“You can’t just walk in here when I’m in my underwear.”
“Ye see me in mah underwear all the time.”
“That’s different.”
“Howfur?”
“I can’t avoid you in your underwear. Hell, I’m lucky if you’re that dressed, you exhibitionist.”
“Whit’s that?” he pointed at her leg.
She glanced down. “What’s what?”
“The scar oan the back of yer thigh.”
Catriona twisted her head to look down at her leg. A two inch scar she’d forgotten about stared back at her. “Accident.”
“Howfur?”
“I don’t remember.”
“While working?”
She shrugged. “Probably.”
Broch took a step forward, staring at the scar, his lips pressed into a tight line. “Yer lucky ah came.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yer job is tae dangerous fer a lassie aloyne.”
Catriona turned back to her closet. “I was doing just fine without you, thank you very much.”
She heard the jeans drop to the floor and felt Broch step behind her to trace her scar with his finger. His feather touch on her thigh gave her a rush that made her suck in her breath.
“I can see that,” he whispered in her ear.
She swallowed. “You know what you’re doing. Cut it out.”
“Are ye sayin’ ye don’t need me?”
“Yes. And we don’t have time for these games.”
His hand slid across her lower back and around her hip, his fingertips slipping under the hem of her panties.
“Are ye sure?” he whispered.
She took a ragged inhale and turned to face him, his hand sliding across her abdomen to her opposite hip.
Ohmygod that felt delicious. She considered just twirling in place with his hands on her.
She rested a hand on his left pec. “Maybe. It depends. Do you need me?”
He smiled. “Ye ken ah dae.”
Their lips met as they pressed against each other with urgency. He placed his hands on the cheeks of her rear and lifted her. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arm around his neck, she threw her head back to gasp for air as he pressed his face into her breasts.
She wanted him so badly. She knew he wouldn’t follow through. He was teasing her, trying to coax her into agreeing to marriage, but once again, she found herself not caring.
Not with her body wrapped around his.
I’m going to feel like an idiot in about five minutes, but right now...
Broch walked her toward her bed and eased her back onto it, his massive arms lowering her without strain.
She sat up and slid her hands up his thighs beneath his kilt.
“Marry me,” he said.
Aaaand…there it is.
She thunked her forehead against his abs.
“Why did you have to say that?” She slid her hands back down to his knees.
“Just say aye.”
She looked up at him. “I told you I can’t do that. We haven’t known each other long enough.”
“Don’t ye want me?”
“I do—”
She took a deep breath.
You have no idea.
“—but I can’t marry you. Not now. Marriage is permanent. At least it’s supposed to be.”
He stared down at her, looking hurt. He stroked her cheek with his hand.
“Ye ken ah love ye.”
“So make love to me.”
She wasn’t sure what shocked her more, that she’d shared her thoughts so blatantly, or that she’d used the phrase make love. So corny, but somehow, it had felt like the right thing to say.
Broch straightened and stared out the window behind her. “Ah, mibbee.”
“Maybe?”
“Mibbee. Ah’m nae sure yet.”
“Could you make a decision in the next minute or so?”
He shook his head and stepped back, smoothing his kilt where it had begun to tent.
She took a deep breath and pointed to the door. “Then get out of here. Pack the jeans that were in your left hand, wear the ones that were in your right. Go wait by the elevator. I’ll be there in a second.”
He nodded and left the room, but not before he put a hand on either side of her face and gave her a loud, smacky kiss on the mouth.
Wiseass.
When he was gone, Catriona rolled over and pushed her face into her pillow to scream.
Chapter Nine
They reached Vegas by three p.m., with Broch gripping the arms of his seat during much of the hour-long flight. He let go long enough to down three shots of whiskey, spaced evenly throughout the flight.
A taxi took them to Las Vegas Boulevard, —already alive with lights and color. Their destination was easy to find, a large golden obelisk serving as the dot beneath the exclamation point of the Vegas strip.
Catriona motioned to the name of the building. “It’s called Gold, not the golden tower. Sean was kidding. That’s a relief.”
Broch felt like he was missing something with her statement, but before he could ask for an explanation, he found his attention captured by the world outside the taxi windows. He gaped as he unfolded himself from the taxi, his mouth hanging open.
“Ah don’t ken whaur tae look first.”
“It can be a bit overwhelming.” Catriona yanked her luggage from the trunk. The driver had popped it open from his seat but not bothered to help them retrieve it.
Broch knew he should help, but he couldn’t pull his focus from the buildings and people around him.
Sae many lights.
As Catriona struggled to get both bags to the curb, Broch finally returned to earth and grabbed one with each paw to cart them into the lobby. He might have stared at the Strip all day, but he didn’t want Cat to feel how heavy his bag was.
He’d packed his lotion, the shampoo and the conditioner.
Inside Gold, Catriona glanced at the front desk and then led him into an elevator. Broch watched her lift a finger
