Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
IONA
“I don’t see what the problem is. We’ve each got our own bed.” Lewis sets down our overnight bags.
“The problem, Lewis, is that they’re in the same room.”
He’s booked us into a luxury hotel with an incredible view of the castle. I can see it through our window, illuminated in soft golden light, standing majestically against the night sky. The room itself radiates extravagance and, yes, there are two beds, each adorned with crisp white sheets and deep burgundy throws. But when Lewis assured me about the sleeping arrangements, I’d pictured two separate rooms—not this.
“It might be fun, no? Means we get to hang out a while longer. Remember when we were young and had sleepovers?”
I cross my arms. “That stopped when we hit puberty, Lewis. Presumably because our parents didn’t trust us in a room together.”
“True, but we’re twenty-seven now—mature enough to control our baser instincts, right?”
I drum my fingers on my crossed arm and narrow my eyes.
He stuffs his hands into his pockets then rocks back on his heels. “Shit, Iona, I don’t want to bring money into this, but... this place wasn’t cheap! Two rooms would have been a stretch—especially after the number of books you bought today.” He grins, attempting to lighten the mood, but when I don’t reciprocate, his smile falters. “Crap. All right, I’ll go down to reception and see if there are any other rooms going. If not, I should be able to find somewhere nearby.”
He hoists his bag back up. “You stay here. I’ll, er, see you in the morning, all right?”
A pang of guilt hits me. “Wait! You have spent a lot on me these last few weeks, and... well, I appreciate you’re not some hero from a billionaire romance. I suppose I should leave you with something in your bank account. You’re right, we’re old enough to be able to keep our hands to ourselves.”
His face brightens again. “It’s really not a problem for me to go, if you’d rather that. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“Stay. I trust you can behave yourself. And you’re right, maybe it will be fun to have a sleepover. Besides, I’m not ready for sleep yet, but after being on my feet all day, I don’t have the energy to go out again. It’d be a shame to cut things short and go to different rooms.”
“If you’re sure, that’d be amazing because I don’t think I could walk any further.” He collapses on a high-backed chair by the window and leans back with his hands behind his head, stretching out his long legs.
When we picked up our overnight bags from the car, we left my purchases there. Lewis didn’t complain once all day about having to carry my books around, but even with his strength, it must have been tiring. Perhaps a suitcase with wheels would have been a better idea.
I lay claim to the bed on the left and, sitting, kick off my shoes and rub my aching feet.
“This is the life, eh?” Lewis murmurs. “No annoying wee brothers, no guests to look after...” He sighs contentedly. “I can’t wait for breakfast in the morning. Not only do I get to sleep in—for once!—but I get to sit and enjoy food that someone else has made. I definitely owe your maw for covering for me.”
“Och, you know what she’s like. She was delighted to help out if it meant you and I were able to come here on a date.”
While it would have been nice to have taken another look through all the books I bought today, even Lewis couldn’t carry both them and our bags from the car. I did, however, grab one to bring with me: His Highland Treasure .
“I still can’t believe Aurora McKenna is continuing the Highland Hearts and Hidden Treasures series. Since this one is a novella, it’ll probably only take me a few hours to get through. That’s a pretty good way of spending an evening, if you ask me.” I swing my legs up onto the bed, adjust the pillows, then rest back against the headboard.
Lewis yawns and stretches. “If you’re happy here, I think I’ll grab a shower.”
I gesture to the bathroom. “Go for it.”
A minute later, water hisses and splashes against tiles, and I try not to be distracted by the thought of Lewis standing under the hot spray, droplets of water tracing every line and curve of his body.
I open His Highland Treasure to the title page.
To Iona,
I hope this story sends you and your boyfriend on another thrilling “adventure”!
Aurora McKenna x
I chuckle softly at the message. I made it clear to Lewis that I wasn’t best pleased with the sleeping arrangements, but is it too soon to be thinking of bedroom adventures with him? I told him he’ll have to wait a very long time, and yet I’ve simultaneously been asking him to send me rude pictures. A bit of a contradiction? Sure, but a fun one.
