Page 10 of Edinburgh Escape (Brotherhood Protectors International #5)

“We have an hour until we change trains. I’ll wake you before we stop. Then it’s another hour after that.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe we would have been better off on the sleeper train back to London.”

“That would have put us after noon getting to Edinburgh. This way we’ll be there as the sun rises. We can check into a hotel and sleep for a few hours before we go to meet your half-brothers.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She yawned again. “In the meantime, an hour nap sounds good.” Rather than stretch out on the seats, she lay her head on the table, her cheek resting on their joined hands.

Seconds later, Callum whispered in her ear, “Maggie, my bonnie lass, wake up.”

Something brushed across her temple as softly as a kiss.

Maggie blinked, lifted her head and stared into Callum’s dark eyes so close to hers. “I just closed my eyes.”

He grinned. “You’ve been sleeping for an hour. We have to change trains, or I’d leave you to sleep longer. I’ll need my hand long enough to retrieve your luggage from overhead.”

Maggie glanced down at their joined hands. Had he sat there the entire time holding her hand while she’d slept for the past hour? She released his hand and sat up straighter, feeling like she’d had too much alcohol to drink when she hadn’t had any.

The train slowed to a stop.

Callum rose, pulled Maggie’s carry-on bag from the overhead shelf, slung his backpack over one shoulder and her backpack over the other. “Ready?”

She pushed to her feet, amazed at the amount of effort it took. When she swayed, Callum slipped an arm around her waist and steadied her.

“We’ll need to hurry. These trains don’t stay long in the station,” Callum ushered her to the exit and onto the platform.

They descended a set of steps, marched along a corridor and up another set of stairs.

Maggie felt like a zombie, barely able to focus on placing one foot in front of the other.

All she wanted was to lie down and sleep.

Once they were on their train, Callum settled her in one seat, stowed her suitcase overhead and dropped into the seat beside her. “Now, you can sleep.”

She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.

The train left the station, the rumbling motion lulling her to sleep, though the glass was cold and hard, not a pillow or a comfortable bed.

Callum shifted beside her. “You can lean on me if it’s more comfortable.”

“What about you?” she murmured. “Aren’t you tired?” The hard window annoyed her to the point she sat up and tipped toward Callum, her cheek finding a softer resting pillow against Callum’s shoulder.

“I haven’t been traveling for two days without sleep,” he said. “I’m fine.”

“Thank you,” she said and slipped into an exhausted sleep.

The next time he tried to wake her, the train was slowing.

“We’re here,” Callum said.

“Where?” she whispered.

He chuckled. “Edinburgh. Let’s get out of the station. I texted a friend who lives nearby and has a flat in Old Town. He’ll let us use his place to sleep for a few hours rather than try to find a hotel. If we hurry, we’ll catch him before he goes to work, and he’ll let us in.”

“Okay,” Maggie nodded but didn’t move.

“Are you awake?” Callum whispered.

“I’m awake,” she said.

Something soft brushed across one of her closed eyelids.

“Mmm, that’s nice,” she said, not at all ready to open her eyes.

The same soft touch swept across her other eyelid.

Curious as to what could possibly feel so good, she opened one eye to Callum’s mouth coming closer.

His lips pressed lightly against her forehead. “Wake up, sweet Maggie,” he whispered.

For a moment, she basked in the tenderness, the haze of exhaustion slowly dissipating.

By the time she came fully awake, Callum smiled and pushed to his feet. “Feel any better?”

Maggie’s head spun a little at the realization that Callum had kissed her forehead. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, both her eyelids. Was kissing part of the standard operating procedures for a bodyguard to wake his client? If so, could she ask him to repeat the process?

Wait. What was she thinking? Heat flooded her cheeks.

Suddenly wide awake, she sat up straight. “I’m much better,” she lied and pushed to her feet.

Awake? Yes. Confused? Extremely.

Able to move about on her own, she didn’t take the arm he offered. Instead, she followed him off the train and through the station.

“We can take the shortcut or the long way around,” Callum said as they left the station.

“Shortcut,” she said.

His brow wrinkled. “I warn you, there are a significant number of stairs.”

The sooner they got where they were going, the sooner she could get a real shower for the first time since she’d left Montana. The shower-toilet combo in her cabin on the sleeper train didn’t count. “I’ll take my chances.”

Minutes later, on the hundredth step, Maggie was second-guessing the shortcut.

“Do you need to stop for a breath?” Callum paused a couple of steps above her, barely breathing hard despite the fact he carried her case, her backpack and his backpack. “I’m sorry. We should’ve taken the long way around.”

“You warned me,” she wheezed. “I’ll be all right once we reach the top. Please tell me we’re close.”

He grimaced. “We’re about a third of the way up.”

Maggie swallowed a groan. “I’m hiring a personal trainer as soon as I get home.”

Callum chuckled. “Seriously, you should stop and catch your breath.”

“No way,” she said, moving past him, “I’ll lose my momentum.”

He fell in step with her and stayed at her side the rest of the way to the top.

Once there, Maggie bent over, a stitch in her side, sucking air into her lungs.

After a minute, she straightened. “I thought I was in reasonably good shape from chasing four and five-year-olds around the classroom and playground. I was sorely mistaken.”

He took her hand. “Come on, it’s not much further.”

