Merchants with Evil Intent (30 page)

      
“Now see here, Corrigan, the gel came
with me,” Tristan glared, reaching for the bag.

      
Camryn placed herself between them.
“Actually, I came
in
with you, which
is quite different than
arriving
with
you, Tristan.”

      
“But…” Tristan stammered.

      
“I’ve enjoyed spending time with you,”
she said gently, trying to take away some of the sting. Tristan shot Declan a
sneer. She continued, “But Declan is the reason I’m here.”

      
“I see. Well, again, I’ve lost another
beauty to you Corrigan. I hope she doesna end up like Teaghan did as well,”
Tristan spat as he pushed past Declan and stormed out of the pub.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camille woke from a steamy dream. Snoops
curled around her head, purring softly.

      
She tossed and turned, pondering her
dream. She wasn’t a loose woman, but damn. Joe Butler got her juices flowing.
These feelings weren’t normal for her. Usually she waited a few months before
diving into bed with a guy.

      
Even though it was late she called her
best friend, Geoff.

      
“Hey girl, I hope it’s important,” Geoff
mumbled, half asleep.

      
“It is! I had a sex dream about Joe!”
Camille whispered.

      
“Go on…”

      
She relayed the dream to him in hushed
tones. No tellin’ how thin the apartment walls are.

      
“Well, that sounds yum-i-cle!” Geoff
sighed. “Do you think he’s as hot naked in real life?”

      
Camille rolled her eyes at the phone.
“Seriously Geoff?
What should I do? Why did I dream that?”

      
Geoff laughed, “Well, duh, you want him!
Go for it, girl! Quit wasting time!”

      
“But…”

      
“But nothing!
You’re a woman with needs and desires. Clearly he feels something for you,
right?”

      
She shrugged, “I guess.”

      
Geoff sighed, “Of course he does, silly.
Don’t think this to death.”

      
She grinned. “Okay, I’ll make a move and
see how he responds. Hey, thanks for listening to me. Sorry to have wakened
you.”

      
“That’s what best friends do. Good luck
and I want the gories, later!”

      
Camille hung up with a sly grin on her
face as she bit her thumb nail.

*
     
*
     
*

      
He lay on his bed unable to fall asleep.
It’d been a night riddled with dreams of her. A soft click came from his
bedroom door. He sat up, peering through the darkness.

      
His eyes adjusted as she walked towards
him. She wore a grin and not much else. Her auburn hair hid her breasts. Her
skin glowed in the pale light, causing little Joe to spring to attention.

      
She pulled the covers back and crawled
into bed with him, pushing him against the mattress as she wrapped her leg over
him. Her lips and tongue teased his collarbone and neck.

      
Joe quickly rolled so that he was over
her. Her silky hair pooled in his hands as he straddled her. His tongue teased
her lips until she grabbed him firmly by the back of the neck and pulled him
closer.

      
“Make love to me,” she whispered.

      
He parted her legs with his knee and
entered her slowly, wanting to prolong the pleasure.

      
She felt so good inside; warm, wet and
just right.

      
He couldn’t hold back any longer and
thrust harder, faster, bringing them both to a quick release.

      
He rolled over, alone, his briefs wet
with goo.

      
“Fuck!” he growled.

      
He hadn’t had a wet dream since high
school.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Declan took Camryn’s hand, weaving
through the patrons towards his office. When they entered Ian was on the phone and
waved at her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked between the two men. He
looked like Declan’s twin.

      
Then her eyes narrowed when she saw a
picture of herself on a bulletin board over the desk.

      
“How did you get my picture?” she yelled.

      
“Easy, gel. ‘
Tis
okay. Here, have a seat, aye?” Declan replied, pulling her over to an empty
chair.

      
Ian hung up the phone and eyed Camryn
curiously. She glared in response. He cautiously extended his hand to her.
“E’en, Miss O’Mara. I’m Ian Corrigan, Declan’s brother.”

      
“Obviously,” she replied, smacking his
hand away.

      
Declan smiled at Ian and shrugged.

      
Ian cleared his throat and put his hand
into his jeans pocket.
“Right then.
I believe I’m
going to get Peter to pour us a few whiskeys, aye?” He hurriedly left the room,
closing the door harder than he meant. The gel unnerved him!

      
She pointed at her photo. “Explain.”

      
“Camryn,
it’s
no’ what you think,” he sighed, sitting across from her.

      
“So you’re
not
stalking me?”

      
He raised an eyebrow and pulled a sheet
of paper from a manila folder on his desk and shoved it in front of her. “He’s
the stalker, no’ me.”

      
She gasped at Viktor’s photo. “How do you
know about him?”

      
Declan sat back in the chair, folding his
arms across his chest, extending his long legs out. “Ian works for the Garda.
He was sent to locate you, to keep you safe.”