Yes, he hurt me once—badly—but he was struggling at the time. That doesn’t excuse his behaviour, but it at least helps me understand it. The question is: am I genuinely worried he may one day do something like that again?
No. Not at all.
I know this man inside out. Sure, our friendship was on a break for a number of years and we’re only just now rekindling it, but I know he has a good heart. The event that drove us apart... it really was just a blip.
Could I keep him waiting longer? Of course. But what was the epiphany I had at the top of the wind turbine? Life is short, and I have to be brave.
We’ve already lost six years. How much more time do I want to let go by? And what’s the point of it? Because, in my heart of hearts, I’m sure it’s Lewis I’m meant to be with. It’s always been him.
I pick up my phone. I’m sitting here with a brand-new book in the Highland Hearts and Hidden Treasures series, and in my photos app there are wonderful pictures of me posing with Aurora McKenna and many other authors. Nevertheless—and despite my earlier verdict that dick pics are so yesterday—I instead flick through the images that Lewis has been sending me. And yes, I giggle. Is it odd that I find it kind of sweet that he’ll drop what he’s doing and send me a pic when I request it? He always has been eager to please.
The picture I linger on the longest is the one of him in his kilt. Naturally, I dubbed it Braveheart’s Boner . While I now mainly find Lewis’s photos amusing, there’s something about this image that really does it for me. It’s so hot.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse His Highland Treasure , the cover of which features a topless, muscular, kilted man. Ah. I think I know why I like Braveheart’s Boner so much. I’ve always had a thing for kilts.
With horror, it occurs to me that, over the three years we were together, never once did Lewis make love to me while he was in a kilt. In fact, I’ve never had sex with any man while he was in a kilt. I’m twenty-seven and I live in Scotland. What have I been doing with my life?
When the bathroom door opens, I hurriedly get Lewis’s erect penis off my screen. He emerges, a towel wrapped around his waist, his body otherwise bare. I look from him to His Highland Treasure and back again. A towel... a kilt... they’re not so very different, right?
I may be quite delighted by what I see, but I have to at least pretend to be outraged. “Lewis! Do you think it’s appropriate for you to waltz around without a top on?”
We did agree nothing would be happening between us, and if I change my mind on that point, fine. But he doesn’t get to test the boundaries.
“Er, sorry, is this a problem?” He seems genuinely taken aback by my indignation. He glances down at himself then meets my eye again. “I’m just quickly grabbing a change of clothes—I’ll be putting them on in the bathroom, obviously. I go swimming at the Glen Garve all the time, and I have my chest out there. I didn’t think it was an issue. A guy’s chest isn’t really a sexual thing the way a woman’s is, right?”
Isn’t it, Lewis? What about the night you broke my heart—why do you think that woman took your T-shirt off? Are you playing with me or are you really this clueless?
“If he’s built like you, it’s definitely a sexual thing.” I hold up His Highland Treasure . “Why do you think the model doesn’t have his top on, Lewis? Because he’s sexy without it on, and sex sells.”
“Ah. I see.” He nods, a cheeky smile tugging at his lips. “So... you’re saying I’m sexy, are you?”
“I did not say that, no.” But I can’t stop my eyes from trailing downwards to take a proper look at him. I mean, if he’s not going to hide it...
The last time I saw Lewis topless was on that awful day, standing in his doorway in nothing but his joggers. Back then, his body was in its chrysalis stage, but now it’s fully transformed, and it is a sight to behold.
His chest is a landscape of chiselled perfection. His pecs are broad and powerful, and they glisten with droplets of water he must have missed while drying himself. These trace pathways down to the grooves and ridges of his abs—a perfect set of six. Then there’s his V-line, which is practically an arrow pointing under his towel, loudly proclaiming where his dick is, just in case I needed directions. His arms, meanwhile, are thick and veined, his dampness accentuating the contours of his biceps and triceps.
