Chapter Nineteen
Monty
M onty couldn’t move. Or maybe it was more a case of didn’t want to. Iona’s nails weren’t long, but she was holding him so tightly the edges of them dug into the skin on his back and shoulders. It wasn’t painful, well, maybe a little, but a kind of exquisite pain that told him just how much she’d enjoyed this.
He made to move. He must be crushing her, but she clung onto him.
‘Don’t go,’ she murmured. ‘I like you there.’
‘Are you not squashed?’
‘I like it.’ Her breath landed on his ear, tickling his supersensitive skin.
‘Ok.’ He tightened his grip a little, so they were locked together so rigidly no one could prise them apart.
‘I love this,’ Iona said. ‘It’s so soothing. I bought a weighted blanket when I started investigating ADHD. It calms me before I go to sleep, but you’re much better.’
He smiled and nuzzled her neck. ‘Monty, the human blanket.’ For a moment, he lay quite still. He kept himself thinking though, because if he let go, he might fall asleep, and that would be odd. He was still buried deep inside her, which made this moment even more intimate. Did she do this with everyone she hooked up with? Why should he be special? He was just inexperienced. He’d only been with two people before Sophie and no one since, and despite her claims that he was too vanilla, she never told him what she liked or appreciated him trying anything different. Being a fairly intelligent man, he’d investigated ways he could spice things up, but she’d never seemed open to it. Well, Iona had benefited from his ‘research’ and she certainly hadn’t complained.
When he felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, he reluctantly pulled out and quickly ridded himself of the condom. Iona might want to go. She only did casual relationships, after all. She’d let him know that on so many occasions that he should be prepared for that eventuality, even if the thought of her going made his insides feel hollow.
‘Are you asleep?’ he asked, returning to her side.
‘No.’ Her voice was quiet. With barely any light in the room and without his glasses on, he couldn’t see her properly, but he sensed she had her eyes closed. He shifted in closer and wrapped her in a hug again. She nestled her head into his chest.
Guess she’s staying then.
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and closed his eyes.
When Monty woke, Iona was still in his arms. He stroked her hair and kissed her. His body was all set for round two, but she might not want that. And that was fine. She’d definitely woken something in him, but he wasn’t an animal who couldn’t control himself. Her happiness was worth more to him than anything else, and he’d go along with whatever she wanted. Right now, he was happy just to be here with her. It hadn’t been a lie when he’d said he felt honoured to kiss her. Every moment spent with her was an honour. Monty MacNeil had no business being with someone this awesome.
She woke with a moan, her hand smoothing over his stomach, making its way lower. ‘Good morning,’ she said, her fingers sliding further down, curling around him.
His breath hitched.
‘Morning.’ He closed his eyes as she toyed with him. ‘Stop.’ He grabbed her hand and looked down at her. She was smiling up at him, her long dark hair spread wildly across the pillow.
‘You don’t like it?’
‘Oh, I do. I just don’t like to rush.’
She grinned. ‘You’re a thinker.’
‘Maybe.’ He frowned and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Is that my problem? Is that what makes me vanilla?’
She sat up and raised an eyebrow. ‘What you did last night wasn’t vanilla.’ She shifted a little, and her breasts bounced in a way that caught his eye and made him want to reach out and touch her, but she jumped out of the bed. ‘I need to pee.’ She crossed the room, stopping abruptly at the mirror. ‘Jesus Christ. I also need to wash my hair. I’ve seen better kept bird’s nests.’
She went into the bathroom, and he lay back, staring at the ceiling. He really needed to pee too. And wash. But neither was what he actually wanted to do. The bathroom door clicked open, and Iona emerged. She picked up her Dryrobe and flung it on. Uh-oh. He’d been too slow. Now she was leaving.
‘You… Um…’ What could he say?
‘I’m going to grab some clothes and my shampoo.’ She winked. ‘Then we can take a shower.’
‘We?’
‘You got me into this mess, so you can bloody well help me clean up.’ She left with a little wink and a wave.
