Highland Fling (5 page)

He paused. “You’re fired.”

“
What?
”

“Kidding of course. I’ll not discipline you for sleeping with me.”

She didn’t look any less shocked.

“Or, er, not sleeping with me. Either way, there won’t be consequences. Is this confusing? It feels a bit confusing.” He thrust a hand through his hair and shook his head.

“You shouldn’t have kissed me.”

“Clearly. But you kissed me the first time during summer.”

“What is this, first grade? Besides, I was on pain meds that time.”

He gave a lopsided smile. “Aye, by all means, blame the drugs.”

The flash of embarrassment in her eyes made him realize the excuse had been as flimsy in her mind as it was in his.

“I, on the other hand, have no excuse,” he continued lightly. “I simply wanted to kiss you a moment ago and did so.”

“Okay, you need to stop saying stuff like that.”

He nodded. “I’ll certainly try.”

“What do you mean try? There is no
try
!”

“Yoda?”

She looked confused, before shaking her head and darting out of the office.

He sighed. So perhaps
not
a
Star Wars
fan. He went back to his desk, where he knew getting anything done was going to be damn near impossible.

Chapter Five

“More wine?”

When Hailey entered the living room with the wine bottle in hand, Kenzie and Delonna put out their glasses.

“Oh you can definitely top me off. I need it,” Delonna murmured as her friend sloshed some more merlot into her glass. She took a sip and appreciated the sweet warmth as it slid down her throat.

“I wish,” Sarah chimed in. “I know the doctor said a glass now and then wouldn’t hurt while breastfeeding, so it’s not that. I just know the wine will knock me out from being so sleep deprived.”

“No worries, we’re just glad to have you here,” Hailey murmured. “And I’m not drinking either, as usual. I’m just here for the company.”

“Me too.” Sarah groaned. “I needed this Girls’ Night In more than you know.”

“You deserve it. Newborns are exhausting.” Kenzie took a sip of wine and raised a finger. “Mmm. Which is why I only baby-sit for a couple of hours at a time.”

“I’ll take those two hours gratefully, and besides you’re fabulous enough to take Emily plenty of times for overnights.”

As the discussion turned to Sarah’s nearly teen daughter Emily, Delonna looked around the living room. It was amazing that she and Kenzie had somehow gotten it cleaned before it was their turn to host tonight’s gathering.

Girls’ Night In. It had to be the sixth one of these they’d had in the past year, since they started making it a thing. Wine, cheese and lots of girl talk once a month. It was replenishment for the soul.

“How is my little nephew Ben doing?” Kenzie asked.

“Very sweet and mild,” Sarah mused. “He’s a pretty easy baby. Clearly, he takes after me. Whereas Emily—”

“Is a dead ringer, personality-wise, for Ian,” Hailey finished dryly.

Anyone who knew Ian McLaughlin and Emily could tell right away which parent the girl took after temperament-wise. Physically, while she had the vibrant McLaughlin green eyes, she resembled her mother almost perfectly with her petite height and long, dark hair.

But her penchant for getting into trouble and having little to no filter on her words was so much like her dad. It was amazing more people hadn’t realized from the start that Emily was Ian’s child. Their whole romantic story sounded straight out of soap opera.

Delonna glanced at the three other women in the room. In the past couple of years they’d all become tight friends. Everyone in this room was either a blood McLaughlin or married to one. And then there was Delonna, who really had no romantic relation to any of the McLaughlins, just friends with them all.

Or no romantic relation until a couple months ago
, a voice whispered in her head. And then again on Sunday.

A wave of heat slid through her and she took another sip of her wine, trying to distract herself from the memory of what had happened in Aleck’s office. But it was there. Pecking away in her memory like a woodpecker. She’d made out with her boss. Again. And holy shit it had been hot. Had felt so damn good. Why hadn’t she stopped him? Son of a biscuit,
why hadn’t she stopped him
?

“Delonna?”

Delonna blinked and glanced over at Sarah, who had said her name. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You were spacing out. Are we boring you with the baby talk?” Sarah gave a rueful smile. “I’m sorry, it’s kind of my whole reality right now. I’ll try not to ramble too much.”

“No. I love babies and Ben is adorable. I, just, my mind slipped elsewhere.”
Like your brother-in-law
. “Sorry.”

“Aye, the stolen money. And how could you not think about it?” Kenzie nodded, her gaze softening.

Stolen money. Right. One would think that would be first and foremost in her mind right now, but hey. Priorities.

“Yeah.” She ran with Kenzie’s assumption. “It’s hard not to think about it.”

“I’m so sorry about what happened. Colin mentioned it to me assuming I knew,” Hailey said cautiously, referring to her detective hubby.

