PEPPER’S EMOTIONS CALMED even further as they spent time with Jonesy. Connall then took her home to shower and pack for their impromptu trip to Edinburgh. By the time they climbed into the car to head to the castle, she felt ridiculous for overreacting to Connall’s wish to move back to his home, and relieved that she felt normal again.
“Ready?” Connall asked.
“Definitely.”
As they continued deeper into Gunnach land, Connall drove up a slight hill and a large stone wall appeared with water surrounding it. Pepper could see a tower peeking above the wall, but not much else. Connall dialed his phone and a deep voice came on the line. “Eymundur.”
“Eymundur, it’s Con. Lower the bridge, please.”
“Aye sir.”
“Shut up,” Pepper exclaimed as the drawbridge lowered. She clapped her hands and grinned. “I bet Sam lost her mind when she saw this.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She has a minor fascination with castles. She tried to convince her mother to dye her hair blonde when we were eight so she could pretend to be Rapunzel.” Pepper grinned. “She had to settle for a really bad wig.”
Connall chuckled and guided the car over the bridge.
Pulling into a large courtyard, he turned off the engine and made his way to her side of the car, opening her door and holding his hand out to her. She climbed out and glanced down at her jeans and T-shirt. “Should we have dressed a little better?”
“Nah, it’s just family.”
Connall knocked on the door and an elderly gentleman answered and bowed. “Your highness, sir, welcome.”
“Mr. Winston, it’s wonderful to see you. How was your holiday?” Connall asked.
“It was lovely, sir. Thank you for asking.”
“May I present my mate,” Connall said as he pulled Pepper in front of him.
“Your highness.” The butler bowed again and Pepper wanted the floor to swallow her.
“Please call me Pepper,” she said, and reached out her hand.
He gave her a nervous smile, but shook her hand and then closed the door. “The family is in the hall. If you’ll follow me.”
He’s not going to call me Pepper, is he?
Connall’s chuckle sounded in her mind. Probably not.
Pepper followed Mr. Winston through the foyer and into what he’d referred to as the hall. She did her best not to exclaim her awe out loud. The room was three stories high with balconies peering down from the top floors, and the ceiling came to a large arch with a wooden beam running the length of the room, holding six chandeliers.
“Hey guys. Welcome,” Sam said, and rose from her chair near the fireplace.
Kade stood as well, along with the rest of the family and a man Pepper recognized from pictures as Cole Drake. Cole was ruggedly handsome with his dark hair cropped short and light skin. He wore dark jeans and a black button-up shirt rolled up to his elbows, a leather cuff on his right wrist, and a chunky watch on his left. Sam had once described him as dressing more like a rock star than an FBI agent, and Pepper had to agree.
“Pepper, this is Cole,” Sam said as she hugged Pepper.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Pepper shook his hand and then hugged Fiona and Payton. She was excited to see Payton, who’d been absent for a few days. Pepper took in the rest of the space as Sam led her to the sitting area in front of the fire.
The fireplace was at least six feet tall and wide enough to fit a small army. It was lit, but it barely made a dent in the warmth of the room, which was set up in sections. A large table was off to the left, set for a dinner party and surrounded by tall chairs.
The sitting area consisted of three sofas and two overstuffed chairs surrounding a modern coffee table that looked rather out of place in the historical home. The third section housed a piano, with folding chairs propped against the wall.
Connall pulled Pepper down next to him on one of the sofas.
“I have something for you,” Payton said, and handed Pepper a cell phone.
“What’s this?” Pepper glanced at the iPhone.
“It’s your new phone. You can use it anywhere in the world, and it’s linked to Con’s account.”
“Thanks for doing that, Pay,” Connall said, grinning.
“Why do I need a new phone?” Pepper asked.
Sam snorted. “Maybe because yours was made when dinosaurs ruled the earth… or was it dragons?”
“Oh, you’re funny.”
Connall started to choke with laughter, but Pepper cut him off by squeezing his knee as hard as she could.
Sam laughed. “Admit it, that was golden… and your phone’s a piece of crap.”
“Hey, no point in replacing something that works perfectly fine,” Pepper retorted.
