Page 44

“You picked well: the colour brings out your eyes. Of course, being a player, you would know how to dress nicely.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t call myself a player.”

She cocks her head to the side and studies me with an amused expression. “I can’t wait to hear this. Why not?”

“That word has negative connotations. I don’t ‘play’ with women’s emotions. I’ve been honest with every person I’ve ever hooked up with that it’ll be a one-time thing. I’ve never deceived anyone or promised them something more.”

“Hmm,” is her only reply to this. Maybe she plans to say something further, but she’s interrupted by a server coming over to take our drink order. Grace asks for a sparkling water.

“I’ll take one too, please,” I say.

The server goes away again, and Grace turns her attention back to me.

“You’re not drinking?”

“Nah. You can’t drink, so I won’t either. I suppose I’m just a nice guy like that.” I wink. “But nine months without alcohol, eh? You’ll be desperate for some booze when the bairn is born.”

Grace’s eyes narrow disapprovingly. “How much do you know about babies, Aidan? Once she’s born, I’ll be breast-feeding, and I still won’t be able to drink.”

“Oh.”

It’s ridiculous and incredibly immature, but after hearing the word “breast”, I automatically glance down at her cleavage. I can’t help it, and I’m obviously not subtle enough because Grace notices. But instead of looking annoyed, she seems . . . amused.

I shoot her a sheepish grin then pick up my menu. “So . . . food. What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know if I could do three courses. How about a main and a dessert?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be eating for two?” I counter. “You’re not trying to save my wallet, are you? Because please, go wild! Get what you want.”

“Thanks. If I can get what I want, then we’ll have a main and a dessert then go back to the flat and get into bed together.” She pauses then adds, “To watch TV, of course.”

I chuckle. “Of course! You don’t have a sofa, after all.”

The server returns with our drinks then takes our food order. I go for the beef fillet, while Grace opts for the duck. With a nod, the server glides away to pass this on to the kitchen.

Grace has a sip of her water then leans forward, closing the distance between us. “Tell me a secret about you, Aidan.”

I shift forward too, happy for any excuse to move closer to her. “Now, why would I do that?”

“We’re having a kid together. I want to know something about you not every woman gets to hear.”

“That seems fair.” My gaze flicks down to her lips, and I imagine how easy it’d be to move just a little further forward and press mine against hers. But I’m getting distracted. For now, her question.

“All right, here’s something I rarely talk about. The other day, I told you about my da’s double life. I left out one fact, though. When Maw and Iona found out the truth about my da, I’d already known for two years.”

“What?” A subtle raise of her eyebrows conveys her surprise.

“Aye. I was eighteen when everything blew up, but back when I was sixteen, Da took me into Inverness to see a Caley Thistle game. Er, that’s Inverness Caledonian Thistle, a football team, but that isn’t important. What is important is we made a day of it, and before the game, Da gave me a few hours to wander the shops on my own—he didn’t want to cramp my style, he claimed.

“So, I go around the shops, spend my money, get bored, then decide to explore further afield. I’m going through a residential part of the city when, at a children’s play park, I spot Da with another woman and a wee boy. He’s holding both their hands.”

“Shit!” Grace says.

“Da and I never did see the game that day. Instead, he spent the rest of the afternoon begging me—really pleading with me—not to say anything to anyone about his lover, Kirsty, or my surprise half-brother, Archie. He told me it’d ruin everything if I did. So, even though I hated it, and it kind of messed me up, I did as he asked, and I kept the secret from Maw, from Iona, from everyone—even Ally—for two years.”

“That can’t have been easy.”

I take a sip of water. As I put the glass down, Grace reaches out and brushes my hand, just for a moment.