Taking Risk Series

by Toni Aleo

  When he places it in my lap, I look up at him in shock. It’s his Pride and Prejudice first edition.

  “No, this is your great-times-ten-grandma’s,” I say, running my fingers down the front of it. I love this book and would love to say it was mine, but it isn’t, and I can’t allow him to give it to me. No matter how much I want it.

  “Yeah, it was and so is what is inside.”

  Intrigued, I open the book but don’t see anything. “Huh?”

  He pulls on the little string bookmark, and at the bottom of the fabric is a ring tied to it. Blinking in complete shock, I pick it up and gawk at the gorgeousness of this ring. A huge oval diamond sits on a gold band that is encrusted with smaller diamonds. It is stunning and beautiful, very vintage. So completely me. I meet Declan’s gaze, and he smiles as he takes the ring from my fingers and unties it. Holding it out, he looks deep into my eyes, and I can see the tears welling up in his own eyes. He is so beautiful, his ice-blue eyes burning with love for me. I can see every single one of his emotions, and I can’t believe that, so quickly, I can read him like this. He is nervous but completely in love with me, just the way I want him.

  “My grandma who wore this ring and bought this book was married for forty-six years to my grandda. They were mad for each other, and she loved this ring and this book, but I want you to have them.”

  A tear escapes my eye, and I try to hold in the others, but it doesn’t work well. He smiles as his fingers thread with mine while his other hand holds the ring out to me. “These things are part of my history, and I want you to have them because you are my future.”

  “Declan,” I gasp, my lip wobbling as I hold his gaze.

  “I love ya, Amberlyn, and I would like nothing more than for you to be my wife. To make this life worth living because without ya, I’m nothing. So will ya have me?”

  I don’t even answer him. I let my lips do the talking and ignore the sting in my chest or the exclamation of the audience. I mark the pain off as my heart exploding in my chest, and I couldn’t care less about the people in the room. The only thing that matters is the fact I’ll never love anyone the way I love Declan O’Callaghan.

  Chapter 5

  Amberlyn

  I am finally feeling like myself.

  It’s been almost four weeks since I was shot, and I feel fantastic. Yeah, it still hurts a bit here and there when I do things, but I know that I am healed. My wound is scabbed over and isn’t swollen anymore. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health, which is such a blessing since they thought I would die when it all first happened. But like my mom said, it wasn’t my time. Which is fine with me. While I miss her and my dad so much, I am about to spend the rest of my life with Declan.

  Swoon...

  It’s been a week since he proposed “the right way,” as he says. I still can’t believe how extraordinarily romantic it all was. I never expected that from him. I was fine with the way he did it in the hospital and thought that was how he operated, but then he blew my flipping mind with his real proposal. I swear I’ll never forget the way his eyes sparkled as he looked deep into mine. The way he sang to me, only for me. Or the way he held the ring up to me as his eyes pleaded for my forever.

  Which he already had.

  He’s changing right before my eyes, and I love it. I remember the first time I met him, when he was looking at me, his brow furrowed with the worst case of resting bitchface! He was so closed-off, almost scared of me, although it didn’t take much to pull him from his shell. Now when he looks at me, I feel nothing but indescribable love.

  I know that Fiona and even my aunt and uncle think I’m crazy. That this is all insane, but I know it’s not crazy. It’s real. If my mom were here, she would believe in this. She always told me to fight for what I believe in. To never give up. That she’d rather I stand for what I believe in alone than stand for something I don’t. I know that it’s fast, and that it wouldn’t hurt to be engaged for a long time, but why wait when we are so in love? I know they think it’s because of the distillery, but that has nothing to do with it. I know he would give it up for me; though, I would never allow him to do that.

  We are getting married because we love each other.

  The distillery issue just rushed us along.

  Coming down the stairs, I smile at my aunt as I reach for my shoes.

  “Where ya off to?” she asks with a grin on her face.