Managing to compose himself, Connall slid his arm behind her. “The new one works everywhere, love. I have a feeling if you tried to make a phone call with yours, it’d cost you a ridiculous amount, if it even worked.”
Pepper sighed. “You’re probably right.”
He raised an eyebrow. No arguments?
Pepper giggled. Hey, when you’re right, you’re right.
I’m always right.
Ha! Go with that, buddy.
Connall grinned as Pepper leaned against him. The rest of the evening was spent in animated conversation, eating delicious food, and drinking even better wine. Pepper couldn’t remember a better night and fell into bed energized and unable to fall asleep.
Lucky for her, Connall was feeling the same way and provided a much-needed distraction from her sleeplessness.
* * *
The next day they woke early in order to catch their flight into the city. Pepper had to admit that taking Kade’s private jet to Edinburgh beat driving the four or five hours it would have taken by car. She was excited to explore the city, especially because she got to do it with her two favorite people.
“It’s a good thing I never got overly attached to the apartment,” Sam said as they disembarked and waited for the men to take care of the luggage. “It was easy to move everything to Kade’s place, because I never fully unpacked.”
“I can’t wait to see everything,” Pepper said. “I feel like all this is a new start, you know?”
Sam nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“Bags are in the car, ladies,” Connall said as he and Kade joined them. “Ready?”
Pepper grinned. “Absolutely.”
The foursome climbed into the car and Alasdair headed out of the airport and toward their destination.
As they drove through Edinburgh, Pepper grew more and more excited to explore. The historic buildings made the area feel alive with possibilities. Arriving at a tall building, somewhat out of place in the historic city, Alasdair pulled the car into a private garage and turned off the engine. He opened the door, waiting for them to climb out. Kade and Connall grabbed their bags and led them to the elevator.
“Do you guys want to get settled and then we’ll meet up for dinner?” Sam asked.
“That would be great,” Pepper said. “Will we get some shopping in before you have to go back to work?”
Sam nodded. “Definitely. And if we want a break from the boys, Fi and Payton might be persuaded to join us as well.”
Pepper grinned. “Perfect.”
Once at their floor, Kade and Sam stopped at the door on the right, while Connall led Pepper farther down the hall and unlocked the door on the left. He stepped back to let her precede him inside.
Pepper walked in and let out a quiet whistle. Old met new in the large room. Floor-to-ceiling windows faced Edinburgh University, which currently had a fog cover and made Pepper feel they were actually floating in clouds. The apartment was tastefully furnished with slim-lined and classic furniture, new, but not modern.
She found two large bedrooms and two equally large bathrooms, along with a well-appointed kitchen and a laundry room.
“Is it safe to assume you’d like to sleep in the room with the en suite?” Connall asked as he wheeled their bags to the back of the apartment.
“If that means master bedroom, then yes, please,” she said, and followed him into the room.
He set the bags on the bed and grinned. “I haven’t been here in a while.”
“Really? How come?”
“Brodie and I usually stay here when we’re in town for meetings, but Kade pulled rank last visit. Apparently, he decided his mate should have it.”
Pepper giggled. “How selfish of him.”
“I know. Positively kingly.”
“Are there servants here?”
“Technically, there aren’t servants at our home, Pepper.”
She sighed. “Fine. Let me rephrase. Are we alone? Like alone, alone. No staff.”
“Yes.”
“Yay!” She clapped. “Oooh, are you hungry? Would you like me to make you something to eat? Provided there’s food to cook.”
“I’m starving. Kade always keeps the kitchen stocked with something edible, so why don’t you cook while I unpack?”
She beamed up at him. “I like this arrangement even better.”
“Oh, really?”
“We’re acting like a real married couple. I think I’m going to pretend you’re just some lowly country vet who still has thousands in school loans you’re attempting to pay back. I’ll be me… because I’m fabulous… and we’re on our honeymoon. Sound good?”
He laughed. “I’d rather you be a naughty veterinarian nurse, but whatever floats your boat, love.”
She kissed him quickly and headed into the kitchen.
