Deceived

by Suzannah Daniels

  “That depends on the sibling.”

  “True enough, I guess.”

  “So what should we do with Pax?” I asked. “I could tell by his expression when I arrived that he wasn’t expecting to see me. Have y’all talked about what he’s going to do for the next two weeks?”

  “No,” she said.

  “When we get back, I’ll tell him to pack his shit and get the hell out.”

  “You can’t do that to your brother!”

  “The hell I can’t.”

  We quieted as the server brought our food. Once she was gone, Flanagan dipped her spoon into the bowl, filling it with the thick, steaming stew. “He’s here now, Cade. What do you expect him to do?”

  “Weren’t you the one who just told him that he found his way here, he can find his own supper?”

  She beamed. “Yeah, but that was just a little bit of my getting even.”

  “He ruined your trip, Flanagan.”

  She shook her head. “No, I won’t give him the power to ruin my trip. If I had to spend the whole two weeks with him, I would still enjoy myself. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to come to Ireland?” She took a bite of stew.

  “So it’s okay with you that he came?”

  “I didn’t say that. He did put a major damper on my first day.”

  “So why are you okay with him being here now?” I knew I was jealous. I could feel the ugly emotion rearing its head even more as I waited on her answer. But I’d been jealous of Pax so many times before, and I had hoped that I could at least have Flanagan all to myself.

  “Because you’re here now, and that’s what I really wanted. So as far as Paxton goes, it doesn’t matter to me either way, whether he stays or goes. But since he’s here, maybe we should let him enjoy Ireland, too. Heck, maybe he’ll even meet a nice Irish girl.”

  Listening to her talk lifted my jealousy somewhat. She had confessed to wanting me, not Pax.

  “Fine, Flanagan, we’ll do it your way.” But it wouldn’t take much for me to throw him out on his ass.

  She smiled at me and took another bite of stew.

  When we got back to the room, Pax was gone. I hadn’t gotten much sleep in the last couple of days, and I yawned. “So what kind of sleeping arrangements do we have going on here?”

  She motioned to the bed closest to us. “Paxton slept in that one last night.”

  I pointed at the other bed. “Then I’ll sleep in that one with you.”

  Suppressing a smile, she gathered her things and disappeared into the bathroom. While she was in there, I changed into athletic shorts and a tee.

  Once she had changed, I brushed my teeth and slid into bed beside her. It was damn difficult to be in such close proximity to her and keep to my side of the bed. I rolled over to face away from her. “Good night, Flanagan.”

  “Good night.”

  Chapter 7

  Kiss Me, I’m Irish

  Seren

  We checked out early the next morning and piled into the compact rental car, prepared for the next leg of our journey.

  “Well, isn’t this cozy?” Paxton asked from the back seat.

  Cade turned around from the front passenger seat. “I think there’s one too many people in this car to consider it cozy.”

  “Precisely,” Paxton muttered in response.

  “We can let you out at the bus stop,” Cade suggested.

  Paxton exhaled loudly, making his disapproval audible.

  “Okay, guys, driving in Ireland makes me nervous enough. Everybody just chill till we get to Newgrange.”

  “Is that the next city?” Cade asked.

  “Newgrange is an ancient tomb. It’s older than the pyramids,” I explained.

  “A tomb, huh?” Cade looked at his brother in the back seat. “That could come in handy.”

  “Indeed it could,” Paxton shot back. “Bury handy.”

  Cade scoffed. “Please tell me you’re not trying to win her over with your wit.”

  “I’m really looking forward to seeing it,” I intervened before they got going again. If they kept this up, I was going to bury them both.

  I cranked the car and started backing out, but since I was still having a difficult time getting the swing of everything, the gears made an awful racket. Then, the car died altogether.

  Trying again, I did manage to move the car a few feet, but it was such a jerky motion that I also risked giving us all whiplash. When the car died a second time, I mumbled, “Shit.”

