Stubborn Spark (Wild Scots, #5) - excerpt.
Chapter One – In the Gutter
Blayne
High on the wall of the snowboarding centre’s bustling café, the huge clock clunked to three PM. Three. Three people. Threesomes. Oh man, my mind was in the gutter this afternoon.
It had nothing to do with work and everything to do with my best friend coming to visit. We hadn’t seen each other in forever, and I missed him like crazy.
My thoughts took a sharp steer to perverted whenever Brodie was around.
“Blayne, I need to speak to you. Again.”
Hiding a sigh, I lifted my gaze to Pete, the annoying-as-f*ck manager my brother had appointed since I was last home. It didn’t matter to Pete that I’d pulled shifts in the café or out on the slopes since I was a teenager. Fact was, I’d been gone for months, and apparently, that reset my skill level to nought.
All day, this guy had been on my case.
“I’ve told you this already: the coffee bean sack goes on the left of the machine. It’s how we do things. Yet, twice, you’ve moved it.”
I took one long stride to the coffee maker. “Look, Pete, if ye put it here, it’ll get splashed by anyone using the sink. A wet sack isn’t going to make great coffee, am I right?”
My internal idiot fist bumped me for wet sack! but I kept my steady stare on the manager.
“It won’t if people aren’t careless. Leave it where I’ve instructed. It looks better to customers. I’m sure your brother will agree. After all, I’m the full-time employee here, not you.” Pete stuck his nose in the air and left me to my barista duties.
I watched him go and resisted the urge to flip him the bird.
A customer arrived at the polished bar and rested a hand on the wood. No, not a customer. Her snowboarding jacket had the neon-blue markings of a trainer. I let my gaze travel up to take in a pretty face framed with wisps of blonde hair, escaped from her messy bun.
“He’s a piece of work, right? That guy has been complaining at me nearly every day for some infraction,” the woman said with an eye roll. “You new here?”
My mouth dried up. She was gorgeous. American, too, by her accent. I managed a nod, despite the fact her assumption wasn’t true at all, but no words came. Nothing to explain how my brother owned the place, or how I’d helped with the build and worked here on and off in my breaks from university.
I was twenty-two, f*cking six-foot-eight and built, yet I was having trouble talking to an attractive woman. My brain was a mess.
The lass leaned in conspiratorially, gifting me with the scent of something flowery and of the bright clean smell of snow. “If Pete really pisses you off, go over his head to the big boss. His name’s Lennox McRae, and he’s a sweetie. I’ll introduce you next time he’s around. Get you some backup. Solidarity in the ranks.”
A hail came from a gang of kids in the doorway, and my new friend swung her attention to them. Kitted out in neon skiwear, they waved to her, clearly excited to carve up the slopes, or fall on their arses as most learners did.
“That’s my group. I’ve got to go.” She pushed off the bar but peeked back over her shoulder. “I’m Casey. Catch you around…?”
She waited for my cue, and I swallowed.
“Blay,” I mumbled.
Casey’s eyebrows dove together, but she was already weaving through the crowd then through the glass doors of the lobby and out to the snowy fields. As soon as her blue jacket went out of sight, I banged my head on the counter.
I had no right at all to screw that up. Attracting women, or managing to say my own name loud enough for someone to hear, had never been a problem for me. Yet ever since a night last summer when Brodie had visited me in Edinburgh and we’d taken a woman back to my dorm room, I’d been different.
We’d planned to have a threesome.
Though it hadn’t come off, the idea had blown my mind.
Cracked it, apparently.
Beyond that, I’d been working abroad for the last year of my engineering degree and I hadn’t seen Brodie. Until tomorrow. He’d be here in the afternoon, and I was itching to see my closest friend. We’d never discussed that night, and it was time we did.
I heaved another sigh and moved the sack of coffee beans back to its rightful position far away from the sink.
Manager Pete could go f*ck himself. I had bigger concerns to handle.
***
I worked through the afternoon with one eye on the entrance, hoping for a second sighting of Casey or maybe even Brodie. He lived and worked three hours away on a remote Scottish island, so my hope was a big one—it was borderline impossible that he’d get away early.
His arsehole boss was far worse than mine.
