His Wicked Celtic Kiss (13 page)

Vinnie stood. “We're going to Baltimore today. I have a meeting with the O'Shaunesseys. We're leaving this minute.”

Shite.
Baltimore was over an hour's drive there and back. He couldn't leave Julie for so long. Today was her day off, so they had not called Veronica. Guess he had no choice now. Veronica would have to check in on her. “Aye, I just have to make a quick call and we'll be off.”

He whipped out his iPhone and punched in Veronica's number. He didn't leave the room. He quickly explained about the condition Julie was in, and could she check in on her as he would not be back until the early evening. Lorcan clicked off and stuffed his mobile in his leather jacket pocket.

“You really were with a sick friend,” Vinnie stated, mild surprise in his tone.

“Aye, I don't lie.”

Lorcan held out his arm and motioned for Vinnie to walk ahead of him. It was going to be a long afternoon.

• • •

Julie startled awake to the sound of a key rattling in a lock, then her front door's distinctive creaking as it swung open. A smile formed on her face. Lorcan.

“Julie?”

A frisson of disappointment washed over her. It wasn't him, but Ronnie.

“Down here, in the bedroom,” Julie called out weakly.

Ronnie walked in the room. “Oh, my God. Lorcan wasn't exaggerating. You're as red as a beet. You must be in pain! What can I do for you?” Her friend tore off her light jacket and hurried to Julie's side.

“More water,” she whispered.

“Lorcan said I'm to try and coax you to eat a little chicken broth and a few dry crackers or toast. Do you feel up to that?”

“He called you?” Julie asked.

“Yes, he had to go out of town for the day. He said he'll be back early tonight. He's been looking after you?”

Julie explained everything Lorcan had done for her in the last twenty-four hours. Veronica listened to the narrative, looking unsurprised. “Oh really,” she murmured knowingly. “How incredibly sweet and considerate of him.”

Julie sniffled. “I know. Most guys would've just left me here, not him. Oh, Ronnie … ”

“So, it seems there is more to Lorcan Byrne than just his astounding looks.”

Julie smiled. “Yes. There is. So much more.”

Veronica raised an eyebrow, but just said, “Come on. Let's follow Dr. Lorcan's instructions. You need food. I'll bring you a tray.”

She returned with one holding a plate of dry toast and a bowl of chicken broth. Julie gratefully took it and laid it between her legs as Ronnie sat at the foot of the bed.

“Eat up.” Ronnie encouraged. “I brought some dinner and pastries from the bakery with me. I put it in your kitchen for when you feel up to it and want something with actual flavor.”

“You are such a good friend. Wait, what about the bakery? Who's on duty if you're—”

Ronnie waved her hand dismissively. “Everything's being taken care of. Nick said he would lock up. Don't you worry about a thing.”

“Did the ginger spice cookies sell today?” Julie asked as she nibbled on the dry toast.

“They did! I think we should make it part of the daily offerings, what do you think?”

We? Ronnie was asking for her opinion? A flush of pleasure covered Julie's cheeks. “Yeah, definitely. I often wondered why you don't sell cakes.”

“I'm no good at it. Every time I've tried, they didn't raise enough or the tops developed giant craters a small animal could crawl through. I suck at decorating, too. Me and icing don't mix.” Ronnie said.

“Well ... ” Julie hesitated. “Umm. I can do cakes. Not like the fancy four-tier things on those baking reality shows, but I used to make nine-inch two layer cakes and sell them to the neighbors. My own recipes.” Her mouth twisted. “Unfortunately, I ate more than I sold and packed on more poundage. It was kind of the catalyst for me to lose weight. So I gave up baking.”

Ronnie arched an eyebrow and leaned forward with interest. “What flavor of cakes?”

“Lemon blueberry with a cream cheese frosting, strawberry marshmallow, and one of my bestsellers was a peanut butter cake with dark chocolate drizzled over the top. I can't decorate either, but I found most people enjoy a simple layer cake for any occasion. I also had a pumpkin cake that sold well over Thanksgiving ... ”

“Why didn't you tell me this when you applied for the job?”

Yeah, why didn't she? She had actually enjoyed creating the recipes and bringing the cakes to life. Julie had achieved a great deal of satisfaction at the praise she had received, and the repeat customers. “I guess a lack of confidence in my own abilities.”

