"I'm telling you, Keelin O'Brien, you are a knockout."
Keelin blushed but enjoyed the compliment. Though she knew the Irish were famous for their charm, it was still nice to get compliments. It was so different in the States. She caught herself giggling and realized she would have to be careful around Shane. His good ol' boy routine housed a wolfish interior. Laying low on the liquor tonight would be smart.
Shane took the sea route into the village and they laughed and talked of local gossip as the sun set and the color of the water deepened. The breeze fluttered her hair as it dried and Keelin relaxed into the seat. It was a beautiful night.
Shane took her to a local seafood joint right on the water. It was a small place, painted a cheerful red, with its brown shutters thrown open to catch the sea breezes. The scents of seafood soaked in butter made her mouth water.
They were shown to a small table in the corner. A chunky candle sputtered in a mason jar layered with sand and seashells. Sea nets hung around the restaurant, framing walls with photos of the water. It was charming in its simplicity.
"I know it doesn't look like much but the food here is first class," Shane said as he put his napkin in his lap and pulled out the wine list. "Would you like some wine?"
"Sure, I'll have a glass." Keelin made a point of reminding herself that this would be her only glass of the night. She saw a few waitresses whispering to each other in the corner and looking curiously at them. She groaned.
"I think we are stirring up gossip already," Keelin said.
"Does that bother you?" Shane said as he openly assessed her. Keelin looked at him. It was clear his intentions hadn't changed.
"Hey, I said just as friends," Keelin reminded him.
"Friends go to lunch or on a walk. A candlelit dinner says more. I think you are sending mixed signals, Ms. Keelin," Shane said.
"Hey, that's not fair. I told you this was just as friends." His intentness was beginning to irritate her.
"I think you knew exactly what you were doing when you went to dinner with me. The question I wonder: is it because you are attracted to me or is it because you are using me to send a message to a certain gentleman who gave you a puppy?" Shane's directness shocked her.
Never one to back down, Keelin stared right back at him. She opened her mouth to speak but the waitress interrupted her.
"Good evening, then. Can I get you something to drink? A pint, perhaps?" The girl's eyes shone bright with interest.
"We'll have a bottle of the local chardonnay." Shane ordered for them quickly and sent the waitress on her way.
"Listen, pal. You don't know me." Keelin felt her emotions building.
"No, but I'd like to." Shane grinned wolfishly at her.
Keelin thought she would smack him. And then she caught something else in his eyes. Loneliness glinted there. Remembering Fiona's instruction to listen to her intuition, she reached out and grabbed Shane's hand and let herself read him. Feelings assaulted her. Sadness, attraction, loneliness, and a deeper layer of kindness. Taking her hand off of his, she looked at him quietly.
"So this is all an act." Keelin stated matter-of-factly.
"What are you talking about?" Shane was flustered for the first time since she had met him.
"This. This whole thing. Your pretend attraction to me. The rich, successful guy sweeping women off their feet. The wolfish grin. All of this. That's not really you. You're a nice guy," Keelin said.
Shane sighed. He pulled at his necktie and accepted the wine from the waitress. He didn't say anything else as they both ordered the local mussels. He took a long drink of his wine and stared out at the sea before answering.
"First, I am attracted to you. You're a knockout. Those curves, lips made for nibbling on, and all that hair. I'd love to see it spread across my sheets."
Heat burned through Keelin. So, she wasn't totally immune to him after all. Shane had his own seduction, it seemed.
"That being said, I know you aren't attracted to me. It was just that you are new in town, and, and, well you're right. I'm lonely. It isn't easy being in the position I am in. Most people prefer not to get too close to me as I can be the one who will evict them or close their business down if they don't make rent. I love being successful, but it is lonely at the top."
Keelin gave him her first unguarded smile of the night.
"See, this is good stuff. I think we can be friends after all. Let's talk."
Shane stared at her and a delighted laugh barked out of his mouth. Once the tension eased a bit, Keelin was surprised to find that they had much to talk about and the evening wore on as they learned more about each other's families, mutual likes, and the local gossip.
