I touch my lips to hers. "Meant to give you a simple kiss, but I lose my mind when I touch you."
"I liked it. Both times."
Reaching into my trouser pocket, I pull out my mobile. "May I have your number?"
Calli bites her lip like she's considering how to answer. Then she gestures for me to give her my mobile. "Sure."
I hand the device over to her.
She finds the address book and types in her number and name, then hands my mobile back to me. "There you go."
A smile stretches my lips. I'm probably more thrilled than I should be, but I don't care. Calli has agreed to let me ring her sometime. She might be leaving Chicago, but she wants to talk to me again.
Calli pushes away from the tree and smooths her dress. "Well, it's time for me to head out. Goodbye, Aidan."
I lift her hand to my mouth and brush my lips over her knuckles. "Till we meet again, Calli Douglas."
She mutters something I can't understand, her cheeks turning pink, and starts to walk away. But she stumbles over a tree root and winds up half staggering back toward the building. I consider offering to help her, but I don't want to push my luck. I have Calli's number. I can talk to her again, which means that she just might agree to let me see her again too.
Oh aye, last night I found my dream girl.
Tomorrow, I'll come up with a plan to win her over.
Chapter Six
Am I slightly insane? Even I'm starting to wonder about that after another restless night of trying to sleep but not having much success. I keep thinking about Calli and how I can convince her to give me a chance. I've never had trouble getting dates, which means I could go to another club or a bar or even the beach and meet eligible women who won't run away from me like I'm a crazed pervert who has leprosy.
But I don't want just any woman. I want Calli Douglas.
Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I don't think so. There's something about Calli, something more than her sexy body and her passion. She's a mystery. Maybe that's why I can't stop thinking about her and can't talk myself out of tracking her down.
In the morning, I decide I should get a second opinion about my sanity—though not from my brothers. I know what Lachlan and Rory will say, and it's not what I want to hear. So, I ring my sister Jamie, the baby of the family, because she might understand what I'm doing here in America and give me unbiased advice. Aye, my sister will be impartial. The lass who frequently says she wants to fall in love as often as possible is going to give me sound guidance concerning my love life.
"Have you been arrested yet?" Jamie says when she answers her mobile.
"Arrested? I've never done anything illegal, and you know it."
"Just thought I'd ask. You have run away to another country to find a wife, so I thought you might've been arrested for wearing a kilt with no shorts underneath."
"Would I do that?"
She laughs. "You brag about 'swinging free' under your kilt. Honestly, I didn't need to have that image in my head, Aidan."
"Then let's never discuss that subject again." I really didn't need to hear my sister talking about whether I wear shorts under my kilt. Maybe ringing Jamie hadn't been such a brilliant idea after all, but I might as well try. "I rang you for advice, Jamie. About a girl I met."
"You're wanting advice from me? I thought 'Don Juan' MacTaggart knew everything about women and didn't need pointers from anyone." She lowers her voice to a sarcastic whisper. "If you're asking me for help, you must be desperate."
"Never mind. I'll talk to Evan."
"Evan?" Jamie says with a laugh. "Unless you're wanting a security system, he won't be any help. Evan doesn't date."
Of course he doesn't. Everyone knows that. My cousin might be a genius, but he doesn't socialize much. I really have lost my mind, haven't I?
"Sorry, Jamie. I shouldn't have bothered you. This is a problem I need to solve on my own."
"Well, you can always ring Lachlan or Rory."
"Ah…thank you for the suggestion."