  “Declan is picking me up for dinner with his family.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” she says before looking down at the newspaper she is reading. Rolling my eyes, I hate that she is being so standoffish about it all. I know she doesn’t agree, but can’t she support me? Heading for her, I pause when I see the headline on her paper.

  Will Amberlyn Reilly, the future Whiskey Princess, testify against her shooter?

  “Why do you read that crap?” I find myself asking as I sit on the arm of her chair. Meeting my gaze with the same dark brown eyes of my father, she smiles.

  “’Cause I’m nosy as shite. Have to know what they are saying about you.”

  “And?” I ask, even though I don’t care.

  “They think you won’t.”

  I shake my head. “I want him to be punished for what he did to me. Of course I will.”

  “Oh, I know that, but Noreen is making sure that no one knows anything about you. It’s kinda spooky how much she is hidin’,” she says with a nod. “Good, though. She is protecting you.”

  “Yeah,” I agree, wrapping my arm around her, ignoring the sting in my chest. As I lean my head against hers, she kisses my temple and smiles against it.

  “Make sure to tell her thank you,” she reminds me.

  “I will,” I say softly. I can feel the tension in her body, and it worries me that I put it there. “Are you mad at me?”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’m worried a bit, that’s all. I just want to make sure I am doing right by my brother’s and your ma’s memory, is all.”

  “I think you are,” I say, leaning back to look at her. “I know you are.”

  “It’s scary. You’re so young, my love. I don’t want you to waste this life you have on the first boy you fall for.”

  “I don’t see it as a waste. I wish you could feel what I feel. The overpowering burst of love that rattles me to the core. I love him. And I want to marry him. My mom married her first love.”

  “Yes, but she had some duds before that,” she says, cupping my face. “You’ve had none.”

  “Good, so I’ll never know the feeling of heartbreak. I take that as a good thing in my book.”

  She shakes her head and then sucks in a deep breath before letting it out. She looks over at me with all the love in the world and I smile. Since I came to Ireland, she has done nothing but treat me like her own. It’s amazing how much she means to me. I always knew about her, spoke to her a few times on the phone, but now, I know I couldn’t go a day without speaking to her.

  “You’re an adult, my love. You do as you please. I’ll be here to guide you, and, above all, love ya like yer ma and da would.”

  I smile as I lean my forehead to hers. “That’s all I could ever ask for.”

  She kisses my nose, and I giggle as I pull back. “We need to go dress shopping.”

  She nods. “Sure, when?”

  “Soon, the wedding is October seventeenth.”

  “My goodness, so soon, yes?”

  “Yeah, that’s his deadline,” I say with a shrug.

  I kind of wanted to be a June bride, like my mom had been. She had even gotten married out beside the B&B when she was my age, but I won’t be a June bride. Declan’s father isn’t budging, and while Declan has told me repeatedly he’d throw it all away to make me happy, I won’t be happy if he does. So October bride I am! It’s really no big deal, I guess. Orange will look great on Fiona, so that’s a plus.

  With an unpleasant sound, my aunt’s thought on the matter is, “Ah, gobshite of a deadline, it is.”

  I l
augh as I nod. “It is, but that’s how those O’Callaghans work.”

  She squeezes my hand, tears gathering in her eyes. “You’ll be one of them soon.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll always be a Reilly deep down,” I say with a wink as the doorbell rings.

  Kissing her cheek loudly, I get up and head to the door. Pulling it open, I smile when my gaze meets Declan’s. His lips curve up at the sides before he reaches for me, bringing me up to my tippy toes as his lips move with mine. Desire swims in my belly as my hands run up his chest and around his neck. I just love kissing him. Parting, he grins down at me before tucking a stray piece of my hair behind my ear.

  “Howya,” he says softly, running his thumb along my bottom lip. “You’re beautiful.”

  I smile shyly as I lace my fingers with his. He’s wearing a suit, not a tuxedo, but a dark blue suit with a light blue shirt underneath the jacket. The first few buttons are open, giving me a delectable view of his sexy neck. He isn’t wearing the beanie either. I’ve noticed he hasn’t been wearing it at all lately. “So are you,” I say. “I feel a little underdressed.”

