Irish Rogue, page 7
Anya’s cheeks flush, and her expression is abashed. “Was I that obvious?”
“Maybe just a little.” I wink.
She covers her face with her hand. “Now I feel terrible. That poor guy was really trying.”
Not thinking, I reach over and touch her arm. She drops her hand, and her eyes widen, but she doesn’t jerk away. Instead, a weird look crosses her face that I can’t decipher. I brush it off and remove my hand. “Don’t feel bad. He was kind of a douche anyway.”
Anya’s laughter bubbles out of her. She presses her lips together to try and stifle it, but it’s useless. “He really was, wasn’t he?” More giggles slip from her mouth.
My gaze drops to it. Both lips are equally full and bright pink, as though she’s been nibbling on them. Her laughter dies away. I raise my eyes to meet hers. Hers widen a fraction, and there’s a flicker of awareness in her gaze. My nostrils flare with unexpected, and unwelcome, arousal. Silence descends. I clear my throat and shake off whatever just happened. “We better get going to the next house if we want to make it on time.”
I start the car and pull away, trying to ignore the scent of the woman beside me.
Chapter 12
Anya
* * *
This is bad. Really, really bad. Whatever that was, it’s bad. When Paddy had placed his hand on my back, I passed it off as an anomaly. But that touch on my arm? I can’t ignore the fact neither made me anxious. Or nauseated. Or any of the other things that happen when a man touches me, even though they’ve all been innocent and mostly accidental.
It’s because he’s safe and has no interest in you that way. Except, the look he just gave me wasn’t so disinterested. Yes, it was. It has to be.
We ride in silence until we reach the next house. The minute we pull up to it, and I take it in, a vibe hits me. The sun shines directly on it despite the fact that two minutes ago, the sky was full of white, fluffy clouds that blocked out any light trying to break through. If the back is anything like the front, then it’s going to be window after window. A giddy excitement sparks in my belly. I try to temper it and keep my hopes and expectations at a minimum. It doesn’t mean anything.
“You have that buzz going again,” Paddy says.
I turn my head to glance over at him with a questioning gaze. “What?”
He tips his chin toward the house with a small smile. “The buzz of excitement you had while you were talking about your sewing room. It started back up. Just a little bit, but enough to be noticeable.”
“How can you see it?” I’m highly interested because I didn’t do anything to give him that idea. Did I?
“I don’t know how to explain it. It was just this energy you gave off. Like a subtle tightening of your muscles as though you were ready to take off running to get inside. An impatient air.” He shrugs almost bashfully, as though embarrassed about being so observant.
“Did you feel anything when we pulled up?” I ask curiously. As much as I want to be excited, I’m not sure I could pick a place to live in if Paddy wasn’t also completely happy. It doesn’t seem right.
He grins. “I don’t know if guys get vibes about houses. It seems nice so far, but you should know I’m not too picky. As long as there’s a big enough wall for my television, then I’ll be happy.”
“That doesn’t seem too hard.”
“You’d be surprised,” he says. “There’s the realtor. You ready to check it out?”
I nod merrily. We both exit the car, although, this time, I wait for Paddy before heading inside. I admire the small patch of landscaping on the raised level between the sidewalk and the long front patio. Short evergreen bushes form a line along the brick base of the portico. A cute birdbath sits in the corner and is occupied by a couple of robins. Directly in the center, enclosed inside a cement ring, is a boxwood shrub. It’s been well-tended and gives me high hopes for a nice garden in the back.
It’s a short climb up the five brick steps where the friendly-looking realty agent waits with a polite and not-too-desperate smile. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly. I’m Dayna.”
I start at the name. Mrs. Donnelly. In less than a week, I won’t be Anya Petrov any longer. Instead, I’ll be Anya Donnelly, wife of Padraig. A strange sense of surrealness comes over me. This is actually happening. Next to me, Paddy coughs lightly. I blink out of my fog and smile at the woman.
“Thank you so much,” I tell her.
Her faded smile turns back on. “If you’d like to follow me, we can head inside.”
Paddy sweeps his hand out, and I trail behind Dayna. That ‘buzz’ he mentioned vibrates a little more. The front room is spacious with two built-in bookshelves. There’s a purple accent wall in the center hall where the stairs start that lead up to the second floor. Natural light spills through the house from all directions. My gaze catches on colors through the back windows, and I stride forward, leaving Paddy and Dayna behind.
