Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,18

Holly cross.

Well, it wasn’t his fault she jumped to conclusions. Because, honestly — him and Penelope?

His dragon wrinkled its nose. Never. Not in that way.

Then it hit him. “Wait. Are you jealous?”

Holly crossed her arms firmly. “Ten years ago, maybe. But I’m over you now.”

Her words stung more than they should have, and he wondered why. The same way he wondered why it felt so important to explain.

“Penelope is not my girlfriend, and she never will be.”

Grim silence told him Holly didn’t believe him, but what could he do besides shake his head in dismay?

Tell her. Explain, his dragon urged.

He glared at the road. Why, when there was nothing to explain?

Because it matters. Because we love her, his dragon insisted.

He clenched his jaw, but it was hard to deny, no matter how hard he tried.

“There hasn’t been anyone since you,” he finally mumbled.

Holly huffed. “Try again, Hot Stuff.”

He gripped the steering wheel harder. “I mean it. Not Penelope, not anyone else. No one since we…we…” He scooped the air with his hand, trailing off.

Since that incredible night we made love, his dragon filled in.

Holly’s disbelieving look gradually morphed into a shocked stare. “No one?”

He went back to glaring at the road. “No one.”

It wasn’t for lack of offers. And there had been times when he’d been tempted to give in to carnal desires. He was a man after all. But ultimately, he’d backed away every time.

What’s the matter? No woman good enough for you, man? his comrades used to goad.

If only they had understood. Touching any woman but Holly felt wrong.

Of course, it would be. Holly is our mate. Our one. Our only, his dragon crooned.

Right on cue, his old mantra filled his mind. Love was foolish. Unnecessary. Love got in the way of a man’s plans — important plans designed for the greater good of shifters. Above all, love got in the way of duty that went beyond his own wishes or desires. Other men might disgrace their families, but not him.

“Really no one?” Holly’s voice was a hush.

He shook his head, muttering, “Really.” Did she have to rub it in?

A glance in her direction showed Holly speechless and stunned, rather than judgmental or amused like some of his comrades had been.

“Wow,” she murmured a moment later.

Lachlan sighed. If only she knew what an understatement that was.

So tell her, his dragon hissed.

What point was there in telling her when he couldn’t love her? And how would he ever explain?

So he held his tongue, and to his surprise, Holly did too. For the next half hour, they drove in weighty silence.

At some point, Holly took out her phone and recorded a long, rambling message about the countryside, spending a long time on its sounds, scents, and textures. All of it narrated in that smooth alto he loved. Was she writing a travelogue?

Then she made a few calls — long ones involving names, places, job opportunities…

“Do you work for an employment agency too?” he couldn’t help asking when she hung up.

She laughed. “No. I just do my best to give kids opportunities.”

“What kids?”

“The kids I work with. Inner-city kids, kids with disabilities. I sort of fell into setting them up with internships and mentors.”

Now he was really confused. “Mentors?”

She nodded. “You ever hear about paying your luck forward? I had Trevor and my parents to teach me and open doors, but lots of kids don’t have that. So I try to pay my luck forward. Like Deshawn — such a sweet girl. Total bookworm. She was on one of our backcountry trips for at-risk teens last year. Backpacking wasn’t really her thing, but she stuck it out. And you know why?”

She paused, and he waited for her to go on.

Holly’s voice dropped to an emotional hush. “She said her mom sticks it out through so much, so she could too.” Holly let the words hang in the air for a moment before going on. “That’s something we hear again and again from kids of single moms who work their butts off in minimum-wage jobs. Moms who are great role models, but who don’t have many connections. Not that I do, but I have a phone and a lot of friends, and they have friends. People who work the kind of jobs that can raise you up out of that kind of life.”

Lachlan stared. Maybe Holly had changed more than he’d given her credit for.

And, damn. She was just getting warmed up.

“After that trip, I made some calls and set Deshawn up