Page 19 of Love’s a Witch (The Scottish Charms #1)

CHAPTER TWELVE Sloane

Land Rover, huh?” I sniffed as I climbed inside his car.

“What’s wrong with a Land Rover?” Knox asked, casting me a look as I buckled myself in. The snow gusted, icy and undeterred, and I winced as my neighbor leaned on his shovel and glared at me. Pretending not to notice, I shifted toward Knox.

“Nothing at all. Fancy.”

“And you have an aversion to fancy?” Knox started the car, and my bum immediately warmed as the seats heated. I refused to give any indication of pleasure and wiggled only a bit as I settled into the coziness.

“We come from different worlds, Knox.” I grimaced at the sight of our car, the front end buried in a snowbank that had now doubled in size, and then I looked toward the castle.

Slightly imposing, with a few turrets and towers for good measure, Knox’s castle stood over Briarhaven, a stark contrast to our wee cottage.

“I’ve dated your type before. Used to the world working in their favor.

The annoying thing is that it usually does.

It just makes it hard to relate to those of us who have a lot more roadblocks in our way. ”

Knox didn’t say anything for a moment, carefully maneuvering the Land Rover through a particularly thick patch of snow before glancing at me.

“I don’t doubt what you’re saying is true, Sloane. But living in a castle doesn’t absolve me of my own hardships.”

“Hardships served on a gold plate don’t seem all that difficult to swallow.”

“You’d be surprised.”

At the note in his voice, I paused, intrigued.

“Such as?”

“Responsibility can be both a gift and a burden.” Knox shrugged, his lips pressed into a tight line, and I slumped back into my seat, intrigued by his confession.

He was the town’s golden boy, and everyone had sung his praises over the past few days.

I supposed a golden cage was, nevertheless, still a cage.

“What’s the story there? Didn’t you have brothers?

Your parents? Or is it just you banging around that drafty castle all by yourself?

” I gestured to the castle as Knox pulled to a stop at impressive wrought iron gates, gilded interlocking B s on the front, thistles twisting around the letters.

They glided smoothly open, and the road that curved up the hill was free of snow.

“Also, why is there no snow on this road? Do your minions race out and clean off any fleck of snow that dares land on your pavement?”

At that, Knox’s lips quirked, and heat bloomed low inside me.

Knox was single-handedly the most enticing man I’d ever met, but he largely directed scowls and annoyed looks in my direction.

Which was a good thing, it seemed, since even the hint of a smile was enough to make me want to dissolve in a pool of lust. Good goddess, but I needed to date more.

There was no reason why I shouldn’t have some semblance of control over my desires.

Or my magick.

I sobered as the realization that I wasn’t fully in charge of my magick slammed back into me. I’d spent a good portion of my life trying to be as different from my mother as I could be, only to be gifted with the one thing that had broken her.

Super cool, Universe. Well played and all that.

“It’s a spell I’m testing out. In some parts of the world where they receive heavy snowfall, they build their car parks and pavements with underground heaters.

Since I’m not about to tear up all the roads in Briarhaven, I thought I’d test something that would, at the very least, make the roads passable.

The gritters are working overtime, and hardly making a dent.

It’s next to impossible for the businesses to run, and I’m scared I’m going to have a mutiny on my hands here soon. ”

“Could be fun. A little rebellion always spices life up.”

“It’s not me they’ll be after, Sloane.”

At that, my shoulders stiffened. I knew the town was annoyed with us, but I hadn’t thought about them turning on my family and running us from Briarhaven. Now, imagining torches and pitchforks in the front yard, I shivered.

It felt like the clock was ticking, and tension threaded my shoulders. Turning toward where my breath fogged the window, I discreetly dabbed at it. It wouldn’t do to show weakness in front of this man.

“And to answer your other questions, my father is no longer a knight in the Iron Thistle Order, having passed that on to me. My brothers are enjoying gallivanting around Europe, as, apparently, are my parents, which leaves me.”

“The lone man to keep Briarhaven safe?”

I’d gotten to see the world, while Knox had stayed right here and made Briarhaven a safe home for magickals. Despite my annoyance with his overbearing ways and absolute conviction that everything worked out for him, my heart softened, just a touch.

As a child, Broca had once taken us to Edinburgh to see the Royal Military Tattoo performance at the castle where military and cultural dances were exhibited from all over the world.

