Chapter 27
Cal
The sex was mind-blowing, and it wasn’t just Bea’s beauty that made it so.
Cal had never shared chemistry with anyone like he shared with her.
This woman obliterated all his self-control.
Not only that, but she gave as much as she took.
The only question remaining was why he had held out for so long; it now seemed like the most ridiculous decision ever.
‘That was amazing.’ He gazed down at her radiance.
She glowed back at him. ‘It was. We were.’
He thought he must be glowing too. ‘Question is,’ he said, venturing where he knew it was necessary to go. ‘Can we do it again?’
‘What? Now?’
‘Well, maybe not right now, but, say, in five minutes?’ Cal kissed her softly and smiled to show he was joking, although he was pretty sure he could go again in five minutes with this goddess.
He pulled himself up, grabbed a blanket from a chair and wrapped it round them both.
‘I mean it, though. That was great and I don’t think one dose of you will be enough for me. ’
Bea laughed at the compliment. ‘It was like the most fantastic medicine ever,’ she said.
‘You’re here in Scotland for how long?’
‘Another two months.’
He thought for a moment, then said, ‘Look, Edinburgh is a fantastic city. There’s so much to see and do here.
But what better culture than some time with this Scotsman here?
’ Cal’s delivery was deadpan, but Bea seemed to appreciate the humour and the intrigued tilt of her head suggested she was keen for him to continue talking.
‘I know your time here is limited,’ he went on.
‘So, I don’t want to put pressure on you to spend you break with me, and I don’t want it to sound like some kind of sordid arrangement, but I think that was too good to not do again.
And, well, I think we could have a lot of fun.
’ Cal knew he was doing the opposite of what he said he’d do – avoid women until things were off his mind – but how could he close the box now he’d seen what was inside?
It was difficult to gauge Bea’s feelings about this request. She didn’t respond straight away.
In fact, for a moment, she gazed downward and Cal wondered if he’d said the wrong thing.
Thrown the ultimate insult at her, maybe?
Was she going to look up and he’d see her eyes full of rage, or worse, heartbreak?
Or was he giving himself too much credit for the effect he had on a woman?
In what was probably only seconds, but felt like minutes to Cal, Bea met him face on. ‘You may have a point,’ she said. ‘I came here to get over a nasty break-up and, to be honest, I think a couple of months of no-strings physical fun might be exactly what I need.’
Cal couldn’t quite believe this. ‘No strings. You’re sure?
You’re not, I don’t know, in a difficult place after your break-up?
’ Cal had never heard a woman offer no strings in such a way before.
It was like he was being lured into a trap.
He also wanted to make sure Bea wasn’t emotionally fragile and making a foolish decision.
The last thing he wanted was to hurt her.
‘I believe I’m of sound mind,’ Bea said. ‘Break-ups are never easy, but I don’t see why no strings would be a problem.’
‘Hmm.’ It wouldn’t be right to question her any further, so Cal said, ‘Well, I think you’re a woman who knows her own mind so I’m not doubting you. As long as you’re sure?’
Bea nodded. ‘I’m sure. Truly. This is the tonic I need. Although…’ She glanced at the chesterfield. Cal clocked exactly what she was getting at.
‘I have a bed,’ he said. ‘In fact, I have several. I can keep things varied. Don’t want you going home with the impression that Scottish men are boring lovers. At least not this one.’
Bea laughed. ‘I haven’t got that impression so far,’ she said. ‘I may even write a feature for the tourist board about how highly I recommend taking a Scottish lover.’
‘Hmm, please don’t do that.’ That comment reminded Cal how much he wanted to keep his private life exceptionally private.
He might not be an A-list celebrity, but he was known in the Scottish business world and, more specifically, Edinburgh, and word got around about these sorts of things.
Cal liked his reputation to be twenty-four carat business, not to mention the fact that his father wasn’t keen on having the Butler name tarnished by his son’s escapades with what he referred to as ‘flibbertigibbets’, Elisabetta being a prime example.
Bea appeared a little taken aback. ‘Oh, okay. I wasn’t serious, but sure, I won’t do that.’ ‘You don’t like being flattered?’
‘Ach, I can do flattery, if it’s sincere. I’m just not a fan of being written about.’
‘I see. Have you been written about before?’
‘Kind of. I’d rather not talk about it to be honest.’
‘Okay. Well, we’ll keep it solely between us. Two months of fun, then bye bye.’ Bea sapphire eyes shimmered.
Two months, then bye bye. This bothered Cal a little. Why? She’s giving exactly what you want. Don’t you want her to want the same thing?
‘Sure, two months then we say goodbye, having given each other some amazing memories. I’m glad you approached me in the coffee shop that day, Bea.
And that you persevered with getting a job here.
You’ve enhanced the place.’ Cal stopped.
He was gushing too much. It wasn’t his style, wasn’t the style of a ‘two months, then bye bye’ guy.
But he couldn’t help it. Things were so much better since Bea came into his life .
.. into the business’s life. And a happy bar manager made for a successful bar.
Yep, however you looked at it, it all made great business sense.