The irish blessing, p.13
The Irish Blessing, page 13
“Jesus, Liz.” Shane’s voice sounded strained and raspy, his breathing heavy. “Damn. That feels good.” He threw the covers back, entangling his fingers in my hair as my mouth moved up and down his length. “Christ. You’re going to make me come.” His breathing became labored, his fingers tightening around strands of my hair. Then he let out a long groan as he spilled.
I sat up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
Shane reached for me. “You are one wicked woman. Come here.”
I slid back up to the pillow and curled up in his arms. “I swear it feels like I’ve known you forever. Please don’t laugh, but I was so nervous when we came here last night, especially when you closed the door. Now, I’m so comfortable around you; I don’t know what I was worried about.”
“I feel strangely comfortable around you too. It’s like we’ve been together for years.” Shane squeezed me, his arms holding me tight. “So, I’m curious. What do you like about Ireland so far, and what do you want to see while you’re here?”
“Besides the people, I like the country’s history. One thing I’m hoping to see is a castle or two. They fascinate me. Mel’s just interested in partying and finding herself a good-looking Irishman. Speaking of an Irishman, I hope it was safe leaving her at the pub with Conor.”
Shane laughed. “I’d be more worried about Conor. He may be a big man, but he’s a teddy bear at heart. I hope Mel didn’t abuse him too badly.” He leaned down and kissed me. “Since castles fascinate you, what do you think about staying in one tonight?”
“Are you serious? A real castle with turrets, hidden stairwells, and grand halls?”
“Yes, like that. There’s one forty-five minutes or so away from here that dates back to the twelfth century. I can reserve a room for tonight if you want.”
“Oh my God. Yes. I would love it.” I frowned. “What about Mel?”
“It’s up to her. She can stay here, or she can come with us.”
“Okay. We can ask Mel when we see her at breakfast. In the meantime, I see a gorgeous chest that I’m dying to snuggle against.” I laid my head in the crook of his neck and pulled the covers over my shoulder. I wanted to stay in his arms like this forever.
CHAPTER 10
PRINCESS FOR A NIGHT
Shane and I went downstairs to meet up with Mel. Besides being hungry and wanting breakfast, we needed to find out if she wanted to stay at the castle with us this evening. Sunlight streamed through the wall of windows facing the patio when Shane and I entered the hotel’s dining room. Spotting Mel at a table for four next to the glass door, we joined her.
“Good morning. It looks like you’ve finished breakfast. How was it?” My voice was cheery as I eyed Mel’s empty plate.
“It was good, and you almost missed it. The kitchen is about ready to stop serving breakfast.” Mel looked me over and then grinned, appearing amused. “You’re usually an early riser. Something must have kept you in bed.” She snickered and glanced over at Shane. “Good morning, Shane. Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Thank you.” The corner of Shane’s mouth twitched as he got up from the table and pushed his chair forward. “I’m starving. I’m going to the buffet to see what’s left and make myself a plate.”
“I’m hungry too. I’ll be right behind you.” I slid my chair back and looked at Mel. “Try to behave.”
“I can’t help it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you this way, and I’m enjoying it.”
“Then try to keep it to yourself.” I raised a brow at Mel and then hurried off to get breakfast. After filling my plate with scrambled eggs, sausage links, and several slices of melon, I left Shane at the buffet and went back to join Mel.
She leaned back in her chair, lightly tapping her fingers on the table. “Well, are you going to ask me how it went with Conor last night or not?”
“I was about to do that. So, go ahead and tell me.”
“Nothing happened. We had a wonderful time at the pub, and Conor walked me back to the hotel. I had hoped he’d suggest going to my room or at least try to kiss me. But he didn’t do anything, which was pretty frustrating. I thought he didn’t like me until he offered to give me a tour of his distillery and show me around town. Now I’m confused.”
“It sounds like he’s a nice guy. Rather than worry whether he likes you, why don’t you just enjoy his company? Sleeping with you isn’t the only way to show it.”
