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“Yes. It’s a village tradition. Same date every year.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean?”
I did but I wasn’t about to let her get away with putting herself down. “I don’t actually.”
She closed the book and placed it on the side table. “I’ll go.”
“No.”
“What? You’ve changed your mind?”
I stepped closer and placed my hands on either side of the chair, hemming her in. “I haven’t changed my mind and I’m not going to. I don’t change my mind once it’s made up, Jenna. My reaction this morning was all because of you! There was no one else in that room with us. It was you and me. That was it. So, think on that while you find your jacket.”
Hoping I got my meaning across, I backed away and walked out of the room. It wasn’t until I was clear from view that I dropped onto the bench at the front door. Her reaction made me wonder whether she had any experience with guys coming on to her. She obviously didn’t know I was really interested in her. I hadn’t exactly given her reason to believe that until last night. I may have been asleep but the moment she’d started rubbing her ass on me, I’d been wide awake. I wondered if she was in the other room thinking about me naked and it made me grin at the thought. Although, maybe I shouldn’t think too long about being naked with Jenna. At least not while in a public place.
The vibration in my back pocket announcing a text message caused a loud sigh to rumble out. It would be the bothersome girl again. While I palmed my phone, I unlocked it, and found I was correct. She wanted to know what I was up to.
Distracted with what Jenna was up to, I typed out
a longer reply than intended telling her about the crash and being snowed in. She immediately replied asking who I was with. I thought about how to reply. Tracy knew Jenna. Had a few classes with her. I wanted to get under Jenna’s skin so she would believe me when I told her that it was her I craved. That it was her who raised my blood and sent it rushing south. No way could I tell Tracy that I was trying to get hot and bothered with Jenna. The girl wouldn’t leave Jenna alone. Instead, I replied, “No one of importance.” I winced as I hit send, feeling bad because Jenna was more important to me than any other girl who I wasn’t related to.
Clearing his throat, Cormac smirked. “Woman trouble.” He shook his head. “Only a good woman ties a man in knots.”
“Is that right?” I sighed. “I have one girl back home constantly texting me, who I’m not interested in. I’m with the girl I want to be with, and she doesn’t exactly believe me. She says she isn’t my type. I didn’t know I had a type until she told me that.”
“Hmm, sounds like I’m right. Jenna is someone you don’t want to let go of, however; you need to tell the girl back home the truth, as well as Jenna. You can’t build anything on a lie, Dylan. Only heartache will follow.” He offered a wry smile. “My Niamh taught me that, and trust me, I wouldn’t wish anyone going through what I did when I fell in love with her. A weaker man would have given up, but not me. I knew she was the one from the moment I saw her. I’ve never looked at anyone else. Don’t need to.”
I winced. “We go to the same college in Boston. She sometimes gets hung up with the reputation that I helped build. None of its true.” Well, Jaxon, you’re right! “I’m going to show her the real me. The one only my family and close friends know.”
He smiled. “I’d say you were on to something there.” Straightening, he turned toward the stairs.
My eyes followed and I watched Jenna come down with rosy cheeks. I hoped she hadn’t been listening to my conversation with Cormac. Then again, maybe it would do me a favor if she had. She’d know how honest I was trying to be with her.
Cormac disappeared into the background as I stood and smiled at Jenna. “You ready?”
She nodded watching me wearily as she tugged a green bobble hat onto her head. She’d kept her hair long, so the curls bounced around her shoulders. She had no clue how beautiful she was. That was about to change.
“I don’t bite you know,” I teased when she tried to avoid touching me at the front door. “Unless you ask me too!”
She turned laughing and rolled her eyes. “That’s a corny line Dylan.”
“At least it got you to say my name.” I opened the door and the cold winter’s evening chilled my legs in jeans. “Forget about lines, but I think you should stick close. Keep each other warm.”
“Honestly.” Jenna stepped out into the deep snow with a swing in her step.
I followed at a slower pace enjoying the view of her tight jeans. Her ass swayed as she walked and, for a brief moment, I stopped and watched until I realized she was getting too far in front of me. Jogging to catch up, I took her arm and threaded it through mine. “You don’t want to lose me.” I grinned and watched as she cocked her head to one side.
“I don’t understand you.” She turned her attention to where she walked. “You ignore me at school and now all of a sudden you want to be best buddies. Why?”
Unfortunately, she was correct with the first part, but totally wrong with the latter. “I don’t want to be best buddies. I want to be best friends, which means more.”
“Friends with benefits while we’re in Ireland is what you’re saying, right?” She glanced out of the corner of her eye.
“You are totally wrong. I want you Jenna. Not on the side. I want you totally under me.” I pulled her to a stop. “I like you. A lot. You tangle me up inside and until the driver started losing control of the bus, I hadn’t realized how much. You just need to realize that I don’t have any ulterior motives.” Continuing to walk again, I added, “Once you’ve accepted that, then I’m going to rock your world, babe.”
She opened and closed her mouth; opened it again before deciding to keep quiet, deep in thought.
While she continued in her silence, I enjoyed the colored Christmas lights lining the small street. They led to the village square where a ten-foot Christmas tree stood tall and proud. “Cormac told me that each year the children from the school make decorations for the tree. They are then sold in the toy shop in the village. The money’s used to purchase presents for sick children in the local hospital who don’t get to spend Christmas at home.”