* * *
Connall was still grinning when his cell phone pealed in the quiet of the room. He paused in his unpacking and frowned when he saw Dalton’s name pop up on the screen. “Hey, Dalton. Everything okay?”
“Hey, Connall. Uh. No. We had to cut Beau Anders loose.”
“What? Why?” he snapped.
“Because he’s not actually the guy.”
“What the hell?” Connall pressed. “He wrote those notes.”
“Technically, he wrote three of them. The others are in different handwriting. Beau also wasn’t the one who came after her at my store.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I shot that guy. Beau doesn’t have a scratch on him, and when we compared the blood from the Mercedes store to Beau’s, it doesn’t match. His DNA’s nowhere.”
“Shite! What the hell was with the letters, then?”
“He admits to trying to intimidate Pepper to sell Jonesy, but he denies threatening her life or anyone else’s. He also swears he’s never heard of Jethro, and we haven’t found a connection between the two of them yet. We also checked his phone and there’s no record of him calling Pepper. So we can’t get him on the stalking, but we can get him on the threatening letters, which we’re moving forward on.”
Connall rubbed his forehead. “Damn it.”
“Look, we’re not giving up. At least she’s safe with you, and we’re still watching my parents and Mario and his family. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I figured it was better you knew. You can decide if you want to tell Pepper, but it might cause her undue worry.”
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
“I will,” Dalton promised. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Connall hung up and rubbed his forehead. He didn’t know what to tell Pepper. She was starting to relax and he didn’t want to worry her, but he also didn’t want to keep anything from her… didn’t even know if he could. It was she who was able to block him, not the other way around. He started with a phone call to Alasdair and then made his way to the kitchen.
Pepper grinned as she dropped pasta into a pot of boiling water. “I’m making chicken alfredo. Okay?”
“Sounds delicious.”
“Before I forget,” Pepper said, “can we exchange some money tonight? I only have American on me.”
“How much do you need?” he asked, and opened his wallet. “Will five hundred work?”
She raised her hand. “Too much. Having that much money in my purse will make me want to staple it to my body. Someone could steal it.”
He rolled his eyes. “At least take three.”
“One?” she asked.
“Whatever you need.” He held out the bills.
“Thanks.” She took the money and shoved it in her purse. “I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”
“You’ll pay me back with your money, eh?”
She nodded. “Right. My money.”
He kissed the back of her neck and patted her hips. “I’ll get us something to drink. What would you like?”
“I’d like wine, but I’ll take water.”
“Maybe we should look into buying a winery.”
“I don’t think we need to perpetuate my one and only weakness.”
“Only one?” he asked as he pulled down glasses.
“Okay, two,” she admitted. “One of them is red wine… you can guess what the other one is.”
“Jonesy?”
“Ooh, three.”
“Puppies?”
She sighed. “Crap, four.”
He laughed. “I think I could name several other animals that would fall into your weakness category.”
“You’re probably right, although none of them come before my favorite animal,” Pepper said as she added the chicken to the sauce.
He cocked his head. “Would that be me?”
She raised her head for a kiss. “Most definitely.”
He leaned down and covered her mouth with his, kissing her until neither of them could think straight. The beeping of the timer brought them back to their surroundings.
“Let’s just turn everything off,” he suggested. “We can eat later.”
Pepper’s stomach rumbled in protest. “Or we can take the next ten minutes to carb-load and spend the next two hours naked and in bed… or the shower… or the floor… whatever.”
He released her and rushed to grab plates. “Let’s make it eight minutes, and you got yourself a deal.”
Connall took her hand and led her into the bathroom, turning on the shower, and helping her strip. They walked into the shower, and Connall stepped under the showerhead, running his hands through his hair before pulling Pepper to him and turning her into the spray. He lathered his hands with shampoo and gently washed then conditioned her curls, then he poured body wash on to a shower poof and ran it over her back.
He slid his hand between her legs as she braced her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her, anchoring her back to the wall.
“Gonna go slow, baby, but we can stop if you need to.”
Pepper nodded and he lowered her onto him. She let out a deep breath as his girth filled her, his tip feeling as though it was touching her womb.
“Too much?”
