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“Let’s go,” Maebh said, quickly taking my hand as I reached for my bag and we walked through the door.
My mouth dropped at the sight before me. The foyer was fucking beautiful. I looked straight up and saw a stained glass dome ceiling. A massive chandelier hung down and stopped at the second level. The iron work on the stair railing had the most beautiful details I’d ever seen.
“There’s a jeb door at the top that leads to a forty-acre rose garden on top of the house,” Aedin said, causing Aunt Vi to gasp.
“A rose garden?” she asked, her eyes lifting all the way up.
“Yes, ten thousand rose bushes.”
“I have to see it, this instant.”
Aedin’s face lit up. “Do you like roses, Vi?”
“Do I like roses? Do cows shit in pastures?”
Maebh covered her mouth to hide her giggle while I let out a groan. Aedin laughed his damn ass off. Clearly he liked Aunt Vi’s crude sense of humor.
“Come on, I’ll take you up there. You can get settled after we take a stroll.”
Aunt Vi started up the steps and then stopped, glancing over her shoulder. “Maebh, you’ve got babysitting duty now. I’m off the clock.”
Lifting her hand and saluting my aunt, Maebh replied, “Got it. I’ll take the job seriously.”
Aunt Vi lifted a brow and smirked. “I’m sure you will, dear.”
And like that, my aunt had gone off with the master of the castle. This was going to be interesting.
“Come on, let’s go,” I said.
We headed up the stairs to the top floor. Of course, her room would be on the top fucking floor. All of a sudden I felt weak and wanted to lie down, especially after climbing all the stairs.
“You okay?” Maebh asked, giving me a concerned stare.
“Tired.”
“We’re almost there,” she said as she walked down a hallway that I swore was the length of a damn football field.
“You grew up in this house?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“Too bad you didn’t have any siblings. You could have some kick-ass hide and seek games in this house.”
She walked backwards and took my hands in hers. “I guess that means our kids will have to have all the fun with that.”
My heart skipped a beat. The old Cord would be freaking the fuck out if a woman mentioned kids. But Maebh mentioning it only made me want it that much more. “I think I’m going to have fun practicing this whole making babies thing.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and my chest tightened. I loved this beautiful Irish fireball with my whole heart.
“Me, too.”
We finally got to the end of the long hall and stopped outside a large curved door. “Me room,” she whispered.
“Are you going to let me in or are we going to stand out here and give each other fuck-me eyes?”
Maebh rolled her eyes and twisted the brass handle. When we walked into the room my legs nearly buckled out from under me—and it had nothing to do with recovering from the flu.
“Holy. Shit.”
The first thing I saw was a king size mahogany bed. Above the headboard was a large blue tapestry that came around the front of the bed and barely flanked it, making it look like privacy curtains. At the end of the bed was an antique chest. On either side were matching mahogany nightstands with an antique lamp on each one. My eyes moved over the room. The walls were painted sage green with the most intricate woodwork framing the doors and windows, along with the molding at the top of the walls. Antique furniture filled the room. A small dresser sat under a painting of a beautiful little girl.
Once I saw those green eyes, I knew it was my Maebh. She was precious. Dark curls framed her little face, and she wore the same smile she had now. I was captivated even by her younger self. A large window sat in the middle of the room flanked by two slightly smaller windows. The view of the countryside left me breathless. The Black River could be seen through each window.
“This desk used to belong to me great-grandfather. He wrote books. Did I ever tell you that?” she asked, running her finger along the oak desk.
“No, you didn’t. What did he write?”
Glancing over her shoulder, her teeth sank into her lip. “Naughty stories for me great-grandmother.”
I lifted my brows. “Really?”
She leaned against the desk. “But he also wrote mysteries. He was very popular here in Ireland. Even today his books are still bestsellers.”
Another explanation for the fucking mansion I was standing in.
“I’m named after his sister.”
A slow smile spread over my face. I did love her name.
She took the bag from my hand and dropped it to the floor. I leaned against another desk on the opposite side of the bed.
“Let’s lie down so you can rest.”
“Best idea ever,” I said, reaching behind me and pulling my shirt over my head. I watched as Maebh stared like it was the first time she’d ever laid eyes on my bare chest. I fucking loved the way she looked at me with hungry eyes. I never wanted that look to fade.
