Merchants with Evil Intent (40 page)

      
“There’s nothing more,” he hedged.

      
She took a sip of wine and sat her glass
on the stone hearth. “Why do you do that?”

      
“Do what?”

      
“Avoid my questions? There’s more to this
story and to Teaghan, but you won’t tell me. It’s very frustrating,” she
snipped, crossing her arms over her chest.

      
He stood and ran a hand through his thick
hair. “What do ya want me say, gel? That after our first dance together I
wanted to kiss you senseless? That you’re all I thought aboot afterwards?

      
How I wanted to kick me own arse for not
getting your phone number? And when we met in the park again and kissed for the
first time? My legs felt rubbery and my heart thrummed for you? Christ is that
what you want to hear?”

      
Her heart beat erratically, but she acted
nonplused. “Is that all?”

      
“Is that no’ eno’?” he bellowed.

      
She pulled her legs against her chest,
wrapping her arms around them, a slight grin on her face. “Actually, it’s no’,
as you say. You heard me spill my guts to Ian so it’s only fair you do the
same.”

      
His mouth twitched. “Right then,
I’m
a very private person and I blabbed aboot you to a
stranger on the plane.”

      
“Go on.”

      
He rolled his eyes as he sat next to her.
“You’re no’ making this easy.”

      
“Okay, then, tell me about Teaghan.”

      
He let out a hard breath, rested his head
against the back of the couch, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his
nose. “Why?”

      
“You loved her?” she pushed.

      
“No. Yes. Feck, I don’t know.”

      
“What kind of answer is that?” she
snorted.

      
He sat up and eyed her for a moment. He
struggled for the right words and gave up. “Not eno’.”

      
Her forehead wrinkled. “Huh?”

      
He sighed. “Let’s eat dinner first, aye?
Then I’ll tell you aboot her.” She raised a cynical eyebrow. “I will, I
promise,” he vowed.

*
     
*
     
*

      
John retrieved his suitcase from the
luggage carousel. Walking towards the exit doors he spotted Mickey right away.
It wasn’t hard, considering he held a sign that read ‘O’Mara’.

      
“Mickey?” he asked.

      
“Aye.
Mr.
O’Mara?”

      
John laughed and clapped Mickey on the
back. “Thanks for seeing to Camryn.”

      
Mickey shrugged, “’Twas me pleasure,
after I got to know her. She’s a cheeky gel.”

      
John nodded, “Yeah, she’s just like her
mom.”

      
“Are we heading straight towards
Wexford?” questioned Mickey.

      
“Nah, I’ve booked a room for the night.”

      
Mickey smiled. He didna relish the long
trip. Now he could drop O’Mara off and head for the pub.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Maggie pulled away from Eoghan, giggling.
“Well, it was worth the wait.”

      
He sighed sadly. “Oh Failend, I wanted so
much with you, babes, a home. Now it can never be.”

      
“Never say never.”

      
“What mean you?”

      
She grinned. “I was born again, Eoghan.
My name was Margaret. I married and had a beautiful daughter before God called
me home again.”

      
“There is much I doona understand,” he
whispered, frustrated.

      
She touched his face. “I’ll explain
everything to you.”

      
She waved her hand towards the sky and it
became a huge movie screen. Images of her first life with Eoghan passed in front
of them. Eoghan grimaced when he watched the raid of the village.

      
The scene morphed into another showing
Failend as Maggie. Images of John flashed caused Eoghan to lift a hand.

      
“Who’s the whelp?”

      
“My husband, John.”
Eoghan scowled and she put a reassuring hand on his thigh. “He was wonderful to
me, Eoghan. I loved him dearly.”

      
A lump formed in his throat and tears
stung the backs of his eyes. “Tisn’t easy for me gel, to see you happy with
another.”

      
She nodded and waved her hand towards the
sky.

      
A picture of Maggie holding a hairless
baby appeared, causing Maggie’s eyes to mist. Soon after, an image of Maggie in
a coffin appeared.

      
Images of the progression of the child
appeared rapidly; her first tooth, birthdays, high school graduation and then
college.

      
Eoghan gasped.
“The
gel!
She’s with the whelp now.”

      
Maggie nodded. “She’s my daughter.”

      
“No wonder the resemblance.”

      
“She’s in danger, Eoghan,” she replied
gravely.

      
He nodded, “I’ve heard. She’ll be safe
with Declan. He’s quite taken with her.”

      
“Please help me to keep her safe,” she
begged.

      
He took her in his arms. “I vow to do all
I can.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camryn followed Declan into the kitchen.
“Can I help?” she asked.

      
Declan’s mobile rang in his pocket.

      
“How about refilling our goblets, aye?
Dinner should be ready soon,” he replied, answering the call. “Corrigan.”