Hmm, maybe those muscles aren’t just for carrying around large numbers of romance books. I mean, I’m a curvy woman, but seeing him like this, I’m confident Lewis could get me into any position he wanted me, no problem. When we were younger and the lust took a hold of him, he’d always take control of our lovemaking, and I loved that. Now, though, he’s got a strength he didn’t have then, and it’s hard not to wonder what possibilities that might open up.
As I take him in, he retrieves some clothes from his bag. He’s about to head back into the bathroom when I tease, “Are you a true Scotsman under there?”
He smirks. “Obviously. Who wears underwear under a towel?”
“All right, well, before you get changed, give me a quick flash.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “ What? ”
“Don’t look so surprised. You’ve sent me a lot of pictures of your dick recently. Besides, you’re adamant you won’t take a photo of it when it’s soft, so this is the only way I’ll get to see it like this. Go on.”
“Er...” He shifts his weight from foot to foot. There’s a smile playing on his lips—he’s certainly not offended by my request—but he’s unsure. “You’re sending me mixed messages here. I thought we were just friends sharing a room?”
“We are. But friends can have a laugh, can’t they? I just want to see it. It won’t lead to anything.”
“Right... er...” He makes no move. He doesn’t do what I’ve asked him to do but nor does he retreat into the bathroom.
“Oh, for goodness’s sake. I’ll do it, then.”
I stand and walk over to him. Lewis shrugs as if to say, Whatever . So I bend down, take a hold of his towel, and lift it up, just having the quickest glimpse underneath. I can’t help but giggle. He chuckles too.
“All right, that was all.” I drop the towel again. “You may get changed.”
Shaking his head but still smirking, Lewis disappears into the bathroom. He comes out shortly later in a grey T-shirt and loose navy shorts. There’s a strange juxtaposition between his toned arms and legs and something adorably boyish about the outfit. When we were hooking up between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, he’d sleep in his underwear—or, more commonly, naked. I don’t remember him ever wearing jammies, but he’s really kind of cute in them, like he’s just begging to be snuggled up to.
“Looking comfy,” I say.
“Aye, I am.” He grins happily. “It’s chilling time.” He hops onto his bed and picks up the TV remote. “Are you okay if I see what’s on?”
“Go for it. I’m going to wash as well. Is there a bath?”
“Aye, but just to let you know, there’s no lock on the door. Not to worry, though. I’m a gentleman.”
I give a curt nod. “Good. Because the last thing I’d want is for you to burst in with me lying there, naked, my body covered in soap suds, rubbing my hands all over as I wash myself...”
“Jesus.” He glances away from me for a moment.
“If I looked at your dick now, would I notice any changes?” I tease. “Might it be starting to stiffen up?”
“Bloody hell, there’s teasing and then there’s this. You’re really winding me up.” He shifts slightly. “I know we said no sex, but you’re testing my self-restraint here. I’m going to watch TV and try to clear my head of all the filthy images you’re putting in it. Don’t get me wrong, if you change your mind about things, just let me know. Until then, even if you’re lying naked just a few metres from me, in an unlocked room, rubbing your hands all over yourself, I won’t be doing anything.”
“Understood.” I take off my top.
His eyes widen in shock. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Er, getting ready for my bath?” I tug my jeans off. “What’s the problem? You said being in front of me in a towel is fine because, at the pool, you’re in nothing but shorts. Well...” I glance down at my bra and panties. “These cover about the same as a bikini, don’t you think? And what we can’t have is one rule for you and another for me.”
A flush creeps up Lewis’s neck. He’s put the TV on but is paying it no attention. His gaze is on me.
He wipes a hand over his face, and—oh! Was that a twitch in his shorts? Ha, he really is too easy to toy with.
“Enjoy your chilling,” I say, then I head into the bathroom.
