I told him to drive by. That is all. He came in, said he was smitten.”
“How did ye meet her Uncle Edward?” I corner my wife.
Chapter 64
Chevelle
“You know, the old thing I once did with rich people. Just a conversational piece,” I tell Leith quickly. I scan the room for my saving grace and notice Camdyn. He looks up from his cellphone, and I lock gazes with him, an SOS glimmer in my eye.
The friggin teen, who I’ve saved from a bazillion binds returns to his phone, chuckling softly as he does. Leith clasps my arm. “Not so fast, lass.”
Damn, I haven’t the slightest right to call my husband the usual ass, under the circumstances.
“Let me go.” I give a hushed command. “People will think we’re fighting.”
“Nae, ye’re gonna submit like the women in those books ye love to read or suffer the consequences.” With a slight jerk of his wrist, I’m lurched back like a rag doll, slamming into his chest—the thick folds of my sex jolt. A heated flush runs the length of my spine. I take a tapered inhalation, determined not to display the effects of his dominating touch. Or how his firm body molds perfectly against my ass.
Leith whispers, “After that arsehole touched ye, ye promised—”
“I did, Leith. Might I remind you of our recent reconciliation?”
His warm breath tickles the bare column of my neck. “Nae.”
“Look, Mia’s watching.”
Expelling a stream of quiet expletives, Leith glances over to our daughter. She and Jake were moving around the silverware. Now, we have all her attention. Leith reaches around, holding me from behind. A grin embellishes his attractive face while he issues an ultimatum. “Tell me, right now, this very second, when we open Mia’s Place in the future, ye will stay safe!”
I glance at him over my shoulder. “Tell me, Leith. You’ll trust that I won’t place myself in a compromising position, not because you have someone in the clan watching?”
Leith’s smirk brightens, and his arms tighten around my midriff. The bastard plays the doting husband well. His lips drop gently along my collarbone, causing a tidal wave of goose pimples to shoot across my shoulder. “Someone in the clan will be watching, Chevelle. Feck how ye feel about it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, okay?” His eyebrows lift.
I shrug.
The strained smile vanishes, leaving my shocked, gorgeous husband wheeling me around. “Nae argument?”
“Firth’s wife would make a good host. Although, I’m starting to get the feeling Nan had everyone play nice with me all these years. On Thanksgiving, I’ve seen her cut . . .”
I trail off when Erika maneuvers over to us.
“My da,” she whispers.
Leith’s intense gander locks onto the entrance of the restaurant where a few more men are entering. The one in the center resembles a full-bearded James McAvoy, sporting wire glasses and thinning hair. I glance over the other two again and note how their eyes flit around in observation. Of a threat? Out of context, I wouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill. But the air shifts. A few sidebar conversations throughout the room and the soft ching of expensive silverware goes still.
Erika groans. “Da called a meeting with Nan and Big Brody for tomorrow. Then he rang me a little while ago. He was rather subtle in asking about my plans. I didna expect this.”
“The more the merrier,” I reply. They’re silent. While this is my first attempt at being more hospitable to my husband’s clan, their response fails to meet my expectations. I guess ‘back pats’ and ‘hand claps’ are out of the question?
“I’ll have a talk with him.” Erika’s mouth tenses. Her shoulders lift to their usual confident level while she wheels away from us.
Leith pulls me in for a kiss, whispering conspiratorially, “Chevelle, people have compared Ewan to the last Godfather in Glasgow.”
My eyebrows stitch together. “I’m not sure we watched that movie.”
“Hen, I’m not referring to the pictures. Ewan’s the taxman where we’re from. Nan’s strict about scheduling their meetings when ye’re away.”
“Oh?” My gaze lowers. I’m embarrassed by how unapproachable I’ve been with much of Leith’s family.
I find solace in the stroke of his warm hands across my cheeks. “Ye dinna understand. Mam does it out of respect for ye. Ya won’t take kindly to his ways. I didna invite the arsehole here, either.”
The main server heads over to us. She mentions how they’ll make room for the additional guests and seems to be delighted in the increased gratuity. A few minutes later, we’re all at the table for dinner. Leith