Chapter 5
The Vodka is Talking…
Raven
Ispot the guys lingering by the bar as we come out of the bathroom, their presence is impossible to miss.
“Your bill’s taken care of.” Says the most infuriating man of the night, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I arch a brow, annoyed. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.”
The bite in my voice is sharper than I intended, but he remains completely unfazed. Not even a flicker of reaction. Just smug confidence.
He just shrugs. “Aye, I did have to. You’re in the Highlands.”
Whatever the hell that means.
I roll my eyes but smile anyway. “Well then, thank you, kind sir.” I exaggerate a curtsy for good measure, my smile widening as I slide past him toward the exit. I can feel his eyes on my back the entire way.
Walking outside is like a breath of fresh air.
Literally.
The cool night air nips at my skin, and it’s refreshing.
I inhale deeply, savoring the crispness of the night. Compared to the heat that seemed to crawl up my neck every time Kane got too close, it feels amazing.
I look up and the sky is impossibly clear, the moon casts a silver glow over everything, making the whole world feel different.
Rachel’s off to the side, deep in conversation with Cam, and for the first time tonight, I have a rare second to myself.
I close my eyes and let the breeze wash over me, drinking in the stillness and the sharp bite of the Highland air.
At the base of my neck, I start to feel a tingling sensation, like the faintest whisper of a breeze brushing against my skin. Except… it’s not windy. And I go completely still.
A chill races down my spine, like fingers tracing along my skin. For a heartbeat, it feels like someone just walked right through me.
My pulse kicks up, and my eyes snap open.
The street lights flicker overhead, stuttering erratically and a rush of déjà vu slams into me so hard I have to steady myself.
What the fuck was that?
Ever since my grandfather passed, strange things have been happening more frequently. Small things, subtle shifts in the air, little moments that felt… off.
This was something else though. Before I can chase that thought any further, someone crashes into me and strong hands grip my waist, steadying me as I stumble back.
“Are you okay?”
His voice is rough in a way that sends something hot curling through my stomach.
I look up, and damn it, Kane, is looking right at me.
“I'm sorry! I just stopped right in the way. And yes, I’m okay.” I laugh a little too quickly, desperate to shake the sudden heat creeping up my neck. “Thank you for not letting me fall. That would've sucked.”
I cut myself off, cringing internally.
Normally, I’m not this chatty with men I’ve just met. And yet, here I am, word vomiting all over him. These drinks are getting real chatty.
At least it’s not actual vomiting. Now that would be worse.
The reality of what happened is… the second his hands wrapped around my waist; my body caved. And that startled me enough to actually stumble for real. I pray he didn't notice. He probably did.
“Anyway,” I jerk my thumb toward Rachel. “They’re still over there chatting, but you can wait here with me if you want.”
I can’t tell if Rachel wants saving… or if she’s the one causing all the trouble.
He shifts, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I give it about eight minutes before she decides whether she’s going to ditch him or give him her number.”
I huff out a laugh. “Nah, more like two.” I glance toward Rachel, who’s flipping her hair. “Either way, we’ll be calling it a night soon.”
“Are you two sisters?”
There it is again, that damn smirk. The one that’s been driving me insane all night, like he’s in on a joke I haven’t figured out yet.
I scoff, shaking my head. “Do we look like sisters?”
He tilts his head, meeting my eyes, then they slowly roll down my body and back. “Not particularly.”
I roll my eyes. “Then why’d you ask?”
He shrugs.
“Well… technically, no, we’re not sisters. But we might as well be.” Like that explanation makes perfect sense.
His brows lift slightly. “That was… unnecessarily complicated.”
I open my mouth, then immediately shut it.
Oh wow. Hi, I'm the problem, it's me. Again.
He lets out a genuine laugh, the kind that vibrates through his chest before trailing off into a half-cough. It does dangerous things to my resolve.
“Well… that’s cool.” He says it like my stammering only amused him more.
That's it?
I wait a beat, expecting him to say something else, but he doesn’t. He just stands there, looking at me like he’s waiting for something.
“We’ve known each other for years. We do a lot together, so we’re practically sisters. Like… twin-flame level friends. Ya know?”
His eyes drop to my lips before looking back up and I swallow hard, forcing myself to ignore the way my pulse spikes, and the way my body betrays me with every single move he makes.
As if I needed any more reasons to be humiliated tonight.
“Why did you come to Scotland?”
