Straight Up Read online

  “I suppose.” She hesitated, then kissed his cheek. “Thank you for letting me soak your shirt with my pathetic tears.”

  “My pleasure.” Liam ran his index finger softly down her cheek. “I'd like more than a chaste kiss on the cheek, please.” Liam -"

  He took what he wanted, and she let him. The kiss was sweet at first, but it quickly turned into something dark and thrilling as Liam crushed her to him. Aislinn felt a blast of heat and longing rock her body. It had been so long, so long. She was frightened but eager. Let it happen, she told herself as her body burned. Let go.

  Her mind was reeling as vibrant colors swirled behind her eyes, and the feeling of being fully and gloriously alive came back to her. It was something she'd been certain she'd never feel again.

  The kiss kept on, dizzying and sublime. Liam gently took her by the shoulders and laid her down on the blanket, stretching out beside her. Aislinn could see the desire in his eyes as they resumed their fevered kissing. A low moan came from her throat, and for a split second, she was embarrassed. But the longer Liam kissed her, the more she sensed his abandon, and the less inhibited she herself became. She could feel him melting against her, moonbeams kissing her skin as one of his hands slid down to cup her breast. The conflagration inside her was building. And yet

  Aislinn gently removed his hand and sat up, trying to steady her breathing as she cleared her mind. Liam sat up, too, his expression dazed yet distressed.

  “Did I do something wrong, Aislinn?”

  “No, no, of course not. It's me. I'm just - I'm not ready to go there yet. I want to, but I can't.”

  “It's okay.”

  “Is it? I would hate for you to think I'm just toying with you.”

  Pain flickered across Liam's face. “I would never think that.”

  “Or that I'm frigid. I'm not. I'm just gun-shy.”

  Liam cupped her chin in his hand. “We can take this as fast or slow as you want.”

  “And what would 'this' be?”

  “You know what.”

  “Yes, I suppose I do.” Aislinn blew out a breath of relief. “Thank you.” He's a good man, she thought. A wiseass, an egomaniac, a pushy Yank, but still and all, a good man. She told him so.

  Liam feigned being wounded. “Is that the best you can come up with?”

  “You're a good kisser, too: I'll give you that.”

  Liam grinned cockily. “The best.”

  “I'm not sure if that's true.”

  “Have you had better?”

  Aislinn chuckled. "No, come to think of it.

  She was glad the heavy part of the conversation seemed to be done for now. “I suppose I have to have dinner with you next week.” “I suppose so.”

  She took his hand, nervously trailing an index finger back and forth across his knuckles. “I'd still prefer we keep this to ourselves for now.”

  Liam looked unhappy. “Sure”

  Aislinn tensed. In the space of a second, she felt like the mood had changed from one of good-natured ribbing to one of discomfort. He was changing his mind about them already. She put her heart in lockdown mode.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No,” Liam hastily assured her. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I just realized I'm tired, too.”

  Aislinn relaxed. “I'll bet. Watching a woman change a tire can really take it out of a man.”

  “Wiseass,” Liam said affectionately. He rose, extending a hand to her, and together they walked to Old Jack's car.

  “You have a cell phone, I hope, so you can call me if this old rattletrap doesn't get you back to town and I have to rescue you?” Aislinn asked.

  “Of course.” He put his arms around her. "Thank you for a great night.

  Aislinn swallowed. “Yes. I had a good time, too.”

  Liam kissed her softly and got into the car.

  “See you next week.”

  “Maybe,” Aislinn said coolly.

  Liam chuckled. “I'll pick you up at the same time next Wednesday.”

  He waved, and then he was off. Aislinn watched his car snake down the winding road, until finally his tail-lights disappeared. She turned and walked back toward the house. She knew she'd set something in motion, and it both frightened and exhilarated her. Still, she was willing to see where it led.