“It’s fine. It’s not a secret.” Delonna gave a tight smile. “I’m putting out an APB for all my friends if you see James. Permission to kick him in the balls and run.”

“I’m in,” Hailey agreed. “What did the sheriff’s office say they could do for you?”

“They’re going to make an effort to find the guy, but it’s harder because he lives off the island.”

“Wait, wait. I’m lost. Baby brain, my fault.” Sarah shook her head. “Who stole your money?”

“James.”

Sarah gasped. “As in your boyfriend James?”

“Pretty safe to say they’ve broken up, aye?” Kenzie asked, shooting Delonna a quick look.

“Stealing six thousand dollars of my money is kind of a deal breaker in a relationship.”

Sarah nearly spit out the soda in her mouth. “Holy fucking shit.”

For someone who rarely swore, Sarah did so remarkably well when she wanted to.

“Exactly,” Delonna agreed, that sinking feeling in her stomach returning.

“I am so sorry, honey.”

“Me too.” She would not cry again. She wouldn’t. After blinking quickly about ten times until the moisture dried up, she took another sip of wine.

“Well. He was kind of a jerk anyway,” Sarah murmured.

“Mmm. I thought so too.” Hailey nodded.

Kenzie shrugged. “I mean, he was cute. In a rough-and-tough biker kind of way.”

Delonna frowned. “Wait, so none of you liked him? And no one said anything?”

She looked around at the guilty expressions.

“Well I mean, he wasn’t awful,” Sarah explained, “and you seemed into him. So we let you have fun. I mean, clearly he’s not the type of guy you marry, but then you’re only twenty-four.”

More murmurs of agreement and Delonna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. With her friends just starting their thirties, they tended to look at her as the younger party girl. Even if they’d learned by now she’d moved out of those days before even hitting the legal age to drink.

She might not be looking for serious right now, but that didn’t mean she was opposed to it if the right guy came along. He’d just have to be
ridiculously
right. Because a husband would be a big distraction from the plans she had.

“Well I hope they find the bastard.” Hailey shook her head. “Because that’s just awful.”

The other women made murmurs of agreement.

“So you’ve filed a police report. Are single again…” Sarah gave her a thoughtful look. “You know I might know this guy—”

“No.” Delonna gave a firm shake of her head. “I’m on a dating hiatus.”

Hailey grunted. “Maybe it’s for the best.”

Delonna felt it then. Kenzie’s gaze on her, just as scrutinizing and direct as Aleck’s could be. Delonna made the mistake of glancing up and making eye contact with her friend. The little knowing gleam in her eyes meant Kenzie had probably figured out what had happened between Delonna and Aleck on Sunday.

And yet she hadn’t said anything about it, though maybe that’s because they hadn’t had much time alone to chat. Delonna glanced away quickly, hoping the guilt wasn’t written all over her face.

“I think the artichoke dip is almost done cooking. Let me go check on that.” Looking for any excuse to escape for a moment, Delonna slipped from the room and went to the kitchen.

Her solitude was short lived though as Kenzie appeared beside her. Averting her eyes, Delonna pulled the bubbling dip from the oven.

“That smells amazing.” Kenzie eyed it appreciatively. “Full of all kinds of sinful calories.”

“Absolutely.”

“Almost as sinful as making out with your boss, I’d imagine.”

And there it was. Kenzie wasn’t the type to let things go unsaid. Still, it didn’t mean Delonna had to confirm them.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Kenzie just arched a brow in the same aggravating manner that Aleck did.

“I mean, did you see something?” Delonna asked innocently as she grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and dumped them into a bowl. “Hear something?”

“It was what I didn’t hear that gave it away. You two were far too quiet in there.”

“Those doors are thick. I’m sure you just didn’t hear us talking.”

“Not that thick, and the way you stormed off I assumed there’d be a brilliant screaming match.” Kenzie plucked a chip from the bowl and took a bite of it.

“I didn’t storm off.”

“Aye, you certainly did. You were livid. But about what? That he abandoned a date for you?”

“No, I just…” Made a really stupid assumption, and had confronted him about it. Just thinking about it made mortification slide through her.

“I’m hardly going to judge you for getting involved with Aleck. I actually encouraged it in good fun—”

“We’re not involved.”

“But I should also warn you to be careful,” Kenzie continued, gentling her tone. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. Especially so soon after James.”

“Kenz.” Delonna struggled to find a reply, but realized her friend wasn’t going to waver on what she believed. “Fine. Yes, there was a moment of heavy kissing. Whatever. But that doesn’t really add up to me getting hurt or us even being involved. It was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.”

