THE COUPLES ARRIVED in Scotland eight hours later and Charlotte walked off the plane, feeling better than she ever had. She grinned up at Niall, who followed her down the stairs, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked toward the car. Grace and Max stayed on the plane, as they were heading from Edinburgh straight home to Inverness, but promised they’d visit soon.

A tall, red-headed man stood by the car, opening the door when they arrived at it.

“Charlotte, this is Keir,” Niall said. “He’ll be driving for us, along with acting as your personal security.”

“I thought you valued your privacy?”

“Not above your safety.”

“Silly man.” Charlotte smiled at Keir and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You as well, Mrs. MacMillan,” he said.

Keir was over six feet tall and bigger than Niall in frame and muscle, but not nearly as attractive to Charlotte. However, he looked like he’d walked out of the pages of a magazine. Dressed in a suit tailored perfectly to his frame, his dark red hair was swept back from his face, and his closely manicured beard contained no grey, just a rich golden red. He had sparkling gray eyes, and when he smiled, the severe expression of a bodyguard changed to the kind expression of a man.

Charlotte slid into the car and waited for Niall to speak with Keir before following. The driver closed the door and Charlotte turned to Niall. “I don’t think I need a bodyguard, Niall. What could possibly happen?”

“Better safe than sorry,” he said. “I may not have as much visibility as Max when it comes to the band, but I am known, here especially, and if I’m not with you, I want to make sure you’re watched over.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Does he have to come with me everywhere?”

“No. But be prepared that he’ll come almost everywhere with you.” He lifted her fingers to his lips. “Or I will.”

“I guess it means I won’t have to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road. That’s a positive.”

“That’s one way of looking at it. Although, driving on the right side of the road isn’t really that difficult.” Niall smiled. “Thank you for not giving me a hard time.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Truth be told, I hate to drive. So, you kind of dodged a bullet.”

“So, if I were to hire a live-in chef, you’d be okay with that?” he asked.

“The question is, would you?”

He sighed. “I’d be willing to adjust if it would make things easier for you.”

“How big’s your house?”

“How big’s our house?” he corrected.

She smiled. “Yes, our house.”

“How about you see it and then decide if it’s something you can live with?”

“Are you trying to tell me you don’t want to cook? I thought you cooked for yourself every night.”

He chuckled. “No, not every night. I would cook on occasion, but mostly order in. And if you can’t cook, we might need to find an alternate solution.”

“I didn’t say I can’t cook. I’m actually pretty decent at it, but I hate it. Every time I cook, a little piece of my soul dies.”

Niall laughed. “We wouldn’t want that.”

“No, we wouldn’t.”

He cocked his head. “We have several places that will deliver close to us, so that’s also an option.”

“What have you done in the past?”

“I have a housekeeper who comes twice a week. She cleans the house and stocks the fridge and cupboards.”

“Ah,” she said, and kissed his palm. Leaning against him as much as the seatbelt would allow, she closed her eyes and sighed.

“Sixpence for your thoughts,” he said.

“You can read my thoughts.” She glanced up at him with a grin. “Are you really going to pay me for them?”

He chuckled. “I thought I’d attempt to play the gentleman.”

“Don’t you dare,” she ordered. “I expect a certain level of debauchery, and will be extremely disappointed if you don’t deliver.”

Niall laughed. “Your wish is my command, love.”

“Thank you. With that in mind, do you care if we wait for a few days to tour Edinburgh?”

“Of course not. We can wait as long as you like.” He ran his thumb over her knuckles. “What did you want to do instead?”

“I’d like to spend the next week naked,” she whispered.

He leaned forward and kissed her. “I love that idea.”

Keir pulled up in front of a Georgian townhome that looked like something out of medieval England.

“Our home looks over the Water of Leith, which is the main river running through Edinburgh,” Niall said. “The structure was built in 1849, and was converted into townhomes at the turn of the twentieth century. I bought two units and combined them, so we now have about six-thousand square feet over four floors.”

Keir pulled the door open, and Niall climbed out and then assisted Charlotte. “It’s magnificent,” she said.

“In the future, we’ll park in the garage, but I wanted you to enter through the front for the first time.”

“Thank you.” Charlotte grinned. “It’s so beautiful. I love it.”

Niall unlocked the front door and leaned down to lift her into his arms. She laughed and looped her arms around his neck.

“Welcome home, Mrs. MacMillan.” Stepping into the spacious foyer, he kissed her, lowering her feet to the floor and pulling her close.

Charlotte broke the kiss and squeezed his hand. “Show me around before I ravage you.”

He chuckled. “On this floor is the kitchen, family room, a den, and bedroom with en-suite. Downstairs is the media room. We can host about fifty quite comfortably. The gym is next to it, along with another toilet, utility room, garage, cellar, and wine room.”

“We have a wine room?” she asked excitedly.

“Of course we have a wine room. We’re not animals.”

Charlotte giggled.

He tugged her up the stairs to the left. “On this level, we have a drawing room, our bedroom, dressing rooms, and en-suite. Do you want to see that now, or shall we see the rest before we’re sidetracked?”

“Hmm, let me think.” She tapped her mouth with her finger and grinned. “Let’s get sidetracked.”

He laughed and led her into the bedroom. A giant sleigh bed sat between two large windows overlooking the river. The comforter was a white goose-down duvet with navy blue accents. Celtic patterns covered the pillows with matching colors. “You’ve changed a few things since my first dream with you.”

“Just a few,” he admitted. “I wanted you to feel at home. Do you like it?”

“Oh, baby, it’s perfect. Did you know blue was my favorite color?”

“I did know that. Does the fact I remembered make you love me more?”

