Page 56 of My Highland Fling
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered against her ear as he embraced her.
She winced as a bruise made itself known.
Instantly, Ramsay stepped back, concern shining on his face.“God, Gabrielle.I wasn’t thinking.I’ll let you shower by yourself.You’ll need time.”
“No!”she said.“No, Ramsay.You’re not him.Please.I’m not frightened of you.I loved our kiss and didn’t think of him once.He didn’t do kissing.Kissing between you and me—that is our thing, and he will never interfere with that.”
Gabrielle sighed.Better not to lie.
“Sex might be harder because I’m learning memories can be like scary ghosts.They jump out when you least expect them.If I freak, talk to me until you’re sure I recognize you and I’m not caught in the past.I don’t want Adrik in my head, but he barged in there, and I haven’t shoved him out properly.Not yet.”
“I never want to hurt you.Never.You’re my kitten princess.”
“I always wondered why you called me kitten.It seemed an unusual endearment.At least, no one I knew ever used it.”
“Now you know.”He ran his fingers over her cheek, the tenderness in his expression making her close the distance between them.“Let me wash your back.I want to see how you’re healing.”
In answer, she presented her back.“The dressings are wet, anyway.”
There was a faint pull as Ramsay tugged off the plasters and peeled them away from different spots on her back.
“They’ve improved immensely.We’ll make an appointment to see Gavin.He’s our local vet, but he acts as the doctor for our shifter population.We can sort out contraception, so we don’t need to rely on condoms.”
A doctor could do a pregnancy test for her, or at least she could ask if it was too early.“That’s a fantastic idea.”
“Can I ask you something about Popov?”
Gabrielle stilled, her pulse suddenly racing and nerves doing a number on her breathing.“What do you want to know?”
“What positions did he take you in?I’m asking because I don’t want to take you by surprise.I understand this is difficult.”He swallowed hard.
Gabrielle closed her eyes, hesitating.Ramsay wasn’t a cruel man and nothing like her parents or Adrik.He wouldn’t use this information to cause her further pain.
“Adrik always took me from behind.I got the idea he hated to watch my face.He kept a picture of his first wife beside his bed.She was blonde, but we didn’t look alike.”The memories rushed her, and she gulped.“He was rough.Cruel, and it excited him to beat me.It made him hard.Harder.”
Ramsay nodded.“Thank you for telling me.The last thing I want is to bring back horrid memories or upset you.”He reached down to caress her bottom before giving her a quick pinch.She jumped.“The hot water doesn’t last long, kitten.We should hustle.”
He gently washed her back before grabbing a washcloth and briskly cleansing his body.Gabrielle washed her hair using Ramsay’s shampoo, and by the time the water cooled, she felt refreshed with a second wind.
Ramsay exited the shower first.He dried himself and disappeared, reappearing minutes later with a pile of clothes.“Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping in Dunedin.That’s the best place for clothes, although Caroline might have a few dresses or trousers to fit you.We’ll stop by there today.”
Wrapped in warm clothes and barely recognizable, she and Ramsay set off exploring.Middlemarch was bigger than she’d imagined, but it was still a sleepy country town.
“This is the police station.The vet’s office is two doors down.Service station and mechanical repairs.On the main street, we have a supermarket—a small one.Caroline’s dress shop is next door, and farther down, you’ll see Storm in a Teacup, Emily’s café.This is where we have a weekly market.The town hall where the community has get-togethers.We also have exercise sessions, self-defense, and other types of classes.I think they teach music.The school is that way.The older students take the bus to a larger town where they have a high school.Local bank.Post office.That’s the place to go for plants.”
Storm in a Teacup was a quaint café with an empty bike rack out the front.Ramsay led her through an open gate and past a rose garden, the bushes just leafless branches during the southern winter.
“Emily has developed a sheltered outdoor area, which is great for kids.The hedge acts as a barrier to keep rambunctious children inside the café,” Ramsay said.
A doorbell tinkled when Ramsay opened the door and stood back to usher her inside.The scent of coffee and a cheesy richness filled her first breath.Several tables held customers, and quiet conversation buzzed around the interior.The noise ceased momentarily as everyone turned their way.Ramsay raised a hand and shouted greetings while ushering her to a counter.Tomasine stood behind, making coffee while Emily served a woman who dithered over a chocolate chip cookie or a blueberry muffin.Gradually the conversation resumed, and she and Ramsay joined the service line.
“The locals are nosy.Saber won’t share information about what happened in Europe.None of us will, so the feline locals are wondering why I’m returning from the gathering with a human mate.”Ramsay whispered these words against her ear.“Once we have coffee and something to eat, I’ll tell you about the gathering and what we were doing there.I couldn’t share before.”
“Color me curious.”
Ramsay laughed.“Come and meet Emily properly.We didn’t do intros earlier.She is Saber’s wife.Emily, this is Gabrielle.”
Emily’s welcoming smile grew broader.She was around the same height as Gabrielle but slimmer, and her brown eyes glowed with a warmth that made Gabrielle feel at home.Emily’s brown hair held golden highlights, and she wore it in a high ponytail.Her red and white check apron carried splotches of food and a weird purple stain.