  Stressed, I sat still a moment, gathering my courage as my hand rested on the gearshift.

  Cade covered my hand with his, the warmth and gentleness of his touch forcing me to turn toward him.

  “You want me to try?” he asked. My eyes scanned his handsome face as he watched me, concern etched in his eyes. “You seem a little frazzled, and I want you to enjoy your trip.”

  “But I think the insurance only covers me.”

  “Okay, then. You work the pedals. I’ll work the gearshift. Just until you get the hang of it.”

  We tried again. As he switched gears, he instructed me when to release the clutch, so that we were synchronized. And it took just enough pressure off me that we were finally able to get somewhere.

  Cade

  When we finished touring the passageway tombs at Brú na Bóinne, we drove to Belfast in Northern Ireland. While Flanagan headed inside to check in, Paxton and I unloaded the luggage.

  “Are you going to tell her?” he asked.

  “Tell her what?” Even though I knew what he meant, I asked the question, anyway.

  In my peripheral vision, I could tell that Paxton had stopped, glaring at me as he stood motionless. “What the hell do you think?”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “You should have stayed away,” he snapped. “She’d be better off with me, and you owe me one.” I slowly turned my head to look at him. His hands tightly clutched into fists at his sides.

  “The deal wasn’t for you to take my place. I asked you to do one thing.” I held my finger up for effect, watching my warm breath expel in a swirl of white as I exhaled into the freezing air. “One freaking thing, and you had to do the same thing you always do. Why the hell do you always have to go after what I want?”

  His mouth twisted into a frown. “What you want? This shouldn’t be about what you want. It should be about what she needs.”

  “And she needs you? Is that it? Everyone I want has to need you?”

  “Grow up, Cade. You seriously need to start thinking about someone other than yourself.”

  “And who were you thinking about when you pretended to be me? When you rushed off to Ireland to meet someone who was expecting me?”

  “If she had given me half a chance, she would’ve seen that I’m the better choice for her.”

  I turned my attention back to the luggage to keep myself from clocking my brother right in his mouth. Maybe I was pissed because in some deep place within me, I was afraid he was right.

  “Just keep your damn mouth shut,” I mumbled. “If you say anything to her,” I said, turning to look at him again, “even one word, then I’m done with you for good.”

  He laughed, and I fought to keep my temper under control.

  “You don’t even know how much you need me,” he said.

  I ignored his comment. I was used to him making me feel like he was my savior, when he and I both knew he took more than he gave.

  “At least you have enough sense not to deny it,” he continued.

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You may be the golden boy in Dad’s eyes, but you’re not in mine.”

  He clamped his mouth shut, and we both headed toward the hotel with our luggage in tow.

  When we entered the door that led from the parking lot to the lobby, I spotted Flanagan eyeing brochures for the local attractions. Her strawberry blonde hair cascaded down her back in long waves, contrasting with the black wool coat, which was cinched tightly around
her narrow waist. She wore faded jeans, and as she turned around, smiling brightly, she hurried toward us, her boots thudding softly on the tiled floor.

  “I can’t wait to explore Belfast,” she said, her eyes locked on my face.

  While it may not have been very brotherly of me, my chest tightened at the realization that she was focused on me, that between Paxton and me, I was the one she immediately sought. It diminished my urge to beat his ass for this stunt he pulled.

  “Where do you want to go first?” I asked as I wheeled our luggage to the elevator.

  She kept in step beside me. “You want to grab something to eat?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  She turned her head, searching for Pax, and asked, “You want to go with us?”

  I glanced at Pax, and he met my eyes.

  “Nah, I think I’m going to have a drink in the lobby,” he answered while looking at me hard.

  “Okay.” Flanagan pressed the elevator button and turned her attention back to me. “What do you want to eat?”

  “Lady’s choice.”

  “Why don’t we go walking and find a local pub?”

  “All right.”

