Page 11 of Edinburgh Escape
“Other than my friends, I have no family holding me back. I think I’d like to see more of the world outside the state lines of Montana.”
“Won’t your wee ones miss you?” Callum asked.
A smile curved Maggie’s lips. “I would miss the littles. Their innocence and excitement lift me up.” She really did love working with the small children in her preschool class.
For a long moment, Maggie stared out at the setting sun, glinting off the calm waters of the Thames. If she had all the money needed, she might consider traveling the world, seeing all the countries, visiting different cultures, tasting foods and life so foreign to Eagle Rock, Montana.
After a long silence, Callum straightened and glanced at his watch. “We should get you to your train station before your train leaves. Where did you say ye’ll be leavin’ from?”
“Euston,” Maggie said. “But you don’t have to go with me. I’m sure I can figure out the tube, now that you’ve shown me how.”
Callum shook his head. “I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I didn’t see you there safely.” He glanced down at her. “Ready?”
She fell into his deep, brown eyes, forgetting for that second they were relative strangers.
A lock of his dark hair dipped low over his forehead.
Maggie fought the relentless desire to brush it back with her fingertips. She fought and lost, reaching up to sweep the hair back. It refused to stay and fell over his forehead again.
Callum raised his hand and ran it through his thick, dark hair, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. A moment later, he held it up. “The nearest underground train entrance is across the bridge and a block over. We’ll head back to the station where we left our things in the lockers then on to Euston Station.” He held out his arm.
Though she was in no hurry to end their time together, Maggie curled her fingers into the crook of Callum’s elbow and walked with him across the bridge and to the nearest tube entrance.
They paid their way through the turnstiles and stepped onto the next train headed to where they’d stashed their bags. Then they hopped on another train to Euston Station.
Surrounded by so many people, Maggie couldn’t think of anything to say. She stood beside Callum, her tongue tied, her thoughts spinning through options of comments she could make, but didn’t want to, given the density of commuters in the rail car.
When they arrived at Euston Station, Callum exited the train car, held out his hand to Maggie and helped her to alight onto the platform as well.
Minutes later, he stood with her in front of the attendant directing her to the waiting room for the train heading for Edinburgh that night.
Another couple approached the attendant.
Maggie stepped back and stared up, letting them get situated with the attendant. She turned and stared into Callum’s eyes. “Thank you again for the guided tour of London. If you’re ever in the States, let me know. Depending on where you land, I could take you on a tour of my hometown, Eagle Rock, Montana. That’ll take about five minutes.” She gave him a weak smile, knowing how lame her words sounded. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.” Maggie held out her hand.
Callum engulfed her slim fingers in his and squeezed gently. “I don’t think it’s goodbye. I’ll see you soon is much more positive.” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the backs of her knuckles. “Thank you for spending the day with me. It was quite lovely.”
Maggie stared down at where his fingers still held hers. “It was a lovely day.” A day made infinitely better with Callum in it. Her heart pinched hard in her chest. This couldn’t be their last goodbye. She might never see him again. For someone she’d just met, it hit her harder than she’d expected.
The fact that she might not see him again made her do something she’d never have dreamed of doing in a million years. Maggie rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss, as terrifying as it was electric. Rather than bringing closure to their short time together, the gesture only made her want more.
As she lowered her heels toward the ground, his arm came up behind her, lifting her and pressing her body against his. His mouth descended on hers in a hungry, sensuous kiss that left her breathless, her blood raging through her system, molten hot.
When he set her back on her feet, he stepped back. “You’d better go.” His voice was husky, as if he was just as affected by the kiss as she was.
Maggie pressed a hand to her mouth and nodded. Words were beyond her. She met his gaze once more, then turned and hurried away in a swift walk. She had to focus on not breaking into a run, convinced that if she stayed another moment in the man’s presence, she’d beg him to come with her, make love to her and show her all the treasures of Scotland.
For a lone female who hadn’t been far from her small town of Eagle Rock, Montana, how pathetic would it be to fall for the first Scotsman to kiss her?
Chapter 3
Callum probably should have told her he would be on the same train with her. Why he’d withheld that information, he wasn’t sure. He told himself it was because he didn’t want her to think he was a stalker. The only way to convince her of that fact would be to tell her the truth, that he’d been hired to protect her.
After she disappeared into the waiting room where the sleeper car passengers gathered, he turned to the attendant. “I’ll be on the Caledonian sleeper train to Edinburgh, as well.”
“Name, please,” she said, staring down at the paper printout of the guests who’d booked passage on the train.
“Callum McCall,” he responded.