I hesitate. “I was supposed to come here with my grandpa, actually. But… he couldn’t be here, so Rachel came with me instead. We’re just here to have a little fun.”
I offer a small smile, hoping to steer the conversation back to safer ground. I don’t know why that was the first thing that came to mind, it just slipped out before I could stop it.
He nods, but a flicker of something unreadable flashes in his eyes. “Yeah, I get that. That’s Cam, for me. Family.”
He glances past me at his so-called family.
“So, what you’re saying is… if I asked Cam for dirt, I’d get a hell of a story?”
His attention snaps back to me, his cocky grin spreading like I just made another bet. “Aye, I’m sure Rachel’s got loads of dirt on you too.”
I scoff, folding my arms. “Bold of you to assume I have anything to be embarrassed about.”
My pulse flickers wildly in response. And judging by the way his eyes darken just slightly, he knows it too.
He shifts closer, his voice dipping as he looks behind me. “They’re definitely blowing past your two-minute mark. You lost. Are you okay?”
I snort, looking over at Rachel and Cam, who are locked in conversation, oblivious to anything but each other. “There’s still time for her to change her mind.”
“Doubt it.” His eyes flick back to mine, softer now. “I’m sorry your grandfather couldn’t be here.”
For all his cocky remarks and smug little grins, the unexpected kindness catches me off guard.
I look at him, surprised. “Thanks.” My voice is quieter than before as I turn my attention back to Rachel, watching her closely. Cam’s pulling out all the stops, his charm is dialed in. And judging by the way she’s leaning in, and tilting her head, she’s loving every second of it.
“She’s a goner, he’s getting her number.”
I shake my head. If there was no Bobby, he would be completely right.
“She’ll walk away.”
He huffs out a low laugh. “Not a chance, or she wouldn’t still be there.”
I study Rachel again, watching the way her fingers graze Cam’s arm, and the way she angles herself just enough to brush up against him.
Damn. He’s right.
I roll my eyes and exhale dramatically. “Fine. Maybe she’s charmed by him. But don’t get all cocky about it. It’s not cute.”
“Too late.” His smirk is instant.
I narrow my eyes, fighting the urge to roll them right out of my skull. But the truth is, he’s right. Rachel isn’t about to pull the plug. She’s fully caught up in Cam’s charm, and I’ve officially lost.
I, on the other hand, am currently dealing with a different kind of problem. The kind that involves Kane standing too damn close. His presence wraps around me like a goddamn noose.
I really don’t appreciate my body reacting without my consent. Every time I look at this infuriating asshole, something inside me snaps to attention. Like my body is caught in some cruel game it refuses to let me win.
And I’m not interested.
Not even a little. Despite what my pulse is doing, and despite the warmth curling low in my stomach.
I force myself to shake off the thought, but before I can make my escape, Kane breaks my concentration. His voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts.
“It's been thirteen minutes. You lose,” he murmurs, eyes locked onto mine. “Too bad we didn’t make another bet.”
“Damn. And here I was, just dying to lose more imaginary things to you,” I say, flashing him a smile as I turn around to take a step toward Rachel, nearly taking a table with me, but I don’t get far.
A hand closes around mine.
I whip my head back toward him, ready to throw out a smartass comment, but the second we make eye contact. The words catch in my throat.
“So when are you going to give me your phone number?”
I swear the temperature spikes at least twenty degrees and for the first time in my life, I wish I was cold. Instead, I’m overheating in places that have no business reacting.
My pulse is out of control. My body is at war with my brain, and I pray to every God listening that he doesn’t notice the way I’m unraveling right in front of him.
Wouldn’t be the first time tonight.
Clearly, men are not good for my hygiene, or my mental health.
And this one? He’s the poster boy for bad decisions.
I take a slow, deep breath, trying to rein myself in.
My voice is light when I force out a laugh.
“Oh, I guess that would be okay. Hopefully, you’re not a crazy person that’s going to murder us.
I’d hate for Rachel to be right. Although, I guess if I do get murdered, at least I can say I checked someth—”
I don’t get to finish my sentence.
His mouth crashes into mine, obliterating whatever ridiculous thought was about to spill out. I don’t even have time to react before his hands are threading through my hair, gripping the back of my head and tilting me up to meet his demanding kiss.
My thoughts? Gone.
Every coherent string of logic I had left? Shattered.
His lips are soft and nothing like I imagined, yet exactly what I should’ve expected.