  He shakes his head, taking a step back before drinking in the sight of me. I hope he sees that I’ve taken time straightening my hair and doing my makeup since Fiona had to work. The dress I’m wearing is sweet enough, I guess; it’s a pale green color, the skirt long with a cute little bird design all over it while the bodice is sparkling and tied around my neck. Smiling down at me, he gathers me in his arms before running his lips along mine.

  “You’re stunning,”

  I kiss his jaw and close my eyes, leaning against him. I’ve missed him. He had to work all day yesterday and most of the days since I was shot, and it’s sucked being so far away from him all day. Thankfully, I start back at work tomorrow, so I won’t be so lonely.

  “I missed you,” I whisper against this jaw, the blond hair tickling my lips.

  “I’ve missed ya too, my love. I got something for ya.”

  I lean back and meet his gaze. “Yeah?”

  He lets me go to reach into his pocket and pulls out my engagement ring. His great-grandmother’s ring. It didn’t fit, it was too big, so he took it to be resized. I thought it would take longer to get here, but knowing Declan, he probably had it rushed. I am still in such awe of the beauty of the ring. The diamond is so big, almost a little gaudy, but the diamonds on the sides accent it beautifully, and it really is stunning.

  Taking my hand, he slides it on my finger and smiles at me. Kissing the ring on my finger, he massages my hand with his thumb. “Perfect fit, yeah?”

  I nod, my heart pounding against my ribs. “It is.”

  “You ready?”

  “Yeah, let’s go,” I say, looking back at my aunt. “We are off.”

  “Howya, Mrs. Maclaster.”

  “Howya, Declan, good to see ya,” she says and I actually believe her.

  “You too, we’ll be back later.”

  “Sure, give your parents my best.”

  “Will do,” he says with a nod.

  He then pulls me out the door and to his car.

  We don’t say much as we head to the O’Callaghan estate. My fingers are laced with his, resting on his leg as we drive. I feel so complete. It’s such a euphoric feeling he brings me. Glancing over at him, I take in the beauty that is my fiancé. His eyes are trained on the road he is following, and I notice that his hair is getting longer. It’s curling around his ears in a cute little way. The hair on his jaw is longer than normal too. He looks all unkempt, and I have to admit, it’s rather sexy.

  But then I notice the tension in his jaw. My brows come together as I ask, “What’s wrong?”

  He smiles as he shakes his head. “Know me too well, ya think?”

  “I don’t think, I know.”

  Clearing his throat, he says, “Yeah, I guess ya do.” Squeezing my hand, he glances at me for a moment before looking back at the road. “I don’t know how I feel about this. I don’t trust my da and ma.”

  I scoff. “What do you mean? We are going to dinner.”

  “Yeah, but I feel like it’s gonna be a pain.”

  “Anything you don’t want to do is a pain,” I supply and he laughs.

  “True, but promise me something,” he says softly, meeting my gaze. “You feel uncomfortable, at any time, you tell me, yeah?”

  I nod. “Of course.”

  “Good,” he says with a nod, bringing my hand up to his mouth to kiss softly. “I love you.”

  “I love you,” I say automatically as my stomach does a little flip-flop. There is something about the way he tells me he loves me that hits me in the gut every time. It’s all sexy and rough and Irish. And I know it’s all for me. As I watch him work his lip as he drives, I hate that he is nervous about going to dinner with his family. It reminds me of when we were going to the ball. Hm. That reminds me. “It’s been a week.”

  His brows come in. “Sure, yeah? So?”

  “You said we would talk about everything when a week was up. It’s actually been a week and a half.”

  He chuckles. “Sweetheart, let’s get through dinner.”

  I smile. “So you don’t want to talk about having sex.”

  I’m surprised we don’t crash the way he jerks the car to the side before righting the steering wheel and then looking at me. “Jaysus, Amberlyn! Run me off the road, will ya?”

  I giggle. “Just asking.”

  “That’s not something you ask, though; you let it happen,” he says, kissing the back of my hand. “Give it time.”

