A Highland Heist A Contemporary Highland Romance Book Three (22 page)

Conall answered it as Maggie’s heart pounded away, her muscles knotted with tension. He said little, listening instead, the few words he’d spoken giving little indication as to what was being said. So many things could go wrong.

He hung up. “At this point, the plan is that they’ll raid the place in the wee hours of the morning. They figure that’ll be their best bet for getting yer brother out of there safely. Things might change if they see an opportunity, but Thorsen will do his best to keep us updated.”

She pulled herself away from her emotions, and concentrated on what was important-getting her brother back. “You should know-and ye’ll probably want to tell Iain as well-but I believe that Andrew is indeed working with Sean. My brother went looking for Sean last night, hoping that with a few pints, Sean might slip up and give something away to help find my brother. He saw him talking to Andrew down one of the alleys. Makes me wonder if Andrew may have also been responsible for all those problems on the site, the mangled wires, the alarm on my bus being set off.” It might not be him, but Maggie doubted it.

“Well, ye’ve suspected him for a while now.” With a shake of his head, his lips pursed with annoyance. “I knew that bastard was up to something. From the very start, something felt off about him.”

She managed a small laugh, happy she could still do so. “Are ye sure it wasn’t just jealousy?”

“Ye can’t blame me for wanting to keep ye to myself when ye’re my very heart.” He cupped her cheek, his eyes locked on hers, his gaze so intense she struggled to not look away. “I want ye back, Maggie. We belong together.”

“And last night? Did we not belong together then when you turned me away?” She wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and wipe the slate clean, but she was annoyed and frustrated and hurt. “How could ye give up on us so easily-especially once ye knew the circumstances?”

“Och, love. I hadn’t given up. And ye’re right to be angry with me. I was letting my past get in the way of following my heart. I only hope ye can find it in ye to forgive me for being such a fool.” His fingers brushed her cheek, his eyes still on hers, holding her heart and soul captive. “I love ye, Maggie, and that never ceased to be the case.”

She could feel her defenses melting, but still managed to hold her ground. “I’m not ready to take ye back, Conall. Ye broke my heart.” Yet there was one more truth she needed to face. “And what if we’re too alike-too broken from our pasts and ready to run just so we won’t get hurt again?”

“I’m not going anywhere, love-and neither are you. I’m committed to making this work, because I know there’s no one else who’ll ever make me as happy as you do. I just need ye to give me-give us-another chance.” He dropped his forehead to hers, cupping the back of her neck, his breathing ragged with emotion. “I’m begging ye, Maggie. Let me prove to ye that I’m worthy of yer love.”

She shook her head in frustration, annoyed that she was having such a hard time staying angry with him. He’d made his decision, damn it, and as a result, she’d made hers. And yet…she knew he was right. She couldn’t imagine ever being happy with anyone but Conall. “Ye’re a pain in the arse. Ye know that, right?”

He smiled and kissed her, his eyes alight. “Aye, love. I know. And yet ye love me anyway.”

Forcing her emotions away, she put a finger on his chest and pushed him back, her gaze stern. “You being a pain in the arse does
not
mean I’m taking ye back, Conall.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” With a smile, he brought her hand to his lips. “What if ye keep me company while I wait for Thorsen to call with an update? That way ye’ll have the information as soon as he rings. Given how spotty cell service is around here, ye might not want to chance being in a dead zone when he calls.”

He wasn’t making it easy for her to walk away, knowing that if she stayed in his presence, she’d have a hard time not succumbing to his charms and her heart. Still…it was news about her brother. “Only if ye make those crepes of yours-and ye keep your distance. I’m not daft, Conall. I know this is nothing but one of yer ploys.”

When he laughed out loud, his smile only made her want him more. “My ploys? Ye make it sound like I’m a schemer. And maybe I am, since I’d do anything to make ye love me once more. Anything to make ye stay.” His mood turned serious, his smile fading. “Ye can’t leave in a week’s time, Maggie. Not when there are so many reasons for you to stay.”

