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Colum: Why wouldn’t I be?

Franco: …

Franco: You’re getting married.Got married?Your rules are weird.

Colum: Ah feck, I forgot about that.

“Yes?What do you want?”

Annie Ward stumbled slightly at the abrupt greeting of the handsome man standing in the doorway of what—according to the small plaque on the black front door—was the Admiralty Archive.

Upon arriving at Merrion Square, she’d taken a few moments to study her surroundings as well as her destination.She was quite enamored of the quaintness of the area, the sunken green park-like space of Merrion Square Park reminding her a bit of Central Park in New York, though much smaller.The tall green trees, lush grass, and paved walking paths a welcome contrast from the endless brick buildings, roads, and sidewalks that surrounded it.

The archive itself might have once been a fashionable residence, but like the tall, gray stone buildings attached to it, family homes had been replaced by an array of businesses, such as architecture firms and high-profile organizations, like the Royal College of Anesthesiologists.

Annie recovered quickly, giving the man a friendly smile, despite the fact he was all but scowling at her.“Colum O’Connor?”she guessed.

The man’s brows remained furrowed, and she sort of expected him to hit her with that old “who wants to know” line.

Instead, he asked, “Who are you?”in a strong Irish accent.

She put her hand out in a genial manner.“I’m Annie Ward.I believe you’re expecting me.”

Colum hesitated, looking at her hand for three beats too long before finally extending his own.He had a warm, firm handshake, and his initial displeasure seemed to give way to confusion.“Is it already Wednesday, then?I thought it was Monday,” he muttered somewhat absentmindedly.

He ran a hand through his longish light-brown curls, something she guessed he did a lot, given the fact it was already messy.He wore dark-framed glasses, behind which were the brightest green eyes she’d ever seen.His clothing was unassuming and almost bland, given his basic tan pants, cream-colored Merino sweater, and rustic brown leather boots.He was clean-shaven, and his eyes and mouth were surrounded by lines that she didn’t bother attributing to laughter, given the way they followed his frown.

Despite his somewhat frumpy appearance, Colum was attractive, though she suspected that wasn’t something most people would notice if they weren’t looking directly at him.His style of dress and demeanor were those of someone who would have no problem blending in with the crowd.Given his obvious unease at the moment, she suspected that being unseen was his preference.

He remained in the doorway, looking over her shoulder at the hustle and bustle of the street behind her, and she couldn’t help but wonder when he was last outside.His pale complexion gave her the sense he didn’t spend a lot of time in the sunshine.

“Could I come in?”she asked, when it became apparent he didn’t intend to extend the invitation.

Colum jumped slightly, stepping back without offering a word, turning so that she could enter.

She walked inside, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dim lighting in what was an incredibly unremarkable office.There was a generic desk and chair, filing cabinet, and a calendar—from three years earlier—hanging on the wall.The walls were two decades past needing a fresh coat of paint, the unappealing color reminding her of cream of mushroom soup.

The sun streaming through the windows didn’t help to create a feeling of warmth, instead illuminating the countless particles of dust floating through the air.

She glanced back at Colum, who still stood awkwardly by the door.He’d shoved his hands in his pockets, which should make him appear relaxed but only illuminated his clear discomfort.

“I believe someone else is joining us?”she asked, trying to draw Colum into a conversation.

“Aye.”

Wow.Colum was going to make her work for it.

“You work here?”

“Aye.”

She glanced around the room again, taking note of the lack of personal effects.The sterility and dustiness of the place left her to believe this office was unoccupied.“Alone?”

“Aye.”

Annie fought not to sigh, unwilling to make the man any more uncomfortable, but damn…

She gave up on the yes/no questions, deciding to go for broke.“And what exactly is it you do?”