There’s a detached garage, but connected to it is a long breezeway that leads to the most beautiful green yard dotted with nearly every color of the rainbow. I pause at the double doors and glance hesitantly over my shoulder in question. “Can I go look outside?”
“Of course,” Dayna says with kindness. “Feel free to look at anything you’d like.”
I turn the lock and open the right side before stepping out onto the patio. I’m almost nervous to keep going, but I manage to make it down the two steps, through the breezeway, and onto the grass. Strong footsteps come up behind me, but I’m entirely focused on what’s in front of me.
Butterflies flutter over the purple bee balms, their gentle wings flapping gracefully as they land here and there. There’s lavender catmint, black-eyed Susans, and Coral Bells in one area. In another are gladioli, lilies, and several rose bushes. A third section includes marigolds, blue wood aster, and trillium. Already, my fingers itch to get in the dirt.
“I take it you’re pleased?”
I slowly turn to Paddy. “Do you think the inside is going to be just as perfect?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Nervous that this place is too good to be true, I’m hesitant to burst the happy bubble that surrounds me. Better get it over with. With small steps, I head toward the house and up the steps with Paddy right behind me. Dayna waits inside. “It’s a gorgeous garden, isn’t it?”
“It’s lovely,” I say, trying to hold back how ecstatic I am. Like I’m keeping my expectations low until I see the rest of the place.
“You’re welcome to keep exploring. There are two bedrooms on the main level and three on the second floor. There’s a fully finished attic room that gets a lot of natural light and has the perfect view of the garden,” she explains. “Take a look at everything, and feel free to ask any questions.”
“Thank you,” Paddy says.
We travel from room to room, absorbing everything. There’s a perfect-sized wall in the family room that he says will fit his tv. Five bedrooms is a bit more than we need for just the two of us, but I’m sure we can find some use for them. Maybe I’ll turn one into a room for Milana, and she can stay with me once in a while for an aunt-and-niece sleepover when she gets older. We could even invite Saoirse and Rowan for a girls’ slumber party. I’m sure Brenna and Mila would enjoy having a break.
The master bathroom is stunning with its full walk-in shower. There’s even a long bench built out from one of the walls. From nowhere, an image of a wet and naked Paddy standing beneath the rain shower pops in my head. Water sluices down his muscled body. My mouth dries up, and I’m having a hard time swallowing.
“You okay?” he asks beside me, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
“What?” I squeak. My cheeks are on fire, and I can barely look at Paddy.
“You had a weird expression on your face. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine,” I manage to croak and hurry away from the bathroom, that shower, and those far too unsettling images.
The back of my neck tingles as though Paddy’s gaze follows me. I climb the second set of stairs, still not totally sold on the house, despite the amazing garden below. The bedrooms have been nice. Large with plenty of closet space. But I can’t picture sitting in any of them all day, working on clothes. Until the second I step through the door of the attic room. The walls are painted lavender. A white chandelier hangs from the middle of the ceiling. The parquet floor shines. But what really draws me is the large bay window with padded seat.
I cross the room, turning in slow circles, glancing up, down, and around until coming to a stop at the window. The view is absolutely breathtaking. Dayna is right. I’m overlooking the entire backyard from up here. Every bush, plant, and flower are in perfect view. I also catch a glimpse of one tower of the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge over the treetops.
Most importantly, I can imagine setting up my sewing room in here. Already, I’m picturing where my table and machine will go. I can even sit here in the window seat and work on some projects by hand while I look outside. The afternoon lighting is perfect and shines directly in through the glass.
“I have a feeling you’ve just found our house,” Paddy remarks.
Completely forgetting he stood in the doorway, I pivot. “What do you think of it?”
He cocks his head a bit. “If you’re happy, then that’s the most important thing.”
“But I want you to like it, too. You’re going to live here, as well, you know.”
“Anya,” he says with a bit of humor, “I can tell you’re in love with the place, and I promise that I’m perfectly satisfied with it if this is the one for you. The location is great and actually not too far from our family pub.”
I cock my head. “Your family has a pub?”
“We do. Donnelly’s. My great grand-da wasn’t very original, I’m afraid.” He winks at me.
How did I not know that about them? Even Caitlín never mentioned it. What else don’t I know about Paddy and his family? I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with this man. Except, his remark about us not even being friends comes back to me. It still stings a little.
“Should I tell Dayna we’ll take it?” he asks.
