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“Iwasplanning on asking you to let me take you around tomorrow and show you some sights, perhaps followed by ice cream or dinner. Your choice.”
“Can we take your bike?” She leaned in conspiratorially. “I have to admit my heart sighed a little seeing your Triumph. Liam O’Hanlon, you have good taste in bikes.”
He wanted to rub his hands together at yet another boon. “Do you ride?”
“I do on vacation sometimes. Italy. France—”
“Bali too, right?” Suddenly he could see her in the turquoise water with her arms raised to the sky.
She closed her mouth smartly before replying, “Yeah. Bali. I’m really going to have to get used to that. You strike me as a Bali kind of guy. Ever been?”
“Eight years ago. It’s where I learned pottery.”
Her laughter was belly deep and all the richer for it. “Of course you did. I’ll bet she was hot and also dabbled in yoga and ate hemp burgers.”
“My preference for steak was the straw that broke us apart, alas.” He pressed a hand to his heart dramatically. “But truly, Taylor, it ended because she wasn’t my soulmate. Every woman up until now, I’ve known she wasn’t it.”
She nudged him gently in the shoulder again. “Well, jeez, Liam, never say Sorcha upstages you in dropping the proverbial mike. Shall we go? I’m running out of witty ripostes.”
He rose to go and pay the check. “You don’t need any ripostes with me, Taylor. All I want is who you are.Allof who you are.”
That guarded look entered her eyes again before he headed for the bar. When they left the pub, the sun had set. The sole halogen light in the lot illuminated two tickets tucked against their windshields. He plucked his as she snatched hers.
“A parking ticket!” She waved it in the air after holding it in the light. “Malcolm said we were far from Caisleán and its new Garda. I guess he had to drill the point home.”
Liam grew more concerned. Malcolm had arranged for an officer of the law to harass them in a public parking lot without just cause. “Let’s take some pictures. It might not help matters, but we’ll want to keep a record of his behavior.”
She dug out her phone and started taking photos while he took out his and beamed his torch in her direction.
“You know…” he said as she tucked her phone back in her purse. “Your couch is looking better than ever now.”
Her body stilled. “That’s too fast for me. I can’t let that happen, Liam. Not even to make you feel better.”
He took a moment to answer. “I understand not wanting to let fear—or any other negative emotion—control you. But perhaps look at it the way I do. It’s another good reason to be around a friend.”
She walked over until she was standing in front of him. “But we both know you aren’t only my friend.”
The words hovered between them, shot through with sparks of attraction.
“I’m not ready for that yet.” She rested her hand on his chest briefly. “But I promise to text you if I need anything. Besides, we have Sorcha to run back and forth between us. That’s gotta be worth something.”
It would be, but when he dropped her off later in front of her house, he was reluctant to leave.
She thanked him for taking her luggage inside the foyer but didn’t invite him to linger, so he stepped out again. “We’ll do a movie night some other time,” she said, almost as if to soften her need for space.
“You like movies?”
“Love them!” Her face seemed to light up. “I like a good story. I won’t just watch garbage.”
She was full of craic. “What aboutJaws?”
“Who doesn’t like a man versus nature classic? It’s one of the best. AlthoughMoby Dickwith Gregory Peck is pretty damn satisfying.”
“I haven’t seen that one.” He couldn’t help but grin at the prospect of the endless number of dates before him with Taylor. “It’s going to be fun.This. Getting to know each other. Are you sure you don’t need anything? I find I’m having trouble stepping away from you.”
She swallowed thickly. “You look all manly, and then you go for complete vulnerability. It’s a killer combo, Liam. One I really like. Honesty means a lot to me.”
No, it was stronger than that. The wordtruthcame to mind. But a truth that came out of the darkness. He stopped the vision, sensing she was waiting for him to reply. “I’m an open book. Ask anyone.”
