Beyond the Thistles (The Highlands #1) Read Online Samantha Young

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Suspense Tags Authors: Series: The Highlands Series by Samantha Young
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Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
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Sloane and Callie were enjoying themselves, and that was all that mattered.

Even if I was forced into a tam-o’-shanter hat with ginger hair attached to it so Sloane could take a photo of me and Callie who wore one too. If Callie hadn’t cackled so much at my expression in the photo, I’d have deleted it.

“We should probably grab lunch,” Sloane said at our side. “Where do you fancy, kid?”

“Let Walker pick. We’ve picked everything else.”

Sloane patted her daughter’s leg. “You’re right. Walker, where do you want to eat?”

“Wherever you want,” I answered easily.

“And how did I know that’s what you were going to say?” She threw me that sexy smile. “Callie?”

“There’s a Five Guys!” She gestured so excitedly, I had to grip her harder to my shoulders. “I didn’t know they had Five Guys in Scotland.”

“I guess we’re eating at Five Guys,” Sloane muttered dryly.

Callie insisted on staying up on my shoulders as we crossed Princes Street and headed up the slight slope of Frederick Street toward the fast-food place. Once inside, we placed our order and I told them to go find a table.

A few minutes later, I walked toward them with a tray laden with food I rarely ate and settled it down. I’d left them to collect napkins and condiments, and when I returned, I noted Sloane glowering at the table across from us while Callie kept her eyes on her mum.

I glanced at the table and saw it was a group of young guys, late teens by the looks of it. They were being loud.

Frowning, I turned back to Sloane. “What’s up?”

She still glared fiercely at the boys. “I’ll tell you later.”

I nodded and we ate, chatting about what else there was to see in Edinburgh. There wasn’t enough time to do everything, and I promised to bring them back.

“Like soon?” Callie asked, big-eyed.

Sloane grinned at her. “Probably not soon-soon. Christmas is less than a month away so we’re going to celebrate that first. Have you told Santa what you want yet?”

Before Callie could reply, there was an explosion of laughter from the table of guys, their voices rising. “Seriously, this bitch was the skankiest fuckin’ bitch ever. Ah was, like, ye want tae dae whit tae me?” One lad gesticulated with his food. “I told her she might as well fuck me up the arse!”

“Oi.” My voice cut sharply across the room, and the diners around us quietened. The boys shut up and looked over at us. “Do you mind? There are children here. Take that kind of conversation elsewhere.” I didn’t shout.

The lad who had been speaking lifted his chin. “Or whit? Whit ye gonna dae aboot it?”

I stared at him with everything I could do to him blazing in my eyes.

One of his friends hit him on the shoulder. “C’mon, Boyzie. Let’s just go.”

“I’d listen to your mate if I were you.”

“Aye, whitever.” He lifted his chin again, but the lads all got up, not bothering to clear their table, before they wandered out, strutting like they were wee hard men.

Conversation built into a murmur again as I turned to Callie. “So? Santa?”

I felt Sloane slide her hand across my thigh beneath the table and squeeze as Callie denounced the idea of Santa, but with shy excitement told her mum she’d like a pink electric scooter. Behind Sloane’s smile, I saw a flicker of worry and hated that everything was such a bloody struggle for her.

After lunch, as we waited outside the ladies’ restroom for Callie, Sloane leaned into me, casually sliding her hand into the back pocket of my jeans, her tits soft against my side. I bent my head toward her as she explained, “Those guys were being disgusting while you ordered the food too.”

I nodded in understanding but then tensed when she squeezed my ass before releasing me. I gazed down to find her looking at me, a hunger in her eyes.

“You just shut them up with barely a word. All you had to do was look at them a certain way, and it was over without getting out of hand,” she murmured.

“And?”

“It was seriously, seriously hot.” She bit her lip against a grin, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly and then she blurted randomly, “Callie cares about you, Walker.”

I knew that and I cared about her too. “I wouldn’t be here with you both if I intended to walk away,” I promised. “I wouldn’t play with you or Callie like that.”

She nodded and took hold of my hand. “She asked me this morning if you were my boyfriend.”

My throat tightened slightly, and my voice was hoarse. “What did you say?”

Sloane smiled. “I told her you were. But really, you’re my man.” She nudged me playfully. “You’re too rugged and sexy to be my boyfriend.”


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