“Jesus! I wouldn’t want your gift. Seeing all this, it’s hard,” he admitted.
She closed her eyes, the breeze around her stirred, and so did the long white flowy dress she wore.
“You need to stick to him like glue outside these walls. I have one chance to set his fate free, and it’s going to take everything I have in me. I’m going to be tied up.”
He got it.
Oracle had spoken.
“We have to get that baby born,” she stated. “Their child is going to matter.”
Nate was curious.
“Why?”
She looked up and stared at him. “She’s the next Oracle. One day, she’ll replace me.”
Well, that was good enough for him.
“We’ll take care of it,” he said, moving to her side. When he reached her, he lifted her chin. “Trust me.”
Oh, she did.
Nate would do the job, and fate would play out her role too. Everything was on track.
The war was coming.
They would be ready.
* * * O R A C L E * * *
Detective Maguire’s
Home
When she woke up, Brianna could smell breakfast cooking, and she was starving. A couple times during night, Laird had woken her up with hot, wet, openmouthed kisses that gave her chills.
She didn’t turn him away.
She couldn’t.
The man was like a drug.
Brianna also couldn’t believe she was going to get married that morning.
To him.
He was her sexy Irish devil with the aqua eyes. Life was pretty good. Now if she could just stay alive.
“Come down for breakfast. I feel the need to feed you this morning,” he said, sensing she was awake.
“Yes, dear,” she called.
It made him laugh.
Brianna found his dress shirt hanging over the back of the chair, and she pulled it on. It hung on her, but it smelled like his cologne.
It made her giddy.
“I wouldn’t want to try to navigate this ladder with alcohol in my system,” she teased, as she began climbing down.
Laird saw her wearing his shirt, and his whole being responded to that. If they had time, he was going to have sex with her again.
And again.
And again.
He couldn’t help himself.
As she was halfway down, he moved to stand beneath her.
“Fall back. I’ve got you,” he said, and she did without hesitation.
He caught her in his arms.
“Oh, look, it’s raining beautiful lasses in our home. I think I just got lucky.”
She kissed him.
When she pulled away, he was grinning.
“You may get lucky later, but for right now, I’m starving. I didn’t eat dinner last night.”
He recalled.
“I made you eggs, Bri, because I don’t know what else you like. Meat is a no, and that worries me.”
She didn’t get why.
“How come?”
“I love meat. Meat and I are besties. We hang out together all the time.”
“For you, I’d eat meat,” she offered.
“Lass, I don’t deserve you,” he teased, dropping her onto her feet. “How did I get so lucky?”
Brianna pointed at Molly.
“Ah, my mangy, old dog hooked me a sexy lady. Well, Molly gets some meat then too.”
He walked with her into their kitchen.
It was sunny, yellow, and filled with little things he’d collected along the way. On the table, there was a beautiful table cloth made of lace.
“I did not see that coming. I pictured beer cans and calendars of naked ladies.”
“I keep those in the loo.”
She snorted.
Laird felt the need to explain. “Most of these trinkets, and I know they are silly, but they were my mother’s as were a lot of the dishes. I’m sentimental. I couldn’t get rid of them.”
She didn’t blame him.
Besides, they had history.
Brianna sat and watched him move around the kitchen barefoot and shirtless.
It was pretty damn sexy.
“You miss her, don’t you?”
He placed a dish of creamy eggs in front of her. There were little green chives sprinkled on top, and toast on the side.
“I do. I miss my father too. He was a good man.”
“But…?” she asked, sensing there was indeed a but coming at some point.
“I wonder if what they say about him is true. He didn’t stand and fight for his name. He took the coward’s way out by eating his gun. I know what Oracle said, but I’m a cop. I need empirical proof.”
She waited for him to sit.
His dish had sausages.
“I noticed you carry a gun,” she said. “That’s odd over here.”
He was aware. “I have a special permit. I feel safer with it, than without. I know that’s strange in a country where guns are not the norm, but it’s true. It was one of his guns.”
She glanced over at it on the counter.
“You don’t like guns?” he asked, eating some of his sausage, and sharing the rest with Molly.
“I’m ambivalent. When you’re American, you see cops carrying them, people carrying them, and the shock value wears off.”
“Can you shoot?” he asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” she said, eating some more eggs.
“Want to learn? I belong to a gun club, and I can teach you.”
She smiled. “Okay. I belong to a book club. We can share hobbies.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I won’t have time for books.”
She gasped in mock horror.
“Bite your tongue, Mr. Maguire! Don’t say such horrible things. I’ll have nightmares.”
Laird laughed.
He loved that about her.
Brianna could make him enjoy the littlest things.
“I simply meant, you won’t have time for books either. We’re going to be very busy setting up our nest.”