She had to look away, helpless to keep the tears from falling, the rollercoaster ride of emotions taking their toll. “I never stopped loving ye, Conall. You know that.”

“Aye. Just like ye know that I never stopped loving you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Conall couldn’t bear to think he might lose her. If she left, it’d be impossible to convince her to give him one more chance. Still…she had yet to go. There was still time to change her mind.

His eyes wandered over the ancient stones, his gaze lingering on the one with a hole in its center. For thousands of years, lovers had used it to declare their love, their hands passed through the opening and their promises spoken, linking their hearts and souls together as one. It was all he had-a bridge for the chasm. “I swear it on the lover’s stone-ye’re my everything, Maggie. The blood in my veins, the air I breathe. Without you, nothing else matters, my love. I’m asking ye for a chance to make things right between us.”

She cupped his cheek as her eyes searched his face and sent his heart racing. He couldn’t help but lean into her touch, turning to kiss her palm. Gently, she pulled her hand away. “We should go.”

“Aye, we should.” He managed a smile, refusing to let disappointment set in. She hadn’t given him an answer-but that also meant she hadn’t turned him away. There was still hope. “Ye wanted crepes, right? Why don’t we do that then? It’ll also give me a chance to check my email to see if Thorsen’s sent anything.”

They got back to his home just as the sun was setting, the sky painted in pinks and blues. The last of the day’s light poured through the large windows that flanked his fireplace. It didn’t take long to get a fire going, and after being out in the brisk wind, the warmth of it was comforting.

“I got ye a whisky. I don’t like to drink alone, and right about now, I need a drink.” Maggie handed him a glass and propped herself against the arm of the leather sofa, watching him toss a few more pieces of wood on the fire, sparks dancing on the heat as they floated up to die as ash.

He stood and turned towards her, taking a long sip from his glass before reaching over and giving her hand a squeeze, knowing how worried she was about her brother. “Dinnae fash, love. Thorsen’s good at what he does. He’ll make sure Aidan gets back to ye safe.”

She nodded and looked down at her drink, but Conall could see all her emotions riding just under the surface of her delicate skin, even if she was doing her best to hold it together. “What if something goes wrong? What if he’s hurt in the process?”

“Och, love. Ye’ve got to stay positive.” He pulled her to him and cradled her head against his shoulder, his own heart aching to see her so upset when there was little he could do but be there for her. “Let’s get ye fed, aye? It’s hard to find hope on an empty stomach.”

Grabbing the ingredients he’d need, he decided to try to distract her from her worries. “Come on. I’m going to teach ye how to make crepes.”

Her shoulders slumped and she rolled her head. “I’m in no mood, Conall.”

“Well, I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides, if ye’re leaving in a week’s time, then ye’ll need to know how to make these on yer own. I can’t have ye turning up on my doorstep every time ye’re craving crepes.”

He had to smile when she glared at him. “You wish, boyo.”

By the gods, he loved everything about her. He set the bowl in front of her. “Start with the eggs. This is more of a method than a recipe, so you can make any amount ye want. For the two of us, I’d say three to four eggs should do.”

She cracked the eggs in the bowl and took the whisk he handed her. “Believe it or not, I do know how to cook.”

“Didn’t say ye didn’t. Now whisk in enough flour to thicken it. About the consistency of a very thick cake batter.” He slid the bag of flour and a spoon over to her, and then dug out a chopstick.

While she added the flour, he moved behind her and slipped his hands under her hair, gathering it up to expose that gorgeous length of neck. He then twisted her hair up and pinned it in place with the chopstick, his hands trailing down her arms.

Unable to resist, he kissed that sweet spot where her neck curved into her shoulder, but his heart ached when she stiffened. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have.”

She sighed and her shoulders relaxed just a little. “Don’t be sorry. Actually…it was nice.” She looked over at him with a tentative smile before turning back to the batter. “How’s this look?”

“A little more flour. That’ll keep the crepes from tearing and being too delicate when we try to flip them.” He grabbed the milk and tried to concentrate on cooking rather than getting his hopes up. Still…she’d said it was nice. He sighed with relief. At least it was a step in the right direction. “Now stir in enough milk to bring the mixture to the consistency of cream. Add a pinch of salt, a drop of vanilla and a spoonful or two of sugar, and ye’re good to go.”

