Here With Me (Adair Family 1)

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It wasn’t just that Robyn had an amazing body.

It never was about that.

There was something about her.

He’d never wanted inside a woman so badly in his life, to watch and listen and feel her come around him. The need was madness.

And the dress … well, the dress just tipped him over an edge he’d been teetering on for weeks.

“Do I have to intervene?” His brother’s voice sounded at his ear.

Reluctantly, Lachlan dragged his gaze off Robyn and Kelvin to find Thane at his side.

His brother smirked at him.

He scowled. “What?”

Thane nodded toward the dance floor. “You’re making it pretty obvious.”

Lachlan clenched his jaw. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the fact that you’ve been prowling around Mac’s daughter all night and while she might be oblivious to it, the rest of us aren’t. Including your date.”

“What?” Lachlan blinked. Shit. Leighanne. He glanced around, searching for her. “Where is she?”

“Last I checked, sitting in the empty reception room, staring sadly out the window.” Thane clapped him on the shoulder. “Think you might have gotten this one’s hopes up, brother. I suggest you go apologize for some hurt feelings. That way we won’t have you brawling with Kelvin Sutherland over Robyn.”

Feeling defensive, Lachlan brushed Thane’s hand off his shoulder without a word and went in search of Leighanne. It took a lot of self-control not to look back at Robyn, but he was a grown man. A slightly drunk one, but he had enough of his faculties together to remind himself he didn’t want people gossiping that he was mooning over the woman.

Finding Leighanne exactly where Thane said she was, at the other side of the hotel in the small, empty sitting room off reception, Lachlan took a seat beside her on the sofa.

“You okay?”

She picked at an invisible thread on her purse. “I wondered when you’d notice I wasn’t there.”

Despite the fact they both knew this was just a casual thing, it was still bloody rude and hurtful of him to not pay attention to the woman he’d invited as his date. “I’m sorry.”

“You know, I thought she might be lying because she had a thing for you … but then I watched you … and she’s right. It’s not her, it’s you. You can’t keep your eyes off her.”

“What are you talking about?”

Leighanne guffawed. “Oh, come on, Lachlan, it’s so obvious you fancy the pants off Mac’s daughter. It wasn’t to me at first, but then she told me you kissed her, that you propositioned her—”

“What?” he bit out angrily. What the bloody devil was Robyn playing at?

“That’s what she said. Was she lying?”

No. But what right did she have to tell Leighanne?

Unless … she was jealous too?

The thought filled Lachlan with satisfaction, just as much as it pissed him off that she’d interfered with him and Leighanne.

“I think we should end this, Lachlan, before my feelings become any more involved.”

He shouldn’t have invited her to the ceilidh. Thane was right. He’d sent the wrong message by doing so, and it was selfish of him. “I’m sorry, Leighanne. You deserve better.”

She shrugged. “You never made any promises. And it was fun while it lasted. That’s what I’ll take from it.”

“Then you’re a better person than I am.” He pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek. “Thank you.”

She patted his hand and stood. “Do you mind if the driver takes me back to the castle so I can collect my things?”

“Stay.” Lachlan stood too. “You can drive back in the morning.”

“No. I’d like to leave,” she said, chin set stubbornly. “I haven’t been drinking.”

He knew that. Leighanne was teetotal. She’d never said why, and he’d never asked. “Then at least let one of my men drive you back to Glasgow. It’ll make me feel better.”

“I’m a big girl, Lachlan. I can drive myself home.”

Sensing he wasn’t going to win the argument, he said, “I’m coming back with you to the castle.”

“No!” She winced and softened her tone. “I just want to be alone. Stay. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

He sighed. “Let me know when you get home safely.”

Leighanne smirked. “Okay, Dad.”

Seconds later, Lachlan watched from the hotel’s main entrance as his driver, Dave, pulled away with Leighanne in the back of the Range Rover. Upon removing his phone from his sporran, he dialed security at the castle. Explaining the situation, he offered overtime to one of his men to follow Leighanne back to Glasgow to make sure she arrived home safely. After hanging up, he stared out onto the empty Castle Street, lit only by the old-fashioned streetlamps and the moon above in a clear, starry sky.

Guilt was a feeling Lachlan hated. He suffered enough of it on a daily basis because of his brothers; he did not want to feel it over a woman. Especially when his words hadn’t chased off Leighanne.