“I’ll think you’ll find Zander has need for both of us today.”
“Mr. O’Leary already has a PR person. Me!”
“Actually,” Megan corrected, “You work for Cor-Tec. I’ll be acting as Zander’s personal PR manager for the gala.”
“How is that different?” Rita asked angrily.
“For one, you won’t be setting him up on any more dates.”
“Is that so?”
“Absolutely,” Megan replied.
“I already informed Tabitha Hall’s agency that Mr. O’Leary would be escorting her to the gala.”
“Well then you’ll have to inform them of your mistake.”
Rita sneered. “Then I imagine ye have someone appropriate lined up for Mr. O’Leary to escort to the gala on such short notice?”
“I do.”
“Well do ye mind sharing? I need to be included on the details for the press release.”
“Of course. He’ll be attending the gala with me,” Megan said, her inner goddess glowing. She’d literally shrieked when Zander had asked her to be his date before calling Rita.
The old bat on the other end of the phone scoffed. “Yer joking?”
Megan had expected as much, but she didn’t give a damn what anyone beside Zander thought. “I’m as serious as a heart attack.”
“And what would ye have me write in the press release? No one knows who in the bloody hell ye are, dear.”
Megan pushed her smile into her voice. “And you call yourself a PR rep? Here’s a headline for you. Zander O’Leary generously offers his home for Unicef gala, where he’ll be increasing international relations by escorting wunderkind American film maker, Megan Fields.”
The other end of the line was silent and Megan smiled to herself. Take that, Tabitha Hall!
“Do you need me to repeat that, Rita?”
“No, I’ve got it.”
“Good. I’ll email over the floor plan of the James’ Estate ballroom along with the address for you to forward to guests and vendors. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to call.”
Megan hung up the phone and Zander applauded her. “Yer hired!”
“Good,” she said sitting on the edge of his desk. “Crisis averted, now let’s do something fun.”
Zander’s smile faltered as he looked past her to the mountain of papers piled on his desk. “I’m afraid we only managed to put out one of the many fires I’m dealing with today.”
“What else can I help with?” she asked.
He smiled. “You’ve done more than enough, love.”
“Zander, I seriously don’t mind helping.”
“The best way ye can help is by enjoying yerself, Megan. Besides, yer much too adorably distracting when ye sit on my desk like that,” Zander said pulling her into his lap again. “I’ll be much less stressed knowing yer out having a good time. Grab Sam and take the car to Dublin.”
“I guess girls day could be fun,” Megan admitted. But then again she would agree to anything while sitting in Zander’s lap. Her head felt dizzy as she inhaled his addicting Irish Spring scent, and the way his voice rumbled through her did shameful things to her insides.
“Buy yerself anything ye want. And something gorgeous for the gala, on me, of course.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Megan protested.
“I want to,” Zander purred pulling her closer until his mouth was at her ear. His warm breath kissed her skin sending tremors through her. “I can’t wait to show my stunning date off tomorrow night,” he whispered.
Megan lost her ability to speak again, but it was just as well since Zander’s lips found hers a moment later. He kissed her slow and sure, and Megan gave up all her doubts.
She wanted Zander. And his kiss said he wanted her back. They weren’t in a crowded bar, their inhibitions weren’t diluted by alcohol—their kiss was pure and relentless. He held her tenderly to him and as her hand settled over his racing heart Megan knew she hadn’t mistaken Zander’s feelings. She felt her own heart swell near bursting. The boy she liked, liked her back, and there was no greater feeling in the world.
10
Megan
Megan still felt as though she were floating as she made her way back to her room. If a phone call hadn’t disrupted them she’d probably still be kissing Zander. But the interruption was a blessing. A moment longer and Megan might have stopped breathing.
She’d taken a quick puff from her inhaler as soon as she’d excused herself from his office. She needed to get her emotions under control. Zander had a habit of making her breathless—not a particularly good thing for an asthmatic.
