Page 65 of Knots About You
Claire’s eyes met mine over the rim of her glass, and when the foam caught on her lip, I had to run through a set of unsexy thoughts to avoid my kilt hosting a tentpole.
The cat hacking up a dumpling-sized hairball on the rug.
That time the vicar went true scots at the ceilidh and twirled way too hard, giving us an eyeful of his danglies.
Morag’s underpants flapping on the line.
‘So what do we think?’ I asked, trying to drag my mind away from whisky dripping between Claire’s thighs. Not to mention the other liquids…
‘I think you could serve up anything looking like that and the fair goers will say more please,’ Emma said.
‘What’s in this one?’ Lola rolled her eyes at everyone’s flirting, giving me a tiny reprieve from embarrassment.
‘Sherry-aged Otterliegh Bay finest, lemon, homemade ginger syrup?—’
‘Delicious.’ Eilidh sipped and sighed happily.
I ducked back into the kitchen to prepare the next drink and hide from the coven of cackling women. Scruff followed in a show of male solidarity.
‘All right, buddy? Not sure you should be in the kitchen, but I won’t tell if you won’t.’
Book club turned noisy and daft as the evening wore on, and my cocktails whittled down. I caught flirtatious catcalls that spoke more of easy friendship than actual desire, and Claire took them with easy grace. When all but Claire and Eilidh had tottered home, I gathered up my girl and Scruff, who seemed to have lost the will to walk.
‘Walk you home?’ I asked.
‘I think you might have to carry Scruff, he seems pooped,’ she said. ‘But I’d love you to walk me home.’
We took a ridiculous route back to Rose Cottage, given that it was only a few minutes across the square. Down the lane, along the seafront, looping past the school and the road that led to the distillery. Claire’s shoulder bumped mine now and then, the kind of touch that I no longer shied away from.
‘Thank you for convincing me to go to book club.’ Claire threaded her arm through mine.
‘The rate they go, they should rebrand it booze club.’
‘You’re just jealous the boys don’t have a fun drinking group.’ She bumped me.
‘That’s what the pub is for.’
We neared Rose Cottage, Scruff growing heavy with our detoured walk. I dropped him off, and Morag smiled softly, Alistair waving as he walked into their kitchen.
‘Don’t leave that pretty girl shivering at the gate,’ she admonished softly.
I didn’t.
At Claire’s door, the world stilled to nothing but Claire and the distant crash of the sea.
She looked up with those blue eyes, capturing me in her thrall. Our kiss started warm and sweet, before it descended into something far filthier. She made a sound that etched itself in my bones. I backed her gently against the door until her fingers lost themselves in my hair. I braced one hand above her head, the other tracing its way over her hip.
‘Stay?’ she breathed..
‘I have to be up at the crack of dawn to up bottling production, and Meowrse will be needing fed. Plus, I love it when you get all desperate and needy. Wait until tomorrow night, and I’ll give you rope and cock at the same time.’
‘You’re a great big tease.’ Claire frowned, her brows knitting.
‘So I’ve been told.’
I kissed her again, branding her sweet mouth with tender strokes of my tongue. I kept going until she grew breathless, panting against me. It took everything to draw myself back and not carry her through the threshold.
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before taking her keys and unlocking the door.
