She glanced his way then back on the road. “Are you one of those strong silent types?”
He wasn’t. In fact he’d driven his brothers crazy talking. He’d bet Declan was appreciating the silence now that Sean wasn’t there anymore. “No, I’m just on the job.”
“And I’m distracting you by talking.”
She’d distract him just by sitting there, but he had to tamp that down. Even if Donal had found happiness with his fairy, Sean didn’t think that could happen twice, let alone to brothers. “You’re fine. I’d just prefer to pay attention to what’s around us.”
“Rather than me. I get it. I’ll shut up.” He heard a distinct edge in her voice.
She didn’t pout, exactly, but he could feel the pouty vibes coming off of her. That had always been distracting when he’d been protecting a fairy. It wasn’t any less so in this century. His gaze roved around the car, his instincts telling him that everything was okay. He hoped those instincts hadn’t atrophied during his time in stone.
“Don’t be insulted. I’m just doing my job.”
“Got it.” She pulled into an underground garage. “Home sweet home.”
“Only people who live in the building can get in here?”
“Yes. I have a card to swipe.”
“You’ve never lent that to anyone?” he said.
“No. There is visitor parking in front of the building, but most of my friends just take public transportation.”
He nodded. He wasn’t sure what public transportation was, but he could imagine it was the large vehicles they’d passed on the way to her apartment. She parked in a spot then looked at him.
“Let me get out first,” he said.
“I figured.”
He climbed out of the low-slung vehicle, hoping his legs would straighten again. He’d prefer the big vehicle that his brother drove, but Colleen wasn’t a tall person. He didn’t see anyone around the garage and they had a clear and short path to the elevator. He motioned for her to get out.
“Which floor?” he said even though he already knew.
“The top. Only I can get to it or I can send the elevator down for someone,” she said, grabbing her things from the back seat.
He held onto her arm as he looked around and they walked to the elevator. It opened immediately and Sean shoved her behind him.
“Relax. I’m the only one who gets to use this.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There’s only one penthouse and it is all mine.”
The elevator whisked them up to the top floor. As a gargoyle, Sean loved heights, but that change in elevation had happened too quickly for his stomach. Colleen dropped her keys in a bowl by the door then put her stuff on a shelf nearby. “I’m going to get changed. I assume you need to check out the place?”
That had been his instructions. “Yes.”
“Okay. You can do the bedroom last.”
She left him by the elevator and when he realized she was going to undress, Sean set his mind to checking out the windows and any other points of entry. She was right. No one could get up there unless they flew.
Unfortunately, goblins could fly.
***
Colleen contemplated putting on jeans and a nice top, but Sean was only her bodyguard. She didn’t have to impress him. Instead she slid on colorful sweatpants and a tank top. She left her bra on. If Sean wasn’t here, she’d have left that off, too. She’d been told by more than one man that she had a nice rack so leaving them loose would be too much for any man.
Even if he seemed to be made of stone, he hadn’t reacted to anything she’d said or done. She’d stood close to him in the elevator, but there’s been no increase in his pulse. No moving away from her. Was he gay?
That would explain a lot. She wasn’t going to figure things out so she exited her bedroom. Sean was standing in the middle of her sunken living room. She hadn’t realized just how tall he was. She had to strain got look up at him. “You hungry?”
“You don’t have to feed me.”
Colleen shrugged. “I’m not going to eat in front of you and I’m starved.”
“Suit yourself.”
He strode into her bedroom and it was as if she’d stripped off all of her clothing. That was her most personal space.
She didn’t bring men back here. She stayed with a lover and did not bring them to her bedroom so she could leave. The idea that a man, especially one as attractive as Sean, was prowling through her bedroom chafed a little. Rationally she understood that he had to do that. He had to know everything about her apartment to protect her.
Still. He was a man. And he was in her bedroom.
She spun away from the doorway and strode into the kitchen. She pulled out a pan and some ingredients and began dinner preparations. When Sean left her bedroom, she was pouring soy sauce over meat and vegetables. Next she put in sriracha. The sweet and spicy smell made her stomach rumble.
“Wine?” she said.
“On duty,” he said as he slid onto a stool at her island.
She’d fallen in love with the island as much as the view. Colleen set a plate in front of him and he waited until she sat before digging in.
“Thank you,” he said between bites.
“You’re welcome.”
As he ate, she had a chance to study him. His hair was dark enough to be shiny. It curled at the edges of his collar and she had a moment of wanting to stroke it. To let those curls wrap around her fingers. God. She was having some kind of crisis. She wasn’t normally attracted to a man like this. Not this quickly and she usually kept her wits about her. An unfamiliar warmth coursed through her.
She put some food in her mouth so that she wouldn’t blurt out something stupid. Something about taking him to bed. Those large hands could probably do some magic. Hoping she wasn’t blushing, Colleen became intent on staring at her food. She consumed half of her while she’d been daydreaming about Sean.
