Chapter 37 Call it What You Want… #4
His grip tightens, dragging me in until there’s barely an inch of space between us. His hand drops to my waist, firm and unapologetically possessive. “Welcome to my house.”
I raise an eyebrow, trying to ignore the warning bells going off in my head. “You must be delusional,” I laugh, “because only someone who actually lives here would call this a house and not a castle.”
My gaze sweeps over the ballroom, taking in the grand, intricate details of the space. He chuckles, before spinning me around effortlessly. A laugh escapes me, and it feels like I’ve shed a weight I didn’t even realize I was carrying.
Our movements slow into a soft, unhurried sway. His hand remains steady on my waist, and I can feel the heat of his touch through my dress. My heart feels like it’s caught in a free fall, spiraling somewhere between panic and desire.
“Tell me, Raven,” he murmurs, keeping his voice soft, but somehow commanding at the same time. “How are ye liking Scotland so far?”
The way he says my name sends another shiver through me. I can feel the heat pool between my thighs, and I tell myself I need to keep it together before I end up slipping in the puddle I'm about to make on the floor.
I drag my gaze up to his, only then realizing just how close we’ve gotten. His intensity holds me captive, and it feels overwhelming. “I really love it, actually,” I admit. “I wish I could describe how it feels.”
“Try,” he urges, like he’s daring me to bare more of myself than I’m ready to.
I hesitate, knowing right now, my thoughts are a tangled mess. “It feels like home,” I begin softly. “Like everything’s alive. It feels like magic. The trees, the air… even the animals. It’s like the whole place is whispering secrets, and I can’t explain it. It just feels different. You know?”
I lower my gaze, feeling like I sounded ridiculous, but he grabs my chin and tilts my head up to look at him. There’s something raw there that steals the air from my lungs.
“Aye,” a faint smile tugs at his lips. “I know exactly what ye mean. Scotland has a way of weaving itself into your soul. It’s not just a place, it’s a feeling. The magic is real, even if most people can’t see it.”
His words sink into me, wrapping around my heart and squeezing tight, and suddenly I’m all too aware of how exposed I feel. Everything feels too raw, too open, and I’m not sure what I want to do about it.
The door creaks open, breaking the moment as two staff members enter, shifting the energy in the room. The soft clinking of dishes fills the space, but my pulse still hasn’t settled. I take a slow breath, willing my nerves to calm, but then I notice Kane reach into his coat pocket.
My stomach flips and my eyes lock onto his, my body on high alert as he pulls out an envelope.
“You can read it whenever you’re ready,” he tells me, his eyes searching mine. “Or do you want me to tell you what it says?”
I hesitate, feeling like that envelope is a ticking time bomb. If I open it now, it’ll shatter whatever spell this moment is. “Can we… can we do this a little later? Is that okay?”
Something crosses his face, but it’s quickly replaced with a smile that makes my chest tighten for a whole different reason. “As you wish.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding as my shoulders relax. I can’t help the way my chest tightens at the sincerity in his tone. “You know, growing up here wasn’t what you think. Don’t get me wrong, it had its moments. But it also came with its own challenges.”
His voice carries a quiet weight, and I find myself leaning in, drawn to the honesty behind his words.
“My parents were always gone, handling their stuff. So, most of the time, it was just me, Cam, and my sister. We made our own fun, but trouble always had a habit of finding us.”
“What kind of trouble?” My curiosity's clear despite my best efforts to keep it casual.
The warmth in his eyes is so unexpected it almost makes my heart ache.
“We’d spend hours playing hide and seek, trying to outdo each other with the best hiding spots.
This place is full of hidden passageways, forgotten rooms, old journals, and trinkets left behind.
It was like a treasure hunt every day. We were always snooping in places we shouldn’t have. ”
He chuckles, and it sounds about as unguarded as I feel. It makes him seem less like the force of nature I’ve come to know and more… human.
I can’t help but smile, picturing a younger version of Kane tearing through this place, all mischief and curiosity. It’s a side of him I can't quite imagine.
“Sounds like quite the adventure,” I giggle softly. “But why do I get the feeling you were the reigning champ of hide and seek, too?”
His eyes glint with amusement as he leans back slightly. “Champion? That’s putting it lightly. No one could ever find me. I was basically a ghost.”
I roll my eyes, fighting the grin that threatens to break free. Of course he would say that.
“Wait,” I lean in slightly, my curiosity piqued. “Are there really secret rooms and passages here? Or are you just messing with me?”
“Of course,” he replies. His tone is light but it carries a note of challenge in it. “Wouldn’t be much of a castle without them.”
