Chapter 31
Carli
Carli’s back hurt. Not as much pain as she’d anticipated, considering the Fibro, but enough to stop her from being able to flop onto the bed. She would have to be careful how she slept tonight.
There was a knock at her cabin door. Carli pulled herself up from the position she’d just got into and opened the door.
And the effort was well and truly worth it, because there, dressed in a kilt, white shirt and waistcoat, was Niall.
The smile on his face was enough to melt hearts from a thousand paces.
He’d clearly used it to get himself onto this train without a ticket.
‘Turndown service, m’lass?’
‘Niall? What the…?’
‘You’re not going to turn down the turndown service, are you?’ He leaned against the doorframe. ‘It comes with free pillow treats. And I can fold your towel into a haggis.’
Carli laughed. ‘Well, it would be rude to turn that down, wouldn’t it?’
‘Totally. Can I come in?’
Carli moved aside to let Niall into the cabin. As he brushed past her, he ran his hand down her arm. ‘I love those PJs.’
‘Thank you. I like your kilt. How on earth did you get onto the train?’
‘Och, maybe I ken someone who kens someone, and they let me on for a bit. I’m not allowed to stay the night, though, which is a shame as this place is incredible. Have you had a good trip?’
‘Yes, it’s been amazing.’ Carli sat down and winced.
He noticed. ‘You in pain?’
‘A little. The sight of you in that kilt is helping to ease it a bit though.’
‘Well, there’s a treat for you inside it.’ Niall winked. ‘Would you like to see?’
‘What, no first or second base? Where’s the flirting? Where’s the foreplay? Come on, Butler. You reckon you can flash the goods and that’s it?’
‘Aye, I do. Come on, stand up.’
‘Now you’re bossing me around at bedtime?’
‘Aye.’ Niall walked over to the bed, so his kilt was in line with Carli’s face. ‘Take a squizz.’
Carli narrowed her gaze. Something was going on here and she wondered if there might be more under Niall’s kilt than the usual. Not that the usual wasn’t enough. She grasped the hem and lifted.
‘Not under it, cheeky. In the sporran!’
‘Ah, you tricked me, you wee rogue.’ Carli dropped the fabric and unfastened the leather purse that sat on the front of Niall’s kilt. Inside there was a piece of paper.
‘What’s this?’
‘Read it.’
Carli read. ‘I’m not sure what this is. It looks like a receipt for something. Dept of immigration?’
‘Aye. I’ve applied for my Aussie citizenship.’
She whipped her gaze from the paper to him. ‘You have?’
‘Yep.’
‘Oh, wow!’ This was such a surprise. And a wonderful surprise at that.
‘Okay, it doesn’t technically mean I have to live there, but I wanted to show you that I’m committed to you, to life with you in Oz. And this was the best way I could think of right now.’
‘Oh, Niall. I’m really proud of you. My wee Aussie bloke.’
He laughed. ‘Well, how about Scottish-Aussie. Like you. And less of the wee. There’s something else in there for you, by the way.’
‘It’s like a lucky dip.’ Carli dipped into the sporran again and retrieved a small band of leather.
‘Oh.’ Tears sprung into her eyes when she saw not only what this was, but that Niall was still wearing the one he’d put on before they made love in the romance library.
‘I know you made that for me,’ he said. ‘But, until I can get you something a wee bit more permanent, I thought you could wear it. To remind you of us.’
A tear slid down Carli’s cheek. ‘Like I need reminding of us, but, yes.’ She held out her wrist and Niall took the bracelet and slipped it on. Their eyes met and a surge of understanding passed between them.
The band of leather on her wrist, Carli sank into Niall, her big-hearted Scottish man, who was anything but wee. ‘Thank you, Noo Noo,’ she said.
‘I’ve told you about calling me that.’ Playfully he slapped her bum.
‘Sorry, not sorry. Listen, there’s something I have to tell you.’
‘Oh aye?’
‘Yes. This is all so thoughtful of you, Niall, but I don’t need you to prove anymore that you’re committed to me.
It’s me who has to prove it to you. Why can’t we live together in Scotland?
It’s not going to kill me, is it? Today, I visited the oxygen centre in Oban.
They run sessions all the time and they’re free.
I could bring Glen over and we could live in Kinshore.
You can be here for your family, have their support, run your surf lessons for the kids, and I can teach yoga classes somewhere. ’
Niall gripped the dresser behind him so hard it nearly came away from the wall it was nailed to. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Yes, I am. I need to move out of my comfort zone and realise I won’t fall apart. If anything is worth doing that for, it’s you.’
Suddenly her face was in Niall’s hands and his lips were pressing against hers and his breath was hot on her face as he was mumbling, ‘Thank you, Cass, I love you so much.’ Carli knew then that she’d made the right decision as his gratitude weighed on every word.
He pulled back and pierced her with eyes overspilling with love.
‘You’ve no idea how happy that makes me,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t need to be forever, but right now it would make such a difference.
’ Cupping her waist, he pulled her to him.
‘I want to thank you properly. They don’t do bedtime cabin checks, do they?
Bring you a hot chocolate made of silk or something? ’
‘They don’t, although that sounds like it should be on the menu.’
‘Great, so…’ Niall kissed her forehead, running his nose down hers and working his way to kissing her again.
‘There is one part of me you need to take extra care of,’ she warned.
‘Oh aye?’ Niall was already stripping off her pyjama top. ‘Where’s that then?’
‘You’ll see.’
‘All I can see is a fantastic pair of tits.’ He took them in his palms and Carli almost forgot about the tenderness at the bottom of her back. Roved her gaze over the kilt and the shirt and the broad chest inside the waistcoat. It was hard to know whether to ask him to strip off or keep it all on.
She prised his hands from her breasts, causing him to eye her with puzzlement, until she moved them to her waistband of her pyjamas.
‘Take these off and you’ll find out.’ She quirked an eyebrow at him.
Niall inhaled sharply. ‘No invitation needed.’
‘Be gentle.’ She held his arms as he carefully pulled the elastic of the pyjama pants from her skin and tugged them down over her hips.
The fabric dropping to her ankles, Carli stepped out of the pyjamas.
‘I mean, you look fucking incredible,’ Niall rubbed at his stubbled jaw,’ but I don’t see anything different.’
She turned. ‘How about now?’
Although Niall’s face was out of view, the tone of his voice was unmistakable.
‘Fuck!’
She turned back to him.
‘Fuck me, Cass. You got a tattoo.’
‘Yep. It’s going to say Butler, but I need to take the pain in increments so “B” was enough for one day.’
‘Shit. You got it for me?’
That he hadn’t realised that amazed her. ‘Well, you got two for me, so I had to catch up.’
‘You are incredible!’ Niall moved round her to examine the tattoo again. ‘I love it… I love you. Although you do know it’s going to say “but” for a while.’
‘Yep, but trust me, there are no buts. None. You’re it for me, Mr Butler.’
Beaming from ear to ear, Niall pulled off his sporran, threw it on the bed and tucked her naked waist into the thick fabric of his kilt. ‘And you, Ms Caselli, are it for me. Seventeen years has gone by in a flash now you’re here. But that is never happening again. Ever. I promise you.’
‘Agreed. ’Til a’ the seas gang dry and all that.’
‘Aye. Forever. Now, come on, lie this beautiful body with my name almost on it down on the bed and I’ll reconnect you to your homeland.’
And there was no way Carli would say no to a true Scotsman – her one and only Scotsman – lifting his kilt and showing her exactly how he felt about her.