I twist the hot water tap and steam begins to rise, filling the room with a warm, misty haze. After I add a generous amount of bubble bath, the tub soon froths up. I slip out of my remaining clothes and sink into the blissfully warm water, its heat seeping into every muscle. Heavenly.
Minutes pass in sheer relaxation, but then I get a little bored. I could do with something to pass the time. Like a book, for example.
“Lewis?” I call. “Could you bring through His Highland Treasure ? I’d like to read it while I soak.”
There’s a pause. Then, “Er... aren’t you naked in there?” His voice wavers—with hesitation, but also with a hint of something else. Desire.
“The bubbles are covering me. Don’t worry, you can’t see anything naughty.”
A second pause. “I don’t know that this is a good idea, Iona.”
“Oh, stop being such a prude! Just come in, hand me my book, then you can leave again.”
He mumbles something under his breath and then the bathroom door opens. He glances at me, then quickly up to the ceiling, then back to me—and this time his gaze lingers, roving over me, taking in the bits of my body that rise from the bubbles, and perhaps also imagining those parts hidden from view. I’m impressed he tried to look away—he gets a point for that. But I’m also glad he couldn’t resist the temptation to ogle.
“Er...” He takes a step towards me and thrusts the book in my direction. “Here you go.”
I make to take it but then snatch my hand away. “Oh no! I forgot. I can’t hold it. My fingers are all wet, and it’s a brand-new book—and signed. I don’t want to risk it getting damaged.”
“Right...” His gaze drops from my face to my chest. My nipples are hidden, but there’s still plenty of boob on show.
“I’ve got an idea!” I point to the floor beside the bath. “Why don’t you sit there? You can hold the book up for me so I can read it while I’m in here.”
“Iona...” He gulps. “I know you think it’s fun to tease me, but there are limits to what I can take.”
“You’re the one who insisted we share a room tonight and hang out, so why would you want to be through there watching TV while I’m here soaking in the bath? This is an opportunity for us to spend a bit more time together, isn’t it?”
He runs a hand through his hair, saying nothing for some moments, then finally he shakes his head. “You’re impossible.” But despite this protest, he kneels beside the tub. He opens the book and holds it up. “Just don’t blame me if I get distracted and drop it.”
“Thank you. You can read the hero’s lines—I’ll be the narrator and the heroine.”
“Wait, we’re reading it aloud?”
“Of course. Otherwise, we’d read at different speeds and it’d be a pain.”
“Right. I didn’t realise I was going to be reading it at all. I just thought you wanted me to sit here and hold it for you while I suffer in sweet agony. But okay. Er... is this story likely to be as spicy as the one I read that time in your halls of residence?”
“Without a doubt—it’s her trademark. It wouldn’t be an Aurora McKenna book if it were closed door. Her fans would riot.”
“Right. So... you’re naked in the bath, and I’m to sit here, right next to you, and read a sexy story with you. And yet nothing is going to happen between us?”
“Correct,” I confirm. “You assured me you were a gentleman, so I expect you to keep your hands to yourself. This is just two friends passing some time together.”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Jesus. But all right, friend , let’s do this. Seeing as you’re the narrator, kick us off, please.”
I do.
Like all the stories in the Highland Hearts and Hidden Treasures series, it’s pretty formulaic, but that’s not a criticism—far from it. I love the formula, and I’d have been upset had Aurora McKenna strayed from it.
The hero, Logan, and heroine, Marion, begrudgingly team up on their search for treasure, working their way through a series of clues, each one leading them ever closer to the riches. Although they start off on the wrong foot, sparks soon fly and desires flare.
Aurora never takes long to get to the good bits, but seeing as this is just a novella, it’s no time at all before the characters are getting down to it. Their adrenaline high after a thrilling escape from rival treasure hunters, Logan and Marion take refuge in a small cave, and one thing quickly leads to another.
