Catch My Breath

“The one in London?”

“Yep.”

“Why isn’t she getting married there?”

This guy was awfully nosey.

“They thought it would be romantic to have a wedding at a Scottish castle. Her fiancé is from Newcastle, so it was either London, Newcastle or Scotland.” I shrugged, stealing a glance at him.

“How long will you be in Glasgow?”

“We leave—“

“We?”

“Yeah. My best friend and I. She’s—”

“She,” he said quietly. Bright emerald irises slid over my face as he traced one of his slender fingers along his mouth. I wanted to snap at him for all the interrupting, but a flurry of nerves ran through my stomach. It’s not physically possible for someone to become more attractive overnight, is it? I blinked myself out of this hypnotic state.

“Oi! We’re off to eat, mate. Come on,” an impatient, stocky man yelled.

Tall, Dark and Sexy clearly didn’t enjoy being at the receiving end of that. His expression hardened as he turned around. I could only imagine the look he gave the other guy. It must have been scathing because the poor soul abruptly left.

When he faced me again his eyes were blazing hot.

“Finished with your run? I can drive you back to—”

“No,” I blurted out. “I mean, I’m not done yet, but thank you.”

The thought of sitting in an enclosed space with him was too much to handle. Standing this close to him in an open field was challenging enough.

“You’re sure? You look a bit out of breath.”

“Doubting my stamina?” I put my hands on my hips, narrowing my eyes.

The corner of his mouth ticked up into a small grin. “Not at all. I’m quite sure you can go for a while, but jogging can be taxing on the body. A slow and steady climb is best to achieve maximum results.”

I wasn’t entirely sure we were talking about exercise anymore. I couldn’t form a sentence, so I stared at him.

“Don’t let me keep you.”

He gestured to the field. That little mischievous grin rankled me to the core. He’s teasing me. He’s got me flustered and now he’s teasing me. In an instant he managed to turn me on and turn me off simultaneously.

I still couldn’t form a complete sentence, which pissed me off.

“Okay then. Nice to see you again.” He kept grinning and sauntered off toward the parking lot leaving me in a funk. Annoyed by my pre-teen giddiness, I turned up my iPod and ran like hell.

Stephanie was awake and all bright eyed and bushy tailed when I got back. She buzzed around the suite in a huge fluffy robe, laying clothes on the couch.

“Hey. How was your run?”

“Eventful.” I tossed my iPod on the end table and plopped onto the chair.

“Oh really?” She stopped fussing with the clothes. “How so?”

Since we hadn’t had a chance to chat about what happened at the benefit, I quickly relayed the story, and then told her what happened at the field. She blinked at me like I had fifty heads.

“Did you get his phone number?”

“No.”

“What? Why not?”

“It really didn’t cross my mind.”

“Didn’t cross your mind? Honestly Lia,” she huffed. “It’s like you forgot how to flirt. You run into the same hot guy twice and act like it’s no big deal. And why didn’t you ask his name?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting to see him on my morning jog.”

“Well, we’ll have to stalk every tall, super toned, hot guy with red hair in Glasgow while we’re here then, won’t we?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh please. The old Lia would not only have asked his name and gotten a number, she’d be out having drinks with him right now.”

I fought back a smile. “I hate it when you’re right.”

“Maybe he’ll be at the soccer game,” she teased. “Darren did say he was bringing a friend.”

“Yeah, right,” I snorted. “You watch too many sappy chick flicks.”

“So jaded,” she sighed.

All talk of the mystery man took a backseat as we prepared for our day out with Darren. He’d bought us tickets to see his team and already announced his intention to convert us into loyal followers. I didn’t understand soccer at all, but the players were nice to look at.

I showered and threw on my favorite pair of faded jeans, a light sweater and sneakers. Seeing as we’d be outside all day, I figured casual was best.

“Braids and a baseball hat?” Stephanie giggled.

“It’s comfortable. Besides, if the weather goes sour and it starts to rain I'll be covered.”

“Always so prepared,” Stephanie remarked as she slid on her vintage sunglasses. “Alright, Sporty Barbie, ready to go?"