  Straight Up

  Chapter Nine

  ************************************************************************************************

  He couldn't go through with the bet. No way. That's all Liam could think as he slowly drove back to Ballycraig. When Aislinn said she didn't trust him, he found it hard to look her in the eye. This was a real person with real feelings: a real person for whom he had feelings - which complicated things immensely. His plan had been to hop on the next plane the minute he heard from Quinn that it was safe for him to go back to New York. Hell, that had been part of the reason he'd gone for the bet: not only was he confident of his skills with women, but if he won and Jack had to double his wages, he'd return home with a nice chunk of change

  Kissing Aislinn had been magical. He'd always laughed at people who said things like that, but it was the only way to describe it. It wasn't just the need and vulnerability she displayed: it was the feeling that there was a tightly coiled passion deep within her that was ready to explode. He wanted to be the one to unleash it

  He parked Jack's car behind the Royal Oak, avoiding the pub as he went directly upstairs to his apartment. He knew that the minute the clock struck twelve thirty, Jack would be knocking on his door. He was right

  “Come in,” Liam called wearily. Jack looked anxious as he slipped inside

  "What happened with the McCafferty? You're back early.

  "That's because your piece of shit car got a flat. No way could we make it into Crosshaven on that spare - speaking of which, you might want to get a real spare to stash in the trunk.

  “Yes, right, sure,” said Jack impatiently. "So you never got to wine and dine her. What did you do instead?

  "Had sandwiches at her house.

  “Oh, that's dead romantic,” Jack said dryly, but he looked pleased. "Not making much progress, are you, boyo?

  "Actually. I am.

  "Eatin' sandwiches? I don't know how things work in New York, but let me assure you, here in Ireland we'd file that under Pathetic.

  Liam took a deep breath, then blew it out. "I want to call off the bet.

  Jack thrust his head forward. "What?

  “I want to call off the bet,” Liam repeated. "The more I think about it, the more I realize it's a cruel thing to do.

  "Don't hand me a line of cow shite, son. I know what's really going on here.

  Liam was baffled. "I don't understand.

  "You're losing, so you want to call it off.

  "You're wrong.

  “I'm right,” Jack insisted, thrusting his chin out. "You can't bear the thought of Fergus, David, and Teague crowing about how Mr. Big Shot Yank failed, and it's beginning to dawn on you that not getting paid for a year will mean you'll have to move in with your relatives, and it'll leave you with no pocket money to boot.

  Liam scrubbed his hands over his face. "Jesus. You're not getting this, are you? It's about compassion. It's about not being cruel. I didn't think through what would happen when I'd won the bet, how she'd feel being used that way. Hasn't she had to deal with enough humiliation?

  “Oh, I see how it is. You're losing, so all of a sudden you grow a conscience,” Jack scoffed. “Convenient, that is.”

  Liam shrugged diffidently. “You believe what you want to believe.”

  “You're a coward.”

  Now it was Liam's turn for incredulity. “What the hell did you just say?”

  “You're a coward. Only a coward reneges on a wager.”

  Liam gritted his teeth. He was a lot of things, but a coward wasn't one of them. “Call me that again and -”

  “What? What?” Jack goaded. “Hit an old man?”

  Liam t
ook a deep breath, trying to control his temper. It had been a long time since someone had pushed his buttons like this, and he could feel the old rage and darkness churning inside him.

  “Well?”

  “Fine, the bet's still on,” Liam snapped. “You're a fool, Jack. I just gave you a chance to save yourself a lot of money, and you turned it down.”

  “Perhaps. But as I said, only a coward reneges on a wager. And besides, I'm still confident you're going to be the one eating crow, not me. Night, now.”

  He winked and turned, closing the door to Liam's apartment behind him.

  Shit, thought Liam. For someone who claimed to be confident, all it had taken was an old fool calling him a coward for him to feel a challenge to his masculinity, and barn! The bet was back on.

  He stretched out on his bed, racking his brains about how he might be able to make this work. Finally it came to him: he'd continue seeing Aislinn, and one night, when the romance between them was firmly established, they'd come in to the pub together; Old Jack and the three assholes would have to concede he'd won the bet. But then, he'd simply keep on seeing her. It was so simple, he laughed out loud.

