Page 46 of Edinburgh Escape
“I don’t need anything but a good night’s sleep,” Maggie said. “Thank you for inviting us to stay.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Ewan said. “Although I wasn’t responsible for my father’s transgressions, and I can’t make up for what he did, I’m happy to meet the result of one.” He grinned. “Bryce and I have a sister. That’s all that matters. Have a good night.”
Ewan went one direction, Callum and Maggie the opposite.
As they neared the door to their room, Maggie slowed.
Callum paused with his hand on the doorknob. “If you’re worried about sharing a room with me,” Callum whispered, “I can sleep on the floor.”
“No. No,” she said, her voice tight, her hands smoothing over her dress nervously. “I’m not worried.” She gave him a smile he could swear was forced.
Callum opened the door and waved her through it.
Maggie entered, slipped out of her shoes and walked across to the French doors that opened onto the balcony. She opened the doors and stepped out.
“I’m going to call my people and let them know what’s going on,” he said and turned away from the sight of Maggie bathed in starlight.
As the cool night air wafted into the room, Callum placed the call to Ace, his immediate supervisor, and filled him in on the altercation with Rory and the subsequent news that the threat to Rory included all of Rory’s family.
“I’ll have Dmytro look into what organized mobs might be in that area. In the meantime, I’ll send Atkins your way. He could be there as early as tomorrow morning. Sounds like you could be in deep trouble if they don’t get what they want out of Ewan’s cousin Rory.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Callum ran a hand through his hair. “I think the attacks on Maggie could have been an attempt to kidnap her and use her for ransom. When they sent the one on the train, I don’t think they expected any resistance.”
“But you were there, thank goodness.”
Callum nodded, though Ace couldn’t see his head bob. “On the second attack, they sent four men.”
“Right. They meant business,” Ace said. “Thankfully, they didn’t find you two.”
“We’re all on alert for any breaches to the security here, not that there’s much, other than a few cameras.”
“We’ll get people in place as soon as possible.”
“Thank you,” Callum said.
“Out here.”
Callum ended the call and turned back to Maggie, admiring the view of her silhouetted in the moonlight, the emerald-green dress molded to her body like a second skin. Her hair piled high on her head, left her long, graceful neck exposed. Callum closed the distance, stopping at the threshold. Close enough he could smell her scent. Close enough that if he reached out, he could pull her into his arms.
“Do you think my father did it on purpose?” she asked softly.
Instinctively, he knew what she was talking about. “Aye,” Callum said. “What other reason would he think to name a horse Montana?”
“He knew where my mother settled. He had to have known of my existence,” she said.
And he never bothered to contact her or get to know her.
Maggie didn’t have to say the words for Callum to know what she was thinking. “Ewan said your father wasn’t a nice man. Your mother might’ve known that and didn’t want you to have any contact with him. You were better off without him.”
Maggie nodded. “I had such a close relationship with my mother, I find it hard to think someone wouldn’t want to know their own child.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Yet, he named a horse after the place his unwanted child lived.”
Callum gave in to his need, curled his fingers around her arms and gently pulled her back against him.
When she didn’t resist, he wrapped his arms around her waist and bent to kiss the soft skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
Maggie tilted her head to the side, allowing him even better access to kiss her and moaned softly.
“Tell me to stop and I will,” he murmured into her neck. He gave her the option but prayed she wouldn’t take it.
