“He said that when I get married, I should wear a kilt, and nothing under the kilt, if you know what I mean?”
“Oh, really?” I started laughing. “Would you wear a kilt?”
“I don’t know. Would you let me?”
My heart stopped. What had he just said? What did he mean by that? Did he have feelings for me? Was this more than just a Scotland fling? Could he possibly care about me the way that I cared about him? I was too scared to even hope for that.
Dylan spun me in a circle then collapsed onto the bed. “Come over here, my darling,” he said.
I slipped my heels off and sat down next to him. His eyes were sparkling as he grinned up at me.
“What’s my name?”
“Dylan.”
“No. What’s my name?”
“Mr. McAllister.”
“What’s my name?”
“Dylan McAllister.”
“What’s my name?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I said laughing, looking down at him.
“My name is da-da-dum … da-da-dum …” He pretended to be playing drums. Just how drunk was he?
“Are you okay, Dylan?” I pressed my hands against his forehead, though I wasn’t sure what that would tell me other than if he had a fever.
“I’ve never been more okay in my life.” He grinned and then burped. I made a face at him as I smelled the alcohol on his breath.
“Oh, you’re so drunk!”
“I’m not that drunk, Abby.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I’m sure. So do you want to know what my name is?”
“Yes. I do want to know what you think your name is, seeing as I’ve said your name several times.”
“My name is man in love,” he declared dramatically. His face looked so sweet and innocent, and all I wanted to do was kiss him.
My heart started beating rapidly. Was this the alcohol speaking or did he really mean what he was saying?
“Did you hear what I said, Abby?”
“I … think so.”
“What did I say?”
“I think you said your name is man in love.”
“Yes, I did, lassie.”
I couldn’t help but grin at his pretend Scottish accent. He sounded sexy even as a Scot. I had fallen hard for him, and I wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do or say to make me stop loving him now. “I don’t really know what that means. Are you saying that you’re in love with Scotland …?”
“I’m in love with you, Abby. Don’t you know that?”
“Really? Sit up, Dylan.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
“I’m serious,” he said softly, his voice lowering, his eyes gazing at me intently. “I’ve had some drinks, but I’m not drunk. I’m high on life and, but I love you, Abby Waldron. I really love you. I never thought I’d ever say that to anyone. It’s weird.”
“Weird in a good way or a bad way?” I asked him. I wanted to cry and laugh and kiss him all at once. Did this wonderful beautiful man really love me?
“In the very best of ways.” He looked away suddenly.
“What’s wrong?” I said.
“Well, you haven’t really answered me.”
“What?” I was confused.
“I just told you I loved you, and kind of left me hanging.”
“Oh.” I started laughing and his frown deepened.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I’m sorry, my dear. I love you too, Dylan. Of course I love you. I think I loved you the moment I first met you.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not lying. Yeah, you were an asshole, but you were gorgeous, wonderful, funny—amazing all the way around.”
“Amazing in bed too, right?”
“Oh, my gosh, Dylan, really?”
“What? Every man wants to feel like he’s amazing in bed.”
“Yes, you’re amazing in bed, but you know it’s about more than that.”
“I know.” He grabbed my hands. “It’s about more than that for me as well. Yes, you have a beautiful ass, and yes, I love kissing your luscious lips and staring into your big, beautiful brown eyes, and yes, when I’m inside of you, I feel like I’m in heaven, but it’s about so much more than that. Your very essence, your very soul is special. And I truly believe—” He stopped suddenly.
“What?”
“I can’t believe I’m actually about to say this.” He squeezed my hands and kissed me on the lips. “I truly believe you were made for me, Abby. I know when you told me you were waiting for the love of your life and your soul mate, I laughed. I never, in a million years, believed in anything kooky like that. But maybe I’m kooky now or something, but I think I was made for you. I think we are two halves of the same whole. Together we make one.”
My heart flipped. “Oh, Dylan.” I grabbed his face and pulled him towards me so that I could kiss him. “I never thought you could be so romantic.”
“I never thought I could be so romantic, either.” He laughed. “But it’s all true. The words are straight from my heart. And thank you. Thank you for being there with me when I met my family and for making me go to that dinner tonight and for listening to me and putting up with me and not taking shit from me. You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You’re beautiful and you’re strong and you’re independent and you’re funny and you’re quirky and you’re curvy and sexy, and you’re just everything that’s right in my world.”
“Really? Can I record that please?” I started laughing as he made a face. “So does that mean I have to quit the dancing job when I get back home, then?”
“What?” His eyes widened. “You didn’t quit?”
“Not officially,” I admitted, “but I wasn’t going to do it again.”
“You better not,” he shook a finger warningly in my face, “because you would not want to see me sitting in every room that you dance in.”
“You’d seriously show up?”
“You don’t think I wouldn’t be there if you kept doing that job?”
“You wouldn’t even let me do it.”
“Well, I don’t like to tell anyone what they can and cannot do …”
“Now that’s a lie.” I rolled my eyes. “You love to tell people what they can and cannot do.”
“That’s true. Speaking of, Abby, I have a task for you.”
“Oh boy. What’s the task?” I said, giggling.
“I think you know.”
“No, I don’t.”
“I need you to take off your panties.”
“Okay. Just my panties?”
“Well, no, take off everything. I want you naked.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
I got up and unzipped my dress, letting it fall to the floor so that I was standing in just my bra and panties. Dylan whistled, and I grinned at him as I slowly unclasped my bra and let it fall to the ground. I moved back and forth, doing the same little dance that I’d done at the bachelor party that night. He groaned as he stared at my breasts.