"Let's do this.”

Groups of young men and women clad in various team apparel lined the street leading up to the pub. The air was thick with cigarette smoke and excited chatter. The sun was shining and many people were taking advantage of the rare, nice weather.

"This is insanity. Look at all these people. Figures that Darren would pick the most popular area to meet." Stephanie craned her neck to get a better view through the throng of sports fans. She had a good three inches on me so I just watched all the people nearby.

I became very engrossed in a trio of young men to my right. They debated the merits of one player over another on a particular team. I hadn't the foggiest idea what they were talking about, but enjoyed listening to their accents.

An elbow suddenly greeted me in the side.

"Ow! What the hell?"

"Sorry, sorry. I see Darren. Let's go."

We navigated our way through several groups of people standing on the sidewalk. Once we reached a clearing, I spotted Darren. His spiky blond hair was immobile in the breeze as he chatted to someone next to him. My view of the other person was obstructed by a rather tall, lanky guy. As soon as he walked away, I sucked in a breath.

“Holy shit.” I stopped short.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“That’s him,” I barely squeaked out. Stephanie paused and followed my gaze. I drank in every inch of him. Faded black jeans molded to his toned legs perfectly. His lean upper body was showcased in a tight, long sleeved gray cotton shirt. Snap out of it, Meyers.

“Shut the front door, no it’s not.”

I didn’t have a chance to answer her. Darren saw us and waved us over. I married my eyes to the pavement and took a deep breath.

“Hey, you two. I ordered up some nice, Florida sunshine for today. What do you think?”

“Not bad,” Stephanie laughed.

Glancing up at Darren from under the rim of my hat, I could feel the other guy staring at me.

“Lia, Stephanie. This is Alastair Holden. He’s coming to the match with us. Don’t let his ginger hair frighten you.”

Even his name dripped with elegance. I squared my shoulders and boldly fixed my stare on him. So help me God, he was incredible.

“Get your eyes checked, MacCourty,” he said dryly. “It’s nice to see you again, Amelia.”

Darren’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He looked from Alastair to me. “You two know each other?”

“We met last night by the bar,” Alastair answered, “she was having some trouble negotiating the carpet.”

“Well then. We should get walking toward the stadium," Darren said. "It's about a twenty-five minute walk from here and the match starts in forty-five."

Stephanie linked arms with him as they started up the street. "We'll lead the way. You guys try to keep up.”

I fell into step with Alastair. A nervous, twitchy energy radiated from every cell in my body. We walked silently side by side for several minutes.

"So, this rugby thing I saw you playing earlier. When did you start?"

"This rugby thing…" He mimicked me. "You have quite a way with words."

“Are you going to tease me or answer my question?” I raised an eyebrow, looking at him incredulously.

“University.”

“Do you play anything else? Or is rugby it?”

“That’s pretty much it for organized sport. Work doesn’t allow me much free time, so I only get to join in on the weekends every so often.”

“Is this one of those free weekends?”

“It seems to be.”

His arm bumped into mine and I noticed a little smile cross his lips.

“What would you normally be doing if Darren hadn’t asked you to the game?”

“Working, probably.”

“That sounds amazing,” I snickered. “Do you ever have any fun?”

“You are quite the curious kitten, aren’t you? Questions, questions, questions.”

“They’re instrumental in getting answers.” I replied with a grin.

“Fair enough.”

As charming as he was, I could tell he was also extremely guarded. He steered the conversation away from himself so it focused more on me. I was just as guarded though. For the time being, I planned to keep him at arm’s length.

We all huddled at the street corner waiting for the crosswalk signal to change. As we stood in silence, I noticed several women staring at Alastair. They casually sized me up before whispering amongst themselves. He flicked his gaze from me to them. When we got the go-ahead, Alastair placed his hand at the small of my back. It was a light touch, but I was aware of the warmth bleeding through my sweater.

The stadium loomed large in the distance. I could hear singing and chanting the closer we got to it. Darren passed a ticket to each of us.

“Now, this is very important,” he said solemnly, looking at Stephanie and me. “You must only cheer for my side.”

