The Scotch Queen (Scotch 2)

“Nope. Flabby as usual.”

“You’re not flabby,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re perfect in every way possible.”

The warmth spread throughout my body when I heard the compliment. The fact that he was sincere made me feel special. He said the sweetest things when I least expected it. He was romantic and affectionate, completely opposite of when we first met. “Maybe you think being flabby is perfect.”

“I think being you is perfect.” He grabbed my cup of tea and took a drink.

“You should be a diplomat.”

“I always know the right things to say, huh?” He poured more hot tea into the cup and added a drop of honey before he leaned back and sipped it.

I hardly saw him drink scotch anymore, and his mood was noticeably lighter. I knew he didn’t quit cold turkey, but at least now he was drinking a reasonable amount. He seemed happier too, but maybe that was because of different reasons. “Get a lot of work done today?”

“There’s not enough hours in the day, even with Ariel working twice as many hours as I do.”

“I’d offer to help, but I doubt I could be useful.”

“Even if you were, I’d rather you sit back and relax.”

And I’d rather be finishing my education so I could do something productive with my life, not sit around and get fat. “How’s Crow?”

He stirred the tea before he set the spoon on the saucer. He was a grown man with enormous hands, so it was comical to see him drink out of a small teacup like a woman at breakfast. “He’s alright.” His mood darkened when I mentioned his client. “I wish Bones had brought Vanessa. It’s a shame he didn’t.”

“I feel so bad for Crow.”

“I’m sure he’ll find a way. When it comes to family, you never stop.”

I hoped for her sake Crow and Cane would figure out a way to save her. No woman should be subjected to that monster. I didn’t like it when he even looked at me. Being touched by him would be pure torture. “Yeah…”

He took another sip of the tea before he handed it back to me. “Have you ever tried it with honey?”

“I can’t say I have.”

“Give it a go.”

I took a sip and enjoyed the smooth sweetness as it moved across my tongue. “Not bad.”

“That’s how my mother used to drink it.”

“Oh…” I was surprised he remembered something like that.

He watched me from his seat, his eyes a mystery since they were hidden behind his sunglasses. I didn’t like it when anything was obstructing his face because it was difficult to figure out what he was thinking.

I leaned forward and slowly pulled the sunglasses off the bridge of his nose and set them on the table. “There. That’s better.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I moved over the table with my elbows resting on the surface and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. “I can see your eyes. And your eyes are my favorite.” I pulled away, seeing his heavy-lidded expression.

A slight smile moved across his mouth, and his eyes narrowed intently on my face. He stared at me with that focused expression, making me feel like the only thing that mattered in this world. It was a look that made me both hot and cold at the same time. “Why?”

“Because I can see your mood, your thoughts.”

“You can read my mind?” he whispered.

“Not your mind. Just your emotions.”

“Then what am I feeling now?”

That was easy. “That you want to keep kissing me. Just kiss me. You don’t want to take it to the bedroom where the clothes will come off. You want to feel our mouths move together, our tongues slide past one another. You want my hands to move up and down your chest while you fist my hair. And you want to keep doing that…until it’s time for you to leave.” I wasn’t sure if that was exactly what was on his mind, but it was on mine. I could tell when he was in a purely sexual mood, and that wasn’t now. But he was definitely affectionate, definitely warm.

His eyes narrowed even more, and the smile left his face. “Maybe you can read my mind.”

“Your eyes give you away.”

“Then maybe I should put those sunglasses back on.”

“No.” I pulled them farther away from his grasp so I could see all of his handsome face. “I want to look at you. It’s much nicer than the view.”

He leaned back into his chair and watched me, his eyes darkening in a way I’d never seen before. He didn’t say another word, and his playfulness disappeared. The silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was heavy with unspoken words, scorching attraction, and everything else that existed between us.

I couldn’t read his mood like I usually could because his thoughts were different from what they ever were before. Something changed. I could feel it in the air as well as see it in his eyes. I just wasn’t sure what that change was.