Page 68 of Scotch & Shortbread

“The rest? How many guys were there?”

“Twenty-four, but it was me and the rest of the SWAT team taking them down. We had the place secured within seven minutes,” he stated as if it were the time it took to cook a pizza and not take down thirty-one men with weapons.

“Holy shit!” Quinn stared at him wide eyed.

Alex chuckled at her reaction. “Aye, not a bad time. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, and we got all the bastards. That’s all that matters.”

“Wow,” Quinn said with a stunned expression, but those sexy brown eyes gave her away. Not that she was going to say it, but Alex could see she was impressed too, and that pleased him immensely.

"Bear was the hero of the day. He took down a few guys. He was made for this stuff, I swear. I’m going to have to pick him up a steak.” Alex said fondly.

Everything Alex was telling her sounded more like a gangster movie than real life. She supposed she’d thought of Alex as a sort of peacekeeper/ticket-giver. She knew he’d been involved with more dangerous work back in Scotland, but she didn’t realize that he was doing that kind of work here in Canada too.

She was quiet for a moment as she tried to process everything he’d told her. It was crazy to think that while she sat having a lovely visit with his brother, Alex was taking down bad guys like some kind of superhero. The thought made her shiver and more with arousal than anything else. Crap. She should keep her attraction to him in check. This was the same guy who'd broken her heart a mere two days ago.

“Your workday sounds completely intense and honestly insane.” She eyed him dubiously, “And I have a feeling you like it that way.”

Alex’s lips lifted in the corners and his stormy blue eyes lit with a twinkle. “’Tis not my usual, but I confess, I do enjoy the rush of it all. ’Tis very satisfying arresting bloody bams who've grown so arrogant they think they're untouchable. That moment when they realize the game is up.” He looked at her from under his dark brow, and a little shiver rippled up Quinn’s spine. Try as she might. She couldn't help it. Her nether regions were hanging on his every word. Lethal Alex was hard to resist.

She shook her head, not wanting her thoughts to go there. “Is your hand going to be okay?” she asked, returning to a safer subject.

“Aye. I had to have thirty or so stitches on the back of my hand, but I’m lucky it didn’t sever any nerves. It should be as good as new in a couple of weeks. On the bright side, I get paid sick leave from work.”

“Ah, yes, a thirty stitch little nick,” she said, her voice honey-sweet with sarcasm.

His mouth lifted in a smirk. “Something like that.”

“Right,” she muttered. “Does it hurt?” She reached for his injured hand to hold it in both of hers while she tenderly touched his fingers that were free of the bandage wrap. It bothered her that he’d been injured, and she just needed to feel him to make sure he was truly okay.

“It’s a bit sore, but no’ so bad.” His voice grew gruff.

“Look at me, lass,” he said gently. When she raised her big brown eyes to meet his, Alex felt the breath rush out of him. Christ, his feelings for her were overwhelming, but he refused to hide again like a coward. “Quinn, I’m so, so sorry, lass. I was a complete arse.”

Quinn didn’t say a word. Instead, she eyed him patiently waiting for him to elaborate. He knew he had to explain himself, but it was hard to find the words.

“Making love to ye, lass… God, I’ve never known anything like it.” He looked up at her, needing to know she understood.

“Neither have I,” she admitted quietly, toying with her hands in her lap.

Alex smiled lightly. He was glad she’d felt it too. “Honestly, Quinn, it scared me. I didn’t know what to think. I hadn’t expected it. I hadn’t expected ye.”

Her big brown eyes studied him intently. “What happened between us, God.” He breathed, raking a hand through his hair. “I didnae ken it could be that way. It was like a rush of freedom and bliss I dinnae think I’ve ever felt before. It was exhilarating, but at the same time,” Alex sobered, "at the same time, I felt terrified," he admitted.

“Of what?” she asked, her eyes curious but soft. He could happily die drowning in the depths of those eyes. He wanted to lean in and kiss her, show her the need that burned within him. But he knew he owed her more.

“I think I was scared of letting ye in and letting go of the life I’d made.” He looked out to the dark mountain road through the windshield as he tried to put words to what he’d felt. “I dinnae ken. Since coming to Canada, I’ve lived a life of discipline and structure. I've made myself and my life impenetrable, but then ye came along. It's like ye cracked into my carefully crafted world, the moment I laid eyes on ye."

"I did?" she said with a small voice that made him want to pull her into his arms.

"Aye. Ye penetrated my impenetrable walls and opened up a part of me I didn’t even ken existed." He shook his head. "I dinnae ken why it scared me, but it did. After I made love to ye," his voice grew husky, "it's like it came to a head. I didnae ken what was happening only that everything felt different and it's like I wanted to hide away like a coward.”

Alex stared out the window regretting how clueless he'd been.

"You penetrated my world too." Her shaky voice cut through his thoughts. Alex's eyes landed on hers.

"And can I just say how ironic it is that the man who runs head first into danger would call himself a coward?"

He smirked, loving that she was teasing him despite everything.

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