Page 9 of Scotch & Dreams

Letting the memory fade, she settled back further into the seat. Guess Lachlan must have achieved diamond status. A sardonic smile quirked her lips.

“I should have picked ye up at the door. I didnae think. I’m sorry, lass,” Lachlan said as he slid into the driver’s seat beside her, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Oh, no, don’t apologize. It was probably good to walk a bit and get some fresh air.”

He eyed her meaningfully. “Well, as long as I huvnae worn ye out. I take my responsibilities very seriously, lass.” That crooked smile tugged at his lips.

Violet giggled. “Good to know.”

The engine made a beautiful purring sound as Lachlan started the car. Violet balked that she’d even noticed such a thing.

“Your car is ridiculous,” she stated matter-of-factly, completely changing the subject.

“Sorry?” A confused crease appeared between Lachlan’s brows.

“I mean, it’s awesome—like ridiculously awesome,” she quickly clarified.

He chuckled. “That’s good then, aye?”

“Yes, definitely good.”

She could barely tear her eyes from his I-know-I'm-hot-as-a-sex-god crooked smile as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“So where to, Violet? Are ye hungry? Do ye want to go fer breakfast? It’s only just nine o’clock now.”

“Actually, would you mind if we went to my Airbnb first?” she asked sheepishly, not wanting to impose or take advantage of his generosity. “I could use a shower and some clean clothes.” She wrinkled her nose as a fresh wave of self-consciousness rolled over her.

“Aye, of course. Which Airbnb is it?”

Chapter 7

Cam and Elizabeth Are Trouble

Lachlansatintheonly chair in Violet’s Airbnb, and it was awkwardly tiny for his tall, broad frame. No matter how he shifted, he couldn’t get comfortable. While he waited for Violet to shower and get ready, he looked through some emails on his phone, but there was nothing that required his attention urgently.

Putting his phone away, he eyed the modest room. By the window that overlooked a tidy patch of garden, Lachlan sat in a chair at a small round table. There was a queen-size bed, two mismatched nightstands, and a large white wardrobe. Small, but cozy enough, he supposed. Anna would hate it.

Fed up with the tiny chair and not wanting to entertain thoughts about his girlfriend, he stood. What a whirlwind the past day had been. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he felt an immense sense of relief at Violet’s recovery. The worry he’d felt through the night and morning about her had thankfully dissipated. Maybe he’d actually get some sleep tonight. A little voice in his head quipped,You think you'll sleep with this lass so near?He quickly squashed the unruly thought. And turned away from the window.

He caught sight of a few books stacked on the nightstand. With nothing else to do while he waited for the lass, he went over to inspect what books she was reading. He picked up the first book,Atomic Habitsby James Clear. Lachlan smiled to himself, as it was one of his favourite books. Flicking through the pages, he noticed her annotations. He stopped on one highlighted section and couldn’t stop himself from reading her neatly printed note:habit stacking is the baby steps to your goals. He couldn’t agree more. Clever lass. Then he found himself wondering, what were Violet Munro’s goals? He literally knew nothing about her, which was ironic since he felt somehow like he knew her well. Like his soul knew her soul. Lachlan snickered out loud. He wasn’t one for fanciful thoughts.

Looking back down at the book in his hands, it occurred to him that he shouldn’t be reading the lass’s annotations. They were her private thoughts, much like a diary. Tempting as that was, he had no right to snoop, so he reluctantly closed that book and glanced down at the one below it and almost laughed out loud. It was the other end of the spectrum fromAtomic Habits.

On the cover was a half-naked, overly chiseled dude dramatically embracing a voluptuous woman with wind-swept hair. He smirked to himself before curiosity got the better of him. He opened up the book to a random page and read:

Cam hadn’t been able to get Elizabeth out of his mind since the moment he’d laid his eyes on her long red locks. She was a fiery temptress. He no longer cared about propriety. No longer cared he couldn’t give her more than just lust. He needed her, and he needed her now. The moment their lips touched, it was like a bolt of lightning shooting through him. He’d dreamed of this since the moment he’d met Elizabeth Macduff. She tasted of honey and sin. The sweetest nectar he’d ever known.

Lachlan stifled a laugh, but he kept reading despite himself.

The kiss deepened. Tongues entwined. She softly moaned with his rock-hard column pressed up against her. She wantonly rubbed herself against him. Cam knew she was a vixen deep down, and nothing pleased him more.

Her body was heavy and tingly. Elizabeth didn’t know how Cam could turn her molten with only a look. And now he was ravishing her senseless. She couldn’t think straight. She could feel something building deep within her. A longing that only he could satiate. She felt his hand reach up into her long tresses. He firmly tugged her hair back, exposing her neck. His hot, wet tongue seared a trail down her neck to her breasts. Her back arched. She shuddered with ecstasy as he licked her pert nipple through her gown.

He reached down and released his manhood from his trews. A shiver ran through her. She would be a maiden no more. He positioned himself between her legs, and she felt him nudge against her.“Cam, I need you,” she begged breathlessly. Pleasure seared through her. But then he stopped himself, and she could see in his eyes that his conscious was stopping him.“Please, Cam,” she breathed, needing him.

“I cannot take your maidenhead. It will ruin you. You deserve a husband.” His voice was strained.

The bathroom door opened, and Lachlan half-jumped out of his skin. He quickly shoved the book back down, as if it was on fire, and stepped back toward the window. That's when he realized he had a hard-on.

---