By the time my shift ended, I was climbing the walls with boredom. I took my laptop to a table and watched the skies darken as a storm rolled in.
The gaggle of snowboarding tweens poured in through the door, their hot American instructor with them. The kids swarmed the counter, clamouring for hot chocolate, but Casey held back, tapping her lip. She swept her gaze over the busy tables.
Her attention landed on me, and heat zinged through my big body.
She made her way over. Her cheeks, pink from the cold, tinged a warmer red. “Oh God. Hey. I wanted to find you again. I realised I made a big mistake earlier. You’re Blay? As in Blayne McRae? I’ve heard the other instructors talk about you coming back so I should’ve guessed. You look just like your brother. I’m so embarrassed.”
I didn’t fight my grin. “My fault. I was having a hard job speaking. No clue why I let ye carry on.”
“Don’t! I actually offered to introduce you to your own family. I can’t believe I did that.” She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, and my smile grew wider.
“It was kind of ye.”
Casey held my gaze for a second then glanced away, her lips curved.
The heat in me bloomed.
Confidence restored, I gestured to the spare seat opposite. “Can I get ye a coffee? We’ll start over. Aye, I’m Blayne. You’re Casey. For some reason, we make each other blush.”
Casey giggled and glimpsed back at her charges. “Thanks for the caffeine offer, but I only have a few minutes before I need to return the kids to their parents. Then I have another class. Rain check?”
“I’ll hold ye to that.”
“You’d better.”
She left, and I tore my attention away, back to my work.
But I couldn’t resist stealing a peek at her in action, high-fiving the youngsters and debriefing parents. Her blonde hair would be long when let down, I imagined. My gaze drifted down to where her ski pants hugged her curvy backside.
F*ck. For all I found myself wondering about my sexuality, I was definitely a fan of this lass.
By lunchtime the next day, I’d let myself admit to having a minor crush. All morning, I’d stolen glances at Casey, and found her sneaking looks back at me. We barely had a moment to exchange a greeting, though my head swam with the sheer rising chemistry.
The must-mate instinct.
Perhaps it was finishing university and almost being free that explained why my body had gone haywire. I was pent-up with energy. Hungry. Itching for…something.
By the afternoon, the storms that had hit the Highlands had worsened. My shift finished, and I took a coffee to a quiet corner of the café, debating what to do with myself.
A flash of blue caught my eye. Casey approached my table, a smile on her sensual lips. “Found you.”
“Were ye searching for me?” I chanced the cheeky line, because it was all we’d both done all day.
“Sure was.”
Christ, she was bold. A massive turn-on. “Got time for that coffee?”
Casey glanced around, presumably for the manager, then sank into the seat opposite. “I’m done with classes but I’m not finished with work. Pete has me on ski patrol until close. I’m not in his good graces, so he’s throwing all kinds of sh*t at me.”
I wrinkled my nose. Ski patrol—skirting the perimeter of the snowboarding centre’s piste range—was vital, particularly this close to dusk. Tourists got caught up in the fun and sometimes needed to be rounded up. But unless I was mistaken, this woman was seasonal and therefore probably unqualified. “On your own?”
“Yep, but I only have to cover the green runs. It’s all good. I can handle myself.”
“I’m sure ye can.” I chewed my lip, not wanting to offend her by implying she wasn’t capable of chasing down strays, but I had genuine worries. The combination of low light plus the change in the weather would challenge anyone. The last run of the day was always double-handed. By qualified staff.
What the f*ck was Pete playing at? He was a by-the-book guy, and this was anything but.
“Want some company?” I asked carefully.
“Sure! Do you think Pete will mind?”
“I’ll deal with him.”
Casey gave me a curious once-over, and I got caught on her sweet face, my concerns temporarily wavering.
This was what I needed. A lass to flirt with rather than dwelling on thoughts that could ruin my friendship with Brodie.
She rested her chin on her hands. “Gotta admit, I wasn’t all that excited to go out on my own. I’m only here for another couple of weeks and don’t want to end up a working-vacation statistic.”
“It was for selfish reasons, too. I need to get out and burn up some energy. I’ve been stuck in here all day.”