Megan was still a bit lightheaded but it was hard to tell if it was a side effect of her asthma or Zander. Both afflictions were potentially crippling.
Once back in her room, Megan showered and changed, tugging on her favorite oversized argyle sweater and black leggings. She put her tangle of black hair into a messy top bun and added some creamy pink rouge to her full lips and pale cheeks. Megan smiled at her reflection. She felt right at home in Ireland, where her porcelain complexion, blue eyes and dark hair were celebrated.
Megan tossed a few essentials into her giant red purse and grabbed her tweed peacoat that made her feel especially scholarly. She added a plaid scarf of fall colors to her outfit and then headed out to find her friends. She knocked on Sam and Devon’s door but got no answer. She eventually wandered toward the sound of Eggsy’s barking and a glance out of the massive diamond-paned windows showed Sam and Devon kicking a soccer ball around in the distance.
Sam had just scored a goal on Devon. He scooped her up mid-celebration making her shriek with glee. Eggsy jumped and barked in circles around them, until all three of them ended up in a laughing heap on the ground. Megan smiled, happy Sam was finally cutting loose. When Devon leaned in to kiss Sam, Megan turned away. She decided to leave her friends to enjoy themselves.
Megan headed back to her room and rang for Thornton. He answered on the first ring.
“Hi, Thornton. Can I still get that car to Dublin?”
“Of course. Will anyone else be joining you?”
“Nope. Just me.”
A few minutes later Megan was bundled in the backseat of a black luxury town car. The soft leather seats hugged her curves, trying to lull her to sleep with the European car’s superior comfort and warmth, but she kept her eyes wide open. Megan didn’t want to miss a moment of the gorgeous Irish landscape that rolled past.
She sighed as she looked out the windows. A mix of emotions tumbled around in her chest. She’d only been in Ireland for two days, but it wasn’t at all what she’d expected. The country hadn’t disappointed. It was full of all the beauty and magic she’d hoped for, but she couldn’t help feeling disheartened that she wasn’t getting to experience it with her friends.
Zander had severely undersold how overwhelmed he was with his new role at Cor-Tec and Sam was preoccupied with schoolwork and girlfriend duties. So far, Megan had spent most of her time with Devon. It’s not that Devon was a problem. Megan loved spending time with him, but she’d been hoping for more time with her best friend and the guy she was smitten with.
Megan shook off her disappointment, exhaling deeply. She needed to take her own advice. Just breathe and have faith everything will work out the way it should. Besides, she was in Ireland with Zander’s black card burning a hole in her wallet. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and Megan intended to make the most of it.
Zander
By the time Zander left his office it was dark outside. He came downstairs, knee wincing and stomach growling. He’d missed another meal and the pastries and coffee Megan had brought him hours ago had long since run out. He’d worked straight through lunch, but managed to get himself mostly out of the weeds with the backlog of Cor-Tec contracts that needed his attention.
Zander checked his watch. He planned to order some dinner to be sent to his room so he could shower, eat quickly and finally seek Megan
out to see how her shopping excursion in Dublin had gone. He was secretly hoping she might give him a preview of the dress she’d bought for the gala. He was failing miserably at not getting too attached to her. He hadn’t been able to get Megan out of his mind since she’d left his office. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her dimpled smile and brilliant blue eyes. And it didn’t help that he could still taste the sugary sweetness of her kiss.
Zander sighed. So much for keeping yer guard up, ye wanker.
Before Zander reached his room, laughter in the library caught his attention. He peeked his head in hoping to find Megan. Instead, he found Devon and Sam. They were playing Scrabble and drinking red wine in front of the fireplace with Eggsy stretched out at their feet.
“Hey, mate!” Devon greeted. “Care to join?”
Zander entered the massive library and greeted his friends with a nod, astonished by how much he’d missed seeing the lonely library, warm and inviting for a change.
“Where’s Megan?” Sam asked as Zander pulled up a chair.
