Chapter 26 Robyn #3
I felt a sudden increase in my heart rate as the thought occurred to me that at some point, perhaps even soon, I would no longer get to lie in bed and just talk with this man.
That wasn’t our future.
A desperation came over me, and I kissed him, hungry with intention as I pushed him onto his back.
His strong hands gripped my waist as I found him with my hand and guided him where I needed him.
If this was all I ever got from Lachlan Adair, I was going to make the most of it.
“I hate waiting around,” I muttered, biting into the sandwich I’d brought from Morag’s. I referred to the fact that our would-be killer had disappeared off the face of the planet.
Mac sat in his office chair, long legs up on his desk, chewing on the sandwich I’d bought him.
My dad wasn’t too keen on me leaving the estate on my own, but I’d go insane if I couldn’t have some freedom.
I liked wandering around the village and walking along the beach.
I did him a favor and took my morning runs on the strip of coastline that belonged to the estate.
However, I’d just bought a drone so I could do some aerial photography while in the Highlands.
My drone shots from New York and Boston were among my most popular, and it seemed a waste not to do it here.
It would have to be outside the estate, though, because when I told Lachlan I’d ordered one, he warned me his geofencing antidrone technology would disable it if it was on or near the perimeter.
“Considering my daughter was the latest victim of the stalker’s attacks, I’m quite glad for the quiet,” Mac replied sardonically.
Because Mac and I had been the two most seriously affected by the crimes at Ardnoch, the detective inspectors started painting their own picture of the investigation.
They believed the threats against Lachlan were a different case altogether.
That there was someone who had a beef with Dad and me that was the greater threat than the stalker.
Their decision to not connect the dots back to Lachlan meant their investigation was as stalled as ours.
But at least we’d connected the right freaking dots.
“Yeah, but it would be nice to not have this hovering over us anymore.”
Mac considered this. Then, “Will you leave? When it’s over?”
I swallowed my bite of sandwich, meeting his hazel gaze. “Probably.” The thought made my chest tight. “I need to work things out with Mom. Make sure Regan is okay.”
He lowered his eyes. “Have you spoken with them?”
“I’ve emailed Mom. Just casual checking-in stuff.
Regan still won’t answer her phone, but Seth assures me she’s fine.
Still dating some loser, but fine.” Clearly, my sister wasn’t talking to me, but considering I’d done little to deserve that, I wasn’t going to chase her.
She’d come to me when she pulled her head out of her ass.
Mac nodded. “I could … I could come visit.”
I smiled, relieved at the offer. “I’d like that. And I’ll be back, Mac. I love it here. I love spending time with you.”
My dad beamed. “Me too, wee birdie.”
“I’m thinking of traveling. On a shoestring budget, of course. But the preorders for my Highland photos prove it’s worth it, business-wise. I’ll be a travel photographer.”
“That sounds great, Robyn.” His brows pinched. “Will it be forever … or do you think you might choose somewhere to settle down?”
I heard the real query in his question, and it soothed something deep in my soul.
My dad wanted me to come back to the Highlands.
Permanently. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
While I loved my dad, this was a small community with little chance of meeting someone I’d want to settle down with.
Lachlan’s smile popped into my head, but I threw that thought out right away.
“I just want to try the traveling thing first. I might hate it. I mean, until these past few months, I’d lived in Boston my whole life. ”
“You should do it,” he assured me. “You’ll regret it otherwise. Don’t ever have regrets in life, Robyn. I don’t want them for you.”
A knock at the door halted my answer, and I craned my neck as Lachlan strode into Mac’s office.
He took us in, his eyes glancing from me to Mac and then to the half-eaten sandwich in my hand. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, a little disgruntled, “You’ve already eaten.”
“Kind of.”
“Give the rest to Mac,” he ordered.
I raised an eyebrow. “This is a Morag sandwich.”
Lachlan’s lips twitched. “Trust me, I have better planned.”
Brows furrowed, I eyeballed my delicious club. “Nothing’s better than a Morag sandwich.”
Mac chortled while Lachlan gave a beleaguered sigh. “Sandwich. Mac. You. With me.”
Huffing under my breath, I stood and handed over the rest of my lunch to my dad who took it eagerly, eyes filled with humor at my less than happy expression.
“This better be good.”
“I can kill him for you if it isn’t,” Mac teased.
“No need. I’ll do it myself.” I glared pointedly at Lachlan as I crossed the small room toward him.
“It’s a sandwich.”