She liked that idea.
“You are still marrying me today, right?” he asked.
She lifted a brow. “I planned on it, why?”
“I know this is going to sound silly,” he began, hoping she didn’t laugh at him.
“What?”
“I want you to wear a white dress. I always pictured seeing my bride in one. Now who’s the romantic fool?” he asked, blushing.
Brianna took his hand in hers. “If that will make you happy, I’ll be more than glad to do it. Hell! I’ll wear pasties and a G-string if that’s what you want.”
He laughed. “Oh, darling, save that for the honeymoon,” he teased back. “In fact, I insist.”
She nearly choked on her toast.
“What?” he asked. “A man can’t have his own little fantasies?”
“Oh, you can. You’re hitting on a few of mine.”
That intrigued him. “And they are?”
“You cooked for me.”
He made a mental note to do that more often. In fact, he’d do it all the time. The idea of her sitting on the counter while he prepared a meal for her made him absolutely, completely content.
“It’s not so much the food, but that you’re doing it shirtless and barefoot.”
Well, his partial nakedness was here to stay.
Brianna continued naming off her fantasies. “And you’re good in bed.”
He snorted. “I feel so cheap.”
“Save that for the honeymoon,” she quoted back to him.
It made him roar in laughter. Laird knew his life was never going to be boring with her.
“Today, I’ll get some of your things from the bed and breakfast. I’ll check you out.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
They finished their breakfast, and he immediately took away her plate and washed it.
“And now I just had an orgasm. A man doing dishe
s. You’re not human.”
He laughed.
“I like a tidy home. I also like a naked Brianna a little too much, so go get dressed. I don’t know if I can keep my hands to myself.”
She stood and unbuttoned his shirt.
“Here you go,” she said, handing it to him.
He stared at her with his mouth open.
Then she walked away.
Laird began praying for control, but it wasn’t easy. His soon-to-be-wife was going to make his life one hell of an adventure.
That was for bloody sure.
Laird couldn’t wait until tonight. He was craving one hell of a honeymoon.
With his new wife.
* * * O R A C L E * * *
Graymoor
When Luke woke, his head was pounding in his skull. It was as if someone were beating on a drum. He was glad it hurt, because it reminded him of what he’d done.
He’d hurt his Maura.
His wife.
His Marine.
Luke was ashamed of himself.
When he opened his eyes, she was right beside him, lying on her side and holding his hand.
“I was worried about you. I was going to wake you to check on your melon,” she said, running her fingers over his skull.
“I’m okay. How’s your arm?” he asked.
“Superficial wound. I’ve hurt myself worse at basic training. You have shitty aim.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“I was kidding, Lucas, please don’t. I’m barely holding it together myself,” she admitted.
Normally, Maura would never say anything like that to anyone, but she knew with Luke, she could be herself.
“I’m okay,” he said, trying to soothe her.
“When I hit you, I thought ‘what if I just killed him’? I wouldn’t have been able to live with that if I took your life.”
He touched her cheek. There was such misery in her eyes, and he understood that.
“I’m good. I’m glad you clocked me. I had my hands on you in a very inappropriate way.”
Maura took a moment to share some softness with him. She cuddled closer, and Luke let her rest her head on his chest.
“I love you.”
His heart skipped. “I love you, too, Maura. We’re good.”
“I hope so. I can’t do that again.”
He got it.
It was time to talk work.
“I should get showered. I’m sure there’s a killer to catch,” he offered.
Yeah, about that…
“Brianna is coming here today, so you’re on guard duty,” Maura said. “I’m going out with Nate and Bishop in your place.”
“Your arm.”
“I’m good.”
“Maura.”
She leaned into his body and kissed him. It was sweet, gentle, and proved one thing.
She was worried.
“I can do my job.”
Yeah, except, she wasn’t having it.
“You have a concussion. I don’t. If you try to go, Nate’s going to nag. You don’t like when Nate nags. That’s going to make your bad headache even worse.”
He laughed.
The pain shot through his skull.
“See?”
“You’re right. I’m going to stay here and not laugh,” Luke offered.
Maura got off the bed and began getting dressed. Luke watched her. She had sexy girly things on beneath the black cargo pants and pull over.
“Maura?”
She glanced back. “Yeah, babe?”
“Be careful today. I need my wife.”
She smiled at him.
“Newsflash, Lucas. Your wife needs you too.”
He was damn glad for that.
* * * O R A C L E * * *
He dropped her off at the boutique as it was just opening. He handed her his credit card.
“I can buy my own…”
He cut her off with a kiss. It was so heated and delicious that it made her forget everything.
When he pulled away, he was smiling. “Let me buy you this,” he offered. “I want to buy my bride her dress.”