A thrill of excitement rushes through me at the idea, and my mind spins with possibilities. “I knew it.” I slap his arm. “You’re holding out on me. You could be hiding a dragon in one of those secret rooms, and I’d never know.
He laughs. “Dragons? No, sadly, it’s mostly dusty books, old furniture, and occasionally a few ghosts.”
My eyes narrow playfully. “You had me at ghosts.”
He chuckles again, but then my brain catches up to everything he just said. “Hold up… a sister?”
He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused by my outburst. “Yes, I have a sister. She’s the blonde who came out to speak at the ball.”
My jaw drops as realization hits. “Oh my God, she’s stunning!” I feel a pang of embarrassment thinking about my assumptions at the ball. Okay, more than just a little embarrassed about that. Tiny misunderstanding. “Do you two get along? Does she live here too?”
“Aye, we get along. She’s the reason I haven’t lost my mind running this place,” he admits, looking far away. “But no, she doesn’t live here. She’s got her own life, though she’s here often enough that it feels like she does.”
“Sounds like she keeps you in line.”
“She tries. But no one really keeps me in line, Princess.”
His words send a shiver straight through me. I can’t tell if it’s a challenge or a warning. Maybe it was both. “Good to know.”
He leans back in his chair, and there’s a shift in his demeanor—something looser. I'd like to believe he’s peeling back a layer just for me, but that makes me nervous.
“What else do you want to know?” His fingers drum once against the armrest like he's enjoying this. “I love long walks on the beach, reading, I run six companies. One of which is a rental company.”
His eyes spark with humor. “And I inherited this estate from my parents, which keeps me busy enough. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He glances around the ballroom, and for a brief moment, pride laces his voice.
I let the easy rhythm of our conversation wash over me, but when he mentions the rental company, something clicks in my brain. “Wait… rental company?”
He leans forward, like he’s savoring my reaction. “Aye, I’ve got a few properties, mostly estates and townhomes. It's very exclusive, though. Not the kind of thing you’d find on your average booking site.”
His words land with an unexpected blow. I think back to the night we first met, his friend who drove us home like he knew exactly where to go and the way Kane seemed so familiar with the area. My curiosity sharpens, and I stare at him, piecing it together.
“The house we are staying at…” I begin slowly, my voice trailing off as the realization sinks in.
He holds my gaze with a knowing smile. “Aye,” he says softly. “It’s mine.”
The confirmation feels like a puzzle piece sliding into place, and I’m torn between annoyance and something much warmer. “You didn’t know we were staying there?” I press, narrowing my eyes slightly, suspicion creeping in despite myself.
“I didn’t,” he replies without hesitation. “Not until you showed me the address.”
His tone is calm, but there’s a weight to his words that makes my pulse pick up.
The fact that I’ve unknowingly been staying at one of his properties feels weird, like another layer to this unraveling story.
It’s unsettling how deep this connection between us seems to run, no matter how hard I try to keep my guard up.
I made that reservation because it was the only place my grandfather suggested when we talked about going together.
I open my mouth to respond, but the look in his eyes steals whatever I was about to say. There’s a softness there, an openness I haven’t seen before. I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of something I can’t name, and it terrifies me just as much as it thrills me.
Kane stands, extending a hand toward me. His eyes hold that unmistakable glint, the one that’s currently setting me on edge in the best way. “Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.”
Curiosity flares, and I take his hand. The contact sends a faint spark up my arm, and I have to remind myself to breathe. He leads me through the castle’s now familiar hallways, and our footsteps echo against the stone floor. How does it suddenly feel so intimate?
We stop when we get to the hallway with all the paintings that I remember from the tour, it feels like stepping back in time, though that day seems like a lifetime ago.
“These are my great-who-knows-how-many grandparents,” Kane says quietly, his voice carrying a reverence I’ve never heard from him before. “They built this place. Or so I'm told.” He adds the last part with a hint of a shy smile that’s so unexpected it nearly knocks me off balance.
I take a step closer, letting his words sink in. This isn’t just a piece of history he’s sharing, it’s a piece of himself. He’s peeling back layers he’s kept hidden, letting me glimpse something deeper. I can't help but think Cam was never going to be part of tonight's plans.
This isn’t just a romantic dinner or a casual tour. It’s deliberate, thoughtful, and sincere. It feels like he’s trying to make up for all the times he could have let me in before.
I look at him, noticing the tension in his shoulders, like he's bracing for my reaction. My chest tightens, and a warmth spreads through me, leaving me feeling unsteady.
“It’s beautiful,” I smile softly, but the words carry more weight than I intended. Because I’m not just talking about the painting.