His Wicked Celtic Kiss (5 page)

“I thought you might like this, a little aperitif. Thought we would talk before we order. I should warn you, I do like to chinwag.”

She lifted the glass. The wine tasted light, fruity, and delicious. “I love it.”

“Brilliant. I hoped you would. It's a Sauvignon Blanc.” Lorcan glanced around. “Bloody posh, but I like the look of it. Nick says the steaks melt in your mouth.”

Sipping her wine, she had a fleeting look. All the tables had high-back plush leather burgundy bench seats and the black marbled tables gave it a real classy look. The light fixtures that hung low over every table resembled a burst of stars and cast a soft, romantic glow. She hadn't been in a place this fancy since—well, ever.

Julie lowered her wine glass. “Why only a few months?”

Lorcan leaned against the seat. “No doubt a probationary period, but I won't be staying in the job beyond that. I'll be heading back to Ireland when my temporary work visa expires toward the end of January, me and the S65.”

Her heart dropped like a large stone in the middle of a lake. He would only be here temporarily. She should've known. What little hope began to take root in her heart was now dashed, smashed, and trashed. Served her right for dreaming and fantasizing there could be more between them. Julie
swallowed the lump in her throat. No use becoming upset about it. She gave him the most brave, radiant smile she could muster. “Very nice signing bonus. The car suits you, Lorcan.”

He leaned forward. “You said my name. Say it again.” His voice was low and husky, the musical lilt sending ripples of desire up her spine.

“Lorcan, Lorcan—Lorcan. There, that should be enough. Do you have family back in Ireland?”

Julie changed the subject, because the narrowing of his eyes when she said his name had the look of longing.

He took a sip of wine. “Aye, seven brothers and sisters. I'm the oldest, my brother, Dylan, is the next oldest—my Irish twin.”

“Irish twin?”

“He's ten months younger, what is referred to sarcastically as an Irish twin. My parents still live in the same flat in Dublin I grew up in. I haven't been home much the last twelve years or so. How about you, darlin'?”

“I'm an only child, and my parents moved eight years ago to Philadelphia. I decided to stay here. I see them quite a bit. It's not that far away.”

Lorcan's intense gaze caused a decided yearning to move though her body. “There's no man in your life? I will tell you why I ask such a personal question, Julie. This isn't some ‘get-to-know-you-as-friends-only' dinner date. I want us to see each other, you follow?”

He might as well have hit her over the head with the near empty wine bottle. He'd be leaving in January. She had agreed to this dinner to see why he wanted to go out with her, now he wanted them to see each other? To what purpose? Julie couldn't control the rapidly changing emotions moving through her. Maybe he figured she was desperate for male company and would be agreeable to his proposal. Of what? A meaningless fling? The occasional date? Why bother seeing her at all if he was only here short-term? Did he want sex and nothing else? He could have any woman he wanted, why her? There had to be a reason, and all clues pointed to her being an easy conquest. A low, simmering annoyance began to build.

How to answer him? Haughty and cool? Angry and shrewish? Maybe she wouldn't answer him at all. Holding the half-empty wine glass in her hand she was mightily tempted to dash the contents in that handsome, conceited face of his. She tried to form a reply when the rambunctious young waiter returned with pen poised to take their order.

Lorcan ordered a peppercorn steak, baked potato, and steamed vegetables along with a spinach salad appetizer. Both men looked at her waiting for her to speak.

The emotions rolling through her were a toxic mix and to top it off, she suddenly became aware that she was ravenously hungry. Julie ordered the most expensive steak on the menu with fries and a side order of onion rings. To drink, a vanilla milkshake loaded with sugar and calories and crushed Godiva chocolate. Why an upscale restaurant had milkshakes on the menu, she had no idea nor did she care. She was going to stuff her face. Finally, the waiter moved away.

Lorcan took her hand, holding it tight. “What's going on, Julie? You've a strange look on your face. You didn't answer my question. Is there a man in your life?”

“No.” Julie bit out, struggling to remove her hand. “There's no man in my life, and I don't want one.” She sounded petulant, like a six-year-old being forced to eat broccoli.

Lorcan let go. “Then why did you agree to this? I said it was a date. You enjoyed the kiss. Don't deny it.”