Stephanie burst out laughing at Darren’s seriousness. “It’s just a game, D.”

“It’s so much more than that, Steph,” he exclaimed, turning to walk through the gate. Alastair and I followed close behind. Once we got past the turnstiles, we walked through a tunnel into the stadium. Our seats weren’t too shabby; along midfield, tenth row. Darren attempted to explain the finer aspects of the game to Stephanie. She shot me a pleading look of help and surrendered to his lessons.

“Is this your first proper Scottish football match then?” Alastair asked.

“Yep.”

“If you have any questions I’ll do my best to answer them.”

“Thanks, I think.”

He smiled slightly as we settled back into our seats to watch the start of the match. It was an uneventful game up until the final two minutes.

Tens of thousands of people erupted into a massive throaty cheer as the soccer ball scooted past the keeper and hit the net with a low swoosh. Darren and Stephanie leapt to their feet and joined the celebration. The home team had just taken the lead away from the visiting rivals.

A sea of green and white scarves waved from side to side in a show of solidarity for the home team. The crowd noise didn't let up as the last seconds of the match ticked away. When the final whistle blew, everyone roared.

"Now that was a goal." Darren pumped his fist in the air. "First good win in a while. A celebratory pint is in order.”

Cool, drizzling rain fell as we walked toward the main road. I stifled an I-told-you-so while watching Stephanie cower away from the droplets.

Oodles of iconic black cabs zipped through the streets. Alastair hailed one effortlessly. Stephanie bolted inside as soon as it stopped. Darren joined her, leaving me alone with Alastair for several seconds. When I made my move, he wrapped his fingers around the doorframe, blocking my ability to get in.

“I have to admit, I’m not much of a football fan. I almost told Darren ‘no’ today.”

“What changed your mind?”

A sly grin curled his lips. “He said he wanted to introduce me to his American friends, Stephanie and Lia. Since I learned your name this morning, I figured you would be one of them.”

He came to see me? My knees almost gave out. A crazy, voracious tremor of desire raced through me. I brushed past him and climbed in. Stephanie gave me a funny look as I settled into the little jump seat facing the three of them. The cab was severely lacking in the visual stimulation department. I struggled to find a place to rest my eyes that wasn’t tall, lean, sinewy and hot. Alastair looked far too amused at the expense of my discomfort.

Thankfully, the cab ride back to our hotel in the West End was quick. Darren suggested we all go to a restaurant nearby for some sandwiches and drinks. I dove into my burger the minute it hit the table. My stomach snarled angrily at the unintentional neglect it had received over the past few days.

"They don't feed you in the states?" Alastair asked in mock disbelief. "I would assume you could get a good hamburger there on any street corner."

"Lia has spent most of the past day sleeping," Stephanie teased.

“I said it last night, I’ll say it again. Have more pints. Never mind the sleep," Darren waved his hand in the air to ward off the notion.

Stephanie flashed a smile before leaning back against the booth to chat with Darren. I became abundantly aware of Alastair’s presence to my left. His arm brushed mine as he turned to face me.

“Is this your first time abroad then?"

“No,” I paused. “Where in England are you from?”

“Ascot. It’s to the west of London.”

“Ascot? Like the races?” Visions of big hats and suits with tails popped into my head.

“Yes, like the races.” He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and took another bite of the burger. He ran a hand through his hair. It looked so soft and silky. I clenched my fist to stop myself from reaching out and touching it.

"What do you think so far?" he asked, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. “Of Scotland, I mean.”

The hamburger lodged in my throat. Trying to eat next to this beautiful creature was not for amateurs. Every move he made was calculated and seductive.

Draping his arm across the back of the booth, his fingers brushed against the curve of my shoulder. I noticed Stephanie sneak a glance in my direction and grin. I sat up straighter, giving her a look.

"I haven't really seen much of it, but so far so good," I answered.

His fingers traced my shoulder, then the nape of my neck. It was a soft touch, but it was powerful. I fought to maintain a serene expression as I studied his features. He really was fiercely handsome. His fair skin was porcelain smooth. Charm oozed from him, along with a huge dose of raw sexuality. Against my better judgment, I was hooked.

