Page 5

CHAPTER 5

T he shared kiss with Patrick wasn’t far from Fi’s thoughts over the next few days, and the memory would disrupt her concentration at the oddest times. Noah’s reserved demeanor had returned, and she put his thought-provoking question down to his nostalgia from their bed-rocking nights together. If their interactions were a little stilted and awkward, there was no cure for it.

From Tadhg, there was no communication, and it broke Fi’s heart to think she might’ve done something to help him prior to his disappearance. It bothered her to assume his paranoia was a remnant of his time on Loman’s island, but what choice did she have? She’d never seen a stalker or even a stranger in their midst.

Twice, she’d dreamed of Tadhg huddled alone in a cell, cold and hungry, with fear oozing from his pores as he cried out until he was hoarse. She was the one now haunted by nameless ghosts.

Texts to Patrick were met with blunt yes or no answers and no indication they’d ever shared an intimate moment. Yeah, and wasn’t that the story of her life? It seemed hers was the kiss of death to any potentially interested party. After a snog or a hearty romp in bed, they scurried away, hurrying to move on to the next person, and Fi was left lonelier than ever, contemplating decades of mistakes.

With a self-pitying sigh, she collected the last of the emptied mugs and trudged on tired feet to the bar. Noah was waiting to accept the tray for washing up.

“You all right, love?”

She nodded in answer, too worn out to voice a lie.

As if he sensed her untruthfulness, Noah tossed down his towel and circled the counter. He clasped her hand and led her to the nearest bench, then urged her to sit as he straddled the seat, facing her. The action was reminiscent of the times when they’d dated, when he’d grip the wood and lean in to steal a kiss after making her laugh over some ridiculous remark or another.

Her heart pinged as she registered his serious demeanor.

“Are you firing me?”

“What? No!” He scowled and tipped her chin up to meet his eyes. “Fionola, listen to me, love. As long as you need it, there will be a place for you here.”

She processed her relief by shutting her lids and slumping her shoulders. “Thank you.”

“No need for all of that. Tell me what’s happening with your brother. Any leads on Tadhg’s location?”

“Not a one, and the not knowing is killing me, Noah. It truly is.” Fi swept her hair away from her forehead. “I’m not sleeping well, and when I do manage a few hours, my dreams are filled with visions of him scared and alone.”

She didn’t tell him, when she wasn’t worried about Tadhg, her sleep was also disrupted by hot-as-feck fantasies of being the center of a Noah-and-Patrick sandwich.

Knowing she’d give herself away if she looked at him, she traced the wood grain on the bench seat. “I don’t know what to do.”

“No word from the Unlucky O’Malley?”

Surely he wasn’t privy to her fanciful thought of the two of them, right? Heat crept up her neck, and she fought an urge to fan her warming face. “Very few.”

“You’d have thought after a kiss like the one you shared with him, the man would be beating down your door to make ya his.”

Fi’s brows snapped together. How the bloody hell had he learned about it?

“I went to check on you after you left,” he said, answering her unspoken question.

“I’m sorry if having witnessed it hurt your feelings, but I’ve stumbled across you and your lady of the week a time or two.” Her tone was snippy, but hiding her jealousy wasn’t something she was capable of at that moment.

“You’ve the right to do what you want with whoever you want, Fi. I’ll not hold a kiss against you after I pressed pause on our relationship. But I’ll be buggered if it didn’t feel like salt in an open wound. And especially after I just told ya I still care.”

“Caring isn’t the same as loving, Noah. If you’re not willing to be all in, I don’t want to know about how you’re feeling. It’s not fair to me.”

“Sure, and I know it. But it doesn’t mean I can shut off those feelings.”

Turning away, she dropped her head onto folded arms. “I must be mad, because I can’t understand why you ended it to begin with.”

“You work for me. I can’t take advantage of the situation now, can I? What would that make me but a predator for using my position to shag ya?”

Her head came round, and she stared at him in astonishment. “You’re a feckin’ eejit, Noah Riley! If a woman’s in love with ya and you’ve dated for a time, and she starts workin’ for you, then you’re not taking advantage.” She jumped up and thumped him on the forehead. “Yeah, and that’s closing the stall door after the fucking horse has gone! Eejit!”

With a deep laugh Fi felt to her toes, he pulled her down onto his lap. Her heart spasmed in her chest as she gazed into his merry eyes. Would these involuntary feelings always happen when she looked at him? She’d believed they would until the kiss with Patrick.

“Let me up, you tool.”

All teasing died away, and his look was pure longing. “Will you love me forever, Fionola Bohannon?”

The desire to say yes was strong, but she held her tongue and shifted her face away to hide her weakness. Because that’s what it felt like to love him. Weakness.

Standing inside the door, with his arms folded and a scowl firmly entrenched on his visage, was Patrick O’Malley. Fi’s stomach flipped, and she jumped up. Why should she feel guilty? It wasn’t as if he’d followed up on their earth-shattering kiss. But oh, she’d wanted him to!

“I’ve news,” he said without preamble. “You want I should tell ya now, or wait until tomorrow when your mam and da can be present.”

