Foolish Temptations
Danielle Stewart
Random Acts Publishing
Copyright © 2018 by Danielle Stewart
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
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Foolish Temptations
Aden went from rags to riches after spontaneously helping a wealthy stranger in a bar fight. Now with a prominent job at West Oil he’s been given a task that seems well outside his job description. But traveling to Ireland on the company dime can certainly have its perks. That is until he realizes who his travel companion will be.
* * *
Maribel is often overlooked. A kind soul with quiet confidence she’s been working hard at her new job. Now her circle of friends is growing as fast as her career opportunities. There’s just one problem: the man who has stolen her heart doesn’t seem to want it. Seeing each other every day in the office makes the pain unavoidable. Being forced to take a trip halfway around the world is unbearable.
* * *
When Aden and Maribel board a plane for the business trip of a lifetime, they can’t imagine what challenges lie ahead. A mystery that spans decades might be enough to bring them temporarily back together. Until the truth they discovery threatens to tear them apart forever.
Chapter 1
Clandestine meetings in tiny pubs should be exciting, but the only feeling Aden could muster was apprehension. Hugo set up the meeting earlier that day and missing it wasn’t an option. When a guy gives you a job that changes the entire trajectory of your life, you show up when and where he tells you to.
“Sorry to drag you all the way out here.” Hugo slid a beer Aden’s way. He looked tired, but that was understandable. His job responsibilities had skyrocketed since he took the promotion at West Oil. He was engaged and working with his fiancée, Junie, to launch her passion project, an invention that could revolutionize oil cleanup.
Aden shrugged off the apology. “It’s no problem. I figured if you didn’t want to meet in the office it must be something important.” He took a swig of his beer and tried to get a read. What the hell could have him out here this late at night? He has a beautiful fiancée at home. They had no easy go at getting that far in their relationship. A boulder sat at the base of his stomach as he wondered if he was finally getting fired. Had Hugo smartened up and realized a guy like Aden didn’t belong in a big company like West Oil? He belonged back at the pub Hugo had found him in.
“This isn’t about work. It’s personal. I need you to do something for me.” He grabbed a toothpick and ground it between his teeth. “I hate to involve you, but I know I can trust you to keep it quiet.”
“Anything man.” Aden wondered for a moment how far he’d be willing to go to help Hugo. The debt he owed for the opportunity he’d been given wouldn’t be easily paid. What line would he cross to show his gratitude? The answer was unsettling.
“It’s about Junie and the wedding.” Hugo’s eyes darted away.
“I’d be terrible at picking out floral arrangements.” Aden laughed and tried to lighten the moment, but Hugo still seemed tense. “I can’t get my own clothes to match half the time.”
“I don’t have you in mind for a wedding planner. We do need one. Junie has her hands full with all her work. She’s hardly had time to think about details. I’ve got that part covered though. Your job will be related but more complicated.”
“I’m sure I can manage. If you spit it out that is. You’re freaking me out.”
“I need you for some reconnaissance. It’ll require some travel. I’ve already squared it away with James and your staff. I had your schedule cleared for the week. You just need to say yes and tell me you have your passport.”
Aden’s mind continued to race. “I’ll be honest, I’m not much of a world traveler. My folks took me to Canada once so I do have my passport. I went to Vegas once for a bachelor party. That’s the kind of travel I like.” Aden felt his stomach flip as he tried to suck down the rest of his beer to take the edge off. What kind of recon could Hugo need that required a passport?
“Judging by that red hair I’d say I’m sending you to the homeland.”
“Ireland?”
“Is that a problem?”
Aden thought back to every story his grandmother had told about her childhood in Ireland. It was a place he’d resigned himself to never seeing in person. A bartender’s salary was barely enough to survive on. International travel wasn’t on his radar. Now it was at his fingertips.
“What would I do in Ireland? Reconnaissance on who?”
“I have a list. It’s Junie’s family. She’s too buried at work, and she’s told me she trusts me to surprise her with the wedding of her dreams. From talking to her brothers and her, I think Gallamare, her father’s birthplace, would be perfect. I want to reunite her with whatever family she might still have there. Not having her father to walk her down the aisle is weighing on her. I thought if we could take her to a place that meant so much to him it would be special.”
“That’s great. I bet she’ll love that.” A weight lifted off Aden. Chatting up some long-lost cousins should be easy.
“The problem is I don’t know shit about these people. Her father came over when he was a teenager. On his own. She’s heard some stories, but she doesn’t know anything for sure. I don’t like flying blind. Not when it comes to Junie.”
