Chapter Eight
“Are you and Aleck avoiding each other?”
Delonna jumped, spilling half the head on the IPA she was pulling.
“Am I what? Sorry?” She added more beer to the pint and then pushed the handle back up, casting a glance at her friend.
“You heard me.” Kenzie’s gaze narrowed as she tucked the serving tray beneath her arm. “You guys have said like two words to each other, and even then you barely made eye contact.”
Dammit, Kenzie was way too perceptive. Delonna shrugged one shoulder and walked the length of the bar to give the drink to the regular at the end. Only replying to her friend when she returned.
“We’re fine. It’s just been a busy night.”
Kenzie leaned in closer and whispered, “You guys shagged, aye?”
“Kenzie!” Way too perceptive. Knowing her ears were turning red, Delonna shook her head. “None of your business.”
“I knew it!”
“No. We did not shag.” Oral sex didn’t count as shagging, did it? Officially? Especially when she was so exhausted after a fantastic orgasm that she’d passed out.
A wave of mortification swept through her again and she heaved a sigh. This morning had been awkward to say the least. Waking up in bed alone, with the windstorm having died down to nearly nothing. A glance at her phone had shown they were due at work in just over an hour. She’d found him in the kitchen and had approached with an apology on her lips, but he’d waved it aside and slid a muffin her way. Then he’d disappeared a second later stating he was going to take a cold shower.
She wasn’t sure if he’d meant it because the power was still out, or because he’d been blue balled last night. Maybe a little of both.
“Well something happened between the two of you. You’ve been acting strange around each other all night.” Kenzie glanced back toward the pool table room. “Are you going to stay with him again tonight?”
“I assume so.” Delonna frowned and shook her head. “Though this is ridiculous. The police haven’t found James or any clue of who my attacker was. We both shouldn’t be forced out of our house—that we pay rent on, dammit—indefinitely.”
“Aye, it’s a pain. But better safe than sorry.”
“That phrase can suck it. I don’t care how applicable it is at the moment.”
“Keeps you from running from the inevitable, hmm?” Kenzie gave a knowing laugh and walked away, much too fast for Delonna to hurl a lime wedge at her or something.
She already had one foot in that “inevitable” doorway. And dammit if it hadn’t felt pretty fantastic. Maybe it was because she’d been so tired last night, and on edge from the storm, but she’d come harder than ever before with Aleck McLaughlin’s head between her legs.
The man was a god at going down.
Her knees went weak and her blood began to pound and she groaned. No, she was absolutely not going to think about that right now.
Drawing in an unsteady breath, she glanced around the pub. It was slowing down, maybe only thirty or so remaining as midnight approached. Kenzie would be off soon, leaving Delonna and Aleck to close.
Despite her protests about having to stay at Aleck’s again, she wasn’t all that bothered really. It had been kind of nice having someone to go home with. To talk to. To do, ahem, other things with. She could get used to this…
No, you can’t. She wasn’t looking for a new man, and even her days at the pub were numbered. That last thought sent a pang of disappointment through her, which confused the hell out of her.
Yes, she loved this pub like she owned it herself, but that was the problem. She didn’t. It was Aleck’s pride and joy. He would always be the one to hold complete control. To have creative license. To bring in most of the profits.
Which was why she wanted to open one of her own. Well, would open her own once she saved up enough to money to do so. Starting from zero was more than a little disheartening, but not completely impossible.
And she was young. People loved to point it out—well she’d just use the clichéd statement as an encouraging reminder. She had plenty of time to get this dream off the ground.
Leaving the front for a moment, she made her way into the back office. The door was slightly open and she knocked before pushing it fully open.
Aleck glanced up and met her gaze over the laptop. His brows were drawn together in a frown and he didn’t seem pleased.
“Bad time? I can come back.” She turned, ready to leave, when a female voice stopped her.
“Who’s that, Aleck?”
Delonna glanced around, trying to figure out who it had come from. There was no one else in the office.
“It’s one of my employees, Ma.”
“Delonna?” The voice brightened, her Scottish accent stronger than Aleck’s. “I’ve heard of the lass.”
Ah. Aleck had been video chatting with his mom.
“I’ll come back when you’re done,” she said quickly, one hand on the door.
“Don’t leave,” his mom argued. “Come around the computer and let me have a look at you.”
Slightly alarmed, Delonna raised her gaze to Aleck and mouthed, “What the hell?”
“Ma.” Aleck’s tone was reproachful. “Delonna must get to work—”
“Nonsense. Send her round. I just want to say hello.”
Aleck’s lips twisted sardonically and he leaned back in his chair and ran his gaze over her. “There’ll be no helping it then. Come around, Delonna.”
Oh son of a bitch, really? She had to meet his mom right now? With what had happened last night still running round and round in her head?
Aleck obviously sensed her discomfort because his smile widened. “Unless you’re too busy?” he challenged.
Lifting her chin, she made her way around to the other side of the desk. “Not at all.”
She came around the desk and found herself face-to-face with Aleck’s mom on the monitor. She’d seen the woman at Sarah and Ian’s wedding, but hadn’t been introduced.
The woman staring back at her resembled Colin and Ian, with their reddish-brown hair. Clearly, Aleck took after his dad.
“Oh, well, aren’t you just the prettiest thing. And young.” Her gaze shifted to Aleck. “She’s quite young for you, don’t ya think, Son?”