"So, what are you going to do about your brother and sister?" Shane asked over dessert.
"I don't know. I haven't been into town much. Just, um, been building my relationship with my grandma. I don’t really know how to handle this situation with my brother and sister."
"I admire both your sister and brother, though they seem like they are not even related to each other. Colin is uptight and very serious. He is very devoted to his wife though and his young son. Aislinn on the other hand is a dreamer. Her artwork is stunning."
"Wait, I have a nephew?" Keelin took a deep gulp of her wine. She laughed a little. Of course she had a nephew, why wouldn't she have? She shook her head.
"Yes, Finnegan. He's a delightful child. Colin is protective of him. You might meet some resistance there," Shane said frankly.
"I think that I may start with my sister. She sounds like the easier going of the two. I'll talk to Fiona about it and maybe I'll stop by her store. I've been meaning to stop in and have a pint with Cait anyway." Keelin watched Shane closely. He lifted his chin stubbornly and didn't say anything as he signed the check.
Keelin sighed. "Come on! Aren't you going to tell me what is going on with you two? If you and I are going to be friends and all?" she prodded.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Flynn?" Shane retaliated.
Shit, Keelin thought. She wasn't prepared to think about that herself let alone hash it out with someone else.
"Fine. I won't ask you about Cait. On one condition. Tell me everything you know about Flynn."
Shane smiled as he walked her to the car, his hand on the small of her back. He opened the door and leaned in to brush her hair back as she got in the car. She looked at him questioningly.
"Just giving the servers something to gossip about. Flynn owns this restaurant."
Keelin groaned. Leave it to Shane to let this little detail slide until the end of the night. He got in the car and she punched him in the shoulder.
"Ow! What was that for?" Shane winced.
"You knew this was Flynn's restaurant and you said nothing? You jerk!"
"Oh, stop. You wanted to make him jealous or you wouldn't have gone out with me. And what better place to do it in than his own restaurant?" Shane raised his eyebrows at Keelin.
Keelin knew he was right. She didn't always like to admit to this baser part of herself. But she did want to make a point that Flynn wasn't the only thing on her mind. Though he had played a predominant part in her dreams as of late.
"Tell me about him."
Shane started the car and pointed it up towards the longer route home. This was a drive Keelin hadn't taken yet and she watched the lights slice over the hedges as they climbed higher into the hills.
"Flynn is a little bit of an outcast. He likes to keep to himself, yet he is very popular in town. He does a little bit of everything. A fisherman at heart, he also owns acres of land that head far up into the hills. He has a strong affinity for animals and has spent years cultivating the best Irish setters in the country. That little pup of yours was more than just a gift; it most likely cost a thousand Euros."
Keelin let out a shocked sound. She had known that Ronan was important but she thought it was more because Flynn was forcing her to make a choice on staying. She hadn't stopped to consider the cost of
the dog, and the sheer enormity of such a gift hit her. Was Flynn wooing her? She began to feel a little lousy about her evening with Shane. What kind of message was that to Flynn? Even though he was bad-tempered, he had saved her several times – she didn't want to think how many times – and had given her the expensive gift of Ronan. Keelin realized that she may have been missing a few signals along the way. But damn, that man got her Irish up.
"What about his family?" she asked.
"Both his parents have passed on. His father was a fisherman and he often fished with your father. His mother was an artist and her work was well renowned. Flynn moved to their house when they both died and has been living there ever since. Aside from me, he is one of the most successful men in the village. Don't let his rugged farm-boy looks fool you; that man is rich as can be. That restaurant you just ate in? He owns fifteen of them up the coast of Ireland. Each unique, each charming, and each packed, standing room only, every night of the week. His fresh catch of the day is renowned and the mussels he pulls from Grace's Cove are famous. No other restaurant is able to claim their mussels come from there. Nobody else dares to go there. Flynn is a master in his own right."
Keelin was floored by this information. Flynn was rich? Here she thought he was a poor fisherman making his living by his daily catch. She would need to reevaluate her opinion of him from poor farmer/fisherman to cunning businessman. For some reason, it made her angry. She felt like he had misrepresented himself to her and it didn't sit well with her.