Conall reached around her and grabbed a large non-stick pan and placed it on the stovetop, setting the burner to medium. When he felt her eyes on him, he threw her a smile. “Ye know, having ye around has absolutely ruined my reputation for being a cantankerous grump.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Ye’re nothing but trouble, Conall Stewart. And I appreciate this-trying to distract me.”

“Distract ye?” He gave her a crooked smile, his eyes full of mischief. “My dear sweet Maggie, if I was trying to distract ye from yer troubles, I could certainly think of better ways than cooking. Not that ye’d be interested.”

“Ye’re not going to goad me into sex, Conall.” She turned to him with one eyebrow perked, and a stern gaze, like a librarian who’d caught a noisy child. “Now, are ye going to tell me how to cook these?”

“Aye, seeing that I’m in no mood for crepes thick as shoe leather. I’ll do the first, and then you can have a go.” He spread a pat of butter over the hot surface and then took the pan off the heat, holding it in the air. Using a ladle, he poured the batter into the pan, quickly swirling it to coat the entire surface and then returned it to the heat. After a minute or two, he removed the crepe from the pan, flipped it for a minute and then set it aside on a large plate. “I find the pan’s just a wee bit hot if it’s still on the stove when ye pour yer batter, and it’ll keep the batter from easily coating the pan. If need be, a bit more milk can be added to thin the batter.”

He stepped to the side and leaned against the counter to watch her. She repeated his steps, but the batter didn’t make it all the way around. She laughed. “All right. I’ll admit, ye made it look easy.”

He flicked his eyebrows up with a teasing smile, happy she’d forgotten a few of her troubles, even if only for a short while. “Here. We’ll do it together.”

She buttered the pan and got a ladle of batter. He came up from behind her and placed his hand gently over hers, trying to ignore the way his pulse raced as their bodies brushed against each other. The moment she poured the batter, he got her swirling it around, his hand guiding hers to get the speed right. “Just keep moving it until it coats the pan evenly.”

She set it back down on the heat for a few minutes more before flipping the crepe and removing it to a plate. She looked over her shoulder at him with a wide smile and then turned to face him. “How do ye like that?”

“Only because ye had an amazingly wonderful teacher, aye?” Conall laughed and then gave her a quick peck though he didn’t linger, not wanting to push things. “So, is that all ye’re feeding us? I’m starving, lass.”

“You’re such a cheeky bastard.” She turned back to the crepes and got started on the next one when Conall’s phone chimed.

Conall pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the text message. “It’s Thorsen. The team’s together and they’re on for tonight. He’s also coordinated with our local police to pick up Sean at the same time, so he’s not tipped off. We’ll have news by morning at the latest.”

“Morning. And then it’ll all be over, right?” Her words came out all a tumble, her breaths shallow. “He’ll be home safe?”

“Aye, love.” Needing to comfort her, he pulled her into his arms, his heart racing with hope when she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. With her head resting against his shoulder, he held her close. “It’s nearly over.”

Though she stayed there in his arms a few moments more, it wasn’t nearly enough for him. Not when she might leave him for good. She turned back to the stove, but she was still a shaky mess. “I still haven’t fed ye. You must be starving.”

He covered her hand with his when she grabbed the pan. “I’ll take care of it, love. Why don’t ye get some jams and cream out of the fridge, unless ye prefer something savory.”

She stood there, her gaze finding his as she wrapped her arms around herself. “Ye’re a good man, Conall.”

With a crooked smile, he leaned over and gave her a peck on her cheek. “Just don’t go telling anyone. That’s our little secret.”

***

Waiting to hear from Thorsen had time trickling by slower than ice melting on a day hovering just above freezing. Conall had tried to keep the conversation going, but no matter the topic, it didn’t take long before Maggie fell into silence, the worry in her eyes paining him. He needed to distract her, but didn’t think she’d be up for his normal methods.