Chapter 22 Regan
REGAN
Except for Thane’s birthday that following Tuesday, our affair fell into a strict routine. That doesn’t sound like it could be hot, but it was so freaking hot, he’d become my obsession.
We went about our lives as we had before, except friendlier and nicer to each other than we had been the past few weeks. This seemed to appease Lewis, and he stopped being so watchful of us all the time.
But at night, when the children were asleep and secure in the house, Thane slipped into my annex for an hour.
Sometimes he made love to me like he actually loved me.
Those were the dangerous nights. Strangely, for the sake of my heart, I preferred the nights he was bossy, when he moved me about the bed the way he wanted and fucked me until I saw stars.
On my knees, riding him, on his knees, on our sides, upside down, twisted like a pretzel, hands tied together above my head.
The man knew how to screw every which way.
I’d never have guessed he was so wild. It was the best surprise.
And all I kept thinking was what a moron Fran had been. How the hell could she cheat on Thane Adair?
The only exception to our routine was the morning of his birthday.
I’d snuck upstairs with breakfast before he could wake.
But he didn’t want the scrambled eggs on toast I’d brought him.
He wanted me. It was the first time we’d had sex in the house, and having to stay super quiet was strangely erotic for us both.
Afterward, Thane looked guilty as hell, and I knew he worried about Eilidh and Lewis discovering our secret.
He was cooler toward me because of it, and once more my feelings were wounded.
I ignored the somewhat used sensation crawling across my shoulders as I vowed not to enter his bedroom without invitation again.
I was his dirty little secret.
It never seemed like that when we were together, but sometimes, like when I was standing at the school gates, I felt it. The thirsty moms didn’t pay me attention anymore. They’d long moved on. But I still remembered their gossip. I knew what they’d think of me.
I could tell myself I was a grown woman who could do whatever the hell she wanted with whomever she wanted, but it was hard to remember that on days like this morning.
For a moment, I’d totally forgotten where we were.
The kids were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast, and Thane was behind the island, his ass facing into the kitchen.
As I passed him to put my mug in the sink, I’d reached out without thinking and caressed said ass.
It wasn’t until he turned sharply to glare at me I even realized what I’d done.
I flicked a guilty look at the kids, relieved they weren’t even paying attention, but Thane glowered at me like I’d just murdered the family pet.
Dirty. Little. Secret.
Whatever he saw flash across my expression softened his with confusion. Heart pounding, I skirted around him, keeping my distance. “I’m just going to put a load of laundry on before the littles get ready.”
I had been in there only a few seconds when I felt him.
Glancing over my shoulder, our eyes locked as Thane leaned against the doorjamb. He looked down the hall before turning and whispering quietly, “I’m sorry. I just …”
“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I get it.” He crossed the room to still my hands as I sorted the laundry. “I have moments where I’m itching to touch you … but we can’t. Yeah?”
Dirty. Little. Secret.
I blinked hard out of the memory, glaring at the school as I waited to collect Eilidh and Lewis. Will was a few yards away, talking animatedly with another parent, so I didn’t have him to distract me from my dark thoughts.
Two weeks.
It had only been two weeks since Thane and I started our affair.
And I was wondering how long I could hack the emotional roller coaster I was on.
Jared called last week to ask me out, and I made up some excuse about how I wasn’t looking to date while I was in Scotland. He didn’t seem to care. I mean, it took him long enough to call. Instead, he told me to call him if I changed my mind.
Robyn … my sister knew something was up.
She kept asking if I was okay and giving me these long, searching looks.
Usually, I would just tell her about Thane.
But I’d promised him I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I didn’t want to break my promise, even though I’d kill for my sister’s sensible and loving advice.
Rather, I had to rely on what I thought she might tell me.
And she’d tell me that if the affair only made me feel good when we were having sex, if it made me feel horrible about myself when we weren’t having sex, then I needed to end it.
I needed to be honest with Thane that I was not cut out for zero commitment.
Not with him. I thought I could. I thought something was better than nothing.
It had taken less than fourteen days to realize how naive I’d been.
Loving the man who only wanted to screw you … it was like taking five knives in the chest every day.