"He never said a word." Keelin stared into the dark as the car climbed higher into the hills.
"He wouldn’t. Flynn doesn’t talk about money." Shane crested over a ridge and they looked down at the lights of a large ranch house, triple the size of Fiona's, that spread out overlooking the hills. Several stables were lit and clustered closely to the house. Keelin could see horses being led in from the pasture and several dogs running around. Floodlights illuminated the spread and it was neat, clean, and beautifully appointed. A variety of different sized boats were on trailers tucked behind the stables.
"Flynn's?" Keelin asked.
"Flynn's," Shane said. He wound the car down the hills towards Fiona's house and Flynn's spread disappeared from view. Keelin couldn't believe how much he oversaw. That man seemed to be everywhere at once and he had so much responsibility. She was amazed to find her attraction growing. This was the type of man Margaret would approve of. It didn't make sense.
Shane pulled quietly into the drive and cut the lights. He leaned back and turned his head towards hers. "Wanna make out?"
Keelin smacked him on the shoulder again.
"Ow, I had to try. I mean, we might as well see if there is anything between us then."
Snaking his hand out, he slipped his arm behind her and dove in for a kiss. Shocked, Keelin didn't move for a second. She let his mouth move over hers, testing, kissing gently. She tried it out for a second and was relieved to feel nothing. Taking a deep breath, she punched him in the gut.
"Oough! Youch. You've got a nasty punch." Shane doubled over and looked at her, deeply wounded.
"Stop it. You know you didn't feel anything anymore than I did."
Shane sighed. "You're right. I wanted to though. I really would like to run my hands down your curves. Sure I can't change your mind?" He leered at her. This time she saw it for what it was and laughed at him. Leaning over, she gave him a hug and thanked him for dinner.
She closed the door and peered in the window. "Go take a cold shower."
He laughed and waved, pulling out of the drive carefully. Keelin could hear Ronan's yips inside. She let herself in and saw a note on the table. "The O'Briens' boy is ill, I'm not sure when I will be home." Feeling guilty for not being there to help Fiona out, Keelin put her purse down and knelt to pet Ronan. The puppy writhed in ecstasy and she laughed down at him.
"I should've called you something more suiting a fancy king that you are." He tumbled over and lay with his paws up, grinning at her endearingly. "Come on, let's take you out for a walk."
Keelin slipped her sandals off but kept her dress on. They wouldn't go far. She opened the door and let an ecstatic Ronan race out into the darkness.
"Hey, come back here. Shit." Keelin scrambled for the flashlight by the door and walked out into the fields. As she moved away from the house, the darkness felt overpowering. The house glowed against the hills, and the half moon offered a little light. She could barely see Ronan as he bounded through the fields away from the house.
"Hey, Ronan! Get back here." She half-laughed as she chased him over the ridge and stopped short.
Ronan ran in circles around Flynn's dog. She patiently licked the puppy's face as he jumped on her.
Flynn stood behind his dog, a lantern in his hand. The flames shot warm light across his face, but his eyes were in darkness. She swore they stared into her soul. Liquid heat slipped low in her belly. He didn't even have to touch her to get a response, Keelin thought, as she remembered how Shane's kiss evoked no response in her.
"Have a nice dinner, Keelin?" Flynn's words were like silk against her skin.
"Um, yes. I just learned that the restaurant we ate at is yours. Dinner was lovely." Keelin wanted to ask him why he hadn't told her that he owned restaurants. Probably because half of the time they weren't talking, she reminded herself.
Flynn walked towards her, bent down, and put the lantern on the ground. It cast a low circle of light around them. Keelin's breath slowed. Flynn moved forward until he was inches away from her. An arc of energy zipped between them and Keelin's skin felt sensitized. Her breaths came out in shallow puffs as she looked up at him.
"Do you like Shane? Do you like another man's lips on yours? Is this what you do in Boston?" Flynn said tersely.
