An Enchanted Spring: Mists of Fate - Book Two (12 page)

“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” a deep, lilting, Irish-accented voice behind her said. Emma let out a small scream and whirled around, and, for the umpteenth time that day, her heart nearly stopped.

The man before her was tall—taller than either Colin or Aidan—and all she saw at first were impossibly large arms, crossed over an equally large chest. Her eyes traveled up to a face that would stop traffic—a chiseled jaw, covered with a day’s worth of dark stubble; a small cleft in his chin; smooth lips; a strong, patrician nose. Hard planes, cheekbones to die for, almost jet-black hair, and eyelashes that should’ve been illegal on a man. They framed the most beautiful set of hazel eyes Emma had ever seen.

Her mouth dried.

“O’Malley,” Aidan said tensely.

“MacWilliam,” he replied jovially. He stepped off the stair and held out his hand to Emma. “Reilly O’Malley. Call me Ry.”

“Emma, uh…Emma…”

“Perkins,” Aidan growled between his teeth.

“Right. Perkins,” she echoed as Reilly brought her hand to his lips. “Are you another cousin?”

Reilly met Aidan’s eyes, and his smile widened. “Aye.”

Did all the gorgeous man genes in the world fall to your family, Aidan?
she wondered, slightly dazed.

“Probably not all of them,” Colin replied, not bothering to hide the smile in his voice.

Emma clapped her free hand over her mouth and felt the blush creep up her neck. “I didn’t say that aloud, did I?” she asked, horrified.

“Think nothing of it,” Reilly said easily, not letting go of her other hand. “The only one here whose head would get bigger is your friend Aidan’s, and he doesn’t seem to be paying any attention.”

“Emma, I’ll show you to your room,” Aidan spit out, taking her hand from Reilly’s and tucking it protectively into his arm. He shot Reilly a look and only glowered harder when Reilly laughed at him.

Emma didn’t say anything as they walked down the hall. She was more than humiliated and tried to rationalize her behavior.
I’ve been under a lot of stress. I was threatened today. I’m tired from a really long drive.

But she couldn’t really lie to herself. These three men—four, if she included Cian—had more testosterone in their pinky fingers than Ben did in his entire body, and it scrambled her wits. She sneaked a peek at Aidan, and she swallowed hard. Colin’s all-American good looks and Reilly’s sex appeal still paled in comparison to the dark, mysterious man walking next to her.

Good thing she worked for him. Getting involved in anything other than a professional relationship with a man like him would overwhelm her. She was sure of it.

Besides
, she reassured herself,
I would never involve myself with a client, so it’s a moot point.

“You’ll be sleeping here,” Aidan said gruffly as he opened one of the doors. “It has a lock. I suggest you use it.”

“Are your cousins a danger to me?”

He met her gaze. “They wouldn’t lay a hand on you.”

“Then why would I need the lock?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked directly at her. “To keep me from laying a hand on you.”

Emma must’ve looked as confused as she felt, because he closed his eyes again, muttered something incomprehensible, then, without warning, cupped her face and kissed her.

• • •

She smelled like sunshine and heather.

She tastes like home
, Aidan thought.

Emma’s lips parted in surprise, and Aidan took the opening, running his tongue along her bottom lip, invading her mouth, tangling her tongue with his. He deepened the kiss, drank in her sigh, and felt a flash of triumph as her body melted into his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, and his control nearly snapped. Without breaking the kiss, he backed her into the room and kicked the door shut behind them. He walked her backward to the bed and laid her down on it, pressing his own body into hers. Feeling her passion rise for him, he hungrily kissed her neck, her ear, the sensitive spot beneath her earlobe, and she moaned his name.

“This is a bad idea,” she whispered, even as she tightened her grip on him.

He eased from the kiss, unwillingly, and sat up, his breathing ragged.

“What was that for?” she whispered, her hand touching her lips.

So that every time you look at another man, you’ll remember that you’re mine.

“I don’t know,” he finally said. He stood. “Lock the door, Emma.”

He closed the door behind him and waited to hear the lock click. It didn’t matter that when he kissed her, he felt a whisper in his soul, telling him she was his forever. No. He should not have given in to his impulse. She was a woman in trouble, and he was a bastard for taking advantage of her vulnerability.