“Now,” she croaked.

“I’ll walk you home and fill you in on what I know.”

“I usually drive Fi home,” Noah stated.

Of course, his was a bald-faced lie. Never once had he driven her home, because they both knew damn well she teleported to save time when she was tired.

“Do ya, now?” Patrick seemed more amused than annoyed, and Fi was left to wonder if it wasn’t because he recognized Noah’s ploy for what it was.

“I can see myself home,” she said, raising her chin in a haughty manner to show she meant business. If these two thought she’d be the rope in their ridiculous tug-of-war, they were cracked in the head.

Respect was reflected back at her from Patrick’s eyes, causing Fi to release a pent-up breath.

“Unless you were raised in a barn, shut the door,” Noah ordered as he rose and sauntered toward the bar. He set up three glasses for a pour and nodded toward the table. “I’d like to know what you found out, so we can discuss it here if it works for both of you.”

Patrick held Fi’s chair and scooted it forward as she sat down.

“Or maybe he’s after keepin’ an eye on the competition, yeah?” he murmured.

“Are you? The competition?” She met his steady gaze.

“Do you want me to be?”

Half of her did. The other half, the one still in love with Noah, wasn’t sure she was ready for another heartbreak. Eventually, Patrick would leave. In her experience, that’s what men did. She didn’t have what it took to tempt a man to stay forever.

His smile was wry when he said, “I distinctly remember you saying you weren’t interested.”

“That was before our kiss,” she retorted.

“So you’ve changed your mind?” The intensity in his eyes ramped up, as if he was once again a falcon watching its prey.

Noah slapped the mugs on the table with a harrumph and rescued Fi from the tractor beam caused by Patrick’s hypnotic stare.

“What did you discover?” she asked after everyone was seated. “Is Tadhg all right, then?”

“I can’t say with any certainty, but he was seen in Dublin just yesterday.”

“Are you positive it was him?” She shared a confused look with Noah. Her brother hated the city and avoided it at all costs.

Irritation came and went across Patrick’s countenance, and his mouth firmed into a thin line. “No less than three people confirmed it, but if you want to go yourself, I’ll give ya the addresses of those I spoke with.”

“How did you verify it was him they saw?” Noah watched him with a thoughtful expression, as if weighing everything the man said for the truth.

“The pictures given to me.” Patrick’s gaze darted between the two of them before settling on her. “This is what I’ve been tasked to do by Anu, Fionola. If you don’t trust me, then fair enough, but I’ll still be on the hunt for Tadhg, all the same.”

She laid her hand over his fisted one, entwining her fingers with his when he twisted his wrist and exposed his palm. “I trust you, Patrick.”

“I’m after headin’ back to Dublin tomorrow if you’re interested in going with me.”

A small thrill shot through her. Should she? Did she dare be alone with him for any length of time? What did she really know about him?

“She has a job,” Noah stated flatly. “She’ll stay.”

His highhandedness was the determining factor.

“I’ll go,” she said.

“Fi.” His usual seductive timbre was gone as he voiced his frustration in that one syllable.

“He’s my brother, Noah, and he’s hurting.”

His breathing turned erratic, and a wild expression entered his eyes. “I don’t like it, and I don’t trust him.” Noah nodded toward Patrick. “He looks at you like…” With a shake of his head, he guzzled the contents of his pint glass and slammed it on the tabletop. “Yeah, and you’ll do what you want. You always do, so I’ll shut my gob now. But be careful, love.”

With that, he rose and stalked away, leaving Fi to stare at an empty seat as she considered what he’d said.

“You can stay if you fear me,” Patrick said quietly. “I’ll not take offense.”

She met his compassionate gaze, and his consideration for her feelings strengthened her resolve. “When do we leave?”

An emotion remarkably similar to satisfaction flashed across his face, and a smile curled his too-tempting mouth. “I’ll come for you at half past nine. That should give you plenty of time to inform your mother and father where you’re going.”

Fi touched his wrist and felt the zing throughout her body. After sucking in a sharp breath, she blew it out slowly.

“I feel it, too,” he said in a low voice. “This thing. If it’s not what you want, if who you want is him, ’tis best to stay behind and let me locate Tadhg. I’ll find him and bring him home to you.”

“If he’s paranoid and on the run, he won’t welcome your help, Patrick.”

His open expression vanished, and he nodded.

Frowning, she lifted her pint and wet her dry throat. What had she said to cause him to close up tighter than a drum? She replayed their conversation in her mind and did a mental forehead slap. Her answer had sounded as if she didn’t really want to be with him, but she would suffer through it for her brother’s sake.

With a careful study of his face, she said, “I didn’t say I wanted Noah.”

“Aye, but you didn’t say you didn’t.”

Her lips twitched. His salty expression pleased her. Maybe it was the honest emotion behind it, but he gave the impression of not liking games, and Fi couldn’t be more on board with it.

“True. So let me say it straight. I’d like to go with you to find Tadhg, Patrick O’Malley. And if you’d like to request another kiss or five, I’m willing.”