“Fine. I’ll see what happens. Conor’s supposed to call me later this morning.”
“Did you ask Mel about tonight?” Shane set his plate down and joined us.
“No, but I’ll ask her now. Shane’s taking me to stay in a castle for the night that dates back to the medieval period. Did you want to stay here or come with us?”
“I’ll stay here in Kilkenny since I have plans with Conor later today.”
“It sounds like you two hit it off.” Shane took a bite of his eggs and grabbed the blackberry jam.
“We did. Conor’s naive but sweet. He’s like a big teddy bear.”
“I told you.” Shane nudged my arm, a small chuckle escaping him.
“He told you what?” Mel stared at me, a defiant look on her face.
“Shane mentioned that Conor was a big teddy bear at heart. It’s just cute you said the same thing. We hoped you didn’t abuse him last night.”
“I haven’t yet.” Mel flashed the two of us a mischievous grin, so well done it would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame.
“Since Mel’s decided to stay here tonight, I’m going outside to call the hotel and make a reservation for the two of us.” Shane finished off his sausage links and got up from the table. He went out the glass door to the patio.
Mel looked out the window at Shane. “I can’t believe he’s taking you to stay in a castle. Lucky you. I knew he was a keeper.”
“Oh, he’s a keeper all right. I didn’t think I could ever fall in love with someone like this again, but I was wrong. When I saw him out on the patio last night, it hit me how much he means to me and how much I missed him. I think he’s my Irish blessing.”
“Oh, geez. Now you sound mushy. But I’m happy for you. I swear you’re glowing this morning like you used to do when Alex was here. So, do you think he feels the same way about you?”
“I don’t know.” I brushed pretend crumbs off the table and looked at Mel. “I hope so. Honestly, I care for him so much; I’m ready for a commitment. I can see spending my life with Shane. God, I don’t dare tell him that, though. I don’t want to scare him off.” I looked down at my lap, my face feeling warm. “He makes me want to melt every time he says, ‘come here,’ in his Irish accent and pulls me close.”
“It’s because you know what’s coming next, and based on the way you’re blushing, I’d say it must be pretty damn good.” Mel chuckled, appearing to enjoy teasing me.
“I was able to get a reservation.” Shane pulled out his chair and sat at the table. “The hotel had one room left in the castle, but only because they’d just had a cancellation. So, I booked us in one of their two suites.”
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to go.” I eagerly squirmed in my chair, hoping we could leave right away.
“I’m sure you’ll like it. The hotel has quite the history surrounding it.” Shane leaned over and kissed me.
“Dang. Will you two stop? I swear you can’t keep your hands or lips off each other.” Mel poured herself some coffee from the decanter on our table. “Liz, wouldn’t that be weird if this castle had something to do with your dream and you could figure out who your groom is?” She made a face at Shane. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“It’s all right. Liz told me about her dream. I suppose it would be nice to know who my competition is.”
“You don’t happen to have a tattoo of an elf, do you?” Mel peered suspiciously at Shane.
“An elf? No, why?”
“I already looked. Shane has a tattoo in the same spot as the groom in my dream, but his tattoo isn’t an elf. It’s a Celtic cross.” I turned toward Shane. “Can you show Mel your tattoo? Shane, why does your face look so funny? What’s going on?”
Shane stared at me, his gaze intense. “Could the tattoo be a leprechaun rather than an elf?”
“Maybe. But the pointy ears and long white hair make it look more like an elf.” I shifted in my chair and stared at him, uncomfortable with his sudden ashen color. “Why are you asking?”
“Christ.” Shane leaned back in his seat and ran a hand through his hair. He stared across the dining room. After a minute, he turned toward me—an odd expression on his face. “My original tattoo was a leprechaun. I got it when I was a teenager, and the tattoo artist did a poor job on it. He put pointy ears and long white hair on the leprechaun, making it look like an elf. I hated it. It’s expensive to remove a tattoo, and some procedures don’t always work that well. So, I got the Celtic cross to cover it up.” Shane rolled up his shirtsleeve and turned his arm over, displaying the tattoo on the inside of his wrist and forearm. The cross was much bigger than the tattoo in my dream and done in gray, black, and dark green.
