Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,66
know how crossing his arms over his chest made his muscles bulge?
His mouth was set in a grim line, his demeanor dark.
She stuck up a hand. “Don’t say it.”
“Don’t say what?” His voice was still gritty from his recent shift, and a whiff of sulfur hung in the air — a sure sign of dragon anger.
“Whatever you were going to say.”
His chest rose and fell in deep breaths, and he pursed his lips. For the next minute, they stared at each other, neither giving in. Finally, he sighed. “How about, are you all right?”
She broke into a tiny smile. “I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”
He shrugged, a simple gesture that encapsulated everything from furious to relieved to I’d be more fine if Enzo were dead.
Mungo strained on his leash, and she let go, letting him run into the house. A moment later, the sound of slurping came from the kitchen, where she’d set out a bowl of water earlier.
“Ah, to be a dog,” she murmured.
Then she braved the steps, approaching Lachlan. Slowly at first, because his cheek still twitched with tension. But the closer she got, the faster her legs moved, and in the end, she rushed over and threw her arms around him. He held her tightly in a gesture that said more than words ever could.
“Thank you. And sorry,” she said. “I just meant to go for a second, but Mungo took off…”
His arms tightened around her. “I thought you left.”
Her gut flipped, knowing all too well how awful that felt. “God, no. I would never leave you.”
If she’d had a free hand, she would have slapped it over her mouth. Whoops. That was one of those keep-to-yourself thoughts a girl didn’t go blurting to a guy until she was absolutely, positively sure he felt the same way she did.
“I mean… Um…” She fumbled for words.
“What do you mean, lass?” he whispered.
She gulped. Did she dare say it?
Lachlan beat her to it, though. “Right, then let me give it a go. I will never leave you.”
She eased back, searching his eyes. He meant for as long as they were on the island, right?
He shook his head. “Never. Never again, I mean.” His eyes shone with regret, and his voice was gritty. “If you’ll have me, that is.”
Her hands shook a little, and she gulped, trying not to get her hopes up. “What about duty? Your family? Your career? All that.”
He held her shoulders and flashed a tight grin. “A wise old man — and a wise woman — made me reconsider my priorities.”
Her heart thumped in double time. “Oh yes? And what might they be?”
“You. Me. Us.”
She was vaguely aware of gripping his arms too tightly, but Lachlan didn’t seem to notice.
“You sure you won’t regret it?”
He shook his head. “Not if that wise man turns out to be right. You know — ‘Love is the one thing you can never waste nor regret.’”
Her throat was so tight, her voice squeaked. “What if he’s wrong?”
“I have it on good authority he’s not pulling my leg.”
She laughed. “And who might that be? Tony?”
“Tony has yet to prove his wisdom. But Liam…” Lachlan trailed off in wonder. “And Finn and Marco and several others. Foolish young bucks whose mates helped them become men.”
She had no idea who Finn and Marco were, but if she ever got to meet them, she would hug them both.
“There’s so much we have to work out…” she started.
Lachlan dipped his chin, resting his forehead on hers. “There is. But right now…” He sighed and looked at the sky. “I think we might get that sunset after all.”
She caught herself there. God, how could she forget? “Trevor…”
Lachlan nodded. “The last letter. It’s time we finish what we started, don’t you think?”
She gripped his hands. “We?”
He nodded firmly. “We. One way or another, we’ll work things out. But right now…” He flashed a thin smile. “Shall we see what surprises Trevor has in store for us next?”
Chapter Seventeen
“I did warn you this wouldn’t be straightforward,” Holly pointed out ninety minutes later.
Lachlan eyed the rapidly setting sun from their vantage point on a rocky outcrop high above the bay. Not straightforward was an understatement. Trevor’s last instructions had started with a complicated puzzle designed to throw off any potential enemies.
Lachlan eyed the mainland warily, then the villa in the valley where Enzo was detained. On the one hand, he was glad Trevor had taken certain precautions with the information he’d left Holly. On the other hand, why had