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I slowly, nervously sink into it, staring across the table at him, my fingers fidgeting with my own mug.
“So.” Seamus’s eyes lazily drop to take in my form. “You’re what all this fuss is about.”
“Fuss?” My cheeks flame. What fuss? Paddy coming back here? The thing with the Italians?
“Aye, lass. Thefuss,” Seamus agrees, bringing his eyes back to my face to study me. “Honestly, I don’t see what has Paddy so captivated. You must be an artist in the bedroom.”
My face flames at the implication. “I… I don’t know what he sees in me either.”
Seamus’s eyebrows raise, and he takes a sip of Connor’s coffee, staring at me. “But you’re thankful he sees something?”
“I mean….” I gesture down at myself, swallowing when I remember I’m wearing nothing but a pair of panties and Paddy’s button-down shirt. How embarrassing. “Paddy could have any woman he looked at.”
“And so he could, lass.”
“But he says he doesn’t see their faces.”
Seamus’s eyes burn into mine, intense like Paddy’s, but for a whole different reason.
“He doesn’t see their faces?”
“That’s what he said. He said he hasn’t since he met me.”
“And you believe him?”
“Uh. Well… yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
Seamus nods, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “If I told you Paddy’s life was in danger because of you, and if you left Boston right now, he would be safe… what would you do?”
The air is cold in my nostrils. Paddy’s life is in danger? Because of me? Oh god. I should never have come to him for help. I should have hopped a bus to LA or something.
“If I leave now, he won’t be in danger anymore?” I clarify. Seamus blinks in surprise.
“If you left now,mylife would be in danger,” he smirks, setting down the coffee mug. “But you would, you’d leave?”
“If it was going to keep Paddy safe, of course. Why would your life be in danger if I left? Because of the Italians?”
“Because Paddy would slaughter me if he thought I’d run you off,” Seamus says cheerfully, but I don’t think it’s a laughing matter. If Paddy hurt Seamus Fitzpatrick, he’d be in so much trouble that his life wouldn’t be worth living.
“I don’t want any trouble.”
“You brought trouble with you, lass,” Seamus sighs. My cheeks are hot again, and so are my eyes. “There’s no point in tears. What’s done is done.” He taps the table with his fingernail. “D’ye love him?”
“Paddy?” I raise my eyes to meet Seamus’s brown ones again as he nods slowly. “With all my heart. More than anything.”
Draining the coffee, Seamus nods, standing and looking me over.
“I’ll have Lucky teach you the ropes.”
“What ropes?”
Seamus smirks down at me, looking remarkably like his cousin as amusement dances across his face, despite their differences in coloring.
“You’ll see, lass. We’ll find out how willing you are to stick by Paddy’s side.”
I stare at Seamus as he strides out of the room. What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t care what they do to me. The only thing that would drag me away from Paddy’s side is if he ordered me away himself.
I gamely meet Connor’s smirk as he strolls back into the room, his hands shoved in the pockets of his sharp gray suit.
