Chapter 24

Willow

So, you admit it, lass? Irn Bru is good.

I don't know if I'd say "good."

Those are fighting words in Scotland.

Uh-oh, am I going to get kicked out?

We might make an exception for a bonnie lass such as yourself.

Later that afternoon, I smiled at my phone and looked up to catch Ramsay glowering at me from across the room. Neither of us had spoken much since the morning—Ramsay clearly having exhausted his word limit for the day—and I'd been busy with finalizing a few concepts I felt we were ready to take to Sophie in between appointments.

"What?"

"You're on your phone a lot today."

"Oh? Is that not allowed? I didn't see any rules about that in your extensive training manual." I pretended to look around for the nonexistent employee manual.

"Is that your date?" Ramsay asked, crossing to the fire to add another log. Calvin jumped on my worktable and rolled on his back to bat at a piece of ribbon I'd given him. I reached over, tickling his belly, and Calvin sunk his teeth into my hand.

"Damn it," I hissed, pulling my hand back, and glaring at Calvin. The cat just blinked his eyes lazily at me and flashed me an image of himself sleeping alone by the fire. "Well, if you're tired, then go to sleep. You don't have to bite me."

Surprising me, Ramsay crossed the room and took my hand in his, examining the bite. My skin heated at his touch, my hands looking positively dainty in his, and I wondered how he was able to make his stitches so straight with such large hands. My eyes dropped to our joined hands as his thumb brushed across the bite.

"Just a surface wound. No blood." I cleared my throat. My phone buzzed again beneath our joined hands. Ramsay's fingers tightened on mine.

"Do you really think you should be going out on dates?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Was he going to turn into my brother and start monitoring my every movement? If so, Ramsay better think twice about pulling such a move. I was my own woman who could make my own choices. I didn't need another Miles looking over my shoulder and dictating my every decision. Annoyance flashed through me, and I took a deep breath, forcing my emotions from bubbling over. I already knew that Ramsay was in a mood today, and he likely didn't realize just how much he was overstepping his boundaries at the moment. I just needed to keep my cool so as not to pick a fight with him because his questions were intrusive.

"When did you even have time to meet someone?"

"What…why do you even care?" I asked, glaring up at him. He still held my hand in his, and I could feel my heart thump slowly, as he shifted closer, his head lowering.

"You told me you weren't dating anyone right now."

"When did I say that?" Had I said that? I might have. I chattered at Ramsay constantly during our time in the shop, so maybe I did say that in passing. It was hard to think straight with my hand caught in his, and he shifted, leaning his hip against the table.

"You said you weren't looking for a boyfriend right now. That you'd had a bad breakup and wanted to focus on figuring out your new life." Wow, a positive monologue from the man of few words. I guess he did listen to me on occasion.

"Um." I swallowed. Was his head dipping closer to mine? My eyelashes fluttered against my cheeks for a moment, and I took an unsteady breath. Ramsay's thumb continued to caress my palm, heat trailing across my skin at his touch. "Yeah, that sounds like something I'd say."

My phone buzzed again, and Ramsay's hand tightened on mine.

"He's eager."

"Is there a reason he shouldn't be?" I asked, affronted. I tried to pull my hand from Ramsay's but he held it tight, keeping me at the table.

"No." Ramsay's response was simple and direct. "I'd be too."

My thoughts scattered at that, and I lost the power for words as he brought my hand to his lips, kissing the spot where Calvin had bitten me. I sucked in a breath, desire pulling long and low in my stomach, and I pressed my thighs together. Ramsay's music playlist had run out, so the only sounds—aside from my heartbeat thundering in my ears—was the rain pattering against the window and the crackle of flames in the fireplace. Seconds passed.

And then he licked my palm.

A shiver drifted across my body and my breath hitched. A low sound rumbled in Ramsay's throat, and then he blew a breath across my hand. Lust ravaged my core. It was hands down the simplest and yet most sensual thing someone had done to me. I didn't know what that said about my sexual experience, but the combination of his hot breath across the dampness of my sensitive palm made my insides go liquid. I dragged my eyes from our joined hands, forcing myself to look up to where his mouth now hovered inches from mine.