I bite my bottom lip. Paddy’s gaze drops to it, and that same heated look he’d given me in the car returns. Quickly, I turn and look back out the window, trying to calm my racing heart. What happened to the unease I’d felt the evening I’d approached him with my proposition, and he’d looked at me the same way?
“You don’t have to decide today,” he says as though that’s the reason for my hesitation.
I breathe in a few times, square my shoulders, and turn around the face him again. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” Paddy asks with a small smile.
Mine grows. “Yeah.”
He tips his head. “Looks like we found ourselves a house.”
Chapter 13
Paddy
* * *
Of all the ridiculous ideas Nathan has had over the years, this one has to be the worst.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I grumble as he pulls open the door of Donnelly’s.
Behind me, Jack snorts, and I lift a single finger. He outright chuckles. The familiar scents of yeast and shepherd’s pie drift over me. Conversations rumble around us from the full tables in the front dining room as well as the stools at the bar that run along the length of the right side of the pub. The place is packed.
“You’re the first of us boys to get married. Something I never thought I’d live to see. We just had to throw you a bachelor party to celebrate your last night as a single man,” Nathan says over his shoulder as he leads us to an empty table directly in the middle of the crowd of people.
His words send a spike of panic and dread through me, although I force the smile to remain on my face. Both cheeks ache with the effort. My heart races, and a heavy ball of tightness sits in my gut. Remember why you’re doing this. “It really wasn’t necessary.”
Every face is familiar since it’s only our soldiers and heads of families present. They all raise their pints and a raucous, “Slàinte mhaith,” echoes around the room. I awkwardly wave at them in appreciation. The sign on the front door had said we were closed for a private event. Apparently, this travesty Nathan calls a bachelor party is the event. Lord knows what he has planned.
“Are you kidding?” Jack exclaims. “I wouldn’t miss this night for anything. Because no matter how hard you’ve tried to hide it, I’ve never seen you more uncomfortable. I hope someone records the festivities because this is something I’ll enjoy watching over and over.”
We finally make it to the table, and I turn toward my older brother. “You’re a dick. You know that, right?”
Jack takes a seat and only grins wider, then waggles his eyebrows up at me. Asshole. I drop into the chair next to him while Nathan sits across from me.
“Now, now, boys, no fighting tonight,” Sadie scolds as she circles out from behind the long wooden surface and makes her way over to us. “It’s Paddy’s evening, and you’re all going to drink and celebrate and be nice to each other. Even if it kills you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” There’s a chorus of properly chastised voices from us.
“Since we’re here celebrating Paddy’s marriage, the first round of drinks are on me,” she says. “What can I get you?”
“Two Devil’s Keeps,” Jack answers.
“I’ll take a Smithwick’s, Sadie-girl,” Nathan flirts with an over-exaggerated wink.
She smiles broadly and cocks her head. “Coming right up.”
After she disappears back behind the bar, I glance around the pub. It should feel like any other night. Everyone seems to be involved in their own conversation, despite supposedly being here for a bachelor party. The place doesn’t look any different than normal. A jaunty Irish jig spills out of the speakers in the ceiling, reminding me of our ancestral homeland. I’d almost give anything to be back in Ireland, even if that meant following my uncle’s orders instead of Da’s.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Nathan asks with far too much excitement, as though he were the one getting married.
I smile weakly, ignoring Jack’s observant stare. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“Nathan and I planned something special for you this evening. Something I think you’ll enjoy immensely.”
Forced to turn my gaze to Jack, I raise an eyebrow. “I’m afraid to even ask.”
They both chuckle and glance back and forth between each other far too conspiratorially. “Just wait and see,” Nathan says.
If that doesn’t sound ominous, I’m not sure what does.
“Here are your drinks, boys,” Sadie announces as she sets a glass filled with reddish-brown liquor in front of me and then one for Jack. A foamy red ale is placed in front of Nathan.
The three of us clink glasses while another shout of, “Slàinte,” resounds throughout the place. I toss back the whole drink in one swallow and gesture for Sadie to bring another. My gaze meets Jack’s inscrutable expression. Nathan seems to be intently studying the inside of his beer mug.
“What?” I ask Jack.
He shakes his head. “Nothing.”
“It’s clearly something. You have a look on your face.”
“Jack,” Nathan warns under his breath.
My gaze darts between them. They both look decidedly uncomfortable.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Jack finally says. Nathan takes a giant gulp of ale.
“For feck’s sake, we’re not doing this here. Not tonight,” I bite out.