“Do you have to go into the office tomorrow?” Sean asked, breaking her out of her reverie.
She looked up into eyes so blue they could be the sky. “I have to meet again with my client. It doesn’t have to be in the office if you have a safer place.”
“No. I think your office is fine. We just have to find a different way to get you there. I’m sure whoever is threatening you knows your car. I’ll have Jenkins send over a driver and a car.”
“You don’t drive?”
“It’s safer if there’s more than one of us,” Sean said.
She nodded, not knowing much about being protected. She’d never been in danger before. “You’re from Ireland?”
“Aye. County Galway.”
“I was just there.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Leenane. Such a pretty part of the world.”
He rose and put his plate in the sink. “You need me to wash it?”
“No. I can do it later.”
“You did cook for me.”
She waved a hand. “No. I’ll do it. Besides the maid will be in tomorrow. I can leave it for her.”
He tilted his head slightly then stood in the kitchen as if he had no idea what to do next.
“Is my apartment secure?”
“Yes.”
He was a large man, taking up most of the space on that side of the island. Colleen waved a hand towards her television. “Feel free to watch if you want.”
He put up a large hand. “I don’t watch.”
“As you saw I have a second bedroom. You didn’t bring any clothing with you?”
“I’ll get it later. I’ll be fine with what I have now,” he said.
His expression never changed and she was once again reminded of stone. Of course, part of her wanted to get a reaction out of him, but she would refrain. She shouldn’t get distracted before a big case. He was so stoic. Like he was made of stone and devoid of emotions. It was a childish reaction to the man who was protecting her.
“Feel free to borrow any books from the shelves in
my guest room.”
“Thank you.”
She cocked her head. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Aye.”
“You’re Donal’s brother?”
“Yes.”
“I can see the resemblance. You weren’t at the wedding,” she said.
Something passed over his face, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
“I was detained on prior business,” he said, his voice deep like whiskey.
Irish whiskey, she was sure. She rose from the island. “I have some reading to do so I’m going to curl up in bed to do it. Good night, Sean.”
He closed his eyes. When he opened them he just nodded at her. There was more to the story, but she wasn’t going to pry.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Sean had mapped out a different route for Colleen to take to work. A Jenkins Security driver was on his way and would be waiting for them on the street since it couldn’t get into the garage. She’d only be exposed for a minute or so, but a goblin attacking would be easy to spot.
That had to be who was threatening her. He had smelled the odor of a goblin in her office, but none had appeared. They were the sworn enemies of fairies and gargoyles. He’d have to tell Colleen who she was soon or the goblin would get the jump on them. How did one tell someone they were descended from a creature that as far as Sean knew didn’t exist anymore? At least no one admitted their existence.
Had magic gone out of this world? When did that happen and why?
Colleen emerged from her bedroom in a red suit, her hair pulled back in a tight bun. She looked better with her hair down. Sean sat at the kitchen island and wondered why he’d thought that. She was his fairy. His to protect. Not his to love.
“Breakfast?” he said.
He’d scrambled some eggs. He put them on two plates. Colleen looked at what he’d done and smiled. “That was sweet.”
Sean shrugged. “I was hungry.”
She slid onto the stool next to him then picked up her fork. “So we’re going into the office this morning?”
“Aye. It’s the safest place on such short notice. I could take you to Jenkins Security, but all of their rooms are booked up today.”
She scooped a forkful of egg into her mouth. “These are good.”
“Go raibh maith agat.”
“Huh?”
“Thanks.”
“It sounded prettier the first time,” she said. She cleaned her plate then put it into the dishwasher. She leaned against the counter. “When do we go?”
“As soon as the driver texts me that he’s here.”
She nodded. His phone dinged as he put the last bite of egg into his mouth. He slipped the phone out of his pocket to look at the screen. “He’s here.”
She grabbed his plate and fork. Guess she was eager to go. He stood.
“Where are we going?” she said.
“Out to the back entrance,” Sean said. The driver had circled around and found the back more secure. He wasn’t going to argue. “Down the elevator.”
She nodded. With her briefcase in hand, she pushed the button. Her elevator door opened and he climbed onto the car after her. He watched her in his peripheral vision. She’d never know since every aspect of his vision was better than a humans. Or that of a fairy.
The doors opened and Sean looked out before he let Colleen leave the car. He kept her behind him as they traipsed to the back part of the lobby. There sat a large black vehicle. The window rolled down and his brother, Donal, sat behind the wheel. He was glad to see a friendly face.
Sean opened the door for Colleen. She hopped in and he climbed in after her.
“You know where you’re going?” Sean said.
His brother gave him a look in the rearview mirror. Neither time nor being in human form had made him any less the older brother.
“Seat belts?” Donal said.
“We’re ready,” Sean said.
Colleen remained quiet during the drive and Sean just looked out the window marveling at the amount of people who worked in the city. He couldn’t imagine living here all the time. The noise alone could drive him nuts. It was all so distracting compared to the quiet Irish countryside he’d spent his whole life in. When Colleen was safe, he’d have to find a place out by Donal. It wasn’t ideal, but still better than being in a tall building surrounded by so many people.