Damn him. She did enjoy it and wanted more, but what would be the point? She honestly didn't know what else to say. She should question him, ask for an explanation, get him to list the reasons why he wanted to see her, but the words died in her throat. An uncomfortable silence enveloped them. Julie knew she'd lost control. Her plan for staying calm and reasonable broke apart into shards.

“This is turning into that night at the pub with Nick and Veronica. I don't know what I did then, and I sure as shite don't know what I did now. If you're not interested in seeing me, say so. It will end tonight.” Lorcan's voice sounded flat and devoid of emotion,

Angry tears threatened at the back of her eyes. Might as well speak her mind, the night was all but ruined anyway. “Fine. Call me suspicious, but I don't understand why a man like you would be remotely interested in me. Unless you think I'm easy. Desperate and gullible. Someone to pass the time with until you leave. Someone to use.” Damn, she sounded like a spoiled child, but he'd asked. She wasn't going to cower in the corner of the booth like a whipped puppy, nor would she lie.

Lorcan crossed his arms. The man did not look happy. All traces of the light-hearted, tease were gone. “‘A man like me'. Is that an insult? And why wouldn't I be interested in you? I thought we might enjoy each other's company. At the pub, you captivated me, even though you looked at me like I was a pile of dog shite. You certainly cringed when I touched you.”

“I never thought that,” she cried indignantly. “And a ‘man like me' means you're beyond anything I imagined. You're too handsome—for me. There, Plain old me. You're too much of everything.” She exhaled and hesitated for a few moments. “I didn't cringe. Your touch was electric. I
liked
it. Pulling away was not intentional, believe me.”

The waiter bounded back setting the salad in front of Lorcan and the onion rings in front of her. Suddenly, her appetite disappeared as quickly as it had flared up. This night had not gone the way she wanted, and she knew it was all on her. Her damned insecurities and the utter despair hearing he would be leaving had smashed all her cautious and fragile control. This dinner was a massive mistake. Lorcan deserved honesty. Her behavior had been weird enough ever since she'd first laid eyes on him.

Taking another deep breath and exhaling, she said, “I'm sorry, Lorcan. Chalk up my behavior to the colossal, well-hidden anxieties of a former fat girl. I really thought I'd moved past a lot of these feelings, but seeing and talking to you brought back so many horrid memories. Logically, I know those recollections have nothing to do with you, but they broke through anyway. It's hard to look at you sometimes. I know it sounds foolish, but I can't help it.” She laughed brokenly. “I ordered this food because ... because my emotions and food have always gone hand-in-hand.”

Lorcan's annoyed and puzzled look softened. He reached for her plate of onion rings and dumped half onto his plate, and then he took half his salad and pushed it on the plate next to the remaining onion rings. “There, darlin'. We'll share. I don't want to be responsible for you eating food you really don't want. We'll divide the burden.” He laid the plate in front of her. “Let's start over, eh? But make no mistake: I do want us to see each other. Will you go for it?”

The simple warmth and charm of his gesture touched her heart. She gave him a wobbly smile. “Yes, I'll go for it.”

The rest of the meal went better than Lorcan could've hoped considering its shaky start. When the main dishes arrived, he took half of Julie's fries and gave her half his baked potato and steamed vegetables. Her unexpected confession had explained a lot of her behavior since that double date at the pub. Former “fat girl?” He'd never cared for that term. Aye, it explained a lot. The vulnerability she showed, and the courage it took in confessing her personal anxieties touched his heart and fascinated him further.

Julie excused herself and Lorcan watched her walk toward the restroom. The waiter stood at his elbow. “Can I get you anything else, sir?”

Lorcan motioned to the milkshake glass, which was still mostly full. “Put this in two take-away cups please, and I'll wait until the lady returns to see if there is anything else.”

The waiter reached for the drink and scurried off. Lorcan placed his hand on his stomach. Bloody hell, his guts roiled. He wasn't used to all this deep-fried rot. Never keen on it. Food issues. He supposed he was lucky, genetically speaking. The Byrnes were all tall and lithe. Never gave food a second thought or had to worry about it. He could eat pretty much anything, not that he wanted to. The lass must have to struggle with this every day. His admiration for Julie increased a little more.

