H
e couldn't stop touching her. Tasha noted that after the second time they had sex and the third time. She had zero complaints about the way he kept pulling her back to him if she so much as moved an inch out of his reach.
He had said the heart didn't grow fonder with absence, but his actions told a different story. Had he not fallen into a sound sleep, she would have never managed to get ready for work. Still, she left a note for him.
She damn near skipped all the way to work. If not for the new hires occasionally needing guidance either behind the bar or on the floor, her head would have been entirely in the clouds.
He showed up during the last two hours. How could her gaze do anything but follow him? Grant went out of his way to introduce himself to all three of the new employees. And the thing was, Tasha had completely forgotten to update him. Didn't matter. As soon as he waltzed through the doors, his gaze had taken in the pub and the three new faces hadn't gone unnoticed. He worked the room, mostly hitting up the patrons he had often served when a barmaid.
That gave him room and time to introduce himself first to Elery. The young Black enby had fluttered hir eyelashes the entire exchange. Tasha didn't blame hir. The power of Grant’s charm could turn gods into mortals.
Proof of that was Davy. He was quiet and serious but could light up once you really talked to him. By the end of his exchange with Grant, the white college kid was laughing.
At some point, she lost him in the crowd. She was sure he’d eventually make his way to the back and find Anya on dishes. The woman’s thick Trini accent would likely be nothing to a Glaswegian to understand.
Tasha worked the bar as usual, though the night came to an end without her watching the clock. Closing took a fourth of the time with all-hands on deck. She could get used to this.
With only the bank drop left, Elery, Davy, Anya and her split tips and bid each other a good night. Mia and Kincaid didn't kiss at the doors closing, but they found seats to plop in and huddled to talk.
Maybe fifteen minutes later, Grant exited the back room. His gaze fell on his brother. Tasha could practically read his mind. Her...lover…was happy and content as long as the people around him were the same. Mia and Kincaid may have left the honeymoon stage where adorable personality quirks had turned into the very things that annoyed each other, but they were sticking for the long haul.
Grant's gaze found hers. Tasha's thoughts were frothing, ready to spill out in a flood. The sex had been great, but it was just being able to be with him that had her heart full. They had missed each other, hard. They had said it. Okay. She had admitted to it. She was too scared to process what that meant. What next would she do to let herself be vulnerable?
Mia cleared her throat. After drawing their attention, her friend grinned. "I request whiskey."
Given Tasha was behind the bar, she could assume the request was meant for her. "Straight, or on the rocks?"
"You choose."
Her friend, who was head over heels in love, wanted a toast. Straight liquor seemed the wise choice. She filled four glass cups. Without having to ask for help, Grant took all but one she'd lined up on the counter over to the table where Mia and Kincaid sat. With the lone drink, she made her way over to them.
Once seated next to Grant, her friend looked to her fiancé. Kincaid lifted the glass. "The showcase has proven to be...good?"
"Great," Mia added. "We've secured a client. Small restaurant in Inverness, but they want us on tap every night."
"Mia," Kincaid said, a blush working over his cheeks.
"What? You were going to take too long to announce it."
They kissed. For Tasha it was so cute and so annoying. "Congrats," she said anyway.
Grant shook his head then lifted his glass. "May it be the first of many."
Mia practically bounced in her seat but looked to Kincaid. He laughed. "After some deliberation, we've decided to get married on Christmas Eve. Both of our parents will be home or rather here in Glasgow. My siblings will be home because it’s tradition. I don't doubt you, Tasha, will find a way to be here for your friend. You are a force. It's the perfect date for us."
Her brain was already calculating the time. Christmas would be in two months. Sure, she'd told her mother she would be home for the holidays, but plans changed. A friend getting married definitely would excuse her from being home.
And finally, there was a date. She hadn't solely ran to Scotland to make sure her friend walked down the aisle, but she showed up to make sure nothing kept Mia from it. Having gotten to know Grant, she knew this was also what he wanted—his brother happy. Tasha turned her gaze to him wanting to take in the smirk he likely wore.
Her heart and stomach dropped. Grant loved his brother. She never doubted that. But at the news of Mia and Kincaid's wedding date, his jaw was clenched. His brows had furrowed, and his mouth was a tight line. Her gaze caught on his hand wrapped around the glass of whiskey. Had it been anything delicate, she would have put money on the cup shattering from his death grip.
His smile was brittle and almost bitter. "Congratulations," he said, and if she hadn't gotten to know him the past few weeks, Tasha would have believed he was sincere.
Love made one blind because both Mia and Kincaid smiled at Grant and thanked him with the enthusiasm of a couple on the brink of happy nuptials. Her friend and Kincaid chattered more about what was to come.
She tried to focus, smile and nod but worry ate at her gut. There was going to be a shared bachelor and bachelorette party that would involve some kind of murder mystery. They were going to cosplay Sherlock in some way during the wedding because that was how they met.
It all sounded fun and hopeful and everything Tasha wanted for her friend. She wished the details pouring out of them could have drowned out the fact Grant sat so stiff beside her. How could she be the only one to see past his words?
But she could.
This was the moment she’d been dreading, the one she’d talked herself out of all those weeks ago. This was why she’d come to Scotland—to protect her friend. It didn’t matter what had soured Grant’s view of the marriage. The only thing that mattered was she wouldn’t let him ruin her best friend’s wedding.
Her heart threatened to splinter into pieces reflecting Grant in every damn shard. Him laughing. Him looking at her with such yearning and desire it hurt to even glance at the memory. Him saying I'm falling in love with you. Him scraping his nails along her skin when she'd told him no to a kiss. Grant.
She shook her head, punching down every emotion until her limbs were cold. It was her own fault for forgetting that Grant could be a bastard and not in a charming way. That sometimes what he wanted and the actions that followed could screw everything up. Now, she had to do what she'd come to do.