“Of course it does.” Charlotte giggled and unbuttoned his shirt. “You’re absolutely brilliant. Now, enough with the tour. I want you to show me the bed.”

He shrugged the shirt off and Charlotte leaned forward to kiss his chest. Niall lifted her and set her on the mattress before painstakingly divesting her of her clothing.

Kneeling on the mattress, Charlotte unbuttoned his jeans and tugged them down his legs. He kicked them off and stood at the edge of the bed. Charlotte licked her lips, then wrapped her fingers around his hardening length and slid her hand down, cupping him before taking his cock into her mouth. Niall moaned, dropping his head back and fisting his hands in her hair.

She worked his cock, taking him deeper and deeper into her mouth, until she felt his body stiffen and he tugged on her hair gently, coming in her mouth. She continued to suck until he exploded inside of her and she swallowed everything he gave her. She kept her mouth firmly around him until his cock stopped pulsing and he growled, “On your knees.”

“Don’t you need a minute?” she asked.

“Cauld Ane’s don’t need time to recoup, baby...now, on your knees.”

“Oh,” she squeaked, smiling in excitement as she shifted onto on all fours, settling her cheek to the mattress and raising her ass high to receive him. Tugging her back, right to the edge of the mattress, Niall guided himself inside of her and she dropped her head back at the sensation.

“You want it harder this time?” Niall asked.

“Yes,” she said with a whimper.

He smacked her bottom, then again, and Charlotte nearly came there and then.

“Yes, baby, that’s right.” He slammed into her again, his palm connecting with her cheek, and the sensation overtook everything.

Charlotte didn’t want him to stop, but when he slid one hand between her legs and fingered her clit, she came the second the palm of his other hand slapped against her bottom again, and she cried out as she buried her face in the mattress while he continued to thrust into her. After a final smack, his body locked and he wrapped his arms around her, gently rolling them so they were both on the mattress and spooning, he managed to keep them connected and kissed the back of her neck. “God, that was amazing.”

She nodded, unable to catch her breath.

“More?”

She nodded again.

They stayed in bed until well past dinnertime. Hunger was the only thing that dragged them from their sex-induced stupor.

After donning shorts and a T-shirt, Niall waited for Charlotte to dress and then showed her upstairs to the fourth floor, which had four more bedrooms and five bathrooms, before walking her down to the kitchen to show her French doors that opened onto a spacious back patio and yard.

As Charlotte surveyed their garden, Niall made his way to the fridge. “What would you like m’lady?”

She stepped back inside. “Lobster with a medium-rare T-bone.”

Niall laughed. “I do have both of those items, sweetheart.”

“Shut up. Do you really?”

“Aye. In the downstairs freezer.”

“Oh, wow. Umm...” Charlotte leaned against the large kitchen island. “Let’s do something a little less time consuming.”

“Sandwiches?” he asked.

“Perfect.” She made her way to the sink and washed her hands. “Where’s your... ah... our bread?”

His hands full of various lunch meat, cheese, and vegetables, Niall grinned as he nodded toward a door that opened to a pantry almost as big as Charlotte’s old bedroom.

“If Scotland finds itself in a zombie apocalypse type situation, we’ll survive for years on just the food in this room, Nye,” she called. She heard him chuckle as she found organic wheat bread and pulled it from the shelf. She carried it to the kitchen and set it on the counter.

“What would you like on your sandwich?” Niall asked.

“Do you know how to make those cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches they serve at tea houses?”

Niall rolled his eyes. “You’re asking me, a bona-fide, card-carrying Scotsman, if I know how to make tea sandwiches?”

She grinned. “Yes. I am.”

“No clue.”

Charlotte giggled. “Oh, okay. I suppose you’ll force me to figure it out. And on our second day as bonded mates. I see how this is going to go.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’m a beast. It’s good you discover that fact now.”

“I knew it! I totally fell for a bait and switch.”

He chuckled. “You’ll need the white bread to make them right.”

She ventured back into the pantry, grabbing the white bread and setting it next to the wheat. “What can I do to help?”

“Fill the jug with water, if you wouldn’t mind.” He nodded to it as he chopped the cucumbers. “You can’t have tea sandwiches without tea.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a big tea fan.”

“That’s because you haven’t had real Scottish tea, lass.”

“Oh, really?”

“Aye.” He paused his slicing and smiled. “Stick with me, baby. I’ll teach you all you need to know.”

She slipped her arms around his waist from behind and kissed his shoulder. “Will you teach me about more than tea, sensei?”

He lowered the knife and turned to face her. “Only if you listen to everything I say, grasshopper.”

She ran her hands under his shirt and up his back. “I’m all ears... master.”

He swallowed. “Master?”

She nodded as she pulled his shirt up, leaning forward to kiss his stomach. “What would you like me to do for you?”

He growled and lifted her off her feet. “Shite, baby, you’re sexy as hell.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him as he carried her into the family room just off the kitchen. Lowering her to the sofa, he pulled his shirt over his head and leaned down to kiss her neck.

As Niall moved down her body, Charlotte was overwhelmed with dread. She forced her thoughts aside and tried to focus on her husband, but it beat at her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, shifting off of her to kneel on the floor.

“I don’t know.” She closed her eyes. “Something’s off. You don’t feel it?”

“Aye, lass I do, but probably not as much as you do. It’s a familial connection, but not mine.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Now that we’re bound, you’ll be able to feel any extreme emotions Max and Grace might have. We are connected by blood now, so you’ll expect to feel things every now and then.” Niall grabbed his phone. “What I’m feeling isn’t typical of what I feel when Max is upset, but I’ll call him anyway and see if they are okay.”

Charlotte nodded and sat up on her knees.