“You think there’s anything to be worried about?”
“Junie’s heritage means a lot to her family. They lost their parents and I think they are looking for a connection. I have the means to offer it. But we have a man who came here on his own as a teenager and never went back. Junie says she knows very little about the place or her family. As far as she knows, they never kept in touch. That strikes me as odd.”
“I can handle this. I’ll go to Gallamare and see what I can find. If there are any skeletons there I’ll give you a heads up. But if there aren’t and you plan to get married there, I’m not your man. You’ll need reinforcements for that.”
“That’s going to be Maribel’s department. She already agreed to go.”
“She did?” Aden cleared his throat. “She didn’t know I was going, right?”
“I didn’t mention it. Why?”
“No reason. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Maybe I’ll go first then she can go over after I get back.”
“I’ve already booked her trip. It’s easier if you both go and come back together. She’ll be
looking for a venue. If Gallamare is full of landmines and you give it the no-go, I want you to head north and find a different venue. I know we’re getting married in Ireland, but I need to know where.”
“She won’t go once she knows I’m going.”
Hugo twisted his face up in confusion. “You two have been working pretty closely for months. I thought it was going well.”
“It was.”
“Until?”
“I’d rather not go into details. We’re making it through the workday, but I don’t think we’re the right pair for this.” Aden rubbed at his neck, built-up tension tightening like a vice. “It’ll be a disaster.”
“Maribel has been spending a lot of time with Junie. She’ll know exactly what to include for the wedding day. They’ve gotten very close.”
“Then send her with someone else. There has to be someone else who could check out Gallamare.”
“I want you. I trust your opinion. You have great instincts, and I know I can trust you not to say anything to anyone. Let’s say you uncover something bad; I know you’ll take that secret to the grave if I ask you to. Whatever is going on with you and Maribel, work it out. Consider that an order from your boss.”
There it was. The question he’d been trying to answer. What would he be willing to do to repay his debt to Hugo? Apparently he’d put himself through hell and excruciating embarrassment. He’d travel with a woman who didn’t want to breathe the same air as he was.
“When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. I know that’s not a lot of time, but it’s what worked best for everyone’s schedule. I’ve arranged for you to spend a week there. Beautiful accommodations. Just track down as many of the members of her family as you can, don’t let them know who you are or why you’re there, and tell me what I’m dealing with. Junie and I are doing well for ourselves and sometimes inviting new people into that kind of lifestyle can be dangerous if they aren’t genuine.”
“Right.” The expression on Aden’s face must have been hard to ignore.
“Maribel should be busy wedding planning. Scoping out venues. Tasting food options. I doubt you’ll even see much of each other.”
Aden nodded and waved at the bartender for another drink.
“I’ll send you the flight details tonight. A car will pick you up for the airport in the morning.” Hugo slid off his bar stool and left some cash for their drinks. More than enough. “I appreciate this. You’re the right guy for the job. I knew I could count on you the night we met in a bar not too different than this. Maribel must know that too.”
“Trust me, she wouldn’t be able to muster up a compliment about me if her life depended on it. But I’m happy to help. It’s no problem.” It certainly wouldn’t have been a problem if he thought he was heading to the airport alone tomorrow. A free trip to Ireland. It didn’t get much better than that. But after what had happened between Maribel and him . . . this would be torture.
Chapter 2
Maribel
* * *
Her suitcase barely zipped. That wasn’t her fault. She was a planner, and she hadn’t had much time to plan. The best she could do was check the weather in Ireland and stuff almost all her clothes into her bags. It didn’t matter though. She didn’t care if she wore the same outfit every day for the week. She was about to go on an all-expenses paid trip, stay in a beautiful hotel, and plan a fairy-tale wedding with no cap on the budget. It was exhilarating. It was new and different and after what had happened it was exactly what she needed. This trip would be an opportunity to nurse her wounded ego and pick herself back up. She was about to go on an adventure. See a part of the world she never imagined she’d be able to. Maybe she’d try something new. Maybe she’d have a tryst with a beautiful man who she could barely understand. The possibilities were endless.
Hopefully the limo driver would be kind enough to toss her bags into the trunk because getting them down the three flights of stairs in her apartment had worn her out. She brushed her hair from her damp forehead and caught her breath. The sleek black car pulled up to the curb and she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the dark tinted window. Leaning in, she wiped the smeared mascara from under her eyes and licked her dry lips, the window serving as the perfect mirror.