“An honest answer. Good for you for admitting it,” Ronnie smiled. “Here's an idea I want you to think on. When you're feeling better, let's do a test run. We'll make one of each of those cakes you mentioned and see if they sell. We can charge twenty dollars each as an introductory price. If they prove to be popular, we can discuss making it a part of the daily offerings.” Her eyes widened as if another thought occurred to her. “It won't tempt you to eat, will it?”

Julie snickered. “You haven't found me face first in the display cases yet, so I think I can handle it.”

“Oh good. So, what do you say? And hey, if you can make cakes, you could do cupcakes as well, right?”

Excitement coursed through Julie, enough that she temporarily forgot her sunburn pain. Could she do this? Damn straight she could. “I say let's give it a go. All of it.”

Ronnie squealed and clapped her hands enthusiastically. A rush of excitement coursed through Julie as a slow, satisfied smile curved about her lips.
Awesome.
The thought of new responsibilities gave her a sense of accomplishment she had not felt in a long time. Not since she'd lost all the weight. For too long, Julie had wandered through life merely existing, laying low and not taking any risks. The time had come to move forward and take a chance.

Lorcan arrived back in town shortly before seven o'clock. He had swung by his flat and stuffed a change of clothes and toiletries into his gym bag. Climbing the stairs to Julie's place, he exhaled. He'd called on his way and Veronica said Julie had managed to eat a few crackers with chicken broth that afternoon, but was still in a great deal of pain and running a slight fever.

Lorcan wondered now if he should've taken her to the casualty or emergency, whatever they called it here. Severe sunstroke or heatstroke was nothing to mess with. Since the fever remained low grade and she hadn't slipped into any form of delirium, visiting a doctor hadn't seemed necessary. Julie would be sick for a few days yet, and then her skin would start to itch and peel.
Poor darlin'.
Using the keys Julie had given him, he opened the door. Veronica greeted him and stepped aside to let him enter. He dropped his gym bag on the floor. She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the bag then up at him.

“Aye, I'm staying tonight and every night until she's back on her feet. Is she all right?”

“Julie's napping right now. What about tomorrow?”

“I have to drive De Luca for a few hours, but at least it's not out of town. I can manage. Julie can be on her own for that length of time.” Veronica had a little furrow of worry etched deeply on her forehead. “What is it, Veronica? You've something to say?” She picked up his gym bag and carried it into the living room, Lorcan followed. “What? Speak your mind,” he said.

She tossed the bag on the sofa. “Don't hurt her.”

Lorcan crossed his arms across his chest, trying to tamp down his growing annoyance.

Veronica must have read his defensive body language. “Listen, I know this is none of my business and I certainly got angry when my brother, Tyler, stuck his nose in with Nick and me. It's only—Julie's been through a lot. Granted, we hadn't been in contact for years and only reconnected when I moved back to Rockland, but when we were in high school she had a rough time of it … ” Her voice trailed off, and the furrow grew deeper. “Never mind. It's not my place to say anything. Just don't hurt her.”

Lorcan exhaled. “Julie and I are honest with each other. I like her. That's all that is going on here. I already told her I'm leaving in January when my contract is up. No surprises. No expectations. No complications. Everything on the up and up.”

Veronica had the grace to blush. “Sorry.” She touched his still crossed arms and squeezed his wrist. “Forget I said anything. You're both adults and I really appreciate you're looking after Julie like this. Most men would have walked away.”

“I'm not most men,” Lorcan stated matter-of-factly.

Veronica smiled. She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “No, you're not. Lucky Julie. Good night, Lorcan. Oh, I brought over a few baked goods. There are rolls, cinnamon buns, and cookies in the kitchen. Also leftover cheese and macaroni. Knock yourself out.”

Lorcan dropped his defensive stance. He tapped Veronica's cheek affectionately. “You're a good friend, Veronica. To us both.”

After seeing Veronica off, he walked down the hall and peeked into Julie's bedroom. The soft, even breathing told him she still slept. Good, it'd give him a chance to have a bite as he felt a bit peckish. Lorcan heated the macaroni and cheese in the microwave and buttered a couple of the rolls. He glanced inside Julie's fridge. Bleedin' hell, not much in here, almost as bad as his own. He grabbed the milk carton, gave it a sniff and seeing it hadn't gone sour, poured a large glass. As he ate, he had a look around. Julie owned a few pieces of
muckshite
furniture, someone's castoffs no doubt. Boxes and bags lay around the flat in a haphazard way.