A few minutes into the trip, Colleen perked up. “This isn’t how I go.”
“We’re not taking the same route for safety. If you do the same thing every day, like walk the same route then the person after you can anticipate where you will be. I’ve mapped out a few routes we can do until this person is caught,” Sean said.
“When will that be?” she said.
Donal answered this one. “When he does something more to reveal himself, but don’t worry, you are safe no matter where you are. We have people in your office besides Sean.”
She bobbed her head then looked out the window again. Sean wanted to convince her that he was an expert at protecting fairies, but that would require her to know who she was. He and Donal exchanged a look in the rear view mirror. Donal wanted her to know as soon as possible because he’d almost died before he told Meg what she was.
Meg had ultimately embraced her fairyhood. Would Colleen be so open-minded?
Donal pulled into the underground garage at Colleen’s law firm. He stopped by the elevator. “Your firm has gone to a lot of trouble to keep you safe. We’re good at what we do and you are in good hands with Sean.”
Colleen nodded as she jumped out of the car. Sean followed her into the elevator. “Will he drive us home?”
“Someone will. Most likely a different vehicle.”
This was all more complicated than before he was turned to stone. Back then they just looked over the fairy lands. If they were assigned to a specific fairy, they each knew their roles. Fairy royalty had their own guards and Sean’s family had been protecting the royals for more generations than he could count.
They’d never had to contend with this many people in one spot. The modern world had many things to offer, but Sean wasn’t sure he’d stay here if given a chance to go back to an earlier time. Thankfully gargoyles learned fast and adapted so he was already used to this world. Well as much as anyone could be after such a short time.
The noise still unnerved him sometimes, but he’d get past that. Donal said he’d learn to tune it out.
The elevator doors opened and Sean knew before stepping out that there was a goblin in the office. He put a hand on Colleen. “Wait.”
She looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Donal said I was safe here.”
“Please. Just trust me.”
She frowned, but stayed by the elevator. Sean lifted his head and got a bead on where the goblin was. The man had tried to cover his scent with cologne. That would also mean that the goblin had probably scented him also. He couldn’t confront the thing in here. Too many people that could be hurt. Or witness a goblin and a gargoyle. .
“Where are you going?” Colleen said.
How had she snuck up behind him? “You were supposed to stay by the elevator.”
“Sean, my client is waiting for me.”
He stopped at the door labeled “Conference Room.” He pointed to the room where the strongest goblin smell emanated from. “In there?”
She brushed past him, putting her hand on the knob. “Yes. He’s an important man and I’d rather not keep him waiting.”
Sean grabbed at her hand, but she pushed the door open before he could stop her. He tried to school his features, but the smell was overwhelming. As a fairy, Colleen didn’t have the sense of smell he did. She wasn’t a predator. She was prey and he was her protector.
Sitting at the long, wooden conference table, giving him a knowing smile was a goblin in human form. Sean hadn’t realized they could do that, but nothing about this world should surprise him.
“Who’s your friend?
” the goblin said.
“This is Sean Foley,” Colleen said as she put her briefcase on the table before opening it. “Sean, Holden O’Shannon.”
The goblin stood and held out his hand. Sean knew that not shaking his hand would be considered an insult. Not that he cared what a goblin thought. He did care what Colleen thought so he shook the man’s hand.
“You’ll have to excuse us, Sean.”
He was sure he gave her a look that suggested she was insane. She didn’t react, just waved him out the door. “If you need me I’ll be on the other side of this door.”
Her eyebrows creased together, but she showed no other reaction. Sean closed the door with the greatest reluctance. He was faster than a goblin and as long as they didn’t lock the door he could get to Colleen in time.
Now that he knew where the threat was coming from, he knew he’d have to tell her what she was.
And what he was.
***
Holden O’Shannon left and Colleen watched him give Sean a strange smile as he walked out the door. Sean hurried into the conference room as if expecting that O’Shannon had done her harm. She didn’t trust the Irish mobster, but she also didn’t think he would harm her. She was what stood between him and jail.
Colleen packed up her stuff. The meeting hadn’t been particularly fruitful, but she had a better idea of how she was going to defend her client. Sean vibrated with an energy that she couldn’t identify and it washed over her, unsettling her. That wasn’t a condition she was used to.
She knew herself and she’d known her path until the last case had gone south. She was questioning everything including her attraction to this man who stood at the ready to defend her. As if he’d been born to do it. She looked up at him. “I’ll be done in a minute.”
Not willing to be rushed, she used the methodical repacking of her briefcase as a moment to reflect. Something was not right with O’Shannon, but that could just be that he was probably guilty and she had to find a way to put a reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors. She was good at it and she hadn’t questioned it since she was fresh out of law school.
When Garogyles Love Trilogy Page 12