At the very end, everything had gone dark, and a singular light had shown high up on the battlements illuminating a lone bagpiper.

His song had cut through the night, silencing the crowd, as he’d stood watch over all those below him.

Knox reminded me of him.

“Something like that. Och, it’s not so bad. I’ve largely been able to make improvements on my own without too much interference.”

“Sounds quiet.” And I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I loved my sisters with all my heart, but a peaceful bunch they were not.

“Mmm, not always. But you’ll see why shortly. Welcome to my home.” Knox pulled the Land Rover to a stop in front of an impressive set of doors with deep-set Celtic carvings in the wood and massive gold unicorn door knockers.

I refused to be impressed. But damn it, I wanted a unicorn door knocker too.

A squat man in a tux swung the door open for us, and he bowed deeply, a smile on his leathery face. I could just see the magick shimmering lightly around his body, and for a moment an ogre blurred across his countenance, all moss-covered shoulders and earthy demeanor.

“Henry, this is Sloane. She’s a terror, so don’t let her near any sharp objects. Assume she’s trying to kill me at all times.”

My mouth dropped open as I rounded on Knox.

“Excuse me. I would be far more inventive with my murderous intentions than to simply knife you in the back.”

“Nevertheless, best to remove the easy threats.”

“As you wish, sir.” Henry bowed to me and closed the doors behind us, cutting off the icy wind that pushed me forward, and warmth cocooned me as I craned my neck to look up at the high ceiling decorated with a mural of dragons in mid-battle.

Flames danced in a fireplace, and I gaped at it.

A fireplace. In the foyer. Who even knew such things existed?

“I’m not going to compliment you on your mural, but if I were to compliment you, I’d note the excellent workmanship.” I stuck my nose in the air.

“Noted.” Knox’s lips quirked, and that sharp tug of lust in my core annoyed me once more. I opened my mouth to speak, but a clattering sound drew my attention.

“What’s—”

My eyes rounded as a miniature Highland coo careened around the corner at top speed, a wheelchair frame rattling around him, his shaggy coat blowing back as he barreled toward us. A tabby cat kept pace at his side.

“Haggis! Stop!” Knox ordered sharply, and the coo skidded to a stop but didn’t manage to catch himself in time. Throwing his body in front of me, Knox caught the coo before he took my knees out and held him tight. “We discussed this.”

I tilted my head around Knox’s shoulder to see Haggis give Knox an aggrieved look.

“Hi, Haggis,” I said, shouldering Knox aside and dropping to my knees to scratch behind Haggis’s ears. The coo tilted his head, leaning into my palm, and made a noise of contentment. “You’re just the cutest, aren’t you?” He bopped his head against my hand, seeming to agree with me.

“He thinks you’re pretty cute too.” I glanced up at Knox, amused, and froze as his eyes heated.

From this angle, I knelt before him, his waist directly at my face.

Remembering the gifts the goddess had bestowed upon him, my cheeks flamed.

Soft fur brushed my hand, and I broke the look, desperate for anything else to take my thoughts away from my attraction to this man.

“And who is this wee one?” I trailed a finger along the back of the cat, scratching at the base of his tail as he arched into my hand.

“This is Oswald. He’s quite proper, or so he’ll have you told, until, of course, a curtain tassel crosses his path.”

“Ah, then the warrior emerges, is that the way of it?”

Oswald bumped his head against my hand, emitting a soft purr, and I smiled. Would Blue get along with these two? It would be fun to find out. Except we might not get that chance. Surely I didn’t have to come to the castle more than one time.

Knox shook a bag he’d brought with him, drawing their attention, and I watched with a small smile as he withdrew the toys for them. Haggis immediately took off after the ball, his face a picture of joy, while Oswald pretended indifference to his toy.

“What is it?” I pointed at the box.

“Crinkly paper inside a box. He’s pretending it is beneath him, but wait until we walk away. He’ll stomp all over it.”

Oswald seemed to give Knox a narrowed look before licking his paw and ignoring the box.

Threading his hand through my arm, Knox tugged me lightly down a corridor painted a soft, mossy color with a plush carpet covering the stone floors.

I tried to ignore how good his body felt next to mine, towering over me, all heat and muscle.

Let’s be honest here. I didn’t date often, so being close to a muscled man was indeed a rare thing. I liked it.

A crackle of paper sounded at our backs.