My phone buzzed again.

A corner of Ramsay's mouth quirked, forever cementing this moment in my head, and then he closed the gap between our mouths, capturing my lips with his own. And while I'd imagined kissing Ramsay on more than one occasion, nothing could have prepared me for this kiss.

It wasn't sweet.

It wasn't gentle.

Ramsay took.

He feasted on my mouth, angling my head and slipping his tongue inside when I gasped, wet heat making my insides melt. His kiss felt as though he was branding me, making me his own, and I could feel it all the way to my toes. My body lit up, and when he took the kiss deeper, clasping my chin with his hand, controlling my movements, I almost melted on the spot. His tongue was hot against mine, my brain short-circuiting as his kiss eradicated the word "sweet" for Ramsay from my vocabulary forever. When he stepped back, ending it as soon as it had begun, I gasped up at him, my lips burning from his touch.

I didn't want him to stop.

I wanted to see beneath his rigid exterior, to see what he looked like unraveled and spent, vulnerable as he was with no one else. My body shook with need for him.

"Think of me on your date."

With that, Ramsay scooped up Calvin, muttering something about how he'd watch him tonight, and disappeared up the stairs that led to his rooms over the shop. I raised my eyes to the ceiling, hearing his heavy footfalls above me, and held a hand to my chest to try and steady my breathing.

That jerk.

He'd done that on purpose, hadn't he? What was with the men in my life who refused to let me just go out and live the way I wanted to? Ramsay knew, he knew, that I'd never be able to sit across the table from a date tonight without thinking of his kiss stealing my very soul. Gingerly, I picked up my phone to cancel, but then saw the text messages that Andrew was already at the pub.

Damn it. I wasn't a rude person, and canceling last minute would be rude. I could go, have a single drink, and then leave. There was no reason that I couldn't have a friendly drink and then later I could try to sort out my complicated thoughts about what Ramsay had just done. Because I swear, if I hadn't had a date at that moment? I'd be barreling up those stairs and demanding an explanation from him.

Grabbing my bag, and an umbrella from the stand at the front, I flounced out of the shop, refusing to look back to see if Ramsay watched me from the window above. What I needed was a few minutes in the cool air to tame my tumultuous emotions, and then I would have a pleasant conversation with Andrew and enjoy a drink. It didn't have to mean anything more than that.

Light beamed from the windows of The Tipsy Thistle, a cozy, safe haven on a cold, rainy night. I beelined for it, the pub an oasis for the storm of emotions that raged inside me, and then ducked inside, dropping the umbrella in the bin just inside the door. Music and laughter drifted to me through the hallway as I hung up my coat and pulled a small mirror out of my purse to apply some lip gloss and to make sure that I didn't look like I'd just been making out with another man.

Because who went on a date directly from the arms of another man? Annoyed with Ramsay for making me feel like I was doing something shady, I ducked inside the pub and smiled when Graham winked at me from the bar. I scanned the room, not recognizing anyone else, until my eyes landed on Andrew far across the room from the bar, sitting at a small table tucked by the fire. Waving to Graham, I crossed the room as Andrew stood to greet me.

He looked handsome enough, I supposed, but now I was comparing him to my towering boss and his impossibly magnetic presence, and while I definitely saw some similarities between the two, hugging Andrew was like hugging a brother.

Not a single blip of excitement on my sexy-time radar.

Nothing.

Andrew was like a tepid cup of tea whereas Ramsay was an icy margarita on a humid summer's day.

"Sorry for being late," I said.

"Nae bother, hen. Just glad you came." Andrew grinned at me. "Can I get you a drink? Irn Bru, right?"

"White wine, please," I said, tilting my head and smiling at him. Andrew crossed to the bar to order my drink, and I took a moment to settle myself at the table, staring into the flames that danced in the fireplace as I tried to recalibrate my emotions.

"Think of me on your date."