She shook her head and leaned down to kiss him. His tongue met hers while his hands gripped her bottom. One arm slid up her back and cupped the base of her skull holding Pepper steady while he began to move. Slowly, giving her body a chance to get used to him I this position. “Connall,” she whimpered.
“Need me to slow down?”
“No. God, it’s amazing.”
The gentleness of his earlier movement changed and he began to thrust deeper, faster, harder, her arms locked around his neck as her body quickened. Pepper felt her orgasm build and slid her hands into his hair, gripping his head as she screamed on her climax.
Connall wasn’t far behind her and he dropped his head on her shoulder as they tried to catch their breath.
“Wow,” Pepper whispered.
“Aye, love. Just gets better.” He slid out of her and she unwrapped herself from his body, setting her feet on the ground.
“It really, really does.”
He grinned. Kissing her again, they finished their shower, finally ate something, then he feasted on her for dessert.
* * *
The next morning, Pepper was reluctant to get out of bed. Connall grinned as he kissed the spot on her neck that usually made her giggle. “Wake up, beautiful.”
“No,” she grumbled, and tried to roll away from him.
He followed her. “We have a meeting at the bank in one hour. I can wake you in time for you to pull on some clothes and go, if you really want to go back to sleep.”
She groaned. “Why did you make the meeting so early?”
“For most of the human race, ten is a perfectly acceptable meeting time.”
“Yeah, well, I’m no longer human, remember?” She wrapped the pillow around her head.
Connall chuckled as he pulled it away and kissed her cheek. “Come on, love. Bank, consulate, lunch, and then you get some girl time with Sam.”
She pushed her hair away from her face and sighed. “How much girl time?”
“We’re all meeting for dinner. It’s Max’s last night in town, so he and Niall will be there as well.”
She sat up and smiled. “Okay. I’m awake.”
“I thought that might get you moving.” He climbed out of bed and tried to ignore his naked wife doing the same. He’d much rather take her back to bed.
“Me too, baby,” she said with a grin and closed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his chin. “You could always join me in the shower.”
“Could cut down on time, provided we don’t get too distracted.” He cupped her bottom. “No funny business, wife.”
She giggled. “Good luck with that.”
Connall led her to the bathroom and was surprised they managed to dress, eat, and leave the flat in just enough time for their meeting.
Arriving at the bank, they were immediately led to a private office and offered coffee and pastries as they waited for the manager.
“Shouldn’t we have gone to the consulate first?” Pepper asked. “Won’t I just have to change my name again?”
Connall shook his head. “You’ll sign your new name and it’s taken care of.”
“Is this a Scottish thing, or a money thing?”
“What’s that?”
“The fact that there aren’t hours of paperwork and red tape,” she clarified.
He grinned. “I don’t think you want to know the answer to that one.”
“Probably not.” Pepper made her way to the window and stared out. “This truly is a beautiful city. The buildings are exquisite.”
“I’m somewhat partial to it myself.”
Pepper faced him and crossed her arms. “I don’t know if I want to go to MGA.”
“Well, that’s a change in topic.”
She sighed. “I know. I’ve been wrestling with it for a few days.”
He shrugged. “So, don’t go to MGA.”
“Maybe I won’t,” she retorted.
“Why don’t you want to go?”
“I like Inverness, even if I’m stuck in the monster house. I love being so close to Jonesy and you. I also signed up for MGA to escape, which I knew at the time, but now that I’m married to a millionaire, I think I can perhaps let the money go. Maybe they can use it for a scholarship?”
He closed the distance between them. “Ah, so my money’s not so much of a turnoff now, eh?”
She patted his chest. “I’ve realized that there isn’t anything that could turn me off from you, but the money is certainly something I’m going to have to get used to. You’re still going to have to be patient with me on that one.”
He smiled. “Of course.”
“Thank you.”
Further conversation was cut off with the arrival of the bank manager and the signing of paperwork. Their next stop was the consulate, and once her name change was done and Connall had ensured her permanent residency was recorded, it was time for lunch.
He took her hand and they headed toward one of his favorite cafés. “So, how do you feel, Mrs. Gunnach?”