Monty blinked and let out a long, slow breath. Ok. He’d never done that before, but this was a week of learning to be more adventurous after all. Tossing back the duvet, he got up and went to the bathroom. His hair was a tousled mess too. He brushed his teeth and stared at his reflection for a moment. Still the same Monty, but he felt different. Stronger maybe, which was weird. Maybe it was a new layer of confidence breaking through. He started the shower and opened the door.
A few moments later, Iona snuck back in, still in her Dryrobe with a bag. She lifted out two golden bottles and handed them to him. He read the name of the argan oil shampoo and conditioner before he became distracted by her taking off the Dryrobe and casting it aside.
‘Ready for fun?’ She grinned and flicked her hair over her shoulders.
‘You want me to wash your hair?’
‘Among other things.’ She stepped forward and slipped her hand around his cheek, pulling him in for a kiss.
He wasn’t sure he could concentrate on washing her hair once they were in the shower, with steam billowing around them. Their wet bodies rubbed together, and Iona swung her head back, exposing her neck as she let the water soak her hair. Monty squeezed out some shampoo and smoothed it over her, noticing how her breasts heaved. He was as hard as a rock, burning to take her. But with a deep breath, he coated her hair in liquid, then used what was left to palm her breasts and she moaned, running her hands back from her forehead, across her scalp as she rinsed the shampoo.
Dipping in, he kissed her neck. ‘So beautiful.’
‘I don’t normally let anyone touch my neck.’
‘Do you want me to stop?’
‘No. I trust you. But I once had a guy put his hands on me. It’s something I hate. Choking is assault and I hate how it’s romanticised.’
‘I won’t do anything you don’t like.’
‘I know.’ She massaged some soapy bubbles across his chest. The energy coursing through him was unstoppable. He wasn’t going to last the distance at this rate. She reached for the conditioner bottle and popped the lid. ‘Hand out.’
He obliged, and she squeezed a blob into his hand. The heady and sweet scent filled the air. He combed his fingers through her hair, catching every strand. ‘Turn around,’ he said.
She did it, pivoting so her back was to him. Her hair ran down the line of her spine, all slicked together by the conditioner. He worked it in, hand over hand, like he was pulling in a rope.
‘It needs to stay in for a few minutes before I rinse it.’ She glanced around. ‘So we better find something to do while we wait.’
‘How about this?’ Monty snaked his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck again.
‘I like your thinking.’
From this position, his hands could catch her breasts and work on her womanly parts at the same time. She writhed against him as he worshipped her. This was poetry.
‘Take me like this.’ Her voice was hoarse. ‘I need you.’
Another first. He let go, only to locate a condom and roll it on, then he returned to her, bending her slightly and slipping inside her. His hands slid around her again, resuming their play. He thrust into her steadily and repeatedly until she clenched around him, breathing fast and moaning, then she cried out. He held her tight until his own climax burst, crashing through him like an earthquake.
‘Oh Iona. Iona.’ She was everything. His release went on longer than he expected. A couple of small aftershocks took his breath away, and he rasped for air.
‘That was so good.’ Letting out a sigh, she leaned back into him. He gently turned her around to face him and began rinsing her hair, smoothing his palms around her head.
‘I’m glad you think so.’ He cradled her in his arms as he washed out the remaining conditioner.
‘Aren’t you enjoying it?’
‘Are you kidding me? This has been a totally mind-blowing experience.’ And probably unrepeatable. Who else would ever make him feel so wonderfully free? With Iona there were no mistakes, no judgement. They could just have fun and enjoy their time together. Leaving her behind would be painful, but at least he’d experienced these moments. He’d stepped away from boring Monty, tried new things and maybe, just maybe, it would help him with other things in life.
‘I’ve got to get to the festival.’ Iona checked the time on her phone. Monty already knew the time, and he’d probably kept her a little too long, but how could he help it? They were so hot for each other anything else seemed like a waste. ‘Shit. I need to go now. Are you coming with me?’
‘I’ve already done that several times this morning.’
‘Seriously?’ She pulled a face at him and smirked. ‘What happened to gentleman Monty?’
‘Oh, he’s still here, somewhere.’
‘Well, find him again for a bit and behave.’ She brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
‘I’ll join you later.’