I had to end it.
The thought made me want to scream in rebellion, but for the sake of my sanity, I knew I had to end it.
The bell rang, snapping me back to the moment.
Focus. When Eilidh and Lewis were around, I didn’t have time to worry about the state of my relationship with Thane.
I thanked God every day for them—the best little distractions a girl could hope for.
If I was obsessed with their father, I was a goner for them.
But that was the kind of love a girl could live with.
Grinning at the sight of Eilidh hurrying down the front steps into the yard, my eyes wandered past her to find Lewis.
So focused on finding her brother in the crowds, I didn’t notice the man approach.
By the time I did, it was too late.
As my attention returned to Eilidh, she’d just stepped through the gates when the stranger swung her into his arms, making her shriek.
What the hell?!
“Hey!” I yelled, panicked, launching myself toward them.
The man’s eyes flew to me, wild and mad behind his round glasses as Eilidh beat his head and screamed, but I swore adrenaline made me fly into super speed. I shrieked at him to let her go, and he backhanded me so hard, I stumbled onto my ass.
“Oi, you!” I heard Will shout, and I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my cheek.
Will grabbed at the man’s hair, distracting him enough so I could tug Eilidh by the waist out of his arms. He slammed an elbow into Will’s nose just as I got Eilidh free, and he lunged at her again.
I pushed her away in instinct and put myself between them, trying to focus beyond the discombobulation of a complete stranger attempting to steal my child in front of hundreds of witnesses.
“Back off!” I yelled, shoving him away.
He grabbed my arm, trying to twist it, but Robyn’s lessons kicked in.
I slammed the base of my palm in an upward strike into his nose.
I wasn’t strong enough to break it, but it stunned him long enough to loosen his hold.
Spinning toward Eilidh, now in Lewis’s protective little arms, I found my shoulder jolted back in a painful jarring yank.
“Give her to me!” he roared like an animal as he clawed at my throat from behind. The smell of whisky was overwhelming. “Give me my daughter!”
McClintock?
Oh my God.
Throwing my entire weight behind it, I sank my elbow into his face and stumbled toward the kids as he grunted and released me.
I was aware of bodies rushing at us, at him.
We were being protected by the other parents, so I pulled Eilidh and Lewis into my belly, covering them as much as I could with my body.
Like a cocoon. A fist slammed into my temple, momentarily dazing me as I heard McClintock scream Eilidh’s name again.
Eilidh and Lewis sobbed as they burrowed into me, as my back and head were punched and kicked as he tried to beat his way around me to get her. I ignored the pain, refusing to budge. The cacophony of those around us blurred into white noise.
And then the hitting stopped as abruptly as it had started.
“Regan, you’re okay.” Michelle bent her face into mine.
I glanced up and behind her, shocked to see McClintock flat on the ground, held down by Will and all the thirsty moms.
Kids were crying around us, scared out of their minds.
“Eilidh. Lewis.” I dropped to my knees as they threw their arms around me. My face and body throbbed with pain, but it didn’t matter. They were safe. Relief and adrenaline made me tremble as much as they did. I tried not to cry with rage that McClintock had scared the hell out of them.
“The police are on their way.” Michelle rubbed my shoulder soothingly. “Do you know who he is?”
“Eilidh!” McClintock wailed, glaring at us from the ground where Will and the ladies had him pinned. “My daughter!” He sounded like a wounded animal.
I blanched, feeling everyone stare at us as I lied, “No, I don’t know who he is.”
THANE
It took everything within me not to drive like a maniac all the way from Inverness to Caelmore. Killing myself to get home to the children and Regan wouldn’t do anyone any good. But the adrenaline coursing through me made it very hard to control my foot on the accelerator.
The only thing that reassured me was that Lachlan and Robyn were with them.
Sean McClintock had tried to kidnap Eilidh at the school gates.
Lachlan had called me. My brother had rushed to the school when Jock informed him via Will that McClintock was being held in a citizen’s arrest while they waited for the police.
My brother was there to see the bastard arrested, but I was waiting for contact from the police.
I would see the piece of shit put away for this.