“He can drop me off at mine too,” I said.
Lachlan grunted.
I glared at him. “Have him report to you if you’d like. Arro wants to go home alone.”
“Why? What did you do?” Thane demanded.
Arro groaned. “Oh my God, either you don’t want to know what happened between us or you do.”
“Arro …” Thane warned.
“I’m not five anymore, Thane. I’m not obligated to tell you my business, but since I’m afraid you might torture Mac as soon as you get him alone, if you must know, it happened in the heat of the moment. But for now, we’re taking things slow.”
“Jesus Christ, is this how it’ll be?” I huffed. “Detailing every second of our relationship to you two?”
“Not every second,” Lachlan grumbled boyishly.
“Aye, not the bloodcurdling parts,” Thane agreed.
“Bloodcurdling—” Arro moved as if to shove her brother, but I held her back.
“Let’s just agree that is all you get to know about it for now,” I said sternly.
They considered this for a few seconds, then Lachlan said, “Fine. And you have my best wishes.”
“Mine too.” Thane nodded.
I relaxed into Arro, and she grabbed for my hand, as if sensing my tension deflate. Lachlan and Thane were my family, too, after all. I didn’t want to ruin our friendships.
Then Lachlan eyed me, his expression grim, and he warned, “Hurt her, and I’ll kill you.”
“And I’ll find a magical shaman to bring you back to life just so I can kill you harder,” Thane added with absolute seriousness.
Lachlan cut him a look. “Always got to one-up me, eh?”
27
Mac
In search of privacy, I’d chosen this particular restaurant for my first date with Arro because it was a good twenty-five minutes north of Dornoch—and also because it was her favorite. We brought her here on her last birthday, before I ballsed everything up between us. And she’d mentioned that night she wished she had more excuses to come here.
An Aberdeen business friend of Lachlan’s built and owned the restaurant. He had several fine-dining establishments around the country, two of which had garnered Michelin stars. This one, North Star, was situated on a piece of land just off the A9 outside Brora. It perched on the coast with spectacular views across the North Sea.
To be honest, I was more of a burger-and-steak kind of man. Not playing into any stereotype—it’s just the truth. But Arro loved seafood, and this place offered the best menu in the area.
“You didn’t have to bring me here, Mackennon,” Arro said under her breath. I held out a chair for her at a small table by the window. “It’s too much.”
“Hush,” I admonished with a smile and took the seat across from her. We were so close, our feet touched. I imagined her gorgeous legs beneath the table easily enough since she’d worn a tight skirt that stopped at mid-thigh, showcasing said amazing legs and cupping her magnificent arse. Her short-sleeved silk blouse in a striking pale blue matched her eyes.
“And this table.” She widened her eyes at me comically before looking out at the sea. It was still daylight, but the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon, its colors streaming across the water toward us. “How did you get this table? It’s one of the best in the restaurant.”
“Do you think Lachlan’s the only one with some pull?” I teased.
Arro shook her head, smiling. “Apparently not.” Her amusement died slowly, and I understood when she said, “You really didn’t have to make a gesture like this. I would’ve been happy with a bag of fish and chips on the beach.”
And that was one of the reasons I loved her. “I know. But I didn’t want our first official date to be a bag of fish and chips on the beach.”
She took a deep breath, her hand fluttering near her chest. “Whoa, when you said that, it still feels so surreal. We’re on a date. Me and you. After all this time. It’s hard to compute. I spent all day with butterflies in my belly.”