“Are you all right?” I asked as he unbuttoned his kilt jacket and shot me an assessing glance.
He shrugged, his gaze dipping down my body, and back up to my face. “You look well. Happy.”
“I am,” I said truthfully.
“Arran?”
I nodded, even though talking about his brother made me uncomfortable considering the years-long flirtation that had gone on between Brodan and me.
But Brodan smiled wearily. “I am glad. For you both. My brother’s a good man.”
Relief moved through me. I knew they had a rough history with Monroe, and I was soothed to hear it wasn’t affecting Brodan’s opinion of Arran.
I looked past his shoulder to where Arran was still talking with those women. Brodan followed my stare and then looked back at me.
I shrugged. “I wish he’d flirt less, but that’s an Adair trait, I think.”
“He’s not flirting. Believe me.” Brodan sighed. “He’s just social.”
“It looks like flirting to me, but it’s okay. I trust him.”
“You should. I’ve never seen my brother look at a woman the way he looks at you.” He glanced over his shoulder at Arran, and we discovered he was looking our way. Brodan sighed and turned back to me. “I’ve watched him all day with you. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to other women.”
“I know that.” I leaned over and touched his arm. “Brodan, are we okay?”
“Of course, we’re okay. Ery, I just want you to be happy.”
At the abject misery I saw buried behind that Adair twinkle, I pushed. “Are you okay?”
For a moment, something flickered across his gaze, and he hesitated. But before he could respond, Arran slid up to the table with our drinks and set them in front of Brodan.
He clamped a hand on Brodan’s shoulder. “Sorry, Bro, didn’t get you anything. Want me to go back and order something for you?”
Brodan shook his head and stood. “Nah, I think I’ll go spend some time with my niece and nephew.”
He was gone before another word could be exchanged.
Arran narrowed his eyes on him and then took his seat. “Everything all right?”
“Between us, yes. But with him …” I watched Brodan pick Eilidh up and spin her, squeals of delight cutting through the music. “I’m worried about him.”
“Me too.” Arran moved closer to me, stretching his arm around the back of my chair. “He looks fucking exhausted.”
“He’s working too hard.”
Studying my face now, Arran asked, “He say anything else?”
“Not really. He was just keeping me company while you flirted.” I wrinkled my nose at him.
He smirked. “I wasn’t flirting. It’s called conversation with a member of the opposite sex.”
“It looked like flirting from here. She kept touching your arm.”
“I wasn’t flirting.” He kissed my nose. “I promise.”
“I don’t mind if you were. You can’t help yourself. But I trust you.”
Instead of this pleasing him, Arran scowled. “I can’t help myself? I wasn’t flirting, Ery.”
Surprised at his vehemence, I held up my hands defensively. “Okay, I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, he gripped the nape of my neck and pulled me none too gently toward him. His lips crashed down on mine. It was a hard, sexual, claiming kiss, and extremely inappropriate in public. But I couldn’t seem to yank myself out of it.
It was only when we heard a voice yell, “Get a room!” over the music that we parted. Flushing as wedding guests laughed, I caught Arro turning on the dance floor to smack Will playfully across the biceps. Will was Regan’s friend, fiancé to Jock, one of the estate security guards. Jock had a son from a previous relationship and was a single father when Will, an artist, arrived in Ardnoch and swept Jock into a romance he’d never expected. When Regan was nanny to Eilidh and Lewis, she’d met Will at the school gates, and they’d formed a fast friendship.
I didn’t know him that well, but that didn’t seem to stop him from catcalling us.
“Sorry,” Arran murmured, his gaze searching mine. “Just … I know I was a player before, but that was long before you. There’s been no one but you in months, and I never want you to think that this isn’t serious for me or that I think it’s okay to flirt with other women.”
Lord, now I felt bad. “Arran, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I misinterpreted it and … I’m sorry.”
He brushed his mouth over mine. “You’re all I see.”
My breath caught, my pulse racing. “You’re all I see.”
A cry broke the moment, and we turned to see what the ruckus was.
Shock jolted through me as Arran cursed and lunged from his chair.
Brodan laid sprawled on his back in the middle of the dance floor while Eilidh sobbed and Arro bent over him, searching his neck for a pulse.
32
ARRAN
Brodan stared belligerently at Lachlan, quite a feat considering how knackered he was. I had Arro, still in her wedding dress, tucked into my side as Lachlan glowered down at our brother. Thane stood behind Lachlan, arms crossed over his chest, wearing an equally pissed-off expression.