Chapter 26 Robyn #4
Wondering at his abruptness, I shook my head and watched as he got out of the SUV and opened the gate.
When he returned, we drove down the single track where a couple of white cottages were situated beneath the shadow of a hill, or beinn, as they were called here.
That’s when I became aware of our surroundings. “Oh wow.”
The cottages sat on the banks of a beautiful river. We were clustered in the valley of gently sloping, patchwork hills. The sun glinted off the placid river that cut through the valley like a stream of mirror, reflecting the greens of the trees and the gunmetal-tinged clouds in the blue sky above.
Following Lachlan out of the Range Rover, I noted he grabbed my camera gear and the picnic basket. “Where are we?”
“On the River Oykel.”
“Are we trespassing?” I gestured to the cottages as Lachlan led me down a small slope near the river’s edge where a fence of wood and chicken wire halted us.
“They’ll move us if we are,” he said, unconcerned. He carefully dropped the basket and my gear over the fence before climbing it with ease. Those long legs of his.
When he held out a hand to me, I eyed the obstacle he’d scaled with little difficulty. “I might not make it, and contrary to popular belief, it hurts there for us too.”
He gave a short bark of laughter and then climbed back over the fence. Before I knew it, he swept me into his arms, and I squeaked with surprise.
Suddenly I was on the other side of the fence.
Lachlan jumped over it with impressive athleticism, and the only thing that distracted me from ogling him was the narrow stream of the river against the vivid greens of its banks.
The muds, ambers, and chestnuts of the hills gave the Highlands texture, depth, and atmosphere.
While a vibrant field of differing shades of green with a gentle stream running through it was pretty, the earthy ruggedness juxtaposed against it was what made the Highlands special.
I am gentle breeze, I am fertile. I am peace, I am tranquility. But I am mighty, I am storm. I am thunderous, I am valiant.
That was the Highlands.
A perfect dichotomy.
A swell of emotion weighed down my chest. “It’s so beautiful. Words can’t describe what I feel when I’m here. Do you ever get used to it? To its pure, unadulterated majesty?”
“Not if you’re smart,” Lachlan answered softly. “True beauty should never be taken for granted.”
Feeling the heat of his eyes on my face, I turned to look at him and felt the breath leave my body at the intensity of his stare.
Seeming to realize what he’d inferred, he glanced down at the picnic basket. “I’m starved. Let’s eat.”
As Lachlan laid out a blanket and unloaded the basket of goodies Rafaella prepared for us, I got out my camera and took shots of our surroundings. And tried not to overanalyze his intensity.
When I glanced over my shoulder, Lachlan was settled on the blanket, legs stretched in front of him, ankles crossed, hands braced behind him, his head thrown back, eyes closed. Basking in the gentle spring sun. So goddamn handsome, I felt a flutter in my belly.
I couldn’t help myself.
I held up my camera, caught him in my sights, and snapped a couple of shots.
Feeling a desperate need to kiss him, I returned to the blanket, carefully put my camera aside, and crawled over him.
Lachlan’s eyes flew open and he sat up, but only so he could run his hands up my back. My mouth drew his immediate attention. “This might get us thrown off the land.”
I didn’t care.
I kissed him for bringing me here.
For thinking of me enough to plan this day.
He groaned, cupping my face but only to break the kiss. “We need to stop before we start.”
I could feel how much we needed to stop beneath my ass.
Smug, I slid off him, and his look promised we’d finish later.
“What do we have here?” I kneeled over the array of snacks he’d arranged on real china. No paper plates for Lachlan. I smiled, amused.
After he’d explained what was in the little finger sandwiches, savory pastries, and sweet pastries, I helped myself. And moaned around the first bite of the cute, swirly little puff pastry I’d bitten into. “What is this again?” I asked after I’d swallowed.
“Bacon, Gruyère, caramelized onions, and horseradish palmiers.”
“I have no idea what half of what you said is, but my God, it’s delicious.” I moaned around another mouthful.
Lachlan studied me, lips quirking, eyes smoky with desire. “If I’d known this would be the reaction, I’d have made Rafaella head chef sooner.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t hold back as I sampled more of the chef’s goodies.
“Better than Morag’s sandwiches?” He watched me, seeming to enjoy my reaction to the food more than the food itself.
I nodded. “Don’t tell Morag.”
He flashed me a quick grin. “I will if you stop moaning.”
“Making you hot?” I winked cheekily as I reached for a custard tart thingie.