Jack’s lips tighten, but he offers a shallow nod. I turn toward the bar, cursing Sadie for taking far too long with my refill. As though hearing me, she rounds the end of it again, carrying two glasses in her hand.
“One’s from the O’Connell boys,” she says, setting them both down in front of me.
I glance around her toward a table of four of our youngest soldiers—brothers—who salute me with their own glasses. I pick mine up, return the gesture, and toss the second one back, not even caring that it’s still early, and I have an empty stomach. Maybe if I get drunk enough, I’ll forget what tomorrow is going to bring.
“Do you remember the time we met those flight attendants at the pub in Dublin?” I punch Jack in the arm, the whiskey from my glass sloshing over the edge and spilling onto the floor.
He throws his head back, cackling. “They were twins, weren’t they? All I remember is that one kept showing off how flexible she was. I’ve never seen a woman put both legs behind her head before.”
“I took full advantage of that flexibility later that night,” I say a bit smugly.
Nathan chokes on his beer. “Where was I?”
“You were still in nappies.” Jack snorts and smacks his palm hard on the table in amusement, causing all our glasses to rattle. I roar with laughter.
“Go fuck yourself,” Nathan growls. “I’m not that much younger than you guys.”
Sadie approaches with another tray full of drinks. “Another round the three of you don’t need.”
She places the glasses on the table and turns away with a small sniff of disgust. I clumsily jump up from my seat, staggering a little, and pull her against me, loosely holding her in my arms. “Dance with me Sadie, love.”
“Oh, you rascal,” she scolds but chuckles brightly.
We dance around the middle of the dining room floor, the few remaining men whooping and hollering until the music quickly shifts into something a whole lot sexier. The lights dim except for a single one. Sadie and I slow our movements until we come to a complete halt. I stare at the bright beam that is coming from some type of spotlight on the floor.
Just then, a lone woman wearing hardly any clothes steps into it. She stares directly into my eyes in a way that has me straightening. I barely pay attention to Sadie stepping away. Slowly, the young, gorgeous woman almost glides across the floor, the light following her, straight toward me. My liquor-sodden gaze takes her in from perky breasts barely concealed behind a purple satin bra, down her flat, toned belly, to the matching teeny, tiny bikini bottom.
“Maybe just a little.” I wink.
She covers her face with her hand. “Now I feel terrible. That poor guy was really trying.”
Not thinking, I reach over and touch her arm. She drops her hand, and her eyes widen, but she doesn’t jerk away. Instead, a weird look crosses her face that I can’t decipher. I brush it off and remove my hand. “Don’t feel bad. He was kind of a douche anyway.”
Anya’s laughter bubbles out of her. She presses her lips together to try and stifle it, but it’s useless. “He really was, wasn’t he?” More giggles slip from her mouth.
My gaze drops to it. Both lips are equally full and bright pink, as though she’s been nibbling on them. Her laughter dies away. I raise my eyes to meet hers. Hers widen a fraction, and there’s a flicker of awareness in her gaze. My nostrils flare with unexpected, and unwelcome, arousal. Silence descends. I clear my throat and shake off whatever just happened. “We better get going to the next house if we want to make it on time.”
I start the car and pull away, trying to ignore the scent of the woman beside me.
Chapter 12
Anya
* * *
This is bad. Really, really bad. Whatever that was, it’s bad. When Paddy had placed his hand on my back, I passed it off as an anomaly. But that touch on my arm? I can’t ignore the fact neither made me anxious. Or nauseated. Or any of the other things that happen when a man touches me, even though they’ve all been innocent and mostly accidental.
It’s because he’s safe and has no interest in you that way. Except, the look he just gave me wasn’t so disinterested. Yes, it was. It has to be.
We ride in silence until we reach the next house. The minute we pull up to it, and I take it in, a vibe hits me. The sun shines directly on it despite the fact that two minutes ago, the sky was full of white, fluffy clouds that blocked out any light trying to break through. If the back is anything like the front, then it’s going to be window after window. A giddy excitement sparks in my belly. I try to temper it and keep my hopes and expectations at a minimum. It doesn’t mean anything.
“You have that buzz going again,” Paddy says.
I turn my head to glance over at him with a questioning gaze. “What?”
He tips his chin toward the house with a small smile. “The buzz of excitement you had while you were talking about your sewing room. It started back up. Just a little bit, but enough to be noticeable.”
