Her Fictional Fling: Scandals in Scotland Contemporary Romance Series Book 1 (17 page)

Are you nervous?” Lily asked, her voice shrill with excitement.

A smile lifted the corner of Andi’s mouth. “Actually no, I feel awesome.”

“That’s because of the costume.”

Andi cocked an eyebrow at her best friend.

“Alright, alright, it’s also because you’re doing the right thing, and so on and so forth. I know,” Lily said, the huge smile on her face tempering her usual sarcasm.

She wasn’t wrong—the costume was pretty freaking great. The book was set in the summer for the very important reason that the men could wear less clothing, and the designer had taken some liberties with the outfits to please what would likely be a mostly female audience. But Astrid’s dress was traditional and beautiful. There was a woven underdress covered by a
smokkr
, complete with replica tortoise brooches, a pouch, and feaux-leather slippers, exactly as she’d described in the book. She smoothed her hands over the fabric, feeling like she’d stepped into her imagination.

But she knew that this could quickly go from dream to nightmare if Colin wasn’t willing to listen, or if she’d somehow been wrong and he wasn’t open to a real relationship. She hoped that what had happened last night wasn’t all part of the act. He’d never looked more sincere, and that was what she’d chosen to believe when she’d decided to surprise him on the set. He’d called her late the night before—well, it had been closer to the morning—but she hadn’t answered, which was for the best. She needed to do this face-to-face. She had one chance, and she intended to put everything she had into it; she wouldn’t screw this up.

“Alright, we’re back in five…”

Andi pulled in a deep breath. “That’s my cue,” she told Lily, who squealed like a little girl.

“Shhh! You’re going to spoil it.”

“…four, three…”

Andi closed her eyes one last time and shoved open the trailer door, running over the moor until her lungs burned, until she reached Colin. He was with a group of other actors, all dressed in similar period clothing, but he stood out to her. She saw the outline of the bronze shield he held in front of his chest, his dark head facing down toward the ground, so he didn’t notice her approach.

“Astrid, my love,” he recited to the girl who was supposed to be behind him in the scene. “I’ve searched far and wide for you, but I will search no more.” He turned around, seeing Andi for the first time, his eyes wide with astonishment, and—she was delighted to see—joy.

“Nor will I,” Andi said, repeating the words she’d written years ago, when she had nothing else but stories to keep her going. “For I have found my true love, and never shall we be apart.”

She stepped forward and he dropped the shield to his side, laughing as Andi ran forward and burrowed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, swinging her in a circle as the cast and crew cheered and whistled all around. Finally, he stopped spinning and set her on the ground where he kissed the words right out of her mouth.

“Colin, I have so much I want to tell you. I’m so sorry about yesterday, but I just couldn’t do it like that, with the way I’m beginning to feel, and it felt wrong and I just—”

“Andi, stop,” he said, looking down into her eyes as he held her. “You don’t owe me an apology. I was the one who was stupid. I should never have gone through with it after the afternoon we had the other day. I just didn’t know how else to tell you how I felt, how I feel, and I was afraid that if I didn’t stick to the plan, you’d walk away without knowing how serious I am. I was an idiot, Andi. I thought we could just make this about sex. I thought, when I met you, that you would just be a temporary diversion from the mess I’d wound up in, but I was so wrong. The second I touched you I knew something was different. I tried to deny it but…Andi, you’re unlike anyone else in the world, and I want you to be with me. I want you to be mine—” he winked at her—”even if you won’t marry me.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. “I would never hurt you intentionally.”

“I know that,” he said. “But I need you to know that what I feel for you is real, and I believe you’re feeling the same way. I know we’ve both been broken before, and we’re kind of disasters when it comes to the opposite sex, but I want a chance to show you that I care about you more than you could possibly know. If you’ll let me, I think we can even learn to…love again.”

Andi smiled, her heart overflowing with love so strong she could never find adequate words to describe it. “You’re so right. I do feel the same way.”

He kissed her again, his mouth warm and light against hers. The crowd cheered louder and Colin waved them away, his eyes crinkling at the corner with a smile.

“There’s one more thing, though, that’s bothering me,” she said.

He held her out at arm’s length. “Don’t worry, Andi,” he said, his eyes reassuring. “The thing with the press is all taken care of. I’ve dealt with it. Don’t give the bastards another second’s consideration. Nothing like that will happen again.”