‘Ok.’ She flung her arm around his neck and kissed him. ‘Thanks for a great night… and morning.’
‘Any time. I told you before, it’s an honour and a pleasure.’
‘You’re the sweetest guy.’ She prodded his chest. ‘And sexy too. Catch you later. We’re doing bodyboarding at eleven thirty. You can join in with that. No excuses. Just grab a wetsuit from the container.’
‘Yes, Miss.’
After whirlwind Iona had left the building, Monty sat on the end of the bed and breathed very slowly and deliberately, trying to regroup and catch a sensible thought or two from the haze of post-coital bliss. Ah, screw it. He got to his feet. What was the point of being sensible? Or boring, as Sophie might have called it. He was still on holiday, and he was bloody well going to enjoy it.
Monty headed into the farmhouse for breakfast. A lot of other guests were there too, no doubt for the festival. Catriona seemed a little rushed off her feet, and Alex was helping hand out some of the cooked breakfasts. Monty saw him limp a little as he returned to the kitchen.
‘My mum wants to talk to you,’ Catriona said, putting a plate of cooked food in front of Monty. ‘She’s found something out, apparently. Would you have time to nip in and see her after breakfast? I can show you her cottage. It’s just two minutes away.’
‘Yeah, of course. I’d love to hear what she’s found.’
Curious to find out what Nora had discovered, he ate quickly, before heading for her cottage.
She took a while to answer the door, but when she did, a broad smile filled her face. ‘Come in, come in. I have some good news.’
‘I’m intrigued.’ Monty followed her into the living area of the cottage. The brick wall behind the fireplace was exposed and looked very cosy and rustic, while the rest of the room had obviously been modernised and was bright and clean with lots of plants on tables and the deep windowsills.
He took a seat on the sofa as Nora eased herself into an armchair. ‘Well, I reckon your father is my second cousin, which makes you my second cousin once removed. And that means you are a third cousin to Ruaridh and Catriona.’
Monty blinked, trying to take it all in.
She lifted a bit of paper with some scribbles on it. ‘My mother was your grandfather’s cousin. My grandfather and your great-grandfather were brothers, and we share a common line back from there.’ She held out the piece of paper and Monty looked at how she’d sketched it out, so it made a lot more sense than him trying to visualise it.
‘Wow… So, that means I really do have island blood.’
‘You do. And your ancestors would have lived here. An Grianan has been in our family for many generations.’
‘Since we were diddled out of the castle?’ he asked with a smile.
Nora chuckled. ‘As to that, we’ll never know, but it’s a fun thought, isn’t it?’
‘It really is. Thank you for looking into this.’
‘Not at all. It’s my pleasure. Especially now we know you’re part of the family. You can tell Catriona and Ruaridh.’
‘I’ll do that.’ He got up and handed her back the paper. ‘My father would have loved to know all this.’
She nodded. ‘Sometimes we forget to make the most of our time with people while we have it.’
‘That’s so true.’
And Monty felt it applied as much to Iona in this situation as it did to the regrets he had about his father.
When he arrived on the beach later, it was already buzzing. The voice on the tannoy was talking about the different moves the surfers were doing and people milled about, either watching or paddling and playing in the shallows. A fast-food van had set up near the container and a queue of people lined up along the edge of the grass. Monty hadn’t noticed it the day before, but at least he knew where he could get lunch today.
He set up a little camp for himself and sat down, resting his hands on his knees and glancing around. What would his dad make of this? Would he approve or think it an insult to his memory? So much for a relaxing fortnight to scatter his dad’s ashes. It had turned into an adventure packed two weeks with a hot holiday fling to boot. No one would have predicted this. Who would even believe it? He couldn’t imagine telling anyone back home. His mum, his golfing friends, and his colleagues would all think he’d lost his mind or was making the whole thing up.