Christ, he was tired. It had been a long day on very little sleep. He brought a forkful of the cheesy pasta to his lips. Damn, it tasted good. So did the rolls. Lorcan wondered absently if Julie could cook. He managed a few things, could whip up some eggs, fry a chop, but that was about it. The last ten years or more had consisted of army rations or take-away.

His thoughts drifted back to Veronica's warning
.
“Don't hurt her.” What did she think he was, some cold, unfeeling bastard? Maybe his detachment radiated off him, like an aura. He tried to keep things light and casual when dealing with others. Maybe he overdid it.

Sully remarked on it once in one of his brief visits to Dublin after the army and before the secret service. Sully claimed Lorcan had changed. Sully spoke the truth, he wasn't the same man. But as close as Sully was to him, he didn't elaborate why. He just kept people, even family and friends, at a safe distance. After cleaning the dishes and indulging in one of Veronica's delectable cinnamon buns, he headed down the hallway toward Julie's room. He stepped in and observed her struggling to sit upright.

“Oh, Lorcan. I wondered who was in the kitchen. Veronica left?”

Well, her voice sounded stronger, a good sign. He rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. He touched her forehead. Still warm, but not the fiery furnace it had been last night. “Ready for more soup?”

Julie sniffed the air. “Do I smell … cheese?”

“Ah, Veronica brought macaroni and cheese. Sorry darlin', too rich for you, you'd be spewing it up in no time. You can have a fresh roll with your soup.”

“Oh, boy! A whole roll?” Julie said sarcastically. “I feel like Oliver Twist, begging for more food. Come on, I think I can try a little mac and cheese.”

“No,” Lorcan said firmly. “Soup and a roll. My final word.”

“You're a hard taskmaster, Mr. Bumble,” Julie sniffed with disdain.

Lorcan snorted. “Funny, comparing me to a Dickens villain. Cute.”

Julie insisted at sitting at the table, even though she cried out with pain. However, she did eat her soup. She held up the empty bowl, giving Lorcan a rather pathetic, sad look. “Please sir … I want some more.”

Damn, Lorcan loved her sense of humor. Laughter bubbled up his throat. “Remember those words. You'll be saying them to me soon—when I get you into my bed.”

“Oh, my,” Julie murmured. “Quoting Dickens in bed. I've never tried that.”

“It's more of a turn on than you think,” he winked.

“Oh, good. I'll have
Great Expectations
for that day. Or night.”

Lorcan groaned at her pun. “Back to bed, you must be feeling better.”

He helped Julie down the hall and stopped in front of the bathroom. He inclined his head toward the door; she nodded. He waited outside until she finished.

Finally, she lay stomach down on the bed again. Lorcan reached for the aloe cream and began to apply it gently to the back of her legs. “Maybe tomorrow you can try a warm bath. I think a shower would be too hard on your skin.”

“Do I smell?” Julie's muffled voice asked with mock indignity.

He leaned in near her ear and inhaled, his breath fanning her cheek. She moaned. “Not yet, darlin', but any longer and you'll be ripe for sure.”

He continued his slow ascent, her bare white arse exposed for his lingering perusal. She didn't seem to mind. Christ, her arse was shapely. He'd admired it at the bakery two months ago and had an immediate reaction then, and now that he was up close and personal with it, his appreciation for it only grew. Literally. The more he caressed her lush behind at this moment, the more he became aroused. Lorcan rolled up her nightie further. His hands slowly and seductively spread the cool soothing cream into her skin. Julie lifted her head from the pillow.

“Um … Lorcan, my ass isn't sunburned.”

His cock ached. He couldn't wait to show Julie one of his very favorite positions. He closed his eyes and imagined it, him pounding into her from behind while grabbing her luscious arse with every thrust. A low, wistful moan left his lips. He couldn't stop himself. He edged her straight legs apart gently, and found what beckoned him. Wet, as he knew she would be. He inserted one finger inside, then two, moving in and out. Damn, she was tight. Her inner muscles clenched him, pulling his fingers in deeper. He inserted a third one and she moaned loudly in response. “Julie. This is how I'm going to stretch you and fill you with my cock.”