“Hm.”
Henodded as if he were making adecisionI knew nothingabout, and with each careful bob of his head, he moved in closer, and closer,until his lips were nearly brushing mine.
“I'mgonnakiss ye now, Rosie.”
Igroaned at the sound of my name rolling on his Scottish tongue and passingthrough his lips, and said, “God, I hope you do.”
Alecbrushed my lips with a feathered touch and my eyelids fluttered closed, prayinga single, gentle peck wasn't all there would be, only for my prayers to beanswered seconds later with another and another. With every kiss, we gainedmomentum, and when our lips finally parted, I dropped the bottle, for it toland against the cobblestone ground with a solid, hollow thud, and wrapped myarms around his neck with an approving moan.
Wekissed on the bench where Rick's parents were engaged, with our tonguesmingling in a desperate dance for closeness. I thought about his friend and myson, sleeping soundly in their beds, completely oblivious to whatever washappening between Alec and me, and I grinned against his lips. I felt like ateenager, and not a woman nearing middle age, as though he and I had run awaywith the idea of making out in the shelter of the dark and stars. Memoriesrushed forward, as I remembered a time when Gracie had caught me kissing myhigh school boyfriend on the front porch when I’d said I was out with agirlfriend, and then, just like that, the guilt wormed its way back through myskin and into my bones.
Ihadn't once thought about Gracie in the minutes that Alec and I had beenkissing, maybe even the entire time we'd been sitting on that bench, and howcould that possibly be? How could I have so easily forgotten that she was gone?The whole point of me being in Scotland in the first place was to bring herhome. So, how was it that the lips of an attractive man had the power to eraseher from my memory? And how the hell was it that I could find any shred ofenjoyment in life at all, when hers had ended horribly at the hands of a vilemonster?
Tearssprang to my eyes, and I pulled away from Alec's arms. A sob burst abruptlyfrom my lips as I slid away, to my side of the bench, and covered my mouth withthe sleeve of my sweatshirt.
“Rosie,”Alec said, and I wished so much that my name had the same effect that it didmoments before. I shook my head and turned away from his watchful gaze, unableto speak as the tears streamed faster down my cheeks. “Yedinnaehave to talk to me, but I wish ye would.”
“I—”I sobbed and swallowed it down, before speaking again. “I'm okay. I-I-I just …I just need to go to bed. I'm, I'm so tired, and I r-really should rest.”
Withthat, I stood and hurried back inside, leaving Alec alone on the bench in thegarden and knowing damn well I wouldn't be lucky enough to find sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
ALEC
Iblamed the whisky I never should have drank, and the garden I never should haveshown her, but there was no denying that I had wanted to kiss Rosie. But now, Iwas ashamed, assuming she felt like I'd taken advantage of her fragile state.So, with the stealth of a rogue, I snuck out of the house the next morning,before the sun could break through the bedroom curtains, all to avoid anawkward interaction with a woman I never should have kissed.
“Ye'reearly,” Finley commented, looking up from his computer.
“Aye,”I muttered, dropping my satchel onto my desk, and removing my coat. “Couldnaesleep.”
“Neithercould I,” he replied with a sigh. “Icannaeget thisshiteouttamy head.”
Keepingmy mouth shut, I nodded as I sat down and tucked my bag under the desk. Thewhirring of the coffee maker drew my attention to the corner of the room, whereSharp stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for the machine to do its joband reminding me that I had run out of the house too quick to grab my thermos.
“Hey,Sharp,” I called to him, and he turned at the sound ofmy voice. “Pour me a cup, will ye?”
Hegave me a thumbs-up, just as the machine let the room know the coffee was done.Sharp poured, while a cluster of cops walked through the room, chattering,laughing, and slapping each other heartily on the back. Chief Inspector Frasierwandered into the room, flipping through a stack of papers, and Finleycontinued to scowl at his computer screen. With the room full and too much ofthe oxygen shared, my lungs tightened at the prospect that any one of these menand women could be the person I was searching for.
'Hereye go, Brodie,” Sharp said, then laughed at my expense, as I jolted at thesound of his voice. “A wee bit jumpy, are ye?”
“Y-y-yeah,”I stammered, and quickly pulled myself together, taking the cup from Sharp'shand. “Thanks, lad.”
“Noproblem,” he replied, before narrowing his eyes curiously. “Ye okay? Ye looklike yehavnaeslept in days.”
Myheart raced as I nodded, casually sipping at the hot, bitter coffee. “Been alot on my mind lately.”
“Oh,aye,” he said, crossing his arms and sitting at the edge of my desk. “I canrelate. My wife just found out she's pregnant—”
“What?”Maggie exclaimed, overhearing as she passed through. “Yedidnaetell me that!”
Sharp'spudgy cheeks turned another shade of red. “She just took a test a couple ofdays ago,” he replied, shrugging.
“ButI thought ye werehavin' some problems?” she asked,coming closer and hugging her clipboard to her chest.
Finleysnorted across from me. “Whoisnaehavin' problems in their marriage?”
Asthey carried on, talking at the side of my desk, I impatiently eyed my computerand wished they would have their conversation somewhere else. I had intended tosearch the file database for anything on Madison Lang, but I couldn't doanything with them lingering so closely.