He was angry. Keelin could feel it radiating off him. She gulped and looked at his chest and then dragged her eyes upwards, over his heavenly mouth, and into those devastatingly blue eyes. Her lips suddenly dry, she licked them before answering.
"I, no. I don't. I'm not like that. I told Shane it was just as friends."
"Do you let all your friends kiss you like that, Keelin?" Flynn's voice was accusatory.
Keelin lost it. She smacked him lightly in the chest and he stumbled back a foot, surprised.
"Hey, it's not like you are showing up at my door and asking me to dinner. I have every right to do what I want. So stop with this, whatever this is," she fumed at him.
"Damn, you are the most infuriating woman." Flynn grabbed her and crushed his lips to hers. She kicked him in the shin and he swore, backing up a step.
"Hands off." Keelin's words mocked her body, which screamed "Hands on!" She wanted to run her tongue all over him and have him make her scream. Focus, she thought. Focus. Shane had taught her one thing tonight. This was a small town and gossips were everywhere. If she let Flynn kiss her all over the hills, somehow someone would see and her reputation in town would be ruined. She hadn't even had time to make friends yet, and she was far from wanting to be labeled as the easy girl in town who let two different men kiss her in a night.
"Listen up, buddy, I'm not that kind of girl. You think you can just get everything you want for free? Well you can't."
Her mind screamed at her, "Liar, liar, pants on fire." She wanted to rip her sundress off and dance naked in the moonlight with him. There was something so pagan about the lantern light, the moon, and the waves crashing. Oh yeah, she could all but feel it.
Flynn ran his hands through his hair and then cocked them on his hips, staring her down.
"I can see your nipples through your dress. You want me."
"Stop it. Don't talk to me like that. If you want to be with me then you can take me on a date," Keelin fumed at him.
"So it's a date you want, Miss Keelin? Then it's a date you'll get, but I'll be getting a down payment on that first."
Flynn reached out and wound his hand through her hair. He gently tugged until she stepped forward, closing the gap betw
een them. Her breasts brushed his muscled chest, and Keelin caught her breath. Flynn tugged her hair down until she was forced to look up at him. Flynn leaned down and laid a whisper of a kiss on her lips. Once, twice, a third time, gently kissing her, his hand holding her hair, not touching her elsewhere. Her hands hung suspended at her sides, her body locked to his, as he softly teased her with his mouth. She moaned. He smiled and stepped back. Keelin stumbled a bit.
Flynn steadied her and said, "Clear your evening this Saturday. It's a full moon. I'll take you on my boat." He whistled for his dog and, picking up his lantern, walked into the night.
Keelin shouted after him, "Oh, sure. Yes, I'd love to. Thanks for asking so nicely!" She could hear his chuckle float over the dark air.
Cursing him, and her clearly wanton ways, she picked the whimpering Ronan up and headed back to the cottage.
Chapter 14
The phone startled Keelin and she shot up in bed. The gray light of dawn touched the windows. Keelin reached for her cell phone before she realized it was the house phone. She jerked up and whipped the covers off of the bed, and rushed out into the main room. Fiona was nowhere to be seen. Keelin fumbled with the receiver as Ronan ran excitedly after her, nipping at her heels.
"Ronan, stop! Hello?" Keelin tucked her hair behind her ear and blinked the fuzzies out of her eyes after another angsty night of x-rated dreams featuring Flynn, with a surprise appearance by Shane. She was turning into a wanton. Or something. This town was making her nuts.
"Keelin, it's Fiona."
"Grandma, didn't you come home?" Keelin was surprised. She realized that she hadn't seen her car last night after all. She fell asleep so quickly after returning to the house that she hadn't heard if Fiona had come in.
"No, Finnegan is deathly ill. This is beyond what I can handle on my own. I need you."
"Grandma. I don’t know what to do! What if I make it worse?" Keelin paced, flinging her hand out as she spoke.
"Keelin. I need you. I am failing. I can only take so much of this in myself. He's only seven. He deserves a chance at life."
The Mystic Cove Series Boxed Set (Wild Irish Books 1-4) Page 10