  He turned out the light, smiling to himself.

  Straight Up

  Chapter Ten

  ************************************************************************************************

  "Did you and Liam enjoy your sandwiches?

  Aislinn tried not to frown at unexpectedly being confronted by Nora as she went into the kitchen to fetch the vacuum flasks of tea she'd forgotten for herself and Padraig that morning. If forgetting such a crucial part of their morning ritual wasn't testament to what a pleasant muddle her head was in, she didn't know what was

  “I'm surprised you're up,” said Aislinn

  Nora, drinking her own tea, fiddled distractedly with her teaspoon. "I couldn't sleep.

  "Something troubling you?

  “This and that,” Nora said vaguely

  “You sure everything is okay between you and Donald?” Aislinn was genuinely concerned. The last thing she wanted was for Nora to also have a man shred her heart to bits

  “We're fine,” Nora assured her with a faint smile. "Though I do miss him.

  "He's coming next week, is he not? And there's nothing stopping you going back home to London.

  “True.” Her eyes tracked Aislinn as she walked across to the cupboard to get some biscuits to bring to Padraig. "I'm sorry I'm getting on your nerves.

  “You're not,” Aislinn lied

  Nora just laughed

  Aislinn turned around. “Okay, you are,” she confessed

  Nora looked slightly wounded. "What on earth am I doing?

  Aislinn furrowed her brow. "Well, you leave wet towels on the bathroom floor, for one, and you never remember to turn the lights out, and you put things in the wrong place in the cupboard ... I guess it's just that I have my own ways. I feel like you've invaded my space, do you know what I mean?

  “It's not just your space,” Nora pointed out. "They left the farm to both of us, you know.

  Aislinn was taken aback. “Yes, and you've spent so much time here over the years because you love it here so much,” she shot back. She put a box of biscuits in her pocket. "This is my home, Nora. It's where I've made my life. Yes, it's half yours. But that doesn't mean you can waltz in here and start giving me love advice and your opinion on Padraig and all the rest of it.

  Nora gave a frustrated sigh. “I was just trying to connect with you, Aislinn. I worry about you being so isolated.” She smiled slyly. "That's why I think it's great you're seeing Liam O'Brien.

  "We're not seeing each other.

  "Right. Did he kiss you?

  Aislinn blushed against her will

  “He did!” Nora looked delighted. “Was it good?”

  “Very good,” Aislinn admitted. She glanced up at the clock above the sink. Padraig could wait a moment or two. She wished she and Nora had been this close growing up.

  Are you seeing him again?

  “We're going to go into Crosshaven on Wednesday for dinner the way we'd originally planned.”

  “I can help you get ready,” Nora said excitedly. “Do your makeup, like I did before the dance. Lend you some clothes.”

  “We're just going to a seafood place. Nora. And I know how to do my own makeup.”

  “Then why weren't you wearing any last night?”

  “Because I wasn't in the mood,” Aislinn said grouchily. “He's seen me with and without, and it doesn't seem to make any difference to him. I think he likes me natural. And that's how I like myself. That's the way I'm most comfortable.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  “I will.” Aislinn slid into the chair next to her sister. “Come on, tell me: what 'things' are eating at you?”

  “It's this article,” Nora confessed. “I wonder if I chose the right career.” hate that you have to 'publish or perish' in academia if you want to get tenure. Sometimes I wonder if I chose the right career.”

  Aislinn was surprised. “I thought you liked teaching.”

  “I do, but I hate the interdepartmental politics; people stab each other in the back a lot. And the dean of my department is a dinosaur! He really thinks women are somewhat inferior to men in the classroom. Sometimes I envy you. You don't have to answer to anyone. I'd love to be my own boss.”

  Aislinn was shocked to hear this. “I still have pressures on me, you know.”

  “I know, but it's different, isn't it? You have so much more control over your life than I do.”

  “I guess I never thought of it that way.” She looked at Nora sympathetically. “Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?”