  “We were gonna have sex the night I got shot,” I point out and he closes his eyes.

  “You’re killin’ me, Amberlyn. Shh, don’t talk about it. I won’t make it through dinner with my family if ya keep it up,” he practically begs and I giggle.

  “So saying that I want you very, very badly is frowned upon until a moment where we aren’t going to dinner with your family?”

  His eyes drift shut as he nods his head, his fingers squeezing mine. “You like torturing me, yeah?”

  I smile. “Yeah, I do.”

  It’s just so easy.

  Chapter 6

  Amberlyn

  “You look well, Amberlyn. That’s very good.”

  I look up and smile across the table at Mr. O’Callaghan. Declan’s mother and Lena smile fondly at me while her fiancé, Micah, just looks at me. He is very proper. Doesn’t really talk much, but he is gorgeous. He’d have to be to be with someone like Lena. She is stunning. Tall as a model and a body like one too. The dress she wears puts mine to shame. It sparkles like a mirror ball and is short, showing off her beautiful long legs. Micah doesn’t take his eyes off her much, and I don’t blame him. I feel a little self-conscious around her. If Declan didn’t look at me like I was the best looking piece of pie in the world, I’d probably leave.

  Thankfully, he does though.

  “Thank you,” I say, tearing my gaze away from Micah and on to Mr. O’Callaghan. “I feel great.”

  “That’s grand, Amberlyn, we’ve all been so worried,” Mrs. O’Callaghan says.

  “Sorry for that,” I say because I have no clue what else to say.

  “No, not at all. We owe you everything for protecting Declan the way you did,” she says softly, squeezing Declan’s arm. He sends her a smile before glancing at me with a grin. Good God, he is sexy. Heat burns throughout me. While it is fun to torture him with my need, it’s just that; I crave him. I want to feel his naked body against mine. I want touch my lips to his body, taste him, and have the most unbelievable connection with him. I need it. I need him.

  “You’re flushed. Are you okay?”

  I glance over at him as my skin burns with more color. “Yes, fine. It’s hot in here.”

  He chuckles as Lena says, “I love your accent. It’s so different from ours. It’s so funny that we are both marrying non-Irish folks, Dec! Poor kids of ours won’t know who to sound like.”

  Declan laughs as he nods. “I hope
they all sound like Amberlyn. That would be a blessing, yeah.”

  I smile as I lean into him and Lena giggles. “Such a softy he is. Wish ya talked to me like that, Micah.”

  Micah scoffs to that as he shakes his head. “Like I don’t. You know I do.”

  His voice is very English. He’s from London from my understanding. They met when she went there on a holiday with her grandmother. Lena’s laughter fills the room as she nods her head.

  “I do,” she says with a wink, and you can just see their love coming off them in waves. I wonder if it looks that way for Declan and me.

  “When are you two getting married?” I ask and Lena smiles.

  “May, next year. We want to wait till his mother gets back from Africa. She is doing missionary work,” Lena informs me and I smile.

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, she’s a doctor. I’m to go over this November to help build some house. Trying to talk Lena into going with me.”

  Lena laughs as Declan scoffs. “She wouldn’t last an hour and you know it.”

  Micah smiles as he looks over at her. “Yeah, she wouldn’t, but it’s gonna be hard being away from her.”

  “I might try,” Lena announces, but that has everyone at the table laughing. “Ah! Whatever.”

  “You know you need your hair and makeup done, and I doubt that your designer will come to Africa to design yer dresses,” Declan says, pointing his fork at her. “And I’m pretty sure they don’t have air conditioning.”

  “Oh, off with ya.” She sneers back at him with a wave of her hand. “I don’t need that stuff.”

  “Sure,” Declan laughs and I smile at the family banter. Fiona and I can be the same way.

  “Speaking of Marc, Amberlyn, we will need to get you in with him. Have him design you some clothes. He won’t have time to do your wedding gown, but he’ll have your wardrobe done for after the wedding,” Mrs. O’Callaghan says.