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“You didn’t have to,” I added, still feeling a bit bashful. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t really tell what he was thinking.
“Why don’t you sit down? It’s just about ready,” he grinned.
Not knowing what to do with my hands, I fidgeted with them in front of me.
“Okay,” I replied quickly. As soon as I took a seat, I wrapped my hands around a steaming mug of freshly made coffee. I noticed that one of Irma’s carafes was on the counter and I blushed hard. No doubt she’d hit me up later when I picked up Emma at lunchtime for all the nitty gritty details.
I swallowed nervously. What would I say? I couldn’t tell her how he’d bared my bottom, belted me, and then fucked me over one of the tables in his own pub.
Luckily, Kieran slid a plate right in front of me, cutting off my sordid train of thought. He took a seat beside me as I stared down at the steaming omelet and crispy bacon. My stomach growled loudly, and my hands slapped over it.
“Eat up,” he urged.
I took a hesitant bite and was immediately overwhelmed by the intense burst of flavor and spices. I chewed slowly, trying to savor it but in my excitement, it was over far too quickly.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“Back home in Dublin, I worked in my father’s pub in the kitchens,” he answered. He looked down at the table, a brief hint of sorrow passing across his features before it was gone entirely.
“I’ve never been to Ireland,” I confessed.
“It’s a beautiful place. I’d love to take you one day.”
His words caught me by surprise. My worries that he would just want the one night and no more started to disintegrate.
“I would really like that,” I said. I stared down into my plate and quickly took another bite to cover up my shyness at the thought of him wanting more with me. Using my fingers, I brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I chanced a glance at him, only to find him watching me intently while he chewed on a piece of toast.
“I grew up on the streets of Dublin. I drove my mother crazy with all my antics, especially the times I wouldn’t come home until way after dark covered in mud and who knows what else. There are many beautiful places that the tourists know, like Dublin Castle or St. Patrick’s cathedral, but there’s so much more than that in the city,” he continued.
“I’ve seen pictures. Sean has a few on his wall that shows what Dublin looks like,” I replied thoughtfully.
“Seeing it is one thing. Experiencing it is another. The coastline of Ireland is really something else.”
I sipped my coffee and sat back, feeling more at ease as we talked. He went on to tell me about a little cottage along the coastline that had been in his family for more than a hundred years, how the rolling green hills surrounded it, lush and filled with wildlife. It sounded like the perfect getaway. I’d never been overseas before. I’d always wanted to, but I’d never had the opportunity. As a kid, my parents and I had gone on road trips around New England. When Trevor and I got together, we didn’t have a lot of money for travel, and we especially didn’t once Emma was born.
“It really sounds lovely. I hope I get the chance to see it one day in person,” I replied.
“You will,” Kieran said confidently. His demeanor made me feel more relaxed as the meal went on. By the time we finished eating, I was really enjoying myself. He told me a story of himself as a teenager in Dublin where he drank too much whiskey and danced on the bar for everyone. He’d been so into it that he’d overstepped the edge of the bar and fell in a tumble.
“My brothers haven’t let me live it down even to this day,” he chuckled.
“How long has it been since you lived in Ireland?” I asked curiously.
“It’s been ten years now.”
“Did your parents come to America too?”
“No. They passed away before I came here,” he answered. The hint of sorrow in his eyes had returned once more. I wanted to make it disappear so I changed the subject as quickly as I could.
“And your brothers?”
“All four of them came here with me. My sister too. I have a fair number of cousins as well.”
“That’s a big family,” I said, a bit awed.
“My mother always wanted a house full of kids.” His grin was especially charming, and I melted even further.
“That must have been a whirlwind. I was an only child, so I can’t even imagine what it was like,” I said.
