Free A Kilted Christmas Wish by Eliza Knight Page B

her heart, and wallow in her own dramatic mess without the attention of her friends. And she needed to get dressed. Needed to go across the street and ring Aaron’s door.
    The buzzer dinged again.
    Dammit. Her friend wasn’t going to leave her alone. She heaved herself from the chair, a Reese’s wrapper falling from somewhere. Yes, it was time to admit she had a chocolate addiction.
    “Amanda, go away,” she said, pressing the button.
    “Look outside.”
    Darla gasped. That wasn’t Amanda’s voice. No. That was a sexy, deep, Scottish brogue.
    Aaron’s voice.
    Her heart skipped a beat. Palms were suddenly sweaty. She stared at the buzzer, unsure if she’d heard right.
    Her finger hovered over the buzzer. She pressed the button. “Outside?”
    “Aye, lass. Open your window.”
    Her throat tightened. What was this about? She was supposed to be apologizing to him. She pressed the button again. “Wait, I need to say something.”
    “Darla Strider,” he said with his thick brogue. “Will you please go to the window?”
    With a slow push she turned from the wall panel and went back to the window by her chair. She pushed the window up and looked outside, her knees buckling at what she saw.
    In the middle of the sidewalk was Aaron—dressed in a kilt of rich green, blue, red and white plaid. He wore a billowing white shirt, partially undone, no jacket, and black leather boots. His legs were bare and snow fell in his dark hair. The man was every bit the vision of a Highlander. His gorgeously chiseled features blew her mind as did his charismatic smile. An apparition of her dreams come true. He held out his arms and she shivered. A band consisting of a drummer, guitarist and saxophonist stood to his left. As soon as she leaned out, they started to play a slow, heady tune.
    “Darla,” Aaron called up. “Darling. I have a confession to make.”
    Her face heated and she was left speechless. She covered her cheeks and shook her head, uncertainty filling her and fighting against the pure elation at seeing him serenade her in a kilt .
    “Not a moment has gone by since we first met that I haven’t thought of you. That I haven’t been completely enchanted by you. Every moment we are apart, I find myself thinking up excuses for reasons why we should be together.”
    A short hysterical laugh escaped her lips. She felt the same way. Felt the same intense urge to be together.
    But it couldn’t be real. Just hormones. Just the thrill of something new. That was what her head said, trying to reason out the unreasonable. But her heart sang. Her heart knew in truth that she belonged in Aaron’s arms.
    “ I’m sorry. I should have told you,” he said, his voice laced with regret, his eyes imploring. “But I couldn’t bear the thought of you believing I was only with you for the healing of loss.” He took a step closer to the building. “You did heal me. You did. But you also showed me something. That I could love again. That I couldn’t control life or death, but that I should live for the moment. Live for the excitement you brought me.”
    He could love…again. He…loved her? A hot tear slid over her cheek, leaving a chilling streak in its wake.
    “I love you,” he said, voice filled with conviction. “Without a doubt and wholeheartedly, I love you. I want to do every cliché thing we can think of. I want to go on every adventure with you. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you.”
    Her breath hitched, and she pressed a hand to her heart. She swiped away the tears spilling down her cheeks. “I love you, too,” she whispered, then louder, “I love you, Aaron! I’m so sorry, too.”
    Cheers on the street echoed off the brick and stone Soho buildings.
    Aaron bent down, one bare knee in the snow. Her stomach flipped. Someone stepped forward and handed him a tiny black velvet box. “Will you—”
    “Wait!” she shouted. Darla whirled from the window and ran to her door. She flung it