Page 71 of Scotch & Dreams

Slowly, so as not to make a sound, she peered over the covers and scanned her room. She blew out a breath she’d been holding when she saw it was Lachlan. She lay back down and relaxed right before her heart skidded in her chest.Lachlan.He was sleeping in her bedroom?Oh my God, he must have stayed all night.

She peered back over her blankets. His head was back against the chair, and his arms were loosely folded across his broad chest. He looked good but uncomfortable. She couldn't help but also notice the sexy stubble on his perfect jaw that sent a little tingle through her girl bits. Wow. She must be feeling better. Why did he have to have this effect on her? And why did he have to be so frickin' sweet? Bringing her drugs. Staying the night. How was a girl supposed to resist all of it?

She looked over at the clock. Six a.m. Her head throbbed a little as she sat up, but it wasn't as bad as yesterday. She took a deep breath and gingerly snuck out of the bedroom to the bathroom. By the time she got back to her room, she was freezing. In her haste to leave the room, she hadn’t grabbed her robe. Her little cotton PJ shorts and tank top did nothing to keep her warm, and all she wanted to do was plow herself right under her warm blankets. Lachlan stirred as she pulled the covers up around her chin with a shiver.

Rolling his head from side to side and stretching his arms above his head with a groan, he settled back and looked at her. “Good morning.” His burr was husky with sleep, and it sent little tingles down her spine.

“Good morning,” she said, still stuffed up.

“Ye seem a wee bit better. How are ye feeling?” he asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

She swore he was capable of bringing her fever back on as she felt heat rush to her cheeks at his nearness.

“I think the worst of it has passed.” She paused. “Thank you for coming last night and bringing me drugs.”

He smiled lightly. “Anytime, lass.”

She was still eyeing him from under the blankets. He eyed her back. His crooked smile touched his lips. Her mind went back to the other night, and she wondered if his mind was there, too. She rolled away, hunkering further down in her covers, unable to deal with the sexual tension that was starting to accumulate thick as the morning fog.

She stretched and let out a tension-releasing little growl, and then she looked back at him. “You slept in my chair all night?”

He ran his hands through his hair. The effect was incredibly sexy, and he looked back at the chair as if it had personally offended him. “Aye.”

Violet was thoughtful. She couldn’t believe that he’d come here to bring her medicine and then stayed the night with her. He truly was such a good man. She was grateful, too. When he’d got to her place the night before, she’d felt so awful. It was comforting to know he'd been there for her. She thought back to the pill he'd left for her on the nightstand. Playing nursemaid for her, again, but she sure did appreciate it. She wondered if she'd ever felt so taken care of.

He stood from the bed and walked toward the door.

“Wait, where are you going?” she called. She didn't want him to leave.

“I’ll be right back. Just rest, love.”

Lachlan walked out of the room. Did he just call herlove? Violet settled back in on her pillows, and before she could think on it too much, she drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, Lachlan was asleep in the chair again. She caught sight of something on her bedside table. Pink juice. She picked it up and tried to smell it. Her nose was still plugged, but she thought she could make out the faint scent of grapefruit. She had a sip, and even though she couldn’t really taste it, its tart sweetness was satisfying.

Lachlan hadn’t really been asleep, just resting his eyes. He heard her stir and saw her sip the juice he'd put out for her. “My ma always gave us freshly squeezed grapefruit juice whenever we were sick as kids. She swore it would make us well again.” Lachlan was watching her from the chair.

“And did it?” she asked, taking another sip.

He contemplated for a moment. “Well, let’s just say I still make it anytime I get sick.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you. It’s good.”

Lachlan picked up his phone to check the time. “I should get going.”

He stood up and stretched, and as he did, Violet pulled off her covers, got out of the bed, and stood before him. And in an instant, his cock thickened. She no longer wore the thick robe that she'd looked so cute in, sick and all. Instead, she wore some skimpy shorts and a thin tank top that left very little to the imagination, and how he’d imagined—over and over again. God help him, now was not the time to be picturing slamming his cock into her perfect slender body that he knew was made for him.

Barely able to keep control of his aroused cock, her arms wrapped around his waist, and she leaned into him. Those perfectly pointed nipples pinned him.Christ. He reminded himself that she wasn't well. Ravishing her senseless wasnotan option this morning. She sighed into him, and he wrapped his arms around her, registering just how right it felt to hold her to him. He pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head. Despite the arousal that threatened to drown him, he realized he could happily stay like this for hours, just holding her in his arms. It was like two pieces of a puzzle fitting together perfectly.

“I’ll let Effie ken that ye willnae be in at the sanctuary today,” Lachlan finally said.

“I’ll try and come this afternoon.”

“Och, lass, just stay put.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead, grateful it was not scorching hot like it had been last night. “Besides, no one wants yer germs.”

She gave him a little shove. “Hey!”

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, hugging her to him. He didn’t want to let her go, but he knew he needed to head out. Reluctantly releasing her, he started toward the door. “I left some bone broth in the fridge. It’s another thing my mam used to give us kids.” He winked at her.

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