Was that really why he'd kissed me?

Had I misread him all along? Was his invitation to the cèilidh an actual date? Maybe he'd been looking forward to the dance as our first date for a while now and I'd managed to hurt his feelings by accepting a date with another man. Confused, I mulled over my thoughts.

"Tough day?" Andrew asked, returning to the table with a fresh pint for himself and my wine.

"Thank you," I said, accepting the wine with a smile. Taking a sip, when I actually wanted to gulp the whole glass, I tapped the rim against his pint. "Sorry, I should have cheersed you first."

"Slàinte." Andrew saluted and took a drink. "So, tell me, how are you settling into Loren Brae then?"

"I think okay? I mean, it's a wild change from where I'd been."

"And that was?" Andrew leaned in, interested, and I swallowed a sigh. He seemed like a perfectly nice man, and yet my brain couldn't seem to focus on him, or this date. I was back in the shop with Ramsay, that moment hung suspended between us, and I had to force myself to stay in this conversation.

"Ah, I was in New York City, actually."

"Och, that's a huge change, isn't it? A lot quieter here. Boring."

At that, I raised my chin at him, the comment surprising me.

"You don't like Loren Brae? I thought you said it was a great town."

"Don't get me wrong, it is. Just a bit small." Andrew sniffed and looked around the room, shrugging. There was something about his mannerisms that seemed familiar to me, but I was still so distracted from Ramsay's kiss that my brain couldn't make the connection.

"I'm learning that maybe small is a good thing." I looked over to see Agnes had entered the bar and that she and Graham were having a heated discussion about something. She slapped her hand on the surface of the bar.

And then they both looked directly at me.

What the hell? Were they arguing about me?

Andrew followed my gaze.

"Oh, those two. Same old thing, you know? Nothing ever changes here."

"How long have you lived in Loren Brae?" I took another sip of my wine, forcing myself to focus on the date.

"Grew up outside here, lass. But I don't come here often anymore."

"Oh, so you're just passing through?"

Why had he asked me for a drink then?That seemed weird. Unless he was looking for a quick hookup. Did I look like the type? Maybe I had? I'm not sure what about me with my arms full of crisps at the grocery store, had signaled a quick hookup.

"That's the plan." Andrew tipped back his pint and I arched an eyebrow at him.

"So…what was this exactly?" I waved my hand between us at the table.

"A pint with a bonnie lass." Andrew tilted his head at my expression. "Do you Americans plan your marriage on the first date then? Or do you keep it casual for a bit and get to know each other?"

What he said made sense, but there was just something in his tone that put my back up. I leaned back, tapping a finger against my wine glass.

"Fair point. Tell me, Andrew, where do you spend your time then if not in Loren Brae?"

"I like to travel as much as I can. In fact, I just got back from a trip to Hong Kong."

This was a topic I could warm to at least. I'd always loved to travel as well, even though I'd had to do so on a limited budget. Either way, I loved exploring new places and discovering new experiences, seeing how fashion changed with different cultures, and so I leaned in to ask him about his travels, enjoying learning about someplace I hadn't visited before.

"Not sure if you have trouble walking a lot or not, but if you don't, the Great Wall is well worth it."

"Why would I have trouble walking?" I raised an eyebrow at Andrew, confused at his words.

"Um, I just know, a lot of Americans prefer to drive."

I held his look for a moment, wondering if that's what he'd really meant to say or if he was making a backhanded comment about my weight. It wouldn't be the first time that I'd been on a date and someone had made a joke about hoping they could afford the bill or stupid shit like that. So I wasn't sure if he was insulting me, or my country, but I did know that I didn't like it.

"We don't have great public transportation. You're lucky you have a train system that is so easy to navigate." Look at me being all grace and kindness here.

Silence fell in the pub, and that was my only warning before Andrew was hauled out of his seat.

"Bloody hell, Ramsay."

I squeaked as Ramsay grabbed Andrew by the back of his neck, crushing him with brute strength until Andrew began to crumple.

"Enjoying your date with my brother, Willow?"