“How can you see it?” I’m highly interested because I didn’t do anything to give him that idea. Did I?
“I don’t know how to explain it. It was just this energy you gave off. Like a subtle tightening of your muscles as though you were ready to take off running to get inside. An impatient air.” He shrugs almost bashfully, as though embarrassed about being so observant.
“Did you feel anything when we pulled up?” I ask curiously. As much as I want to be excited, I’m not sure I could pick a place to live in if Paddy wasn’t also completely happy. It doesn’t seem right.
He grins. “I don’t know if guys get vibes about houses. It seems nice so far, but you should know I’m not too picky. As long as there’s a big enough wall for my television, then I’ll be happy.”
“That doesn’t seem too hard.”
“You’d be surprised,” he says. “There’s the realtor. You ready to check it out?”
I nod merrily. We both exit the car, although, this time, I wait for Paddy before heading inside. I admire the small patch of landscaping on the raised level between the sidewalk and the long front patio. Short evergreen bushes form a line along the brick base of the portico. A cute birdbath sits in the corner and is occupied by a couple of robins. Directly in the center, enclosed inside a cement ring, is a boxwood shrub. It’s been well-tended and gives me high hopes for a nice garden in the back.
It’s a short climb up the five brick steps where the friendly-looking realty agent waits with a polite and not-too-desperate smile. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly. I’m Dayna.”
I start at the name. Mrs. Donnelly. In less than a week, I won’t be Anya Petrov any longer. Instead, I’ll be Anya Donnelly, wife of Padraig. A strange sense of surrealness comes over me. This is actually happening. Next to me, Paddy coughs lightly. I blink out of my fog and smile at the woman.
“Thank you so much,” I tell her.
Her faded smile turns back on. “If you’d like to follow me, we can head inside.”
Paddy sweeps his hand out, and I trail behind Dayna. That ‘buzz’ he mentioned vibrates a little more. The front room is spacious with two built-in bookshelves. There’s a purple accent wall in the center hall where the stairs start that lead up to the second floor. Natural light spills through the house from all directions. My gaze catches on colors through the back windows, and I stride forward, leaving Paddy and Dayna behind.
There’s a detached garage, but connected to it is a long breezeway that leads to the most beautiful green yard dotted with nearly every color of the rainbow. I pause at the double doors and glance hesitantly over my shoulder in question. “Can I go look outside?”
“Of course,” Dayna says with kindness. “Feel free to look at anything you’d like.”
I turn the lock and open the right side before stepping out onto the patio. I’m almost nervous to keep going, but I manage to make it down the two steps, through the breezeway, and onto the grass. Strong footsteps come up behind me, but I’m entirely focused on what’s in front of me.
Butterflies flutter over the purple bee balms, their gentle wings flapping gracefully as they land here and there. There’s lavender catmint, black-eyed Susans, and Coral Bells in one area. In another are gladioli, lilies, and several rose bushes. A third section includes marigolds, blue wood aster, and trillium. Already, my fingers itch to get in the dirt.
“I take it you’re pleased?”
I slowly turn to Paddy. “Do you think the inside is going to be just as perfect?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Nervous that this place is too good to be true, I’m hesitant to burst the happy bubble that surrounds me. Better get it over with. With small steps, I head toward the house and up the steps with Paddy right behind me. Dayna waits inside. “It’s a gorgeous garden, isn’t it?”
“It’s lovely,” I say, trying to hold back how ecstatic I am. Like I’m keeping my expectations low until I see the rest of the place.
“You’re welcome to keep exploring. There are two bedrooms on the main level and three on the second floor. There’s a fully finished attic room that gets a lot of natural light and has the perfect view of the garden,” she explains. “Take a look at everything, and feel free to ask any questions.”
“Thank you,” Paddy says.
We travel from room to room, absorbing everything. There’s a perfect-sized wall in the family room that he says will fit his tv. Five bedrooms is a bit more than we need for just the two of us, but I’m sure we can find some use for them. Maybe I’ll turn one into a room for Milana, and she can stay with me once in a while for an aunt-and-niece sleepover when she gets older. We could even invite Saoirse and Rowan for a girls’ slumber party. I’m sure Brenna and Mila would enjoy having a break.
The master bathroom is stunning with its full walk-in shower. There’s even a long bench built out from one of the walls. From nowhere, an image of a wet and naked Paddy standing beneath the rain shower pops in my head. Water sluices down his muscled body. My mouth dries up, and I’m having a hard time swallowing.