She touched his face. “What do you want me to wear?” she asked. “Sexy? Risqué?”
He already knew.
“I want the fairytale because that’s what we have. Love at first sight, romance, and flowers.”
She wanted to swoon inside.
He was amazing.
“I’ll do that for you.”
Laird was getting excited. Still, he knew they were missing one important thing.
Rings.
“I’ll park the car, and I’ll be right over here. When you’re done, we’ll get hitched.”
She could do that.
“See you in a few,” she said, getting out.
“I love you, Bri,” he said as she blew him a kiss and raced inside the boutique.
Brianna was excited.
Once inside, she began looking for the right dress.
“Can I help you?” asked the young girl from behind the counter.
“Yes, I’m getting married, and I need a wedding dress for the ceremony.”
“Aye, when is it?”
“In twenty minutes.”
The woman laughed, and then realized she wasn’t kidding. “Aye, you like to live dangerously. You’re lucky that you’re slim. We can likely find you a right good dress before you tie the knot. There’s no way the tailor could whip up a miracle.”
Brianna knew what she wanted.
She described it.
“You’ll look beautiful,” the girl said, pulling out a dress that would suit her.
“It’s perfect,” she said, touching the lace. “Can I wear it now, and pay for it?” she asked.
The woman was good with that. “Let me help you into it. I’ll put your clothes in a bag for you,” she offered.
Brianna stripped down.
She slipped into the gown, and it fit perfectly as if it were made for her.
“You look like a princess,” she said, zipping her up.
“I feel like one.”
They headed out to the cash register, and Brianna handed her the card.
“Why are you using Detective Maguire’s card?” she asked. “You’re not him.”
She laughed.
Gee.
Really?
Talk about observant.
“I’m using his card because he’s the groom. I’m marrying him.”
The woman stared at her.
“You’re kidding, right?”
She shook her head. “He’s outside, if you need him to sign,” she offered.
“Aye, I think that would be for the best.”
Brianna stared at herself in the mirror as the woman went out to find him.
She hoped she did well.
She wanted to dazzle him.
Laird was good at few things in life. He was excellent at his job, he was a good listener, and he was pretty sure he was good at romance.
He was hoping the ring he was picking out would say that to his soon-to-be-wife.
If Brianna liked adventures, he was pretty sure she wouldn’t want a plain old ring.
No, she’d want something unique.
“I need a ring that’s old, has history, and maybe a story behind it,” he said, describing what he was looking for to the sales clerk.
“We have some over here, sir.”
He knew he didn’t have time, maybe he should just go with a band, and then…
He saw it.
“That one,” he said, pointing at it.
“It’s a canary diamond and very sunny,” she said, telling him the back story behind it. “It belonged to a woman who was the lover of a powerful man. He loved her, and she loved him, despite the odds.”
That intrigued him.
“The color is perfect for someone who is your ray of sunshine.”
That described Brianna.
She was sunny, bright, and full of light. It would be perfect on
her finger.
“I need two bands too. One for her, and one for me.”
The woman looked at him.
“Are you getting married soon?” she asked.
“Yes, today.”
The woman smiled. “Let’s get you your rings so you won’t be late.”
It didn’t take long.
Five minutes at the max. As he paid and walked out, he could see the woman who worked in the boutique heading his way. Not only was she heading at him, but Molly had broken out of his house once more.
The dog was waiting by his car. He swore that she was a criminal in her last life.
He wasn’t shocked.
“Detective, there’s a woman trying to steal your credit card,” she said, trying to alert him.
Laird laughed. “Is she about this tall, red hair, and pretty aqua eyes?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s my fiancée, and I told her to buy the dress. I’ll come sign.”
The woman looked shocked.
“What?” he asked.
“The world, it be ending. Our most eligible bachelor is tying the knot in Adare. There are women dying over this. None of them will survive it.”
He laughed. “I think you’re exaggerating.”
She made it sound like he was some gigolo. Women in town thought he was dating everything with legs, when in truth, he was doing the opposite.
Now he was willing to go all in.
With Brianna.
As they headed into the store, he told Molly to wait, and she miraculously listened.
Once inside, he saw her.
He stopped.
Jaysus!
She was the loveliest woman he’d ever seen in his life. She looked radiant, gorgeous, and like she stepped off the pages of something Yeats had written.
“Brianna,” he said, barely able to get her name out.
“Well?” she asked, turning around.
The dress was formfitting, lace, and hung low across her back. The front was cut high, giving her the look of some gorgeous monarch.
“You are definitely my queen.”
She grinned.
“I have something for you,” he offered, pulling out the first box. When he went down on one knee, he snapped it open.
Oracle Haunting (The Phoenix Files Book 4) Page 28