  The elevator dinged, and we all entered. After settling in our room, Flanagan and I left the hotel to explore Belfast on foot. In an effort to keep warm, we walked briskly in the cold temperatures of early March. We stepped into a convenience store to use the ATM. Now that we were in Northern Ireland, we would need pounds as opposed to euros.

  “How crazy is it that I now have three different currencies in my pocket?” I asked as I examined a menagerie of bills and coins.

  Flanagan tucked her newly acquired pounds into her purse and looked up at me, a dazzling smile revealing her straight white teeth. “I know, right? I have wanted to do this for so long. I just want to savor every minute of it.”

  Watching her made me want to do a little savoring of my own, but right now, I’d settle with buying her a drink and spending time with her without having Pax eye our every move.

  We didn’t have to mosey down the sidewalk very far to find a pub. As we stepped inside from the cold and grabbed a booth, I glanced around the place. A bartender set a bottle of beer down in front of a patron, and for a moment, it made me think of Whiskey Nights. The pub was dimly lit, the soft light casting a glow on the mahogany bar. Laughter erupted, and I couldn’t help but smile in response. “Mason would enjoy seeing this place.”

  Flanagan leaned forward, peering around me at the bar. “That he would. Of course, Mason would be over there right in the middle of the action, talking about the different beers and whiskeys.”

  I laughed, amused by her assessment. “He’d be doing more than talking about them. He’d be taste-testing.”

  She nodded, her eyes still focused on the men at the bar. “You’re right about that.”

  “It looks like we order at the bar. What do you want?”

  She wiggled out of her jacket, shrugging her shoulders in the process. “Surprise me.”

  I took her coat and laid it in the empty booth seat across from us, and then, I removed mine, too. After ordering, I grabbed our drinks and slid in beside Flanagan, knowing that I should’ve sat on the opposite side but unable to help myself. “I ordered you a nut brown ale, and I got a stout,” I said, setting our glasses down. “No fruity drinks. I think you’ve already met your quota for Pear Martinis this year. These were brewed locally.”

  “Forcing me to step out of my comfort zone?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “Yep.” I cupped my palm around the glass of stout. “I also ordered us a couple of steaks. The meat’s delivered from a local farm daily. How’s that for fresh?”

  “A steak sounds so good right now,” she said, fluttering her eyes closed like she was already imagining the taste. She glanced at my glass. “Let me try yours.”

  I put my arm around the back of the booth, just behind her shoulders, and pushed the glass in her direction.

  She took a tiny sip and wrinkled her nose. “That’s really strong.”

  “Come on, Flanagan,” I goaded. “You didn’t even get enough to taste. Drink up.”

  She took a bigger swig, daintily wiping her mouth with her napkin when she was done. “Whew!” She shook her head rapidly as if the taste lingered. “That’s still really strong.”

  I chuckled, lifting the glass to my lips and taking a long drink. The taste was much different than my usual beer, and while I didn’t like it quite as well, I decided to reserve my judgment for when I finished.

  “Try yours,” I suggested, nodding toward her glass. She took a small sip. Then, seeming satisfied with that, she took a longer drink. “Much better.” She held the glass to me. “Here, you try it.”

  There was something magical about being in an entirely different country, surrounded by total strangers in an unfamiliar setting. It could almost make me feel like I was someone else entirely, like all the shit that had happened in my life didn’t apply here, like for a little while I could escape my own reality, my own shortcomings.

  I knew I shouldn’t unless I was prepared for all the consequences. Once I crossed the line, there was no going back.

  But damn she was sexy.

  And I’d been thinking about it ever since she sat down beside me in the bar a few months ago when she’d returned to Creekview for good.

  I tried to think about all the ways this could go wrong. And if I screwed things up, I could lose our friendship, something I cherished. Maybe the best thing that I could do for Flanagan right now was to leave her alone.

  But I was selfish.

  And I wanted her.

  And I didn’t have the strength to resist her, not here, not now.

