Page 15 of Scotch & Shortbread

She smiled at that. Maybe Mean Hot Cop had a sense of humour in there.

“It isnae very sensible though, dressing for summer in the dead of winter,” he added gruffly.

She rolled her eyes. He just had to say something snarky.

It took longer than she thought to get back to the inn, and she found herself much relieved that the cop gave her a ride. She just might have frozen if she’d tried to walk it. At the same time, she was eager to stop moving and get back into the fresh cold air.

As they pulled up near the glass doors, her head was really starting to spin. As soon as they stopped, she tried to open the door, needing to get out, but it was jammed. Then it occurred to her that she was in the back seat of a cop’s vehicle. They wouldn’t open from the inside. God, and here she was getting out of the back of a police truck, not the best look. Good thing nobody knew her here.

As he eyed her in the rearview mirror, he almost chuckled watching her try to open the door.

How had this wee stubborn lass been able to push his buttons? He’d made sure to sit her in the back seat away from him after whatever the hell that was that happened between them in the bar parking lot. He knew that it pissed her off to sit where the “bad guys” went, but there was no way he could have her sit up front with him. And all her nattering. He’d never know a lass to blether so much.

Although when she’d talked about the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, he came mighty close to telling her about the beautiful turquoise waters of the sea up in northern Scotland. White sandy beaches and turquoise waters that stretched for miles with the rugged mountains as a backdrop and usually nary a soul to be found. It was heaven on earth.

He might be giving the lass a hard time, but until he could get his cock to remember it was on a diet, it was better to keep her at a safe distance. Currently, that was the back seat.

She caught his eyes in the mirror. “Are you going to let me out?” she asked not hiding her irritation.

“Aye.” He sighed more than ready to be done for the evening.

He got out and opened the door for her, standing back. This time, he didn’t offer a helping hand as she’d made it clear when she got in that she didn’t want it.

“A little help would be nice,” she said, looking pointedly at him.

God, this woman. He offered to help her in and she snubbed him, and now she wanted his help out. Forget it.

“There’s a handle up there. Ye managed to get in. I’m sure ye can manage to get out,” he said bluntly, stepping back to allow her to sort it out herself. It annoyed him that he had to restrain himself from offering his hand. Hell, he had to restrain himself from putting his hands around her waist and hoisting her out.

Big brown eyes assessed him coolly. Apparently, she found him rude. Well too bad. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she tried to maneuver herself out of his truck, but her movements were sloppy. He could see before it happened that she wasn’t going to make it. Her high heel shoe slid on the truck rail, and she lost her grip on the handle above her head causing her to fall unceremoniously right into his ready-waiting arms.

That was the second time that night she’d fallen into him. The first time, he had no problems setting her on her feet and letting go. It wasn’t even a thought, but this time,Jeezus hell,why did it feel like he was crossing a line? He felt hyper-aware of every part of her body touching his. He was wearing a bulletproof vest for God’s sake. He shouldn’t be feeling a bloody thing.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.Needing to put some immediate space between them, he deftly extricated himself from her.

Quinn’s big brown eyes looked up at him, and she took a deep breath as if steadying herself. “Um, thank you for the ride. And for catching me. Twice,” she added awkwardly and then huffed. “But I will also say that you should try to be a nicer person.” Apparently satisfied she’d said her piece, she sucked in another deep breath and moved to walk past him to the door of the inn, but he stepped out in front of her.

“What? What now?” she grumbled, and he noticed her sway slightly.

“It’s not my job to be nice.” His tone was level, but his eyes were stormy.

“Fine, but,” she stopped mid-sentence taking a deep nasal breath, and then she looked up at him with a hazy look in her brown eyes. Impervious to acting strange, she leaned and little closer and breathed in again. “Mmm, like what is that cologne anyway?” she said as if speaking to herself and not for his benefit.

Caught off guard, he answered plainly, “It’s fae Scotland. It’s aftershave no’ cologne. I dinnae recall the name.”

Her big brown eyes widened, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. Had she not meant to say that out loud? And why was he bothering to tell her that anyway? Christ, he just wanted to get home to bed.

Moving away from him, she tucked her auburn hair behind her ear. “Oh. Right.” Her eyes scrunched closed, and she pursed her lips before blurting. “I just noticed it. That’s all. Um, it smells like my brother’s.”

He gave her a dubious look but chose to leave it be. “Aye, well if you’re going to be sticking around town. Ye may want to invest in some proper winter clothing. Boots and a winter coat.” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his tone. “Yearein the mountains, Ms. West.”

“This is a winter coat,” she snapped and then let out a little moan as she clutched her stomach. Looking up at the night sky, she started taking quick exaggerated breaths. “Are ye okay, lass?”

Panicked big eyes darted to his. “Oh my God, I’m going to be sick,” she whimpered right before the contents of her belly came hurdling out of her with a ferocious force and a primal-sounding retch.

Alex should have recognized the signs. The deep breaths, the swaying. He should have known it was coming, but he stood back shell shocked. Fortunately, she’d managed to turn away from him. It wouldn’t have been his first time being puked on, but he was thankful for small mercies that tonight wasn’t one of those times. Christ, it sounded like the woman was exorcising the devil from her body. Self-induced or not, he couldn’t help feeling bad for her.

With the violent episode at an end, Quinn straightened on shaky legs holding the back of her hand to her mouth. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I feel better now, I think.” She gave him a weak smile and tried to step towards the door, but she swayed heavily to one side before barely being able to right herself.

Alex had two choices. Leave the lass to fend for herself, which at the moment looked like a highly improbable task or he could get even more involved than he regretfully already was.

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