Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,88

suit.

Armani, Holly couldn’t help thinking. Italian…?

Earlier, Tony had offered to reveal exactly where he hailed from, since she had upheld her end of their bargain. In the end, though, she’d cut off Tony before he could spill the beans.

I know what I need to know about you. You’re a man who does his home country proud — no matter which country that might be.

His eyes had misted over a little, and his chest rose and fell in a deep sigh — similar to the one he heaved now as he looked on wistfully.

Amore, his golden-brown eyes said.

Of course, there were plenty of women ogling him, so who knew? Maybe he’d stumble across Miss Right at Holly’s wedding. Too bad she hadn’t invited more guests to increase the odds.

“Smile, honey!”

She turned and waved to her parents, who’d flown in for the occasion. Her mom beamed, while her dad snapped a million pictures. They formed a stark contrast to Lachlan’s father, who stood stiff and aloof to one side. But, hey. At least he hadn’t objected. In fact, he’d made an official announcement proclaiming his delight at his son getting hitched, especially to a Fire Maiden.

A good match, he’d said when they’d told him. Not that they had asked for permission. And a fine way to continue the family line.

Holly sighed. Same goals as hers, totally different reasons.

Luckily, every other guest was genuinely happy for them. Liam and Gemma were there, along with Finn, Grace, Natalie, Tristan… In short, all of Lachlan’s military buddies and their Fire Maiden partners.

Even Natasha was there, though she’d walked off a short distance for a phone call. Not that Holly minded. Not with Natasha working on the ideas Holly and Lachlan had brainstormed for the distillery. It was funny, how destiny worked. Natasha had all the skills required to organize and run special events, and she was at loose ends, having quit her last job in anticipation of inheriting more than Trevor’s coin and stamp collections. Meanwhile, Holly and Lachlan realized they would be too busy in the coming months to start the new initiatives the business badly needed.

Stag parties? Corporate retreats? Count me in, Natasha’s calculating eyes had said when Holly had mentioned the idea.

In some ways, it was a perfect partnership. Their skill sets complemented one another, and best of all, they could maintain a certain distance. Natasha could apply her business expertise in Edinburgh, while Holly and Lachlan could spend more time in their new home, Creag Aerden.

Perfect, Holly’s dragon chuckled.

She looked over her guests — including Mungo, who stood barking gleefully. Not far from him, Mrs. Killin looked close to bursting with happiness.

“Trevor is smiling in heaven,” the housekeeper said in her heavy Highland accent.

Holly hugged her, then gazed around. It was one of those beautiful, closing days of summer in Scotland, with patches of startling blue peeking out between fluffy clouds — the harmless kind that made the sky even brighter and the green fields even greener. She, Lachlan, and the guests were standing on a tiny island in the loch at Creag Aerden. Other than the stone bridge leading to the island, the tiny stone chapel was the only part of the castle complex to survive the test of time. Lachlan had taken a ridiculous amount of pleasure in mowing a path through the overgrown grass the previous day — and Holly had taken equal pleasure in watching him do so, bare-chested in the summer sun.

Mrs. Killin had found a strapping young local — or “village lad,” as she called the gentle giant — to clean the cobwebs out of the chapel’s bells and keep them ringing on cue. And ring they did, carrying joy and celebration to the heavens above.

Holly sighed, taking it all in. The loch. The castle ruins. The millhouse. And in the distance, Trevor’s house. Creag Aerden wasn’t the most practical place to stage a wedding, but they’d kept the guest list small, and she’d had her heart set on Trevor’s ancestral home as a location.

Our ancestral home too, her dragon murmured.

That idea, she was still getting used to. And, yikes. Absorbing it all might just take the rest of her life.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” the guests cheered.

Heck, yeah. Holly was all too happy to oblige. Lachlan didn’t seem to mind either, and when their lips touched…

Heaven, she sighed.

It was. But within seconds, they were at one of those dangerous crossroads when innocent fun threatened to tip over to raging desire. Getting married might not rate as