Scandalous Scotsman - M.J. Fields Page 0,33

go smoothly then … until he’s about thirteen.”

Laughing, Simon says, “Goodnight, Ethan. Sorry about tonight.”

“Are you?”

“Nope,” he admits. “Not even a little.”

Before I can tell him he’s an asshole, he hangs up, still laughing.

Pulling up to my driveway, a few realizations hit. One, I don’t want to go back inside my house while Kenzie is in it, fearing I’ll have to face the shit I did when I tried to wake her up and ask her address so I could get her home and have her attack me, a-fucking-gain. Two, I’m going to have to face the music with Elizabeth Bloom much sooner than I anticipated. And honestly, I never anticipated having to face the music at all. Three, Simon’s right; I’ve been a pussy. And four, this is gonna hurt.

I decide fuck it as I back out of my driveway and pull into hers. Then I get out of my car, hit the lock on my key fob, and walk to her front door.

I don’t just bust in this time. I knock, but I knock knowing if she doesn’t answer, I will sit on her front porch until she eventually has to face me in order to get her car out of her garage that mine is strategically blocking in.

She doesn’t answer, so I knock again.

When she opens the door just a crack, she looks down and frowns. “What do you want?”

“Had a craving for pizza, but James from Uber Eats was …” I stop making a joke about the situation when she looks up and I see her eyes are red.

When she starts to shut the door, I instinctively stick my foot in the crack to stop her.

She looks down. “I’ll slam it.”

“A broken foot’s going to pale in comparison to the banged-up balls you’ve so kindly provided me with instead of letting me explain this messed-up situation, but do yer worst.”

“Why won’t you just leave me alone?” Her tone sounds defeated.

Dammit.

I’m guessing I’ve got a good ten seconds before she makes good on the promise to slam the door, so I dive right in to my explanation. “When my realtor, Kenzie, found me this house and pushed everything through so I could close on it as quickly as I needed to, working extra hours, calling in favors and such, I promised her a dinner. Last night, I had to cancel that promised dinner. Do ye ken why I had to cancel?”

Scowling, she looks down.

“I kent tonight’s event would not be intimate and had a definite beginning and ending time, making it less awkward while keeping my word. When I left ye this afternoon, I told ye I’d be back tonight if ye’d have me. Ye didn’t hesitate then.”

“You slept with her.” She turns around and limps toward her kitchen.

I hold back the lecture about the boot and address the more pressing issue. “I won’t lie to ye. So yes, a couple years ago, we had an arrangement. When it wasn’t working out, I ended it.”

She turns and leans against the counter, the one that I fed her breakfast and fucked her on just hours ago. She looks exhausted and, yes, hurt.

“I have no intention of fucking her ever again.”

She looks me up and down skeptically.

“May look like I’ve been handled, but trust me, when she did come on to me, I put an end to her advances quickly.”

Now she looks even more hurt. It makes my chest ache, which pisses me off.

“Say what’s on yer mind, for God’s sake, I’d rather hear yer feelings than witness yer pain.”

“I’m not stupid, Ethan. Her car’s at your house.”

“She was passed out; couldn’t give me her address. I’ve no idea where she lives now and never cared to ask. I planned to drive around until she woke up and take a cab back to ye. But when Simon called and said ye were not well, I had no choice but to come back and check on ye, so I said fuck it and headed back.”

“Why did Simon call you?”

“Because, apparently, he kent I had feelings for ye before even I could admit it.” Shit, I think when I realize what I’d just done.

“Feelings? Pft. We have a physical attraction.”

“Strongest one I’ve ever felt, Elizabeth Bloom. I’ve never wanted someone so much and fought so hard against it in my entire life. It’s just shit timing.”

If I thought her quirky actions, forced confidence, and frown had a punitive effect on me, that’s only because I’d yet to see the quivering lower