  No, I'm all right. Really. I've gone out to walk the pastures a few times. It helps clear my head. I never realized how much land there was!

  “Aye, about thirty acres.”

  “That's a lot.” She paused. “And it's really not too much for you and Padraig to handle?”

  Aislinn rolled her eyes. “Jesus God, we're fine.”

  “Are you?” She touched Aislinn's hand. “Ever think you might need some kind of sabbatical of your own? Take a holiday?”

  “Me? You must be joking. I don't have time for a holiday. The farm can't run itself, you know.”

  “You and Connor planned to go on a honeymoon, didn't you? Obviously you thought the farm would run fine without you.”

  “That was because da was still here with Padraig, so there were two of them,” said Aislinn, starting to feel defensive. “If I were to go on holiday - which I have no desire to do, by the way - that would leave Padraig all alone. It would be too much for him.”

  “Couldn't you hire a temporary hand to help him?”

  Aislinn eyed Nora suspiciously. “Why are you so eager for me to take a holiday?”

  "I'm not eager for you to do anything. I just worry about you not taking any time for yourself.

  “Listen to us: the worry sisters,” Aislinn noted with amusement. “Here's the thing: I love what I do, Nora; I've no yen to take a break from it. Besides, what would I do, go on holiday alone? That'd be loads of fun.”

  “You could go with -”

  Aislinn held up a hand to silence her. “Best not go there if you know what's good for you.”

  “Just a thought.”

  “Besides, he's only just gotten here,” Aislinn continued, more to herself than to her sister. “It's doubtful Old Jack would let him go gallivanting off so soon into his working at the pub.”

  Nora narrowed her eyes. “Ah, so the thought of going away with him does appeal to you.”

  “Maybe,” Aislinn said cagily. “Maybe not.” She changed the subject. “Will we need to go pick Donald up in Cork City?”

  “No, he's renting a car and driving up.”

  “That's good.” Aislinn was glad. She hated when Donald criticized her truck,

  "He's really looking forward to coming. Talk about someone who's completely stressed! It do
esn't help that he hates what he does for a living.

  “He does?” Another surprise.

  “Oh yeah. Just did it to please his father. Of course, now he's in a 'golden handcuffs' situation: the money is just too good for him to walk away from, even though he sometimes talks about just packing it all in one day and disappearing.” Nora sighed. "Being here will do him a world of good. We can relax, take walks, go into Ballycraig. .

  Aislinn just nodded, completely baffled. The few times Nora and Donald had visited the farm, she'd never known them to take walks. Usually, they drove to Moneygall or took day trips down to Cork. In the evening, they'd go into Crosshaven. Nora had taken Donald into Ballycraig once when they'd first gotten together, and he had done nothing to hide how unimpressed he was. Aislinn couldn't forget his saying he'd blow his brains out if he had to live here. Thankfully, Donald hadn't said it in front of their father, who'd never warmed to his son-in-law. But the fact he'd said it at all pissed her off. What kind of an arse insulted someone to their face about where they lived? Donald really has to be stressed if he's coming here for four days, she thought. Maybe he just missed Nora.

  Aislinn stood, buttoning up her barn jacket. “Right. I'm off.”

  “Can I borrow your truck if you're not using it today?” Nora asked hesitantly. “I wanted to go into Moneygall and pick up a few more groceries.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “I'd like to cook dinner tonight, if that's okay.”

  “It's more than okay,” said Aislinn eagerly. She'd give Nora that: she was a great cook. “Just remember not to make anything too spicy, or Padraig will have none of it. It bothers his stomach.”

  Nora looked dismayed. “Right. Padraig.”

  “He's part of the family, Nora. I don't know why you don't like having him around.”

  "He's never liked me.

  “What? That's not true.”

  “Yes, it is! He's always thought I was a snob and needled me about it. He's the one who started calling me the Queen of Sheba, remember?”

  "It didn't help that you told anyone who would listen that you couldn't wait to get out of here as soon as you went to university. It was kind of insulting, Nora.