When the window slid down slowly she jumped back. Someone was in there? And she was out here looking like an idiot, assuming the car was empty. She drew in a breath as she peered in, curious who would be in the back seat of a limo sent to pick her up. Maybe the excitement was beginning already.
“Before you say anything,” Aden began, putting his hands up disarmingly, “I didn’t have anything to do with planning this. I couldn’t say no when Hugo asked.”
“Why are you in my limo?” Her cheeks blazed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She and Aden had an unspoken agreement. They’d found a way to muddle through the workday, solely out of obligation. But they would under no circumstances see each other outside of work. No small talk. Nothing at all unless it was related to the job at hand. So why the hell was he in her limo?
“I’m going to Ireland too. Hugo has me working on something for him.” Aden stepped out of the limo and reached for her bags, but she slapped him away.
“You are not going. This is my trip. I’m wedding planning. I’m doing this for Junie. Why would they possibly want you there? You are the least romantic person in the world. Marriage must be against your twisted beliefs.”
“This was not my plan. Like I said, I couldn’t say no.”
“Are you sure? You seem to be pretty good at it.” Maribel knew it was a cheap shot but she didn’t care. He’d made a mess of things, and there was no way he’d ruin this trip for her. She found out two days ago she was going to Ireland, and every minute had been spent imagining the fantasies that came with being in a new land. She’d taste the food. Kiss a man she’d never see again. This was her sojourn. This was what women had been writing books about for years. No one loved a good romance novel more than Maribel, and her trip to Ireland was going to be the backdrop of her own adventure. “You can’t come. You don’t understand. I’ve never been anywhere, and I’m going to have a good time.”
“I’ve never been anywhere either.” His protest seemed genuine, but it wasn’t enough to make her waver. She was aware he hadn’t really traveled because she knew so much about him. Before he’d ruined everything they’d spent late nights in the office opening up about everything in their lives. Nothing was off limits. Nothing too intimate to share. Talking to him was like talking to her best friend. Maybe because, for a while, he was.
“You can’t go.” Anger began melting into hot tears gathering in her eyes. “This isn’t how it was supposed to be. This is my trip. My chance to forget . . .”
“I know.” His eyes darted away, unable to watch her fall apart. “I’ll call Hugo and tell him I can’t do it. If he fires me, so be it.”
“You think he will?” Maribel sniffled as she wiped her eyes. “He was that serious?”
“I’m not sure I’m supposed to share this, but I know you won’t say anything. He needs someone to check out Junie’s family in Ireland. He wants to help reconnect them, but I’m looking into it first. To protect Junie. That’s the only reason I’ll be there. I tried to turn him down, but he knows he can count on me.”
“Oh my gosh.” Maribel covered her mouth as she gasped. The thought of her friend finding family that knew her father as a child was enough to make her heart skip a beat. “Junie would love that. She talks about it all the time. I thought surprising her with the wedding in Ireland would be special. But having family there would be amazing. She’s hurting, not having her parents around for this.”
“He trusts me to check them out first.”
“Of course he does. Dependable Aden Murphey.” It was a backhanded compliment. Aden was someone you could count on if you needed muscle in a fight, good instincts in a business deal, or a smooth talker in a boardroom. But he wasn’t the kind of depe
ndable Maribel had hoped he would be. Her barb was meant to cut him.
“We don’t have to talk. I’ll completely leave you alone. We only have this ride to the airport. And maybe seats together on the plane. And the ride to the hotel. Then you’re completely free of me.”
“Right, so really close quarters for the next fifteen hours. Wonderful.” Maribel finally stepped back and let him grab her bags to put in the trunk. There would be no stopping this, only putting up with it.
“We could talk if you want to.” He flashed those soulful moss-green eyes her way, and she felt a rush of heat. The reaction she’d been chastising herself for since it had happened. The effect he had on her was precisely how this mess had all started.
“I don’t want to.” She slid into the back seat and pushed herself as far to one side as she could. Their hands wouldn’t brush together accidently. His knee wouldn’t push against hers. She’d sit uncomfortably to ensure that was the case.
“Is it really going to be that bad?” Aden tipped his head back and looked at the roof of the car. “Am I such bad company? We were getting along so well; I always looked forward to coming into the office knowing you’d be there. Why can’t we get back to that?”
“I was hoping this trip was going to be amazing. Something exciting and challenging. Something I could do on my own.” She blinked back the few stray tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. You do your thing, and I’ll do mine.” In truth it did matter. She was counting on the distance. There was something freeing about being a world away from Aden. Standing in a country on her own. Maybe then the embarrassment would subside. Now she’d never have the chance to find out.
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