“Huh, maybe Pete hates both of us.”
Casey reached and picked up my black coffee.
And drank.
“I had the best time with the kids in my last group. They’re eleven or twelve and super confident.” She took another deep sip. “I’ve had lessons since I was able to walk, but at their age I was all elbows and knees.”
“Which part of the States are you from?”
“Omaha. Middle-of-nowhere Nebraska.” Her eyes widened, and she froze. “I’m drinking your coffee. Oh sh*t!”
I waved away her second round of embarrassment and reclined in my chair, trying not to laugh. “I offered you a drink so it was on your mind. We can share. I swear I’m healthy.”
Casey pushed the cup across the table, groaning with good nature.
“Is there a Blayne McRae in the house?” A holler came from the doors, and I dragged my focus up to witness a brawny Islander barrelling his way towards me.
Brodie’s dark hair hung over his eyes in a mess of static from the winter hat he’d just dragged off, and joy shone from him.
Holy sh*te! He was here.
By the time he reached my table, I was on my feet, arms ready and spine stiffened to receive his crashing bear hug. On cue, he slammed into me.
“Ye giant f*cker. It’s been months and ye don’t call, ye don’t write,” he complained then grabbed me by the head to smack a kiss on my cheek.
It was b*llocks, we spoke every day in one way or another. I wasn’t having that.
“Me? I send ye long emails full of fascinating information and what do I get in return? Pure filth.”
“Ah, ye wouldn’t have me any other way.” Brodie gave a delighted laugh and punched my arm.
His overlong hair was tied back with a strip of leather, and I locked on to this new detail. It suited him, yet I couldn’t let that go so easily.
“That tan is a strange colour on a Scotsman,” he continued. “Ye look like ye need a wash.”
“Are ye talking to me about social decency? You’re the one who shows up looking like a sixties throwback.”
“Is that a complaint? Your life is boring without me in it.”
Casey snorted a laugh, drawing both of our attentions.
Brodie instantly straightened. “Sorry, I didnae see Blayne had someone with him. I’m Brodie, this boy’s better half.”
Casey’s eyes widened. She swung a look between us.
“Not like that,” I clarified, then confused things further. “Well, not most of the time. He’s my best friend. Casey, this is Brodie. Brodie, Casey.”
The two shook hands.
“If ye forget which is which,” Brodie added, irrelevantly, as we were nothing alike, “check out the hair. Brodie-brown-hair, Blayne-blond.”
“Got it. Though I could also go by the fact this one is a giant.” She thumbed at me. “I’ve only seen him sitting down or behind the bar. I thought he was standing on something.”
“Nope. He’s a man mountain but he has his uses. No one will mess with ye if he’s lumbering around in your corner.”
I rolled my eyes. I might be unreasonably tall, but Brodie was no slouch.
The two grinned at each other, then Casey’s gaze flitted from him to me.
The moment drew out. We all sort of sized one another up.
The potent chemistry somehow grew stronger.
I cleared my throat. “Bro, Casey and I are about to head out on patrol. Want in?”
“Aye, man. I’ve been cramped in the car for hours. Let’s hit the snow.”
As a group, we moved to the exit, stopping at the board racks outside the door. Brodie kitted himself out from the staff equipment with easy familiarity. I grabbed my new and highly rad Storm Hunter board, earning an envious whistle from my friend.
I handed it to him. “Give her a try for me.”
Brodie grazed the sharp edge with his nail. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“Do you work here, too?” Casey asked him.
“I have done in the past. Right now, I’m stuck elsewhere.” Darkness passed over his gaze. Blink, and you would’ve missed it.
My interest level raised a notch.
There was a story behind Brodie’s reaction.
His worries, and the problems with his family, stifled his life. He’d never wanted to go to university like me, but he did have ambitions. Ones that had been left on a shelf.
I gave him a punch to his bulky shoulder. “Glad you’re here. Want to talk about that cloud over your head?”
“Not for a second. But I have a better idea.” Brodie’s expression cleared, and he eyed the café space behind us. “Tomorrow night, we’re throwing one fucking huge party.”
Read on to see how Blayne, Brodie, and Casey work things out as a happy threesome...