“Considering you sound like you’re coming, yes.”
His words created a tingling warmth between my legs, and I leaned back on one hand, giving him a heated, low-lidded look as I bit into the tart.
We watched each other, sexual tension crackling between us as we ate.
Finally, Lachlan brushed pastry crumbs off his hands and asked, “Did you leave a man behind in Boston?”
“What makes you ask that now?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You did?”
“Do you think I’d cheat?” I scowled at him.
“Of course not. I just … I meant an ex.”
“I did.” I drew up my knees, resting my elbows on them as I stared at the river. “Though I don’t think you can call it leaving him behind. We broke up a while before I came here.”
“Why?”
I turned to contemplate him. Lachlan had trusted me with some very personal things lately … but he seemed okay with doing that while keeping our relationship casual. I was afraid if I gave him too much, I’d end up giving him everything.
How stupid would that be? Considering he wanted only a little more than nothing.
“It wasn’t right.” I didn’t tell him that the shooting woke me up. Taught me to stop wasting time. “He wanted me to be someone I wasn’t.”
“What did he want you to be?”
“Ambitious in a different way than I wanted to be. He was a successful lawyer, and he wanted me to work my way up the hierarchy of the police force. He thought my photography business was a flaky and uncertain dream.”
“Sounds like a prick.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. Looking back on it, he was a prick.” I’d thought Mark was good in bed because at least he made me come. But now I knew better. “You know, our time together has been very illuminating.”
Lachlan’s expression was curious. “In what way?”
“You’re the most generous lover I’ve ever been with.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
I nodded. Mark and the few lovers I’d had before liked to take but didn’t reciprocate. “Until you, I just thought guys were selfish lovers. That it was just the way they were built.” Lachlan had proven that theory wrong. He actually enjoyed giving. He got off on it.
“Jesus Christ,” he huffed. “Men are arseholes sometimes.”
“Now I know different.” I grinned. “I have knowledge. Knowledge is key. When I do settle down, I won’t be settling for a man who doesn’t return favors.”
I expected Lachlan to laugh, but he just stared pensively off into the distance.
At the sudden thick silence, I searched for a different subject. “I think Mac wants me to stay.”
He looked at me sharply. “He asked?”
“Inferred.”
“What did you say?”
“I have to go back to Boston at some point, fix things with my mom and Regan. And then I want to travel for my business.”
“How did Mac take that?”
“He told me I should. Doesn’t want me to have any regrets. But I’ll visit, of course.” I ignored the ache in my chest.
He studied me and then murmured, “So, when you say settle down with a man, you don’t actually mean it.”
“Of course, I do. I want that eventually,” I said. “I’m not you, Lachlan. Casual sex won’t satisfy me forever. I want true intimacy, someone to look after and be looked after by, a husband. And I want kids. I just want to see a bit of the world first.”
The breeze blew back strands of hair that had come loose from my ponytail, tickling my nose. I tucked the strands behind my ear and waited for him to respond.
He didn’t.
He just reached for another pastry and acted as if the river was the most fascinating stream of water he’d ever seen.
Lachlan’s surprise destination was Kylesku (pronounced Kyleskew) Bridge. And he’d been right about the beauty of this place. The bridge swept around in a curve over two connected lochs on the northwestern coast of the Highlands.
Since no cars were behind us, Lachlan slowed as we crossed so I could take it all in. Hills that seemed to touch the clouds, others so tall they disappeared into them, reminding me of our altitude.
Water dotted here and there with little islands.
Rugged rocks peeked through shrubs and grass and trees.
Olives, emeralds, sage, burnt umbers, smoke, and ambers shone bright against clouds with mauve bellies.
The loch was a still sheet of water reflecting the sky, unsure if it wanted to be blue or purple or gray.
“Lachlan,” I whispered. I had no words. I desperately wanted to get my camera out.
“I thought you’d like it here.” He turned left down a little slope into an empty parking lot.
The man had barely stopped the car and I was out, hurrying to open the back passenger door so I could set up the drone.
A few minutes later, I looked over my shoulder and saw him standing at the edge of the lot, snapping photos on his phone.
Smiling to myself, I returned to setting up the drone. Once I was ready to go, I walked over to stand at his side. “Dabbling in a little photography yourself?”
He smirked at me. “Sending some snaps to Lucy. She’s always talked about coming here. Thought the pictures might give her incentive.”
A little niggle of … something … something I hadn’t experienced before when it came to Lucy and Lachlan took me aback.
It bothered me.