One King's Way
Page 20
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“This was one of the first places I brought Darcy when she finally agreed to come live with me in Edinburgh.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. We had a picnic over by those trees.” She pointed off in the distance. “Things were still a bit strained between us and I was probably trying too hard. We were sitting in awkward silence munching on these gourmet sandwiches I’d bought—not homemade as I have absolutely no culinary skills whatsoever—when these two cute guys playing football near us sent the ball crashing into our picnic. They came over to apologize and ended up chatting with us a while. They left with our numbers.” She grinned happily at the memory. “Darcy looked at me like I’d just worked a miracle and she said ‘I love it here.’ It was silly and they were just two cute guys who never lasted beyond two dates, but they took us outside of the only thing that we had in common at the time—my aunt and the hurt she’d caused us. We needed the reminder that there was more connecting us than just that. And here we found it.”
Craig’s heart had started to pound as soon as she mentioned her aunt and the abuse she’d caused them. A fierce wave of protectiveness rushed over him and he found himself mentally promising not to let anything happen to this woman.
His feelings for her were growing intense too fast. He knew that. But it was also a fucking rush, a thrill he hadn’t expected from life.
“Do you still live with your sister?” He managed to speak normally despite the deep thoughts and emotions he was experiencing.
“Yeah. We actually live in Morningside. We moved there three months ago when the business picked up. It’s a nice flat.”
“Why don’t I walk you to it?”
Rain bit her lip in thought and Craig wanted to bite it for her instead. “Just walking me to my flat?”
“No funny business.” He reiterated his promise from a few weeks ago.
“Okay.”
They were passing a bakery in Bruntsfield when Rain made a moaning noise that caused his blood to heat.
“Oh, I love this place.” She gestured to the bakery window. “They have these delicious little cupcakes but they’re so expensive. I treat myself to a box every few months.”
She went to pass the place but Craig wrapped his hand around her waist and tugged her gently toward the shop door.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer. Instead he led her inside, smiling at the girl behind the counter before dropping his gaze to the cakes. He spotted the cupcakes. According to the signs there were chocolate and caramel, pecan and maple, raspberry ripple, lemon drizzle, and vanilla and strawberry.
“What are your favorites?” he said.
Rain stared at him wide-eyed. “You can’t buy me cupcakes.”
“Why not?”
She opened her mouth to answer and seemed to realize there was no reasonable answer. She finally settled on, “You just can’t.”
He grunted in amusement. “You can tell me your favorite or I’ll choose for you.”
“If I remember correctly her favorites are chocolate and caramel and raspberry ripple,” the girl behind the counter offered with a giggle.
Craig grinned at her and she blushed. “Thank you. We’ll have three of each.”
“Three of . . .” Rain grabbed his hand. “You don’t have to do that.”
He looked down at where she held him and smiled before squeezing her hand. “I know I don’t.” He paid the girl and took the box of cupcakes before handing them to Rain.
She stared at the box as if it were precious gold. Tentatively she took it and then looked up at him with a warmth in her gaze that made him feel ten feet fall. “I’ll share with you.”
Tenderness mingled with desire soared through him. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Rain was quiet when they left the bakery and Craig worried she was taking the gesture and overanalyzing it in her head. He was just about to voice his concerns when she gestured across the street and said, “The library. Gosh, I haven’t been to the library in years. I miss it.”
He was bemused by the somewhat random comment. “Aye? Well I haven’t been in a library ever. School library when forced but not a public library.”
Her eyes grew round with astonishment as she stopped in the middle of the pavement. “You’ve never been in a library?”
“Never.”
“Well we’re going in, then.”
“It’s okay. I’ve never been that inclined to go in.”
“But you’re missing out.” She started hurrying toward the crossing and Craig had no choice but to follow her across the street to the library. “When I was a kid and things were really bad I’d go the library,” she said, and he felt that pang in his chest again picturing her as this lonely wee girl searching for solace somewhere. “It was just a building, but inside was magic.”
They stopped and stared at the library entrance.
“I could be a kid in America who was part of this amazing babysitters club, or I could be the Count of Monte Cristo seeking revenge. I could be a pirate in the Mediterranean or Wendy in Neverland or Lucy in Narnia. I could be anyone but who I was. And back then I needed it.”
“Rain,” he said, the word sounding hoarse because there was a large lump of emotion in his throat caused by her retrospection.