“That’s Lady Cavell to you, sir.” She grinned up at him. “Or is it Princess Pepper?”
He laughed. “Oh, that’s just too bloody adorable to be legal.”
She giggled. “We’ll stick with Mrs. Gunnach, then.”
They arrived at the café and were seated at a window table. They removed their coats and settled them over their chairs.
An older gentleman, balding and gray, handed them menus. “Lord Cavell, it’s so good to see you again.”
“Thank you, Nicholas. May I introduce my wife?” Connall turned to Pepper. “Sweetheart, this is Nicholas. He owns the café and makes the best shepherd’s pie in Scotland.”
“You are too kind, sir,” Nicholas said as he beamed.
“It’s lovely to meet you,” she said.
“Wonderful to meet you too, Lady Cavell. Can I get you something to drink?”
“Coffee and water please,” Pepper said.
“Same,” Connall added.
The man shuffled away and Connall squeezed Pepper’s hand. “I have something for you.”
She waggled her eyebrows. “You always have something for me.”
“Okay, something I can give you in public.”
She frowned. “Bummer.”
He laughed and pulled out a small red leather box, opening it to reveal a simple white-gold wedding band nestled in the satin.
“Oh, Con, what did you do?”
“Now that we’re officially married…” He pulled the ring out and slipped it on her finger. “You have to have a wedding band.”
Pepper ran her finger over the simple white-gold band. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. A bright light startled both of them and they jumped apart to see two photographers snapping pictures through the window.
“Shite,” Connall snapped, and rose to his feet. “Let’s go.”
Nicholas rushed toward them. “Go to the back, sir. We’ll get rid of them.”
They grabbed their coats and made a run for the back of the restaurant. One of the kitchen staff guided them to a private office and Connall closed the door and pulled Pepper close. “I’m sorry, love. I should have warned you about them.”
“It’s fine. Sam filled me in on the paparazzi.” She started to laugh and then seemed like she couldn’t stop.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“It’s just if you’d told me, even a month ago, that I’d meet a drop-dead gorgeous playboy with millions and he’d fall madly in love with me and marry me within a week of meeting… I’d have laughed and then probably cried because my life was such a mess.”
“And now?”
“And now I’m standing in the back office of a small café knowing that if the paparazzi aren’t diverted, we either won’t get to eat, or we’ll be relegated to a tiny corner in the kitchen. And I couldn’t care less.” She slid her arms around his waist. “It’s a little surreal, you know?”
He chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
“What’s going to happen tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
“Um, hello, all three of the Gunnach men, plus Max and Niall all in one place? Half of Fallen Crown and three of the richest men in Scotland all in one place? It’s going to be a crap-storm.”
“Not really.”
“How are you going to stop it?”
“Technically, it’s a private show for a few of their biggest fans—”
“They’re playing?” she squeaked, cutting him off.
He grinned. “Didn’t I mention that?”
She smacked his chest. “How did you manage to keep that from me?”
He chuckled. “Distraction, love.”
She clapped and jumped up and down. “They haven’t played near me in years. The last time I saw them was six years ago.”
“Max wanted to give you a wedding present and I suggested this might be a good one. Plus, he can kick off his tour and give a few other fans a chance at an intimate show.”
Pepper threw herself into his arms. “Ooooh, I love you, love you, love you!”
He lifted her to his height and kissed her. “So, this is a good gift, then.”
“The best. Thank you.” She kissed him again. “But what about the paparazzi?”
“No one will know we’re there. We’ll be in a private viewing box, where we’ll be served dinner.” He lowered her to the ground. “So, although word may get out about the band, Ali and several of his best will be there for protection.”
She clapped her hands again. “I can’t wait.”
A knock at the door brought Nicholas. “I’m so sorry for the trouble, sir. I have a more private table for you, and lunch is of course, on the house.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Pepper said quickly.
“It’s my pleasure, m’lady,” Nicholas replied. “Please. Follow me.”
Once they finished lunch and Pepper insisted Connall leave the man twice the amount of the bill, Connall led her back to the apartment, using back streets and alleys just to be safe.