“How was the rest of your run this morning?” he asked, hovering the bottle of beer in front of his sculpted lips. He parted them and waited for my response. I nearly slipped off the seat. He took a sip and smiled slightly.

“Fine.”

“Just ‘fine’?”

I shrugged. He touched my shoulder again. A surge of heat rushed through me.

“Sounds like you weren’t able to achieve maximum satisfaction. Need a personal trainer?”

I held my breath and counted to ten before answering. Jesus.

“Let me guess. You think you’re the perfect guy for the job,” I smirked.

Alastair’s eyes darkened. Whatever shield he had in place over them slid away unleashing a fiery intensity. We just stared at each other. I moistened my lips almost as a reflex.

“Do you have plans tonight?” he asked, not releasing me from his tractor beam stare.

“No,” I answered, a bit too breathy. “Why?”

“Thought maybe I could show you around the city. Football and charity benefits aren’t a proper way to see Glasgow.”

“Hey,” Darren interrupted, leaning forward. “I hate to cut this short, but I gotta go. We’ll walk you girls back to the hotel.”

“That’s not necessary Darren. I’ll walk Lia back when we’re finished. You two can go.” He leaned back, lowering his hands to his lap.

The calm, commanding tone he used sent a shockwave through me. I saw Stephanie’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“I won’t be too much longer,” I said, finally finding my voice.

The three of them had a brief conversation but I wasn’t aware of any of it. I was too busy focusing on the circular strokes he was making on my thigh. His powerful energy surrounded me, invading every fiber of my being. Thank goodness the table was wide enough to cover up his shenanigans. I snapped awake just as they walked off. The sounds and smells of the restaurant came roaring back, clanging through my brain.

“What are you doing?” I barked, jerking my leg away.

“Nothing,” he muttered, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket. He dropped a handful of bills on the table. “Let’s go for a walk.”

We stepped out into the crisp evening air. I hoped it would knock a few degrees off my increased body temperature. Alastair placed his hand at the small of my back, guiding me down the sidewalk. I had no idea where he was taking me, but since it was a busy street, I figured kidnapping was out of the question.

He glanced over his shoulder before gently taking my elbow and moving me towards a cluster of trees next to a nearby building. There was a nice little park-like atmosphere with benches and shrubbery. My blood froze as his luminous eyes locked with mine.

“Can I see you again tomorrow?”

“We’re supposed to be going to Edinburgh for the day.”

“Change your plans.” It wasn’t so much a question as it was an order.

I crossed my arms and gave him a look. “I’m not going to ditch Stephanie.”

“Is Darren going with you tomorrow?” he asked, moving closer to me.

“Yep.”

“He’ll be more than enough company for your friend.” He pulled gently on the end of my braid. It resonated deep within me, setting off a spark. I had to get away from him.

“Alastair, I’m not—”

He held my face, the warmth of his skin washing over me. “Tell me you don’t feel whatever this is between us, and I’ll walk away now.”

CHAPTER THREE

Blood pounded in my ears while Alastair traced his fingers along my jaw. His movements were smooth and controlled, as though he was afraid he'd spook me. I lost my ability to breathe as my mouth went dry. His verdant gaze made my knees shake.

Of course I felt whatever it was that hummed between us. I felt it since last night but I’d never admit it to him.

“I should get back to the hotel.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t come here looking for this,” I snapped, my voice rising. “If anything, I want to get away from it.”

“My kitten has claws.” His smug grin irked me.

“I’m not your kitten. I don’t want whatever it is you’re offering,” I grumbled.

Staring at me for several seconds, he stroked the curve of my cheek then dipped his mouth close to my ear.

“Your body betrays you, Lia.”

Desire ran thickly through my veins as he slowly moved his hands down my neck, over my shoulders and onto my waist. I wet my dry lips, eliciting a small groan from him. It was a gorgeous sound, immediately conjuring images of him and I tangled together on the ground where we stood. I was in the middle of a busy city on a sidewalk, yet he made me feel like we were completely alone.

My walls finally went up with a resounding bang, enabling me to snap myself out of his powerful trance.

