christ, I’ve got it bad.

The growl of a motorcycle cuts through my thoughts. I rush to the window in time to see Robbie pulling up on the street below. My heart does a wee flip at the sight of him climbing off his bike.

My front door is wide open before I even hear his boots on the stairs. “Well?” I demand when he comes into view, not bothering with hello.

He smiles—not a full grin, but a definite upward tilt of his lips that transforms his usually stern face. “We were right,” he says, stepping in and shrugging off his leather jacket. He hangs it on a hook by the door, one of a few he recently installed for me. “Drew is sleeping with Samantha.”

I bounce on my toes, my fingers itching to grab his collar and pull him in for a kiss, but I resist. “What else did he say? Do you think he was involved in the thefts?”

“I doubt it. He seemed genuinely shocked when I asked him about them. But he did say Samantha’s been acting strange lately—fidgety and on edge. And she made a mysterious trip to Inverness she wouldn’t explain.”

“That’s suspicious as hell. C’mon, let’s go through to my bedroom.” My eyes widen when I realise how that sounds. “I mean, so we can talk more! The living room still smells of paint, and my bed is more comfortable than the kitchen chairs. I wasn’t meaning we have to . . . you know . . .”

Robbie’s lips twitch. “Shame. Thought I told you to be wet and ready for me?”

My cheeks flush, which is ridiculous considering what we were doing against the bathroom wall just hours ago. For once, I don’t have a comeback. Instead I lead him through and perch on the edge of my bed. Robbie joins me, the mattress dipping under his weight, which slides me a little closer to him.