Authors: Cindy Sutherland
Tags: #Gay & Lesbian, #Literature & Fiction, #Fiction, #Gay, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Gay Romance, #Genre Fiction
“Actually, after my business is done, do you want to take the scenic route back? Or are you in a hurry…?” Quinn tried not to look too hopeful, but he wasn’t sure it was working.
“Well, the stone is set into the parapet of one of the towers of the castle. To actually kiss the stone, you have to lie down on your back and dangle out over the edge and kiss it upside down.”
Cian smiled over at him. “Don’t worry, no one’s ever died trying to kiss the Blarney Stone, and they’ve installed some safety features these days. It would be bad for tourism if people were falling to their deaths from Blarney Castle.”
Quinn looked thoughtful before he spoke.
“Tis there’s the stone that whoever kisses
He never misses to grow eloquent….”
Quinn nodded. “It’s by Francis Mahony. When I was younger, I used to wish I could go to Blarney. I thought if I kissed the stone, maybe I could figure out how to say the things that always seemed to get stuck in my head.”
Quinn shook his head. “No. I was kind of an early bloomer, I think, as far as being gay was concerned.” He brought their conjoined hands up and kissed Cian’s fingers. “I never had a crush on a girl, and I kept waiting for it to happen. Then one day, my older brother brought home a new friend. I was thirteen. I took one look at him coming out of the pond after swimming and I couldn’t get him out of my head.”
Quinn’s eyes sort of glazed over as he remembered those few years. “He was sixteen and beautiful. And it took me forever to admit it to myself. Once I figured it out, I was devastated. I started getting into trouble, driving my family crazy. I started drinking at fifteen, and my poor parents were going around the bend.”
“Nothing overly dramatic. My dad took me out to check the fences one day, and I was tired and hungover, and by the time the day was over, I’d told him everything.”
Quinn’s smile was soft and happy this time. “He said he loved me and that he wished I’d talked to him about it sooner. He told me that nothing would ever make him not love me and that being gay was nothing to be ashamed of. Then he hugged me and held me while I cried my eyes out.”
“Uh-huh.” Quinn’s breath was ghosting over Cian’s thigh and heating up the fabric. It was a little erotic, but mostly it just felt comfortable, and Cian knew it could become familiar in no time.
woke Quinn when they reached Sallybrook so he could help look for their hotel. When they found it, it turned out it was a little side-of-the-road thing with individual cabins.
Quinn ran in, got them registered, and waved a key at him teasingly when he came out. Cian couldn’t help but smile. Even rumpled from sleeping in the car and grinning like a loon, Quinn Donovan was the most beautiful thing Cian had ever seen.
Quinn dropped back to his seat in the car and directed Cian over to a cabin at the back of the lot. It looked older, maybe built in the 1950s but well cared for. They got out of the car, let themselves in, and dropped the bags on the floor next to the wall.
Quinn blushed and looked around at what was obviously the honeymoon cabin. “It was the only one with a king-sized bed.” He walked over and wound his arms around Cian’s neck. “That woman at the front desk saw me grinning at you from inside and said that it looked like lovebirds like us needed something better than a plain double.”
Cian’s hands found Quinn’s hips, his thumb settling into the groove that started just above the waistband of his jeans. “Well, I have to say that I approve of the way she thinks.” He pulled Quinn’s body flush with his and then leaned down, bringing their lips together.
They kissed like that for a few minutes, Quinn’s hand coming up to play with the curls at the base of Cian’ neck. Cian slid one hand between Quinn’s shoulder blades and pulled them even closer together.
Quinn finally broke the kiss reluctantly. “Hmm, as much as I’d like to continue this, I have a meeting in an hour, and I think showing up looking totally debauched would be in bad taste.”
Cian sighed and tried unsuccessfully to look put-upon. “I guess it wouldn’t be very professional. Not to mention looking sex-struck in front of my grandfather’s oldest friend.”
Cian smirked at him. “Sometimes it feels that way… like you hit me out of nowhere and knocked all my wits about.”
Quinn frowned and ducked his head. “Is that a bad thing?”
Cian cupped Quinn’s chin and forced his face up to meet his eyes. “It’s absolutely not a bad thing, love. I think I needed shaking up. I was so stuck in my life being alone and at the farm that I never even considered I’d find someone who was more than a hookup.”