He snorted to himself. Vulnerable though she might be, she would probably never admit it out loud.

“You can’t claim every pretty girl who turns your head,” Reilly grumbled as Aidan flopped onto the couch in the front living room.

Colin, in one of the armchairs, put his booted feet up on the coffee table. He smirked. “I’m interested to know how you got her here. And so willingly, too.”

“Those new Docs?” Reilly asked, leaning in to admire the shoes. “They’re nice. Good quality.”

“Thanks. Got ’em on sale,” Colin replied, admiring them. “Normally I hate getting new shoes, but these were a great find. No need to break them in.”

“If you ladies are done comparing shopping notes?” Aidan cut in, annoyed.

“Looks like she’s got under his skin,” Reilly noted.

“Shove off.”

“Don’t see what’s got his knickers in a twist,” Reilly said to Colin, who shrugged, still admiring his new Doc Martens.

“I’ll go real slow so the dim-witted one here can keep up,” Aidan said with a roll of his eyes. “I got my sword back.”

Colin raised his eyebrows. “Nice. How much did that run you?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know. That’s not the important part.” He switched to Gaelic, in case Emma came downstairs, and quickly relayed her situation through to the threats in the coffee shop that morning.

Colin let out a whistle. “She’s in some serious trouble.”

“And you stepped in, the white knight, waving your sword,” Reilly stated.

“Sounds slightly dirty when you say it that way,” Colin snickered.

“By the saints, you arses, the lass needs my help!” Aidan nearly shouted, his knuckles white.

Colin sat up, dropping his feet, and even Reilly sat straighter.

“Holy hell,” Colin breathed. He looked at Reilly in shock. “He’s claimed her.”

“I’ve done nothing of the sort,” Aidan sputtered.

“My laird,” Cian said, descending the stairs. “With all due respect, ye’ve given the lass food, shelter, and clothing. All she owns now is MacWilliam colors, and she’s under your protection. Methinks it fair to say—”

“Don’t,” Aidan growled.

“Sorry, MacWilliam,” Reilly guffawed, “but it looks like you found your mate.”

Aidan stopped short of tackling Reilly as Emma came down the stairs.

She paused at the door. “About before—”

“No worries, lass,” Reilly said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Colin added.

Aidan just watched her, his fingers gently pulling his lips.

“Okay, well, thanks,” she said, clearly at a loss.

“Do you play cards?” Colin asked suddenly.

She cocked her head. “Depends on what you’re playing for.”

“Money and bragging rights,” Colin answered.

She looked thoughtful.

“They’ll wipe the floor with you,” Aidan warned.

She raised her eyebrows at him. “You playing?”

“You bet.”

“Deal me in,” she decided firmly.

“Have a seat, Emma Perkins,” Reilly laughed. “I think I like you.”

As she settled next to Reilly, Aidan began to worry that his teeth would grind themselves into powder before the night was through.

The next day, a loud crash greeted Emma at the bottom of the stairs. She paused and peeked around the corner.

Aidan was on the floor, wrestling with Reilly. Two grown men, wrestling as though they were children in a schoolyard fight.

Emma rather hoped Reilly would win their skirmish. Emma still wasn’t sure what to make of that kiss, and Aidan had scowled at her the entire night. It was so at odds with everything he’d done and said to her since they first met, and she wasn’t sure who she was angriest at—Aidan, for being such a jerk, or herself, for letting her guard down.

Either way, she made the firm decision that they were in a strictly professional relationship now.

Aside from the fact, of course, that she was staying in his cousin’s house, hiding from her crazy ex.

She had to figure out a way to free herself from Ben MacDermott.

Shaking her head, she carefully sidestepped the two men as they crashed into the back of the lovely leather couch. From what she could see as she skirted past, Aidan appeared to be bleeding from his lip, and Reilly was sporting a nasty bruise under his eye. They also seemed intent on beating each other to a pulp. Emma rolled her eyes.

She didn’t understand boys when she was younger, and things hadn’t gotten any clearer now that she was grown.

Emma felt much more comfortable after last night’s games, when she’d soundly trumped all of them at poker, Texas Hold ’Em, and even Go Fish. She’d had a good time, despite the remnants of whatever that kiss was between her and Aidan. Plus, Aidan didn’t even pretend to like Reilly, which made Reilly flirt all the more outrageously with her. It was interesting to watch.