“The moment Logan’s lips left hers,” I read aloud, “Marion trailed her fingers down his chest, finally grasping his cock with a needy grip.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lewis protests, stopping the story. “What’s going on? What happened to ‘shaft’? Or ‘claymore’? Or any of those other funny euphemisms she used to use? Aurora McKenna just said ‘cock’!”
I was really getting into the scene so am a little upset by this interruption. “Sex scenes in romance books have changed over the years, Lewis. Tastes have evolved, and things that were once taboo are now accepted—expected, even.”
“Oh. That makes sense, I suppose. The words and phrases she once used were pretty silly, but they did have an odd kind of charm.”
“Anyway, let’s keep going. It’s your line next.”
Lewis nods. “Marion, feel how hard I am for you. Every inch of me is aching to be inside you.”
Out of curiosity, I peer over the edge of the bathtub. The outline of Lewis’s impressive erection is unmistakable through his shorts.
I smile with satisfaction. “Wow, Lewis, you’re really getting into character!”
His cheeks flush, and he scratches behind his ear. “Sorry, but this scene is hot—and you’re naked and wet. I can’t help it.”
“Well, as you’ve been sending me pictures of the thing for the past few weeks, I suppose I can’t pretend to be shocked by it. All right, take your shorts off.”
“ What? ”
His surprise is understandable. My instruction comes out of nowhere, without preamble.
“Go on!” I encourage. “Logan’s got his dick out. You should get yours out too. As we read on, it’ll add a certain something to the scene if I can look at your penis and imagine it’s Logan’s.”
Despite his surprise, a playful glint lights up Lewis’s eyes. “Well, right now Marion is holding Logan’s cock, so if you hold mine, I bet the scene will start to feel very real for you.”
“Nope.” I shake my head resolutely. “I won’t be touching you tonight, and you won’t be touching me. There will be no physical contact between us at any point.”
I adopt a serious tone so he understands this isn’t part of the game. This is me clearly stating boundaries.
“Fuck, okay, but . . . what’s going on here, Iona? I mean . . .”
“You can’t touch me, Lewis—but you’re very welcome to touch yourself.”
Under the bubbles, I slide my hand down, just to ease the ache there. Even though Lewis can’t see, his sharp intake of breath tells me he knows exactly what I’m doing.
“Shit. Are you . . . ?”
“I want us to finish reading the scene.” Carefully parting my folds, I find my clit and tease it gently. “I don’t care if the book gets wet. Give it to me.” I hold out my other hand for it. “I’ll read the rest. You stand, remove your clothes, and hold on to your dick. I want to see what you do with it.”
He hesitates—for all of a second. Then he gets to his feet, pulls his T-shirt over his head, and drops his shorts. As I take in the sight, I move my hand under the water more insistently, waves of pleasure washing over me.
“I much prefer seeing it in the flesh to on my phone,” I admit. “Now grip it. Pump it!”
He doesn’t need any more encouragement. “Can I... splash some of the bubbles away?” he asks, his breath hitching. “I want to see what you’re doing down there.”
“No.” I shake my head. It thrills me to be able to see all of him while my own body is tantalisingly concealed.
“Fuck, you’re such a tease!” But he accepts the rules and continues stroking himself.
As I watch him, I push a finger into myself, then two. I curl them slightly to hit that spot that always makes me see stars. I turn my attention back to the page, although it’s hard to focus on it.
I continue reading the scene aloud. My breathing grows heavier, synchronising with the rhythm of my fingers. A moan escapes my lips, but I push on, narrating the joining of Logan’s and Marion’s bodies, their heated breaths mingling as they reach for that ultimate release. When Marion finally comes, my own orgasm surges through me, my body arching, my head falling back in a blissful daze.
The sight does something to Lewis because he works his dick even faster, and soon he too erupts in ecstasy. It’s messy and raw, a sight that has me biting my lower lip.
“Fuck!” he moans.
“Good.” I smile. “We both really needed to get that out of our systems. I think we’d have struggled to sleep in a twin room otherwise.”