Page 8 of 40 and Flashing (the Scotsman)
“What—”
“Ya’ve got ta tell me what happens.”
“What happens with what?”
He made an impatient gesture. “Ya know what I mean, Scarlett. What happens with Levi and Abby?”
Shock jolted through her. “Did you read my book?”
“Course I did. Why did ya think I asked for yer pen name?”
Because you were trying to get in my pants?She didn’t say that out loud. It sounded way too arrogant. More like something Gavin would say, to be honest. But the thought had occurred to her. He wouldn’t be the first to attempt to flatter her by asking. “You read my book.”Okay.“Already?”
“See,” Gavin said, propping a fist high on her doorframe, “the renovated suites have these massive bathtubs.”
Oh God, he was doing that book-boyfriend lean that made women go crazy. Eyeing the bicep popping beneath his long-sleeved shirt, she gulped. And what was he saying? What did bathtubs have to do with him—
“Are ya going to invite me in?” He straightened and stomped his feet. “It’s a bit chilly out here, and I’m hopin’ this conversation takes a while. After ya tell me what happened with the book.”
Maybe it was the shock, maybe it was something else, but she found herself stepping back and allowing Gavin into the living room. He shucked his coat and hung it on the coatrack like a gentleman. The thought made her grin. The man appeared to be a gentleman until he opened his mouth—then he was all flirt.
So why had he read her book?
“The bathtubs,” he was saying, “are huge, and after bein’ cramped up in the airplane all day yesterday, I decided to take a long soak. Unfortunately there was no’ a drop o’ whisky to accompany me, so I ordered yer book and read it on my phone.”
He read her book …on his phone…in the bathtub. In lieu of whisky.
The image flashed in her mind—Gavin naked, the dark hair on his chest wet and dotted with bubbles. One long leg was hooked over the side of the tub, and his long fingers were wrapped around a cut-crystal glass of amber liquid. Head tipped back, a slight smile on his mouth as the hot water caressed his body.
Holy cow.
Focus. Stop thinking about the bath.
So he’d read her book.
“And I couldna stop. I needed to know what happened—except ya cut the damn thing off on a cliffhanger.”
Ah, now they got to the crux of the matter. A bubble of glee rose in her chest. “Did that bother you?”
“Did tha’—” A sound much like a growl rumbled through the Scotsman’s chest, sending a shiver down her spine. “O’ course it bothered me. Ya’ve got to tell me what happens.”
His accent was getting thicker the more agitated he became. “I can’t do that.”
“Why no’?”
“Because I haven’t written it yet.”
“Ya haven’t written the sequel? It comes out in February.”
“I’ve written some of it. But I don’t reveal my plots until the book is completely done.”
“Well, ya can reveal it to me!”
“Absolutely not.” The glee turned into a wannabe giggle.
“Are ya laughin’ at me?”
“No, of course not.” Admittedly the words were a bit strangled. That was probably why Gavin glared at her.