She seemed to shake herself, throwing him an offbeat smile. “I don’t need the place so much anymore, but I’m taking you in here just so you can smell it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. We had a picnic over by those trees.” She pointed off in the distance. “Things were still a bit strained between us and I was probably trying too hard. We were sitting in awkward silence munching on these gourmet sandwiches I’d bought—not homemade as I have absolutely no culinary skills whatsoever—when these two cute guys playing football near us sent the ball crashing into our picnic. They came over to apologize and ended up chatting with us a while. They left with our numbers.” She grinned happily at the memory. “Darcy looked at me like I’d just worked a miracle and she said ‘I love it here.’ It was silly and they were just two cute guys who never lasted beyond two dates, but they took us outside of the only thing that we had in common at the time—my aunt and the hurt she’d caused us. We needed the reminder that there was more connecting us than just that. And here we found it.”
Craig’s heart had started to pound as soon as she mentioned her aunt and the abuse she’d caused them. A fierce wave of protectiveness rushed over him and he found himself mentally promising not to let anything happen to this woman.
His feelings for her were growing intense too fast. He knew that. But it was also a fucking rush, a thrill he hadn’t expected from life.
“Do you still live with your sister?” He managed to speak normally despite the deep thoughts and emotions he was experiencing.
“Yeah. We actually live in Morningside. We moved there three months ago when the business picked up. It’s a nice flat.”
“Why don’t I walk you to it?”
Rain bit her lip in thought and Craig wanted to bite it for her instead. “Just walking me to my flat?”
“No funny business.” He reiterated his promise from a few weeks ago.
“Okay.”
They were passing a bakery in Bruntsfield when Rain made a moaning noise that caused his blood to heat.
“Oh, I love this place.” She gestured to the bakery window. “They have these delicious little cupcakes but they’re so expensive. I treat myself to a box every few months.”
She went to pass the place but Craig wrapped his hand around her waist and tugged her gently toward the shop door.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer. Instead he led her inside, smiling at the girl behind the counter before dropping his gaze to the cakes. He spotted the cupcakes. According to the signs there were chocolate and caramel, pecan and maple, raspberry ripple, lemon drizzle, and vanilla and strawberry.
“What are your favorites?” he said.
Rain stared at him wide-eyed. “You can’t buy me cupcakes.”
“Why not?”
She opened her mouth to answer and seemed to realize there was no reasonable answer. She finally settled on, “You just can’t.”
He grunted in amusement. “You can tell me your favorite or I’ll choose for you.”
“If I remember correctly her favorites are chocolate and caramel and raspberry ripple,” the girl behind the counter offered with a giggle.
Craig grinned at her and she blushed. “Thank you. We’ll have three of each.”
“Three of . . .” Rain grabbed his hand. “You don’t have to do that.”
He looked down at where she held him and smiled before squeezing her hand. “I know I don’t.” He paid the girl and took the box of cupcakes before handing them to Rain.
She stared at the box as if it were precious gold. Tentatively she took it and then looked up at him with a warmth in her gaze that made him feel ten feet fall. “I’ll share with you.”
Tenderness mingled with desire soared through him. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Rain was quiet when they left the bakery and Craig worried she was taking the gesture and overanalyzing it in her head. He was just about to voice his concerns when she gestured across the street and said, “The library. Gosh, I haven’t been to the library in years. I miss it.”
He was bemused by the somewhat random comment. “Aye? Well I haven’t been in a library ever. School library when forced but not a public library.”
Her eyes grew round with astonishment as she stopped in the middle of the pavement. “You’ve never been in a library?”
“Never.”
“Well we’re going in, then.”
“It’s okay. I’ve never been that inclined to go in.”
“But you’re missing out.” She started hurrying toward the crossing and Craig had no choice but to follow her across the street to the library. “When I was a kid and things were really bad I’d go the library,” she said, and he felt that pang in his chest again picturing her as this lonely wee girl searching for solace somewhere. “It was just a building, but inside was magic.”
They stopped and stared at the library entrance.
“I could be a kid in America who was part of this amazing babysitters club, or I could be the Count of Monte Cristo seeking revenge. I could be a pirate in the Mediterranean or Wendy in Neverland or Lucy in Narnia. I could be anyone but who I was. And back then I needed it.”
“Rain,” he said, the word sounding hoarse because there was a large lump of emotion in his throat caused by her retrospection.
She seemed to shake herself, throwing him an offbeat smile. “I don’t need the place so much anymore, but I’m taking you in here just so you can smell it.”