“You okay?” he asks beside me, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
“What?” I squeak. My cheeks are on fire, and I can barely look at Paddy.
“You had a weird expression on your face. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine,” I manage to croak and hurry away from the bathroom, that shower, and those far too unsettling images.
The back of my neck tingles as though Paddy’s gaze follows me. I climb the second set of stairs, still not totally sold on the house, despite the amazing garden below. The bedrooms have been nice. Large with plenty of closet space. But I can’t picture sitting in any of them all day, working on clothes. Until the second I step through the door of the attic room. The walls are painted lavender. A white chandelier hangs from the middle of the ceiling. The parquet floor shines. But what really draws me is the large bay window with padded seat.
I cross the room, turning in slow circles, glancing up, down, and around until coming to a stop at the window. The view is absolutely breathtaking. Dayna is right. I’m overlooking the entire backyard from up here. Every bush, plant, and flower are in perfect view. I also catch a glimpse of one tower of the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge over the treetops.
Most importantly, I can imagine setting up my sewing room in here. Already, I’m picturing where my table and machine will go. I can even sit here in the window seat and work on some projects by hand while I look outside. The afternoon lighting is perfect and shines directly in through the glass.
“I have a feeling you’ve just found our house,” Paddy remarks.
Completely forgetting he stood in the doorway, I pivot. “What do you think of it?”
He cocks his head a bit. “If you’re happy, then that’s the most important thing.”
“But I want you to like it, too. You’re going to live here, as well, you know.”
“Anya,” he says with a bit of humor, “I can tell you’re in love with the place, and I promise that I’m perfectly satisfied with it if this is the one for you. The location is great and actually not too far from our family pub.”
I cock my head. “Your family has a pub?”
“We do. Donnelly’s. My great grand-da wasn’t very original, I’m afraid.” He winks at me.
How did I not know that about them? Even Caitlín never mentioned it. What else don’t I know about Paddy and his family? I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with this man. Except, his remark about us not even being friends comes back to me. It still stings a little.
“Should I tell Dayna we’ll take it?” he asks.
I bite my bottom lip. Paddy’s gaze drops to it, and that same heated look he’d given me in the car returns. Quickly, I turn and look back out the window, trying to calm my racing heart. What happened to the unease I’d felt the evening I’d approached him with my proposition, and he’d looked at me the same way?
“You don’t have to decide today,” he says as though that’s the reason for my hesitation.
I breathe in a few times, square my shoulders, and turn around the face him again. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” Paddy asks with a small smile.
Mine grows. “Yeah.”
He tips his head. “Looks like we found ourselves a house.”
Chapter 13
Paddy
* * *
Of all the ridiculous ideas Nathan has had over the years, this one has to be the worst.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I grumble as he pulls open the door of Donnelly’s.
Behind me, Jack snorts, and I lift a single finger. He outright chuckles. The familiar scents of yeast and shepherd’s pie drift over me. Conversations rumble around us from the full tables in the front dining room as well as the stools at the bar that run along the length of the right side of the pub. The place is packed.
“You’re the first of us boys to get married. Something I never thought I’d live to see. We just had to throw you a bachelor party to celebrate your last night as a single man,” Nathan says over his shoulder as he leads us to an empty table directly in the middle of the crowd of people.
His words send a spike of panic and dread through me, although I force the smile to remain on my face. Both cheeks ache with the effort. My heart races, and a heavy ball of tightness sits in my gut. Remember why you’re doing this. “It really wasn’t necessary.”
Every face is familiar since it’s only our soldiers and heads of families present. They all raise their pints and a raucous, “Slàinte mhaith,” echoes around the room. I awkwardly wave at them in appreciation. The sign on the front door had said we were closed for a private event. Apparently, this travesty Nathan calls a bachelor party is the event. Lord knows what he has planned.
“Are you kidding?” Jack exclaims. “I wouldn’t miss this night for anything. Because no matter how hard you’ve tried to hide it, I’ve never seen you more uncomfortable. I hope someone records the festivities because this is something I’ll enjoy watching over and over.”
We finally make it to the table, and I turn toward my older brother. “You’re a dick. You know that, right?”
Jack takes a seat and only grins wider, then waggles his eyebrows up at me. Asshole. I drop into the chair next to him while Nathan sits across from me.
