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He unfolded his arms and approached me. “Why don’t I take you to breakfast?”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Come on. It’s the least I can do after scaring ya to pieces last night.”
“Um.” I wasn’t sure what to say, but spending a little more time with this guy would be kind of nice. “Okay.”
“I best get dressed. Give me a sec.” He walked past me, and I was proud of myself for not gawking at him as he left. Then I grabbed my purse and slipped on a pair of black boots over my black denim skinny jeans. I hoped it wasn’t too chilly outside.
I heard Adam’s door open a few minutes later.
He came out wearing jeans and . . . still no shirt. He paused and looked over at me before putting on the polo he had been carrying in his hand. “So, how about I take you to one of Dublin’s best places?”
“Oh, that’s not necessary. Don’t make a fuss over me.”
“I insist. And I said best place, not fancy.” His seductive mouth curved into a smile as he opened the door, motioning for me to exit first.
“Thanks.”
We made our way down the metal staircase, which was wrapped like a spiral ribbon at the center of the building. When Adam opened the door and stepped back, allowing me to exit, the light, filmy mist in the air greeted my skin. There was a row of apartments on the opposite street, piercing through the fog like creatures, slowly rising from the dead.
The streets were a little less crowded than they had been last night, and I wondered if everyone was tucked inside a church, seeking forgiveness for their Saturday-night sins. Of course, as Adam and I walked in silence past a gray cathedral church, with stained glass windows depicting the Virgin Mary at the center, I remembered that most Irish people were Catholic. Didn’t they have mass on Saturday?
I squinted as I looked up at the sky. The morning sunlight was hidden behind a blanket of soft, gray, rolling clouds, confirming my concerns. Rain looked inevitable—I made a note to buy an umbrella today.
I took in the multicolored buildings as we walked. Dublin appeared to be a blend of old and new—from burned, red brick buildings to ones that gleamed modernity. I was far from Kentucky, that was for sure.
More people emerged onto the sidewalk as Adam led me to breakfast. The chattering voices of friends and couples as they plodded along next to us, the good-natured slaps on the back, filled the silence that hung as thick and heavy as the fog between Adam and me.
Would he ever talk? Then again, I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to.
I stole a glimpse of him as he rounded a corner, gesturing with his hand to an arched gate across the street. He was tall, probably a little over six feet, and he carried himself well. His shoulders and spine were erect, but he had a casual grace about him as he moved. He was confident, that was for sure, and he knew he was good-looking. Was he arrogant, too?
“We’ll cut through the park,” he suggested, and I trailed at his heels as we approached the arched entrance, which was covered in dark green ivy. On each side of the curved gate were pops of apricot-colored chrysanthemums, which I recognized from my older sister’s wedding last year.
The whisper of autumn was enchanting as we moved beneath the orange-, gold-, and red-leaved trees of the park. I’d also never seen so many bunnies in all my life. The rabbits were clustered in packs all over the park. I remembered seeing them in the grass just outside the tarmac at the airport when my plane had arrived, too. Was Dublin filled with bunnies?
I sucked in the cool, refreshing air—a nice change from Kentucky in September.
“What do you think of Dublin so far?”
I looked over my shoulder at him as we continued walking. His eyes seemed a paler shade of blue today.
“It’s fantastic. Is it always cloudy, though?”
He laughed, and I found his deep and throaty laughter incredibly sexy. There was always something I loved about a guy who could laugh, and who could make you laugh.
“More days than not, I suppose.”
We ducked under a low-hanging branch, and his hand on my shoulder made me flinch.
“Sorry. There was a leaf.”
I swallowed, not sure why I was acting so on edge. Just enjoy Dublin, I commanded myself.
Wow. Dublin.
I’d really done it, hadn’t I? I was here!