“It’s food. You should know by now not to mess with my food.”
Lachlan grinned. “I have more food planned where we’re going.”
I looked back at Mac. “Shouldn’t he have led with that?”
He laughed. “Enjoy yourselves.”
Despite my teasing, I was not only delighted Lachlan sought me out during the day, I was happy to see he and Mac were a little more comfortable around each other. “What does Mac know that I don’t know?” I asked, striding down the castle hallway at Lachlan’s side.
“I’m taking the day off.”
“Okay?” And at no forthcoming details, I added, “Is that it?”
He smiled mysteriously and placed a hand on my lower back to guide me out into the main reception. Two members on the sofas near the fireplace were glued to a newspaper and an e-reader, respectively. One looked up, and Lachlan murmured a good-afternoon to him. The other kept reading her newspaper.
Outside the main entrance, I stopped at the sight of the black Range Rover already pulled up.
“Get in.” Lachlan opened the front passenger door for me.
Shooting him a narrowed look that amused him, for once I didn’t argue and hopped into the SUV.
Glancing into the back of the vehicle, I noted the box with my new drone, my camera bag, and supplies. Next to them was a large picnic hamper.
“What’s going on?” I waved a hand over my shoulder at the things he’d obviously procured from my bedroom.
Lachlan pulled on his seat belt and started the engine. “You wanted to take the drone out, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I know the perfect place. It’s a ninety-minute drive on mostly single-track roads through stunning scenery. Thought we could stop halfway, eat, you can take photos, and then we’ll set up the drone near where I have in mind.”
I felt a little fizzle in my stomach. Was this … a date? Pulse beating a little faster, I tried to sound unfazed as I asked, “Are you going to tell me the destination?”
“It’s a bridge.”
I frowned. “A bridge?”
“A sweeping curve of a bridge in a picturesque location. The scenery is beautiful, but you’ll need aerial shots to get the true impact of it. I thought if we left a little later, you could get some shots in the daylight and then some during sunset.”
His thoughtfulness was a total turn-on. It was also a little overwhelming. But Lachlan was acting so casual about the whole thing, I knew I’d ruin it if I made it a bigger deal than he obviously thought it was. “Sounds good.”
He threw me a smile as we drove through the woods toward the security gates. “We could both use a day off the estate. Away from everything. And for once, the sun is shining.”
I returned his smile. “True.”
“You had an affair with Bridget Mendez?” I gaped at Lachlan as he drove with relaxed confidence down single-track roads. As much as I was in awe of the scenic drive, our conversation about past relationships was distracting to say the least.
He grinned like a schoolboy. “I did.”
I stared out the windshield, processing. Bridget Mendez was in her sixties now. At the height of her film career, she was an ’80s pinup star. Not much of an actress, but iconic and considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.
“What age were you?”
“Twenty-three.” He shrugged. “She likes them young.”
“You’re lying,” I said, not believing he was lying for a minute.
Lachlan threw me a wounded look. “I would never.”
It occurred to me that he had shared secrets the tabloids would have a field day over. He trusted me. The thought made me smile. “You couldn’t tell anyone, could you?”
“Mac knew. I’ve told Thane.” He grinned. “And now you.”
“Well, I can’t beat that.” I waved at him. “Bridget Goddamn Mendez.”
“What do you mean you can’t beat that? You’re sleeping with me.”
I laughed uproariously at his cockiness. “You’re gorgeous, but you’re not a living legend.”
“Hey, to some people, I am.”
We chuckled together, and I shook my head. “You’ve had the weirdest life.”
I felt him contemplate me a second before turning his attention back to the road.
“What?”
He gave me another considering look. “It doesn’t bother you?”
“What doesn’t bother me?”
“Me. Talking about the women I’ve slept with?”
I’d never been the jealous type. “You’re not sleeping with them now, are you?”
“Of course not. I can barely keep up with you.”
“See, that’s what happens when you have sex with a woman ten years younger than you,” I teased.
“I’ve had sex with younger women,” he muttered, eyes flicking down my body before moving back to the road. “Age has nothing to do with it.”
“Oh, and what has?”
“You.” He slowed, hitting his turn signal to pull into a tiny parking spot off the road at a gate. Lachlan unclipped his seat belt, eyes hot. “You’re wild.”
I liked that description. “I do have stamina.”
“That you do,” he murmured thickly, attention on my mouth. Then he wrenched his gaze away and cleared his throat. “Wait here.”