Page 7 of One Night in Glasgow
The night stretched on, our teasing turning spicier with each round. Beth’s fingers lingered on my biceps every time she cracked up at my bullshit. I kept inching closer, straining to catch her words over the drunken roar of the pub crowd.
“Well, Ms. High Society,” I said, my voice low and teasing in her ear, “I’m starting to think you might actually be enjoying my company.”
She feigned shock. “What? Enjoying the company of an American? Perish the thought. My ancestors would roll over in their graves.”
“Now we wouldn’t want that,” I grinned. “Perhaps we should get out of here before causing a ghostly uprising.”
Beth’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Oh? And where would you suggest we go?”
I leaned in close, my breath tickling her ear. “Well, I do have a pretty fancy suite back at my hotel. The view is spectacular.”
“Is that so?” she said, her fingers tracing patterns on my arm. “And what exactly would we do in this fancy suite of yours?”
My heart rate picked up. “Well, I could give you a private motivational session. Show you my, uh, PowerPoint presentation.”
A loud snort of laughter escaped her, a sound she immediately tried to stifle by covering her mouth with her hand. “PowerPoint? Good God, McCrae, are you trying to seduce me or put me to sleep?”
I joined in her laughter, unable to resist. “Hey, my slide transitions are very impressive.”
“Oh, I bet.” Beth bit her lip, considering. “Well, I suppose I could critique your presentation skills. For professional reasons, of course.”
“Of course,” I nodded seriously. “Purely professional.”
I spotted Danny across the room, deep in conversation with a brunette. I made my way over and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, a question in his eyes.
“Hey, man,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Just wanted to give you a heads-up. I’m heading back to the suite with Beth.”
Danny’s eyes widened for a second before a huge, knowing grin split his face. “Attaboy!” he crowed, slapping me on the back with enough force to make me stumble. “Finally putting that silver tongue to good use!”
I shot him a look, trying to convey “keep your voice down,” but it was useless.
“Don’t worry about me, man,” Danny said, leaning in with a conspiratorial wink and glancing back at his two new friends. “I’m in the middle of some very delicate international negotiations here. Moira and Kirsty are best mates, and honestly, it's a real problem. I can’t decide which one I like more. I might just have to call it a tie.” He winked again. “Just, you know later… try to keep the passionate declarations of love to a dull roar. Some of us need our beauty sleep for our own ‘cultural exchanges’ tomorrow.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Noted. See youin the morning, dude.”
“Have fun, you crazy kids!” he called after me as I turned to go, earning us a few curious looks. I just gave him a final wave and went to find Beth.
This was way out of character for me. But seeing her playful expression and the way she nibbled her lip, I realized I didn’t give a fuck.
Tonight, I’d shed my usual self. No crushing expectations or pressure to be flawless. Simply... existing in the moment.
“You good to go?” Beth asked, her voice husky and inviting.
I took her hand and nodded. “After you.”
Beth wrapped a scarf around her head, attaching oversized sunglasses that obscured half her face. She grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers, and yanked me out into the frigid night. The cold air cleared some of the booze fog from my brain as we stumbled our drunk asses down the cobblestone street.
“So, where’s this fancy-pants hotel of yours?” Beth said, her voice dripping with innuendo.
I pulled her close. “You sure you can handle a red-blooded Scottish American, sweetheart?”
“Oh honey, I’m not worried about me. It’s you who should be scared.”
CHAPTER THREE
BETH
The elevator doorsslid shut with a soft ding, and the sudden, deafening silence was a shock after the roar of the pub. Allthe easy banter and witty deflections vanished, leaving only the low hum of the elevator and the sound of our breathing. I snuck a glance at Sean, admiring the way his shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.Christ, what was I doing?This wasn’t me anymore. Or at least, it wasn’t supposed to be. Just yesterday, I’d promised Mum I’d be more responsible.
