The Adairs really had been through the wringer these past couple years.
I spotted Arran before he spotted me.
He was leaning back over his chair, talking to an adjacent table of women. The one closest to him put her hand on his shoulder and laughed loudly at whatever he said.
A white-hot heat licked up the back of my neck at the sight of her touching him, flirting with him.
Who the hell was she?
Part of me wanted to turn around and walk out, but a greater part wanted to stake a claim I had no right staking.
As if sensing me, Arran’s gaze moved away from the table of what I assumed were tourists and found mine as I approached. He smiled as if truly happy to see me and then he said something to the women, gesturing in my direction, before he turned around in his seat.
The woman who touched him frowned at my approach and turned to her friends with a shrug of disappointment.
“Hey.” I slid into the seat opposite him.
“Hi.” Arran grinned. “I couldn’t go the whole day without seeing you.”
We hadn’t run together this morning because of my plans with Regan. “I’m sure you can get through a day without seeing me.”
“Can I?” His smile was flirtatious, his eyes roaming my face as if tabulating every tiny detail.
Then again, he had been flirting with a tourist before I showed up. “You looked like you were doing just fine without me.”
His smile dropped, but the light in his eyes didn’t dim. “Appearances can be deceiving.”
Those words, his expression, the deep rumble of his voice … I felt it all between my legs, and my skin flushed hot.
This was getting ridiculous.
“Are you ready to order?” A server appeared at the table.
Arran didn’t take his eyes off me. “Can you give us a few more minutes?”
“Of course.” She walked away.
“So.” Arran drummed his fingers on the menu in front of him. “What do you want?”
I swear to God I hadn’t intended to say it.
To put it out there.
The words just erupted out of me as if they had a mind of their own.
“I want a night with you.”
Arran’s lips parted in shock, his nostrils flared. “Excuse me?”
My cheeks burned as I struggled in the quagmire I’d just created. I either forged ahead, faced my fears, and had a little adventure to break up the monotony of my life … or I backpedaled and lied.
I straightened my shoulders. “I want one night only of no-strings sex. With you.”
Arran gaped like he’d never seen me before.
And I wanted the North Sea to come crashing through the restaurant to swallow me whole.
14
ARRAN
I shook my head, wondering if I’d heard right.
My pulse pounded in my ears as I asked, “You want one night only of no-strings sex? With me?”
Though I could tell from the strain in her eyes she was embarrassed, Ery set her delicate jaw with determination and nodded. “I do.”
Holy shit.
I slumped back in my chair, not sure how to respond.
Because I’d been seconds from gathering the courage to ask Eredine out on a date. A real date.
And she only wanted one night of casual sex.
Disappointment churned in my gut, and I did my best to keep that emotion off my face. How could I possibly agree to that when I wanted more? Fuck, I might as well ask Ery to plunge a knife into my heart, right? Because there was no way I could come out of this unscathed.
Yet the thought of being with her made my hands itch to reach out and touch her already. It would be a sweet bloody torture, though, being with her, knowing it was only for one night.
“You’re just staring and saying nothing.” Ery fiddled with her paper napkin, tearing off wee bits at a time. She’d lowered her gaze, depriving me of those gorgeous hazel-green eyes. “Did I mess up? Have I ruined our friendship?”
Fumbling for a suitable response, it took me a few excruciating seconds to say, “No, of course not. But why? Why one night? Why me?”
Finally, she looked up. Her expression was stiff with discomfort. But unfortunately, that was the consequence of asking your friend to fuck you.
Holy shit.
She’d really done that.
This woman surprised the hell out of me.
The noise of fellow diners faded as I anxiously awaited her reply.
“I trust you,” she said.
Joy filled me, a smile prodding my lips. I knew it was a huge deal to be given Eredine’s trust. She didn’t hand it over to many people, and I was honored she had done so to me. I only hoped I could be worthy of it. “Thank you. That means a lot. I trust you too.”
She nodded. “I know. I realized that the other night.”
I shrugged, awkward at the mention of my drunken meltdown last weekend. The truth was, however, that I’d felt unburdened, lighter somehow, after confessing everything to Eredine. Her understanding and compassion had blown away the dark cloud over my head. Another reason I’d been determined to ask her out on a date today.