“I can’t…I’m not interested in being a one-night stand for you.”

I pulled away from him sharply and walked back to the hotel on wobbly legs. I willed myself to make it to the elevators. The concierge smiled warmly as I stumbled past. When the elevator arrived I jumped in like it was my salvation. Thankfully nobody else was around. I slumped against the wall and exhaled.

I didn’t stop shaking until I was safely in the room.

“You’re back already?” Stephanie yelled from the bathroom. “I’m taking a bubble bath. We’ll talk when I’m done.”

Collapsing onto the couch, I covered my eyes with my arm. My head pounded, my skin tingled and my heart raced. Never in my life had I experienced such a strong reaction to a person. A soft knock at the door startled me.

I shuffled over and opened it without looking through the peephole. A young man dressed in the hotel’s concierge uniform smiled at me.

“Amelia Meyers?”

“Yes.”

“This is for you,” he said, handing me a small envelope.

“Thank you.”

“Cheers, miss. Good night.”

I closed the door, went back to the couch and opened it. Written in perfect block penmanship was a phone number and a simple request: Call me. Please. Alastair x

“That was some serious flirting I saw today. Well done.” Stephanie perched on the edge of the couch, towel drying her hair. I quickly folded the note.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Dammit.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t ‘nothing,’ me. The two of you flirted and circled each other like dogs all day. What happened after Darren and I left?”

“Nothing.”

“You are the worst liar on the planet,” she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “That man is sex on a stick. I could feel the tension between you guys and I wasn’t even taking part in the conversation. You were mentally tearing his clothes off all afternoon. And he’s so primed and ready for you, it’s not even funny.”

“There will be none of that.” I clenched the note, crinkling the paper.

"Oh come on. Enjoy it."

“Is there a particular reason why you want me to have what will most likely be a one-night stand with this guy?”

“He’s hot. His entire physical being exudes wild, uninhibited sex. Do a little something for yourself for once. You need this. Grab him, throw him down and use him for his body.”

“Gee, when you put it like that…”

“You’re a fabulous, successful, available twenty-seven year old woman. But you’ve become too buttoned up and in control all the time. Where’s my spontaneous Lia? My bold Lia? I miss her.”

We exchanged glances. I sighed.

“She’s still there, Steph. It’s just taking me a bit to find her again.”

“Sweetie, just because Nathan turned out to be a grade-A asshole doesn’t mean you should let it rule the rest of your life. You have to live a little.”

* * *

I stared at my cell phone. Ten-thirty. It was still relatively early, but Stephanie had already turned in for the night. I was sitting alone in the suite’s living room, wide-awake and twitchy. The crumpled note beckoned me from the coffee table. It annoyed me that I couldn’t get him out of my mind but I couldn’t help myself. I reached for the phone, ignoring all of my instincts as they screamed in protest.

Taking a deep breath, I dialed Alastair’s number and waited. It rang once. Twice. Three times. Voicemail. I hung up and went to bed.

A frantic, incessant beeping woke me out of a somewhat deep sleep. It was anything but restful anyway, so the interruption wasn’t too unwelcome. I glanced at the time. Two in the morning? Only one person on the planet would have the balls to text me at this hour. Nathan. I cringed, wishing he would leave me alone. The phone beeped again. Grumbling, I grabbed it.

1:58am Hello, Amelia. Sorry I missed your call earlier. Do you always call someone and not leave a message?

Relief swept through me. It wasn’t Nathan. The relief was soon replaced with anticipation. A tiny smile played at the corners of my lips.

2:00am How did you know it was me?

The phone rang in my hand, scaring the hell out of me.

“Hello?”

“I knew it was you because everyone else who has this number knows to leave a message.”

I could almost see his smirk through the phone.

“You’re up late,” I said, stretching.

“I was working. What’s your excuse?”

“Someone texted me at two in the morning.”

He chuckled, low and deep. Lying like this and hearing his voice so intimately close was a turn on. I smiled in spite of myself.

“I don’t want to keep you up. You have a busy day planned tomorrow.”

Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it.

“I’m not going with them.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, grimacing. Eager, much?