“It will.” Kenzie looked grave as she grabbed another chip. “You’ve broken the seal and there’s no going back now. May as well just screw and get it over with.”

“Which is basically what you’ve been saying from the start. So why the concern now?”

“Because I never thought you guys would take me seriously, and now my conscience has kicked in. I know how Aleck is with women.”

“I do too. I’m not under any illusions that he’s looking to settle down anytime soon, Kenz.”

“Good.”

“Is that dip ready?” Sarah hollered from the living room. “Some of us are eating as if we were still pregnant.”

Delonna and Kenzie shared a laugh and moved away from the kitchen.

“And a kiss isn’t serious,” Delonna said softly again.

Kenzie gave a small sigh. “Is a kiss ever harmless? It’s the gateway to so much more. To potentially having amazing sex. Not that I’m trying to envision you and my brother having amazing sex. Let alone sex at all.”

“You know, this conversation is pretty sucky.”

“Aye, it is. All, I’m saying is, just…be careful.”

As her friend moved past her back into the living room, Delonna felt a slither of unease race through her.

For a moment she let herself briefly imagine hitting the accelerator instead of the brakes with Aleck. The way her pulse quickened and her body heated, she couldn’t deny it sounded all too appealing.

And a little concerning.

“How’s Delonna holding up?”

Aleck glanced up from where he was arranging the bottles of alcohol.

“She’s all right. Thanks for helping her file the police report.”

Colin nodded. “Aye, well she should’ve come to the station in the first place.”

“She was just worried, having not reported the tips and all. Where’s Hailey tonight?”

“Girls’ Night In over at Kenzie’s and Delonna’s. I’m surprised the ladies didn’t mention it.”

“Me too,” he mused. “Then again it’s Kenzie’s day off and Delonna worked the day shift. Who all goes?”

“The whole lot of them. Sarah, Hailey, Delonna and Kenzie.”

“Did Sarah bring the baby?”

“Not tonight. I dropped by Ian’s earlier and he and Emily were on the floor playing with the wee one. Tummy time or something of the sort.”

“He’s taken naturally to having an infant about. And he’s remarkably good with Emily as well.” Aleck shook his head.

And to think Ian had been the one they’d all said would never have children. Now he had two and was a natural at being a father.

“Aye. He’s doing quite well.”

“What about you and Hailey?” Aleck slid his brother another beer. “Starting a family soon?”

“Actually, aye, we’ve been trying.”

Not having expected that answer, Aleck gave a slow nod. Though why he was surprised, he couldn’t say. Maybe Hailey and Colin had only been married for a handful of months, but they were both just past thirty and clearly in the mind to become parents.

“Good. I’ll enjoy another niece or nephew.”

“And you?” Colin lifted an eyebrow. “Are you not getting the itch to settle down and have a family of your own?

Any amusement faded and Aleck gave a brisk shake of his head. “I’m not the marrying sort.”

“It’s funny, because I sensed you once were.”

He glanced up sharply at his brother’s soft words. Aleck’s blood quickened and he gave a small shake of his head.

“That was another lifetime. I was a different man then.”

“You weren’t even a man, Aleck. More a boy.”

“I was seventeen. That’s hardly a child in nappies.”

“Maybe not, but it was nearly two decades ago. Shouldn’t you open yourself up to the possibility—”

“I’m happy with my life,” Aleck interrupted curtly. “I enjoy women on a certain level. A fun, physical level. Perhaps even a friendship level.”

“That’s a shallow place to exist with women. You should try deeper waters.”

“I have.”

“Try again. Love isn’t a one-shot deal in life, Aleck.”

“A matter of opinion. I’d rather not try to find out otherwise.” He’d rather stick a hot poker through his foot than go through that kind of pain again. “Spouses and wee ones may be in the cards for the rest of you, but it became evident that it was not my future.”

“What about Delonna?”

Aleck stilled and arched a brow at his brother. “What about her?”

“You two have a thing going yet?”

Yet? Apparently it was common theory that even if they didn’t they soon would.

“Delonna is an employee at the pub, and a friend at best. There’s nothing more there.”

“No?” Amusement flickered across Colin’s face. “All right then. I’ll let it drop for now.”

He’d damn well better. Aleck had a difficult time as it was trying not to think about what had happened between him and Delonna in the office. Now his younger brother was going to poke fun at him?

There was no point dwelling on it. Delonna had shut that door to their attraction as quickly as he’d opened it. But she was right. Best forget it had ever happened.

“Hey, so you talk to Da lately?” Colin asked randomly.

“Aye, late last night. Called and spoke to him and Ma.”