“Holy shit. There’s been something between you two since before you even met.” Mel was wide-eyed as she stared at the tattoo.
“It seems you’ve been my destiny all along,” I said, my voice breaking as I spoke.
“Come here,” Shane whispered as he moved my chair closer to his. He pulled me against his chest and kissed the top of my head, holding me as we sat at the table.
Mel leaned back in her chair, studying the two of us. “I have to say, if there’s such a thing as destiny, you two are the poster children for it.”
“Maybe so.” Shane looked down at me. “Mo ghra, are you all right?”
“I don’t know.” I pulled away from him and smoothed a wrinkle in my pants. “It’s all so strange. When I sat next to you at dinner our first night in Providenciales, I sensed a familiarity between us that I couldn’t explain. Now I understand why.”
“I sensed something between us too, but I could never put my finger on it.”
Mel cleared her throat. “Well, I, for one, think this is exciting. The two of you should embrace it and consider yourselves meant for each other.”
I turned to say something to Mel and spied Conor walking toward us. “Umm, Mel. You have company.”
Mel turned around in her chair, her face suddenly beaming.
Conor stopped at our table and smiled down at her. “Good morning, Mel. I was hoping to find you.” He turned his attention to Shane and me. “Shane. Liz. How’s she cutting?”
“Good morning, Conor. It’s nice to see you.” I smiled at him, amused at his sudden appearance and apparent eagerness to see Mel.
“We’re good. You?” Shane stood and shook Conor’s hand. Then he retook his seat.
“I’m grand. I was at the bank down the street and thought I’d stop by. Caitlin told me the three of you were in here.” He turned back to Mel. “I’ve been up to ninety since early this morning, but I’ve got some extra time right now. Are you available to tour the distillery and let me show you around town?”
“I am.” Mel giggled and looked across the table at Shane and me. “It looks like I’m taking off. Liz, call me in the morning.”
“I will. You and Conor have fun.”
Shane turned to Conor. “We’ll catch you later. I’m whisking Liz away for the night.”
“Bang on. I’ll take care of Mel.” Conor looked down at her. “Ready to go?”
“Yep, I sure am.” Mel stood and grabbed her purse from the back of her chair. She smiled at me over her shoulder when they walked away.
“I have to take care of an errand before heading off to the castle. Do you mind going upstairs and packing? I’ll be back in about an hour, and we can leave after that,” Shane said.
“Sure. I can do that. What should I do with your toothbrush and stuff? Should I put them in your bag?”
“If you don’t mind, that would be great. I’ll be back soon.” Shane kissed me when we stood. Then he disappeared through the dining room doorway.
*
I surveyed the scenery as Shane drove to the castle. The villages we passed seemed so charming, and everything was so green. To call it beautiful was an understatement. Suddenly thinking about last night, I peered at Shane over my shoulder. “Caitlin told me you had come from her parents’ estate. Why weren’t you with your parents? Do they live farther away?”
Shane’s expression changed, and it took a full minute before he answered. “My parents died when I was ten years old. My uncle Colin and aunt Neasa, Caitlin’s parents, raised me. Caitlin and her brother, Niall, are more like my siblings than cousins.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Caitlin didn’t mention that you’d lost your parents. What happened?”
“They died in a train derailment. My parents had gone to Wales for a wedding. It was for my mother’s cousin. I was sick, so they left me with my aunt and uncle. After the wedding, my parents took the train to London to stay there for a few days before heading home. They were on the city’s outskirts when their high-speed passenger train collided with a freight train. My parents died in the crash.”
“That’s so horrible. I’m sorry.” I peeked at Shane over my shoulder. I couldn’t miss the sadness on his face, and his mood seemed suddenly pensive. “Was your mother from Wales?”