      
Camryn’s posture relaxed. She tucked her
hair behind her ears; it was a nervous habit she couldn’t break. “It’s not that
serious. How the hell did John manage to manipulate the Irish authorities?
Cripes, this is a nightmare!”

      
Declan rolled his chair to her and took
her hands. “Gel, he is wanted by the FBI for his role in human trafficking.
It’s believed you were to be his next victim. So, aye, it
is
serious.”

      
Her cheeks reddened. “So you know why
he’s after me then?”

      
He shrugged, “You’re a beautiful gel and
would probably bring a lot of money to the slimes.”

      
She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly
very dry. Where the hell was Ian with that whiskey?

      
“Camryn?
Is
there something more to this story?”

      
Her eyes couldn’t meet his. “They wanted
me because I’m a virgin.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Joe quickly showered. Still scowling from
the dream he exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

      
He ran into Camille.

      
“Whoops. Sorry, I didn’t see you there,”
he said huskily.

      
Drops of water dotted his shoulders and
glistened in his chest hairs. She licked her lips. Damn, the guy had a helluva
body!

      
With an amused expression he eyed her, much
in the same manner she did with him. She wore a short, thin, silky white robe.
He wondered what she wore under it and mentally berated himself for having
those thoughts. Especially when little Joe started to awaken.

      
She hesitated when he moved to get around
her, but she spotted the brown towel rising at his mid-section.

      
When he tried to get past her she touched
the side of the towel, causing it to fall from his hips.

      
Well,
this is a problem
, Joe thought as he stood in the hallway, bare-assed. He
couldn’t turn around to retrieve the towel. Little Joe was at full attention.
Nor could he bend over to retrieve it, exposing
everything
. He shook his head and snorted at his predicament. She
came up behind him and brought her hands to his chest.

      
She breathed him in. It was the soapy
scent she had grown to love. She slowly ran her tongue and lips over his back.
When he didn’t push her away, her kisses moved towards his hips.

      
Her lips felt like heaven against his
skin. He never had a woman kiss his backside. It was the most sensual
experience he ever had. His knees buckled and he steadied himself against the
wall, biting his lip.

      
Camille smiled as she playfully teased
his inner thighs with her tongue. She gently pushed his legs apart for better
access to his private parts, causing him to moan softly.

      
She licked and nibbled working her way
around until she faced him. She slowly looked up at him. His eyes smoldered
with fire.

      
He pulled her up and wrapped her arms
around his neck. He took her backside into his hands and lifted her. “Wrap your
legs around me,” he rasped.

      
His lips hungrily found hers. With ragged
breaths he tore his lips from hers. “Are you sure about this?” he panted.

      
She grinned and ran her tongue over his
lips.
“Oh yeah.”

      
He kissed her while carrying her to his
bedroom, kicking the door closed.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Jaysus!
A virgin!
She didna kiss like a virgin. He ran his hands through his hair.

      
“Declan?”

      
“Aye?”

      
“You’re mouth is hanging open,” she
teased.

      
He sat up in his chair and closed his mouth.

      
Ian pounded on the door. “Can I come in?”

      
Simultaneously Camryn and Declan both
shouted. “Yes!” Except Declan said “Aye!”

      
“Am I interrupting?” Ian asked as he
carried in three glasses and a bottle.

      
Camryn jumped up to help him, “Just an
awkward moment.”

      
Ian shot Declan a sideways glance. “Well
then, let’s have a drink.
Nothing awkward aboot that, aye?”
Ian half-laughed.

      
Camryn received the first glass and
chugged it, very un-lady like. Declan followed suit and held out his glass for
more before Ian had a chance to drink his.

      
He raised his eyebrows to Declan as he
impatiently wiggled his glass.

      
He filled Declan’s glass and was going to
put the bottle down when Camryn wiggled her glass. He sighed and poured a long
measure into her glass as well. He must’ve missed something really good.

      
Camryn sat her empty glass on the desk
and removed her sweater. It was hotter than hell in the small room and she
didn’t know if the whiskey caused the temperature rise or Declan’s smoldering
eyes.

      
Ian’s eyes widened when Camryn turned.
She wore a skimpy tank top. And what’s that? No bra? He caught Declan glowering
at him and averted his eyes.

      
Declan walked to the chair and picked up
her sweater. “You’ll catch cold runnin’ around half-naked,” he scolded as he tried
to put it on her.

      
“It’s hot in here,” she replied in
protest.

      
“We’ll step outside for a bit then, aye?”

      
“Fine,” she agreed, throwing the sweater
over her shoulders.

      
The smell of peat and ocean greeted them
immediately. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself. Declan
pulled the door closed, watching her movements. Things were different now
between them. Because of those three words. He sighed wistfully.

      
She felt a subtle change in Declan’s
demeanor after she told him she was a virgin.

      
Declan stood near the statue of Eoghan,
his fists jammed into his pockets. He didna know what to say. He couldna take
her into his arms and kiss her the way he had in Chicago.