“I’m more than a hookup?” Quinn looked so hopeful and so nervous at the same time that Cian wanted to find David the jerk and beat the crap out of him for daring to put that kind of doubt into Quinn’s gorgeous head.
“You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. Now, what say we get changed— separately, or we’ll never get out of here—and then go out to look at those horses for your father. I have to admit, I’m curious about them myself!”
Quinn reluctantly allowed Cian to pull away and started gathering things out of his bag so he could change. “Why? Do you think they’ll be much different from the horses you have at home?”
“Not really, but Kieran and Grandfather started out at the same time, using some of the same stock. It’ll be interesting to see where he’s taken the bloodlines.” Cian gathered his own things together and contemplated a shower, but decided to wait till later so he could have Quinn join him.
Quinn nodded thoughtfully. “I know what you mean. I love traveling with my dad to the different breeder shows and to the ranches we’ve sold stock to.” He frowned a little. “Of course, we don’t always find something good. It makes Dad furious when he finds out that someone’s been abusing an animal we sold them.” Quinn was far away for a second before shaking free of the memory.
“We’ve only had to deal with abuse incidents twice, but both times we were almost too late in finding out.” He shook his head sadly. “I’ve never seen my father hit anyone, but he came close the day we showed up and found that someone who was supposedly a reputable breeder was beating the pregnant mare he’d bought from us.”
Cian sighed. “Come on, love. Get changed and we can get out there. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get back, right?” He smiled at Quinn and waggled his eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m pretty sure I need a shower, and I’ve discovered that showering alone isn’t nearly as much fun as showering with a friend.
pretended to think about it, then nodded. “I suppose that’s a worthwhile reason to hurry.” He grinned and then grabbed his stuff and shuffled off to the bathroom. Being in his underwear in the same room as Cian wasn’t going to get them out of the cabin any faster; in fact, he was pretty sure it would slow them down.
The drive didn’t take long. The whole country seemed to have a kind of magic about it that was working its spell on Quinn. He loved everything about it: the people, the gorgeous green countryside. The air seemed filled with stories that he was itching to get out.
A sideways glance brought another gorgeous Irish scene into focus. Cian was everything Quinn had ever dreamed of in a man. He was as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside, and he was stealing Quinn’s heart without even realizing it.
Quinn had never met someone like Cian. He was kind and smart, funny and thought-provoking. It was like he just knew what Quinn needed and gave it to him without reservation. Only family had done that for him before. He was still trying to puzzle out what that meant when the other man spoke.
“There it is.” Cian pointed to a turnoff ahead that had a gate with the word “Briarwood” etched into it. The driveway was longer than the one to Cian’s place, but the view was much the same.
“Hello, lads. You’d be Davin’s Cian, then? I’d recognize those O’Reilly looks anywhere.” He extended his hand, and Cian took it. “You’re the spittin’ image of your Gran, son, and she’s a beauty.”
Cian blushed. Quinn thought it was adorable.
“And you’d be young Mr. Donovan, would yah?”
Quinn couldn’t help but smile at the friendly old man. They were going to get on like wildfire, he could tell. “Yes, sir. I’m, Quinn, Quinn Donovan.” He shook Kieran’s hand.
“Bah, don’t ‘sir’ me, lad. Name’s Kieran, and that’ll do.” He turned and started to lead them toward the barn. “Well, I was just about to go and check on one of my mares. She’s just given birth not long ago, and the little one was having some troubles latching on. I’m hoping to get it worked out, as I’d rather not have to bottle-feed the wee thing.”
“Well, let’s check and see if my little girl has it figured out.” Kieran led the way to a big stall in the back of the barn. Standing there was an adorable mare that was smaller than the one Quinn had bought from Cian’s granddad but just as beautiful.
Cian shook his head. “Not really. The mare could just be having a reaction to her milk coming in. It makes them touchy sometimes.” He turned to Kieran. “How long ago was she was born?”
The woman laughed. “Not for many more years to come, I’m hoping!” She gave her grandfather a fond hug and then turned back to the younger men. “So, which of you is Mr. Donovan? I hear you’re hoping to spirit off some of Ireland’s best to America!”