  “I think I will try your drink,” I said softly, accepting the glass from her and setting it back on the table without drinking from it.

  She gave me a strange look, her lips parting in surprise.

  My arm slid from the back of the booth to her shoulders, and I gently pulled her toward me. With my free hand, I cupped her cheek, my thumb resting near the corner of her mouth. I leaned down, pausing when I was mere inches from her face. Her eyes widened, and her chest rose as if she had sucked in a small breath and held it. She licked her lips, and I was aroused by her innocent gesture. I watched her. Her eyes closed, her long dark lashes fanning over her cheek. Her skin was soft and smooth as my thumb arced lightly across her face.

  Damn, I couldn’t wait another second. I lowered my lips to hers, delivering the softest of kisses. Then, my tongue teased her lips, begging her to open to me, so that I could taste her, something I had deprived myself of for far too long.

  The nutty flavors of the ale melded with her sweetness, a tantalizing concoction that permeated my brain with pleasure. Her hand squeezed my thigh, bringing me the satisfaction of knowing that she was enjoying our kiss every bit as much as I. When I deepened the kiss, a soft moan emanated from her throat, and her hand slid higher, gripping more tightly as if she needed something to hold on to. The effect had my entire body standing at full attention. How the hell had I stayed away from her this long?

  Forcing my thoughts away from fears that had become my own personal barrier, I concentrated only on her. Reluctantly ending the kiss, I pulled away slightly and found her deep sapphire eyes focused on me.

  “That’s the best damn ale I ever tasted,” I said softly, well aware that her hand still rested on my thigh.

  “You didn’t even get enough to taste,” she whispered, mimicking me. “Drink up.”

  Damn, what was this girl trying to do to me? I immediately crushed my lips to hers, not giving two shits who saw us. As our tongues tangled like two lovers who might never meet again, I filled my senses with her, the smell of her perfume, the softness of her skin, the sweet taste of her warm mouth.

  All the months that I’d forced myself to ignore my growing attraction had apparently done nothing except make the sensations more intense now that I had finally given in. I found myse
lf wishing that we were in a hotel room—alone, so that I could explore her body, taste every inch of her. She fervently returned my kiss, her hand lifting from my lap and gripping my arm as she leaned into me.

  “Ach, look at the craic going on here. Should I send the steaks back until ye’re through?”

  The soft, playful voice of our server destroyed the moment. Flanagan pulled away from me, a huge smile crossing her face.

  Warmth exploded through my chest as she gazed at me, obviously pleased about our pre-dinner escapade. I wasn’t ready for the moment to end. “Hell, yeah, send them back,” I told our server without tearing my eyes away from the blue-eyed beauty that held me captivated.

  “Aye, I will. I’ll do it ye know,” the server warned.

  “There’s only one thing I want to taste right now.” I started lowering myself back to Flanagan’s lips when she pushed me away, her mouth dropping open in surprise, her laughter filling the air between us. “Cade!” She leaned forward, concentrating on our server. “Don’t send them back. I’m starving.”

  I smirked. “You got everything you need to take care of your hunger right here.”

  She pursed her lips together in an effort to suppress her smile.

  “This isn’t over,” I warned as the server slid our plates onto the table, forcing me to turn my gaze away from Flanagan.

  “I don’t want it to be,” she whispered.

  I had liked feeling her palm on my thigh, so I cupped my hand around hers, sliding it from her lap back to mine. Her hand seemed small, her slender fingers delicate. She leaned against me, laying her head against my shoulder, and a burst of pleasure shot through my body. There was no awkwardness despite what had happened between us. We had crossed the barrier of just being friends, and as much as I wanted to embrace this change in our relationship, I feared that it would all backfire in my face.

  Our conversation quieted as we tasted our steaks.

  “So what do you think?” I asked.

  She nodded in appreciation. “It’s really good.” She smiled at me. “I’m glad that you came to Ireland.”