He cracked open a can of Fanta and took a sip, his eyes searching for Iona. Beautiful, wonderful Iona. When they were together, he hadn’t thought about Sophie. Not once. Sophie had never inspired this kind of burning energy in him. Nope. Everything he’d done here was only for Iona. He rubbed his chest. Maybe the bubbles had gone down the wrong way, because something was niggling him. The words I love you were so close to his lips it was frightening. He wanted to say them to her, even though it was downright insane. But she’d told him to be authentic and not hold back… and he hadn’t. Until now. Those three little words were a step too far. How could he say them? He hardly knew her, and yet, he knew her better than anyone. Laying down his drink, he sighed. Why was this so complicated?
A simple solution would be to draw a line under it, and stay away from her for the next few days, but no way was he doing that. He would take everything this island could throw at him.
For now, that meant going to the container, changing into a wetsuit, then making his way to the water’s edge. When he got there, he spotted Iona handing out bodyboards.
‘Ah, there you are,’ she said. ‘I thought you’d forgotten.’
‘As if.’ He smiled at her, then became aware of Ruaridh standing a little way off, talking to some other people but clearly watching Monty and Iona in his peripheral vision.
‘I just discovered that he and Catriona are my third cousins.’
‘What?’
‘Yeah, Nora found the information in a family tree. We share a great-great-grandfather, who probably lived at An Grianan.’
‘Oh my god. That means you officially have more island blood than me.’
‘I do.’ Monty glanced back at Ruaridh. Nora had said to tell him and Catriona about the family connection, but Monty didn’t want to butt in while he was with his friends. ‘Do you think Ruaridh suspects us of something?’ Monty nodded subtly in Ruaridh’s direction. ‘He keeps looking over.’
Iona followed his gaze, then shrugged. ‘So what? Ruaridh knows the deal. I don’t do dating, and I especially don’t get involved with someone who lives this close.’
Monty nodded. ‘Yeah. I remember you said.’
‘He asked me out before and I said no. I think he took it personally. He’s a nice guy, but I see him more in a brotherly kind of way. I don’t find him attractive like…’ She eyed Monty, then handed him a bodyboard. ‘I’m crap at long-term relationships and happy with short flings. Keeps things simple.’
A pang struck Monty in the chest. So even if he was planning to stick around, he wouldn’t stand a chance with her. ‘Yeah.’
Iona leaned closer. ‘But it’s not him we have to worry about.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Catriona saw us kissing on the beach last night. I told her you were just helping me ward off those creeps, but…’
Monty pulled a face and ran his fingers through his hair. He hadn’t seen her much at breakfast as she’d been too busy, but obviously she’d caught Iona. ‘We took it too far?’
‘Pretty much what she said.’
‘So, do you want to stop or have me be more discreet? I can leave you here and go do something else if this is making you uncomfortable.’
She smiled and tilted her head. ‘You really are a gentleman. Catriona’s used to me hooking up with guys, but… Well, you’re different.’
‘Am I?’
‘Yeah, because of our arrangement, you know. I’ll be seeing you again.’ She glanced around. ‘Catriona doesn’t want me using you or taking advantage of you.’
He let out a little laugh. ‘That’s not really what happened.’
‘I know that and you know that, but she’s only seen gentleman Monty, and she thinks I’m leading you astray.’
‘Got that right then, didn’t she?’
‘Ha-ha.’ Iona put her hands on her hips and gave him a hard look, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘Catriona’s such a mother hen. She makes me feel completely irresponsible sometimes.’
‘Does she say that?’
‘She doesn’t have to. I see it in the way she looks at me.’
Monty cocked his head. ‘Maybe she just wishes she had some of the freedom you have.’
‘Yeah. Maybe.’
‘So…’ He glanced at Ruaridh again. ‘Shall I back off for a bit?’
Iona pouted and rolled her lips. ‘You know what?’
He shook his head.
‘Who cares?’ She slung her arm around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. He responded automatically. ‘We only have a short time together. Let’s make the most of it.’
Monty pulled back and smiled. ‘Much as I’d love to, let’s do some bodyboarding, otherwise you’re going to land yourself with a bad reputation.’
‘Again.’
‘I didn’t like to say so, but maybe, yeah.’
‘Ok…’ She winked. ‘We’ll save it for later. Now, let’s get you back in the water.’
Without looking at Ruaridh, Monty headed into the sea.