“She was. My father met her when he visited a friend there when he was a young man. He always said it was love at first sight. My mother was an only child but had many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Most of her family is in Wales. I have a fairly large family on my father’s side here in Ireland. My uncle Colin is my father’s older brother. There are two younger sisters. One is in Northern Ireland, and the other is in Dingle. I have cousins spread out all over the place. What about your family? Tell me about them?”
“There isn’t much to say. My parents married when they were older. My mom was forty, and my father was forty-six. They had me a year later, and I was their only child. My mother died of breast cancer when I was twelve, and my father died from a heart attack eight years ago. We lost my mother’s parents when I was a toddler and never saw my father’s parents since there was friction between them and him. So I grew up with no family around me. I had a pretty lonely childhood. After my mom died, my dad was so grief-stricken he left me on my own. I lived with Mel for the most part until I got together with Alex.”
“I guess the two of us know the pain of losing one’s parents. At least I have a big family. It must have been rough for you.”
“It was. My teenage years were tough, and they got worse and worse. Alex pulled me out of the abyss and got me feeling whole again. I’m used to being by myself, but I’ve never really liked it. When I was a little kid, I remember how jealous I used to get because all my friends had siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, and I had none.”
“You have me.” Shane smiled and reached for my hand. He held it as we drove.
“How far away from the castle are we?” I scanned the side of the road, looking for a sign.
“We’re coming up to the turnoff. See the cottage and the gate up ahead on our left? That’s where we turn.”
I strained forward, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of the castle, but I couldn’t see beyond the line of trees framing the road. I wiggled in my seat, a burst of excitement hitting me when we turned onto the castle property and drove down a private lane lined with rail fencing.
“The clubhouse and rental lodges are ahead of us on the right. We’ll veer to the left as soon as we pass them, and then you’ll see the castle through the trees,” Shane said.
“Have you stayed here before? You know the layout of the property fairly well.”
“No, I’ve never stayed here. I attended a wedding here years ago. It’s a beautiful place.”
“I’m sure it is, and you’re making me feel like a spoiled princess right now.” I eagerly scanned our surroundings, bubbling over with anticipation when we reached the clubhouse. Then I saw it—a picture-postcard vision in all its glory. I held my breath, completely mesmerized by the view in front of us. The castle stood majestically between the trees. It was a weathered stone structure, four stories tall, with turrets crowning its top. I slowly let out my breath. “I don’t know what to say. It’s so beautiful.”
“You don’t have to say a thing. I just want you to enjoy it. Being with you makes my life feel complete, and I’ve never been happier. I love you, mo ghra.”
“I love you too.” I squeezed Shane’s hand. I had always thought a love like what I’d shared with Alex only happened once in a lifetime if you were even fortunate enough to have that experience at all. Shane proved my theory wrong.
Shane drove through a stone archway into a small lot and parked the car near the hotel’s entrance. I sat there as my eyes roamed across the structure. Tall, narrow windows climbed up its side, and a cross-shaped slit was in the wall above the door. Archers would have used the opening centuries ago, shooting their arrows through the slit while protected by the stone.
“Are you ready to go inside?” Shane had opened my door and stood there with his hand extended, waiting to assist me from the car. He beamed at me, his dimples an adorable sight.
I stepped from the car, turning in place as I scanned the grounds. A stone staircase was off to my right, leading to an area hidden from view. Strangely drawn to it, I slowly walked toward the stairs, a sense of déjà vu growing with each forward step. I reached them, my head spinning as I looked out over a garden, its red rose bushes and green hedges a familiar sight. I grabbed the stone pillar next to me to keep from falling. Recovering, I bolted down the stairs, Shane calling my name as he ran after me. I dropped to my knees in the grass.
“What are you doing, and why did you take off like that?” Shane bent over me, catching his breath. Worry lines wrinkled his forehead, and he sounded alarmed.
“My dream,” I whispered, a chill sweeping over me.