“Now, now, boys, no fighting tonight,” Sadie scolds as she circles out from behind the long wooden surface and makes her way over to us. “It’s Paddy’s evening, and you’re all going to drink and celebrate and be nice to each other. Even if it kills you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” There’s a chorus of properly chastised voices from us.
“Since we’re here celebrating Paddy’s marriage, the first round of drinks are on me,” she says. “What can I get you?”
“Two Devil’s Keeps,” Jack answers.
“I’ll take a Smithwick’s, Sadie-girl,” Nathan flirts with an over-exaggerated wink.
She smiles broadly and cocks her head. “Coming right up.”
After she disappears back behind the bar, I glance around the pub. It should feel like any other night. Everyone seems to be involved in their own conversation, despite supposedly being here for a bachelor party. The place doesn’t look any different than normal. A jaunty Irish jig spills out of the speakers in the ceiling, reminding me of our ancestral homeland. I’d almost give anything to be back in Ireland, even if that meant following my uncle’s orders instead of Da’s.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Nathan asks with far too much excitement, as though he were the one getting married.
I smile weakly, ignoring Jack’s observant stare. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“Nathan and I planned something special for you this evening. Something I think you’ll enjoy immensely.”
Forced to turn my gaze to Jack, I raise an eyebrow. “I’m afraid to even ask.”
They both chuckle and glance back and forth between each other far too conspiratorially. “Just wait and see,” Nathan says.
If that doesn’t sound ominous, I’m not sure what does.
“Here are your drinks, boys,” Sadie announces as she sets a glass filled with reddish-brown liquor in front of me and then one for Jack. A foamy red ale is placed in front of Nathan.
The three of us clink glasses while another shout of, “Slàinte,” resounds throughout the place. I toss back the whole drink in one swallow and gesture for Sadie to bring another. My gaze meets Jack’s inscrutable expression. Nathan seems to be intently studying the inside of his beer mug.
“What?” I ask Jack.
He shakes his head. “Nothing.”
“It’s clearly something. You have a look on your face.”
“Jack,” Nathan warns under his breath.
My gaze darts between them. They both look decidedly uncomfortable.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Jack finally says. Nathan takes a giant gulp of ale.
“For feck’s sake, we’re not doing this here. Not tonight,” I bite out.
Jack’s lips tighten, but he offers a shallow nod. I turn toward the bar, cursing Sadie for taking far too long with my refill. As though hearing me, she rounds the end of it again, carrying two glasses in her hand.
“One’s from the O’Connell boys,” she says, setting them both down in front of me.
I glance around her toward a table of four of our youngest soldiers—brothers—who salute me with their own glasses. I pick mine up, return the gesture, and toss the second one back, not even caring that it’s still early, and I have an empty stomach. Maybe if I get drunk enough, I’ll forget what tomorrow is going to bring.
“Do you remember the time we met those flight attendants at the pub in Dublin?” I punch Jack in the arm, the whiskey from my glass sloshing over the edge and spilling onto the floor.
He throws his head back, cackling. “They were twins, weren’t they? All I remember is that one kept showing off how flexible she was. I’ve never seen a woman put both legs behind her head before.”
“I took full advantage of that flexibility later that night,” I say a bit smugly.
Nathan chokes on his beer. “Where was I?”
“You were still in nappies.” Jack snorts and smacks his palm hard on the table in amusement, causing all our glasses to rattle. I roar with laughter.
“Go fuck yourself,” Nathan growls. “I’m not that much younger than you guys.”
Sadie approaches with another tray full of drinks. “Another round the three of you don’t need.”
She places the glasses on the table and turns away with a small sniff of disgust. I clumsily jump up from my seat, staggering a little, and pull her against me, loosely holding her in my arms. “Dance with me Sadie, love.”
“Oh, you rascal,” she scolds but chuckles brightly.
We dance around the middle of the dining room floor, the few remaining men whooping and hollering until the music quickly shifts into something a whole lot sexier. The lights dim except for a single one. Sadie and I slow our movements until we come to a complete halt. I stare at the bright beam that is coming from some type of spotlight on the floor.
Just then, a lone woman wearing hardly any clothes steps into it. She stares directly into my eyes in a way that has me straightening. I barely pay attention to Sadie stepping away. Slowly, the young, gorgeous woman almost glides across the floor, the light following her, straight toward me. My liquor-sodden gaze takes her in from perky breasts barely concealed behind a purple satin bra, down her flat, toned belly, to the matching teeny, tiny bikini bottom.
