He’d really seemed concerned for my safety when he’d told me to get back inside the house.
Unaware of my muddled thoughts, he relaxed, bumping his head softly against the wall. With a sigh of defeat, he said, “Whoever he was, he got away.”
I clutched the robe until my knuckles ached. “Who? Who got away?”
His head lolled to the side as he squinted at me. “I was gonna ask you the same thing.”
I could feel my cheeks warming as anger bubbled up inside me. How dare he think I’d know who the hell had decided to come over and shoot the place up. “Just what are you insinuating, Aiden?”
I got my knees under me, braced my hand against the wall, and sent up a silent prayer that my legs would hold me, because I damn sure wasn’t going to sit beside Aiden while he interrogated me about what happened. If anything, he owed me an explanation as to why he had a gun.
His brows pulled together, scowling as he looked up at me. “I’m not insinuating anything, woman. I’m just wondering if you saw the guy who rang your doorbell?”
It was my turn to scowl. “You mean it wasn’t you?”
In one fluid motion, he was on his feet, his hand tucked under my elbow steadying me just as my knees wobbled, threatening to drop me back on my ass beside him. “Why don’t you get dressed? I have a feeling the cops will be here soon, and I’m sure you don’t want to be questioned in your bathrobe.”
I pulled against his hold, but he refused to release me. “What do ye mean manhandling me like ye have a right to? I know nothing about you, Aiden. Nothing. And if ye think I’ll just be allowing you to dish out orders and follow them, yer wrong.”
His tight grip loosened, but he didn’t let go as he stared deep into my eyes. “You’re right, you don’t know me. I was just trying to help. I’m sorry.”
Wavering on my feet, I watched him closely as I asked, “Why do you have a gun?”
“Lots of people have guns. Second amendment and all…” he said, shrugging as if it were no big deal.
“Second amendment?” I scowled at him, not understanding his flippant comment.
He sighed, running a hand over his face. “The right to bear arms, US Constitution… sorry,” he said, giving me a half smile, he continued, “I carry my gun with me for safety reasons.”
“Safety reasons? Yer in Scotland, for Christ sake. What the hell is so dangerous about Scotland?” I all but shouted at him.
His eyes widened. “Seriously? You can ask me that after witnessing what happened just a few minutes ago?”
Clenching my fists, I scowled at him. My body shook from head to toe, but I wasn’t backing down as I said, “Of course I’m askin’ ye that! People don’t show up at another person’s house with a loaded gun for no reason.”
Noticing my reaction, Aiden took a small step forward, brushing my hair back from my cheek. “I’m sorry if me having a gun scared you. That wasn’t my intention at all, but I’m not sorry I have it with me. Especially since someone just shot at me.”
I jerked from the contact of his finger brushing the shell of my ear. And I couldn’t say if it was from fear or his nearness.
His words and body language played with my head as he said the one thing that all but melted me. “I’d never hurt you, Airen. If you believe anything, please believe that.”
Moving back a step, I used the wall to support me. Aiden, with his disheveled blond hair, and broody looks made me question my own sanity, because after everything I’d been through, the last thing I ever wanted to do was trust someone again.
People were liars. They cheated you out of the things you worked hard for and left you. Abandoned you when you needed them the most, but yet, there he was, asking me to put my trust in him.
Could it be that easy to forgive and forget? Surely not. I shook my head against his words, saying, “Yer asking me to trust you?”
The blue of his eyes deepened as he gathered himself to answer. “I am. Do
Unaware of my muddled thoughts, he relaxed, bumping his head softly against the wall. With a sigh of defeat, he said, “Whoever he was, he got away.”
I clutched the robe until my knuckles ached. “Who? Who got away?”
His head lolled to the side as he squinted at me. “I was gonna ask you the same thing.”
I could feel my cheeks warming as anger bubbled up inside me. How dare he think I’d know who the hell had decided to come over and shoot the place up. “Just what are you insinuating, Aiden?”
I got my knees under me, braced my hand against the wall, and sent up a silent prayer that my legs would hold me, because I damn sure wasn’t going to sit beside Aiden while he interrogated me about what happened. If anything, he owed me an explanation as to why he had a gun.
His brows pulled together, scowling as he looked up at me. “I’m not insinuating anything, woman. I’m just wondering if you saw the guy who rang your doorbell?”
It was my turn to scowl. “You mean it wasn’t you?”
In one fluid motion, he was on his feet, his hand tucked under my elbow steadying me just as my knees wobbled, threatening to drop me back on my ass beside him. “Why don’t you get dressed? I have a feeling the cops will be here soon, and I’m sure you don’t want to be questioned in your bathrobe.”
I pulled against his hold, but he refused to release me. “What do ye mean manhandling me like ye have a right to? I know nothing about you, Aiden. Nothing. And if ye think I’ll just be allowing you to dish out orders and follow them, yer wrong.”
His tight grip loosened, but he didn’t let go as he stared deep into my eyes. “You’re right, you don’t know me. I was just trying to help. I’m sorry.”
Wavering on my feet, I watched him closely as I asked, “Why do you have a gun?”
“Lots of people have guns. Second amendment and all…” he said, shrugging as if it were no big deal.
“Second amendment?” I scowled at him, not understanding his flippant comment.
He sighed, running a hand over his face. “The right to bear arms, US Constitution… sorry,” he said, giving me a half smile, he continued, “I carry my gun with me for safety reasons.”
“Safety reasons? Yer in Scotland, for Christ sake. What the hell is so dangerous about Scotland?” I all but shouted at him.
His eyes widened. “Seriously? You can ask me that after witnessing what happened just a few minutes ago?”
Clenching my fists, I scowled at him. My body shook from head to toe, but I wasn’t backing down as I said, “Of course I’m askin’ ye that! People don’t show up at another person’s house with a loaded gun for no reason.”
Noticing my reaction, Aiden took a small step forward, brushing my hair back from my cheek. “I’m sorry if me having a gun scared you. That wasn’t my intention at all, but I’m not sorry I have it with me. Especially since someone just shot at me.”
I jerked from the contact of his finger brushing the shell of my ear. And I couldn’t say if it was from fear or his nearness.
His words and body language played with my head as he said the one thing that all but melted me. “I’d never hurt you, Airen. If you believe anything, please believe that.”
Moving back a step, I used the wall to support me. Aiden, with his disheveled blond hair, and broody looks made me question my own sanity, because after everything I’d been through, the last thing I ever wanted to do was trust someone again.
People were liars. They cheated you out of the things you worked hard for and left you. Abandoned you when you needed them the most, but yet, there he was, asking me to put my trust in him.
Could it be that easy to forgive and forget? Surely not. I shook my head against his words, saying, “Yer asking me to trust you?”
The blue of his eyes deepened as he gathered himself to answer. “I am. Do
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