Callum came to a stop in front of a building that had probably been standing since medieval times. He glanced over at her. “The good news is that this is his building. The bad news is there are more stairs involved.”

Maggie stared up at the beautiful old building, thankful it wasn’t more than four stories. “I can do it. Lead the way.”

Callum held the door for her.

Maggie crossed the threshold into a small entryway with doors on either side and a staircase leading upward.

Callum took the lead and started up the steps. When he stopped on the first floor, Maggie could have kissed him.

A door opened in the middle of the hallway, and a big man with a barrel chest stepped out. “Cal, old man, glad you made it. Come in. Come in.”

Cal laid a hand against Maggie’s back and guided her toward the man dressed in a traditional plaid kilt.

“Still playing pipes for the tourists?” Cal held out his hand.

“It’s a living and better than being target practice for the Taliban, wouldn’t you say?” The man gripped Callum’s hand and pulled him into a hearty hug, pounding his back hard enough Maggie winced. When he stepped back, he turned to Maggie. “And who is this bonnie lass with ya?”

“Angus Graham, this is Maggie McKendrick,” Callum introduced them.

Angus took Maggie’s hand in his big, meaty one. “Nice to meet you, Maggie McKendrick.” His gaze went from Maggie back to Callum. “Your wife? Fiancée? Girlfriend?”

Heat filled Maggie’s cheeks as she quickly shook the man’s hand and let go. “None of the above.”

Angus’s eyebrows rose. “If that’s the case, there’s a chance for me.” He lifted his chin and patted his broad chest. “I’m a lot more man than the likes of young Callum.”

Maggie shook her head. “I’m sure you are, but I’m not here for long.”

“Ah, a Yank, are ya?” Angus smiled. “I’d like to spend the day listening to your accent and watching the sun glint off your hair, but duty calls.

” He opened the door behind him and waved them inside.

“Make yourselves at home. If you’re still around this evening, we can find something to eat.

Nothing much in the fridge but some cheese. There’s bread on the counter.”

“All we need is a shower and a couple of hours of sleep,” Callum said. “Ms. McKendrick has an appointment to keep. We may or may not be back afterward.”

Angus nodded. “Just let me know.” He gathered a set of bagpipes, settled a beret on his head and waved a hand. “It was good to get your text. Last I heard, your entire team was hit. I thought you might be dead.”

As Maggie watched the interaction between Angus and Callum, she was shocked at the sudden change in Callum’s demeanor.

Her bodyguard’s jaw tightened. “I’m still here,” he said, his tone flat, emotionless.

A moment before, he’d been smiling and seemingly happy to see his friend. And just like that, a shadow fell over his face, giving it a grayish tinge.

The mention of his team had done that to him.

Maggie wondered what had happened. If Angus had assumed Callum was dead, were there others who hadn’t survived whatever hit they’d taken?

“Make yourselves comfortable. If you run into any trouble, you know what to do.”

Callum met and held Angus’s gaze. After a moment, he nodded. “Aye. It’s good to see you, old man.” He reached out and clasped Angus’s forearm.

“Take care,” Angus said and turned to shake Maggie’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you, fair Maggie.” Angus left the flat, closing the door behind him.

Maggie turned to Callum, wanting to ask him what Angus had meant when he’d said, You know what to do . She also wanted to know what had happened to him and his team.

His face set in tight, unapproachable lines, Callum moved away from the door and dropped their backpacks on the floor.

Maggie would have to wait to ask her questions when Callum wasn’t so distant.

Instead, she moved around the small flat.

Though the kitchen was small, it had a full-sized refrigerator and a table with two chairs.

The living room had a single sofa against one wall with end tables on either side.

A television rested on a stand against the opposite wall.

She walked down the short hallway. Two doors led into bedrooms, one larger than the other.

Behind a third door was a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower.

When Maggie returned to the living room, she found Callum in the kitchen, peering into the refrigerator. “There are two bedrooms. I assume the larger one is Angus’s.”

“You can sleep in the other.” Callum tipped his head toward the sofa. “I’ll be okay on the sofa. You can be first in the shower, while I find something to eat.”

Too tired to argue, Maggie grabbed her roller bag and backpack and headed for the bathroom.

As she stripped, her mind replayed all that had happened since she’d landed in London, her thoughts revolving around the man in the other room—her bodyguard who’d saved her from the attacker in Crewe and then kissed her awake like a lover, not a hired protector.

She turned on the water, waited for it to warm and then stepped beneath the spray, hoping the water would wash away her confusion along with the grungy feeling of travel grime. It didn’t.

Standing naked, a few very short steps away from Callum, only added to her confusion.

Yes, there was a door between them, and he’d probably faked his interest in her while playing tour guide through London, but her interest in him was all too real.

So real the water sliding over her sensitized skin made her wish Callum would join her in the shower and run his hands over the same places the water touched.

With the tips of her fingers, she traced a path from her neck, over the swell of her breast and downward to the juncture of her thighs. A moan rose up her throat.

“Everything all right in there?” Callum’s voice sounded through the closed door, shaking Maggie back to reality. She turned the faucet to cold. “Yes. Everything is fine. Just fine,” she squeaked as the cold water hit her skin, chilling her desire into submission. She was a job. Nothing more.

But if there could be more...