Delonna glanced sideways and noted he looked a little stricken now.
“She’s not so young as to work here, Ma,” he said tersely. “Twenty-three, aye, Lana?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Hmm.” His mom nodded. “That’s not exactly what I meant, but I’ll let it go. You like working for the pub, lass?”
“I love it here,” Delonna admitted honestly. “It’s a beautiful pub. Fun, with loyal customers.”
“Ah, good then. You realize my husband and I were the first to open and own the place, aye?”
“Yes, I’ve been told.” Delonna glanced at Aleck, and saw his frown deepening.
“All right, you’ve had your fun, Ma. Let Delonna get back to her work. I don’t pay her for idleness, you know.”
Not about to let that fly, Delonna whacked him on the shoulder before she thought better of it.
His mother gave a surprised laugh but didn’t seem shocked or upset. “Nice to meet you, Delonna.”
“You too.” She gave a brief smile and turned to leave, but Aleck touched her shoulder.
“Come back in twenty and we’ll talk, aye?”
Something in his gaze made her stomach do little flips. “Sure. Sounds good.”
With a quick nod, she disappeared, leaving him once again alone.
*
Aleck couldn’t help but watch her retreating arse, snug in jeans and swinging lightly with each step she took. Memories from last night flitted through his mind and his blood heated a degree.
“I’m still here, ya know, Son.”
Shite. Turning his attention back to his mother staring up at him from his computer, he glowered back.
“Aye, you are. And I’ll have you know your delay tactic in talking with Delonna isn’t appreciated, Ma.”
She shrugged innocently. “I remember her a bit from the wedding, but wanted to be properly introduced.”
“How is Da?”
Her gaze slid down and she shook her head. “He’ll be fine. We weren’t going to tell you, because we knew you’d all worry so.”
“Aye. Can you blame us?”
Hip surgery. His father had had hip surgery last week, and was slowly recovering. If his mother hadn’t slipped and mentioned Da being on painkillers, they might’ve never known.
“And how are you, Ma?”
“I’m fine. Taking a bit of time off of work to help him with the recovery, but I’m doing all right.” The words were said cheerfully enough, but Aleck heard the strain of tension beneath them.
Shite. Why the hell hadn’t she mentioned this to them earlier? Da had complained in the past years about his hip aching, but none of his children had realized it had deteriorated to the extent of needing surgery.
“Are you sure he’s not up to saying hello?” Aleck asked.
“He’s fast asleep from the meds. Unfortunately you just missed him.”
“Well give him my love and let him know I’ll call him later.”
“Will do. All right then, Son, we’ll chat soon. I love you.”
“Love you too, Ma. Goodbye.”
“Cheerio.”
He ended their video chat and leaned back in his chair. After a moment he pulled out his phone and sent a group text about Da to his siblings. There would need to be a family meeting, and soon.
After they’d all gotten past the cursing and dismay in the flurry of texts, they agreed to meet for lunch in two days. The general consensus being that one of them would be taking a trip to Edinburgh for a week or so to help their parents and ease their mother from having to take the burden on herself.
Colin, right now, seemed to be the most likely candidate.
There was a swift knock on his office door and Delonna poked her head in again. “Hey, you done?”
“Aye.” He set his phone down and leaned back in his chair once more. “Come in.”
When she stepped in and closed the door behind her, his thoughts momentarily slipped from the worry about his da, and to the woman standing in his office.
She didn’t say anything for a moment and folded her arms beneath her chest, seeming to hesitate.
“What was it you needed, luv?”
“I um…wanted to know if you remembered to order anymore of the Thistly Cross Whisky Cask Ciders. They seem really popular lately.”
He arched a brow. “Aye. Placed an order this afternoon. Was that the only reason you came back here?”
The office was his place of solitude and business. Generally his employees would wait for him to come out or only come in the back if they needed something immediately.
They both knew her question could’ve waited until he came back out front.
“No. And clearly you know it.” She shook her head, her lips twisting wryly. “I want to apologize for last night.”
He held back any sign of amusement, and couldn’t resist teasing her a bit. “You’re going to have to be more specific. Hogging the blankets?”
“Dammit, you know what I mean.”
Delonna wasn’t really a blusher, but there was a faint hint of pink in her cheeks that fascinated him.
“I fell asleep before we…”
“Ah, yes, that. It’s all right.”
“Seriously?” She looked both dismayed and irritated. “It’s not all right. If the roles had been reversed and you’d gotten yours without me getting mine, I would’ve woken your ass up.”
“You were exhausted,” he assured her gently.
Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. “I really was. I hadn’t slept well in at least a few days. With the stress of my money disappearing, and then the storm… After that orgasm—which was pretty fucking amazing, by the way—my body just gave out on me and crashed. Without my permission.”
To hear her describe her orgasm as “pretty fucking amazing” had his cock waking up and his blood pounding harder. Because now all he could envision was her flat on her back with her legs over his shoulders again and his tongue inside her.
He struggled to keep his cock from reaching full hard-on status and drew in a slow breath. “I can wait for you, Lana.”
She reached behind her and locked the door. “I know. And you’re pretty sweet about it, but I’d like to make it up to you.”
When she strode toward his desk there was no willing his cock back down. His heart quickened, both in alarm and anticipation.
“Make it up to me? Now?”
“Oh aye, boss boy.” She gave a husky laugh and came around his desk. Pushing his wheeled chair back a few inches, she went to her knees in front of him.