Reilly’s head popped out from the living room. “Good morning, Em—oof!” He disappeared again.

She found Colin in the kitchen. He stared intently at a laptop, muttering to himself in Gaelic. She had a sudden thought that she might have landed in a house of lunatics.

Well
, she tried to rationalize,
that isn’t any different than my typical clientele, really.

“Good morning,” she said, sliding into the chair beside him.

“Morning, Emma. Sleep well?”

As well as I could, knowing that the man who kissed my socks off was sleeping only a door away
. “Yes, thanks.”

Another loud crash was heard from the living room, followed by what she was sure were curse words in Gaelic. Colin didn’t bat an eye as he added, “They don’t even try to get along. Haven’t for years.”

“I see,” she replied, her most charming smile in place. “Last night, you mentioned your matchmaking business, and I realized I signed up for it a few months back.” She grimaced. “I thought I was ready to jump back into dating, and I saw an article in the paper, so…Anyway, when did you take ownership?”

He cleared his throat. “About, um, eight years ago.”

“It’s done very well,” she replied. “Some of my clients used Celtic Connections. They did so with great success.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” Colin replied. Another crash. “Coffee?”

“Sure, thanks,” Emma said. Another thud, followed by grunts.

“Whenever you hop back on the dating circuit, let me know,” he offered, sliding her a steaming cup. “We have great matching profiles when you’re ready to settle down. Serious inquiries only.”

She took a sip and frowned thoughtfully. “Thanks. But I don’t think marriage is for me.” But even as she said the words aloud, her heart hurt. Ben would never allow her peace enough to date, let alone marry.

She also wasn’t fool enough to think that she could entrust her heart to anyone ever again.

“You’d make an excellent wife, I’m certain of it,” Reilly drawled, entering the kitchen with Aidan.

“Are you offering to make her one?” Aidan growled to Reilly.

Emma choked.

Reilly laughed at Aidan, who was wiping the blood from his lip. “Down, boy. Emma, excellent job at the cards last night. Beginner’s luck?”

“Perhaps,” she murmured, reaching for her coffee.

“Ah. A woman of many secrets. Well, that’s fine by me,” Reilly replied, helping himself to her coffee before she could get to it. At her protest, he flashed her a mischievous grin. “Ah, love, we’re all family here. We share everything.”

“Not everything,” Colin interjected mildly, watching Aidan attempt to reign in his temper.

“Aye,” Reilly agreed. “Not everything. But most things.”

“Do you always tease him?” she asked. Reilly just shrugged, and Colin laughed.

“One of the reasons they act like children is because they love each other so much,” Colin explained.

“Hardly,” Aidan growled.

“So how, exactly, are you related to each other?” Emma asked. “None of you look anything alike.”

Colin cleared his throat. “Our family tree has, um, many branches.”

“You all have different last names. That’s interesting. Are your mothers all sisters?” she asked.

“We’re more like second or third cousins,” Colin said carefully, and Emma’s BS radar went on full alert.

“Second
or
third?” she replied.

“Right. Many branches,” Colin reminded her.

“Right,” she echoed. She poured herself another cup of coffee, since Reilly was still drinking hers, as they swiftly changed subjects and began to (loudly) discuss the state of affairs in Ireland. Reilly, who owned a cottage near Dublin, was arguing with Aidan about the property taxes, and Colin just continued to stare at his laptop.

They were trying too hard. She’d seen it hundreds of times with clients; she wasn’t fooled. She wondered what the real story was—she’d only asked a simple question about their family history.

She caught Aidan’s eye and raised her eyebrow. He stood abruptly, cutting Reilly off midsentence. “Emma, come with me. I don’t want your sweet self tainted by any more time spent with O’Malley.”

“You wound me,” Reilly replied. “Is Cian around today?”

“No.” Aidan didn’t elaborate.

“Actually, I have some questions for Colin,” Emma cut in. “I’d like to know more about your matchmaking business. Did Aidan ever fill out a profile?”

Colin was clearly caught off-guard by the question. “Well—”

“Why is that important?” Aidan interrupted.

Emma took a sip of her coffee. “Because if I’m going to do my job successfully, I need to know what information about you is out there. Is his application still in your database?” she pressed Colin.