      
“The bloody bastard is on his way to
Teaghan’s,” Ian cried.

      
Declan quickly walked to the kitchen
window and peered out.
 
“How does he know
where she is?”

      
“He went into your pub looking for a
place to stay and Peter suggested Teaghan’s. Feckin’ arse!”

      
“The lad doesna know. Are you on the
way?”

      
“Aye, I’ll be there soon. Hope you have
something good to eat, I’m starving,” Ian stated.

      
“You’ll no’ be eating here. I’m busy
romancing my gel.”

      
Ian huffed, “With him lurking aboot? Are
you mad?”

      
Declan nodded, “Aye, I suppose I am. Let
me know if you see anything suspicious.”

      
Camryn poured the wine and took a big
gulp from her goblet. He was going all out and she asked questions that weren’t
any of her business.

      
She strode back into the kitchen with the
goblets. He turned when she approached. Her face set with determination. It
caused Declan’s stomach to flip-flop.

      
“Gel?”

      
“Look, I’m not going to press you about
Teaghan. I’ve no right to hound you with questions.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Viktor checked Camryn’s e-mails and was
disappointed when she hadn’t sent any new ones.

      
He punched the pillow down on the bed. It
wasn’t the Taj Mahal, but the place would do for a few days. He perused the
rental section of the newspaper. One cottage looked interesting so he circled
the ad with a black pen. He’d call the owner in the morning and ask to see it.

*
     
*
     
*

      
During dinner Camryn and Declan talked
about everything and nothing. He was proud of himself. He got her to try a
steamed oyster and to both their delights, she enjoyed them.

      
Afterwards, she waved a hand over the
table. “Well, I have to say, this is probably the best dinner I’ve ever had. I
feel fat now,” she whined.

      
“Well, let’s clear the table and work off
the calories,” he suggested.

      
“I can’t believe I ate oysters,” she
laughed as she emptied the shells into the trash.

      
“You mean gorged on them,” he teased. “Ya
know, gel, those are considered an aphrodisiac.”

      
She jeered, “Then maybe
you
should’ve had more.”

      
He finished putting the plates into the
dishwasher and walked towards her with a sexy grin.

      
“Is that so?” he whispered in her ear.

      
“Aye, it ‘tis,” she mocked.

      
“Come with me, gel.”

      
Camryn gulped and giggled at the same
time. “What do you have in mind, cutie?”

      
He sent her a smoldering look as he
pulled her into the den. “Lass, would you fancy a dance?”

      
Her heart pounded in her chest and her
breath caught in her throat.

      
“Aye,” she nodded.

      
Tupelo
Honey
played softly as
he took her hand into his.

      
They danced in the middle of the room,
candles and fireplace aglow, looking into each other’s eyes, just as they had
in Chicago.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Eoghan and Maggie watched from the
kitchen. “
Me
thinks he is wooing the gel.”

      
“Aye, he is,” Maggie grinned.

      
“I hope that’s all he’s doing,” Eoghan
hissed.

      
“Eoghan they’re grown adults and things
are different now.”

      
“What? Men don’t respect women nowadays?”

      
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Dance with me.”

      
Eoghan took Maggie’s hand into his and
together they danced slowly in the kitchen.

*
     
*
     
*

      
His heated gaze made Camryn’s pulse
spike. Her mouth went dry. She held up her hand, making her way to the goblet,
she took a big gulp.

      
He was glad she was nervous, too. He
quickly wiped his hands on his trousers again.

      
She turned and grinned. “Where were we?”

      
“You were making me pulse race,” he
murmured.

      
“Is that a fact?” she smiled.

      
“Aye.”

      
She pulled him closer and pressed her
lips against his.

      
He wrapped his arm around her waist and
buried his hand in her hair.

      
She made the first move and waited for
him to make the next one.
Anything!

      
He tore his lips from hers and ran his
lips and tongue from her ear to her neck. She squealed when he hit the spot
just under her ear lobe.

      
He nibbled and suckled her neck causing
her to groan softly.

      
She slid her hands to his backside and
pushed him closer to her. Breathlessly she whispered in his ear. “Make love to
me, Declan.”

      
He stopped nibbling momentarily and
lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.
“Gel?”

      
“Please?” she whimpered.

      
He pulled away and ran a hand through his
hair, averting her eyes.

      
“What? Am I not pretty enough? Are my
boobs too small? What is it?” she lifted her hands, exasperated.

      
He shook his head, “No, ‘tis no’ that.”

      
“Is it her?
Teaghan?”

      
“Christ! No! It’s you!” She drew back,
stunned. “Camryn, you’ve held on to your virtue for a reason.”