She wasn’t so sure. “What if it does though, Colin? You’re a famous actor, and I am not going to get in the way of your career. I respect it and it makes you happy; therefore I’m good with it. But the thing is, there will always be people following you around, looking for a piece of you. It’s not something we’ll be able to avoid.”

Something glimmered in his eyes. “Actually, that may not be the case. I’ve got some news that I think you’ll like.”

He took her arm and led her away from the crowd. Andi glanced back around Colin’s shoulder and found Lily, waving at her from near the trailer. The rest of the cast and crew took the opportunity for an extended break. Andi knew Colin would have to head back to work for the rest of the day, but she planned to enjoy the next few moments with him. It was incredible how much had changed in the course of only a week. Until then, she’d thought things like this happened only in romance novels.

“What’s that?” she asked. “I can’t think of anything I like more than being with you like this. I can arrange to stay a few more weeks, and we can see what happens after that.”

“That’s just it. What I’m about to tell you will mean that we’ll get to spend loads more time together. Without an audience.”

“What do you mean?”

They reached Colin’s trailer and sat across from each other in a couple of lawn chairs.

“I know this might come as a bit of a surprise, but I’m leaving all of this.” He waved an arm around, indicating the set.

“I’m not sure I understand,” Andi said. She knew he would leave Scotland when the film was complete, but she didn’t think that was it.

“I mean I’m not going to be making any more movies for a while. At least until I’ve gotten this thing out of my system.”

“Colin, I know the thing with the tabloids got out of hand, but it’s not anything we can’t deal with together. I don’t want you to feel like you have to take drastic measures or do anything crazy like quit acting.”

He set his elbows on his thighs and leaned forward, grinning. “Andi, for someone so bloody smart, sometimes you miss things that are right there under your nose.” He reached out and touched her chin.

She blinked at him, still unsure what he was implying.

“I’m not quitting, love. I’m still very much an actor, only in a different medium. I got a call from a director yesterday. I auditioned in New York a while back for an upcoming Broadway play, and they’ve decided I’m good for the part.”

“I live in the U.S.,” she said, and Colin laughed.

“Yes, Andi. I’m well aware.”

She jumped up from her seat and pounced on his lap. He braced himself and somehow kept them from toppling to the ground.

“I hope you don’t mind this bloke visiting your side of the pond for a bit,” he said, pushing a strand of hair away from her eyes.

“Only if you promise to ravage me on a regular basis, Mr. Viking,” Andi said, tickling his stomach. It was only a few seconds before she felt his response.

“Not a problem,” he said, winking at her as he wrapped his fingers around her waist. “Why don’t we get started right now?”

“What…you mean…here?”

“Well not
right
here, love. In the trailer of course.”

“Don’t you have to be back out there soon?”

“The bastards can wait for me. Besides, I have a present for my new girlfriend.”

The word sounded like music.

“What present?”

“You’ll just have to open it and see, won’t you?”

Colin lifted himself out of the seat, holding Andi who wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved his hand to open the trailer latch and she kicked it the rest of the way open. Inside, he tossed her on a sofa and crawled on top of her, kissing the breath out of her.

“Hey,” she said when she could get a word in, “you promised me a present.”

He looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. “You’re bloody serious, aren’t you?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip.

“I can’t wait much longer.”

“It’ll only take a second to open it.”

Colin released a deep sigh. “Alright, alright. Have it your way.”

“Oh, I plan to. But first, I want my present.”

He laughed and headed to the back of the trailer, returning a moment later with a large, wrapped box in his arms.

Andi rubbed her hands together, impatient. She couldn’t imagine what he might have gotten her. They knew each other in what seemed like all the important areas by now, but how could he possibly have thought up a gift for her?

He set the box in her lap and she didn’t hesitate before tugging off the big pink bow. She tore open the wrapper and as soon as she could see what was inside, she covered her mouth, a smile spreading underneath her hand.

“Oh my god,” she said. “I can’t believe you thought of these.”

Colin beamed, lighting up the inside of the trailer.

Andi pulled the lid off of the box, revealing a pair of purple boots, identical to the ones ruined by the mud her first time on the set. Colin didn’t give her long with the new shoes, though, before he pulled the box out of her hands.

“Alright, the boots have had enough of your attention. Now it’s my turn.”

Andi laughed and opened her arms to let him in.

Afterword