What did he want here? He wanted her in his bed. He had a feeling under all that apprehension and the brave words lurked a very passionate woman. He'd been relieved to hear that she hadn't shuddered in revulsion at his touch back at the pub, but rather desire. His own reaction had surprised him. Never had such a roar of stimulating heat moved through every part of his body before. He'd been with plenty of women all over the world and not once had there been even a slight jolt. Well, not at that intensity, at any rate.

The kiss at the bakery hadn't been planned. It just—happened. He wanted more. He wanted those lush curves wrapped around him. He wanted her screaming his name to the heavens as he thrust inside her. But it wasn't merely physical. He genuinely liked her.

Still, the fact he'd be leaving soon meant no complications or entanglements. Hurting Julie was the last thing he wanted to do.
I should walk the feck away.
The feral animal in him wouldn't allow it. He was fascinated by his own response to her. Lorcan wanted to protect her and fuck her all at the same time. Another first.

He would have to be upfront and honest about the fact he was only interested in a short-term—what, affair? Relationship? Fling? Liaison? Connection? Association? Friendship with benefits? He cringed at that last one as he'd used the phrase too many times before. And, in those instances, friendship wasn't even on his radar. With Julie, he wished to explore the possibility of a closer, intimate connection, but one without life-altering commitments. Could it be possible?

Plain old me
, she called herself. Granted, she wasn't a head turner, but he thought her cute. Those magnificent eyes were her best feature. He was attracted to her on many levels and such an admission could be dangerous emotionally. Lorcan had enough of danger in his life—and heartbreak.

He sighed and ran his hands through his long hair. After he left the military, he just let it grow since the closely cropped military cut had lost its appeal. His arse had not seen a barber's chair in more than four years. Jaysus, it hung past his shoulders. Sully told him the long hair made him look pretty. Not exactly the look he wanted to convey. The ladies, however, seemed to like it. One woman had told him he reminded her of a medieval warrior. Lorcan had received a rare chuckle out of that one.

The sound of a throat clearing interrupted his reverie and he looked up to see Julie had returned. “You're deep in thought,”

“Nothing too serious, merely debating whether I should get my hair cut. What do you think? Be honest. Hack it all off or maybe get a trim?”

She cocked her head, as if studying the problem seriously. “I like long hair on you. Not many men can pull it off. I would get a few inches trimmed and have it layered a bit. Your hair is a little ragged, but on the other hand, it gives you a wild look that's very appealing.”

He took her hand. Damn, the flash of sizzling heat moved though him again. “You like the wild look on a man? On me? Should I be flattered?”

Julie curled her fingers tightly around his, sending another flare of electricity up his arm. “You don't need to be told you're good-looking, Lorcan. You know you are.”

He looked down at the small hand all but lost in his much larger one. The hand felt delicate and feminine in his. “Aye,” he said softly. “I know it, but I like hearing it from you. Means more to me than all those shallow declarations from others put together.”

Julie gazed at him with such tenderness it took his breath away. Something—passed between them. What, he wasn't sure. The mood dissipated as the waiter placed the paper bag holding two plastic take-away cups on the table. “Anything else, sir?”

Lorcan glanced at Julie. “Coffee, drink?”

She smiled. “I couldn't possibly.”

“Just the check.” He turned back to Julie. “Hope you don't mind, I split the milkshake.”

She laughed, a deep feminine trill that sent another roar of flame through him.
Jaysus.
At this rate, he would spontaneously combust. “No, please. Take the whole thing and save me the temptation,” she said.

With the bill paid, Lorcan and Julie headed outside to the parking lot. Heavy, gray clouds smothered the moon and stars which caused the sky to appear darker than usual. Lorcan glanced at his watch, saw that the time was nine o'clock. Take her home? He opened the car door and placed the paper bag on the seat.

Lorcan strode around the car toward her. Standing close, he savored her nearness. Julie's fresh and enticing scent of clean soap and wildflowers filled his nostrils and he reveled in her devastating presence. Lorcan reached for her hands; the touch sizzled and aroused him further. With a quick, bold move, he pulled Julie close against the hardness of him. Intense, roiling heat passed between them. Slowly, Lorcan backed away, only a step or two, enough to gaze down into those gorgeous eyes that were filled with such confusion and need. Aye, he understood the intoxicating mixture. The pull. A connection. A purpose. Neither spoke, nor looked away. This had been building all during the dinner. The potent undercurrent of a mutual desire, mixed with her raw honesty and delicate vulnerability. And his utter and complete fascination.