“She’s not with ye?” he asked.
Sam frowned. “No, I haven’t seen her all day. We thought she was with you.”
Devon chimed in. “When I left her after breakfast she was in search of yer office. Did she find ye?”
“Yes, but she left hours ago to go shopping.”
“I thought you were supposed to be going shopping with her,” Sam accused.
Zander rubbed his frustration from his face. “I know, but something came up. Megan said she was going to invite ye along since I couldn’t go.”
Sam sat up straighter. “Well she didn’t.”
Devon looked between Sam and Zander sensing the tension brewing. “I’m sure she just lost track of time. Ye know Megs and shopping,” he offered.
Sam stood and pulled her phone from her pocket. “I’m calling to check on her,” she announced as she marched out of the library.
Zander abandoned the chair he’d been moving. He sighed as he perched on the edge of the table instead, rubbing the exhaustion from his face.
Devon turned his attention to Zander. “Ye getting on alright, mate? Ye look like someone took the piss outta ye.”
“Fine,” Zander grumbled. “Just didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Life as Ireland’s most eligible bachelor wearing ye out already?” Devon asked with amusement.
Zander knew his mate was just ribbing him. It’s how their friendship was, but it was comments like Devon’s that made Zander feel it was impossible to voice his frustrations. What did he really have to complain about? He was wealthy beyond measure, spent his days heading up a prestigious corporation and his nights entertaining models. Anyone from the outside looking in would think he’d gone absolutely mad if he started blithering on about how unhappy he was.
But he was unhappy. His role at Cor-Tec had rapidly spun out of control since taking over as CEO, but he couldn’t say that to Devon. Zander had taken over for Devon when he decided he didn’t want the legacy his late father, Henry James, had left for him.
Zander had leapt at the chance to take the reins. He’d wanted a part of Cor-Tec ever since his older sister, Cara, married Devon’s father. Zander excelled at all things technical. He’d always wanted to pursue computer engineering, but with his upbringing, it never seemed an option. After Zander lost his parents, he learned it was easier to survive if he played up his more obvious strengths—his looks and athletic ability.
“Dating models must be exhausting, eh?” Devon continued.
“Something like that,” Zander muttered, absently stretching out his bad knee.
“The old knee still acting like rubbish?” Devon asked catching the movement.
Zander shrugged. “It’s a bit dodgy today. Nothing a stiff drink won’t fix.”
Devon laughed. “Then let’s fix ye one, mate.”
Zander took up Sam’s seat while Devon went in search of a drink. Zander was relieved Devon seemed uninterested in pushing him further about his injury.
For a while, Zander had hoped he might be good enough to play in the pro football clubs, but a knee injury had shattered those hopes. His doctors didn’t have to tell him his knee would never be the same. He’d known it the moment it happened. But he’d stubbornly refused surgery. What was the point when it would never be good enough to play pro? Plus, that had been right about the time Zander found out he had a shot at revisiting another dream—Cor-Tec.
And of course now, Zander didn’t have the time to go under the knife. He was barely keeping his head above water as it was. Deep down he knew he couldn’t keep up the pace he was going at, but pride kept him from admitting it and asking for help. Sam’s father, Devon, and the Cor-Tec board had taken a big risk giving Zander such an active role in the software company.
Early on Zander had gotten some big breaks and his bold initiative has propelled the company further than anyone anticipated. The problem was, they weren’t built to handle such growth. Zander was doing everything possible to make up the difference and deliver the programs Cor-Tec had promised their new clients.
Now that Zander had been labeled the software wunderkind of his generation, he was under enormous pressure and he desperately wanted to meet expectations. It would kill him to let Devon and Mr. Connors down, not to mention everyone at Cor-Tec. But it was never enough.
Zander had hoped the arrival of his friends would lift his spirits. His professional life had overshadowed his personal life lately and he was looking forward to reconnecting with Devon and Sam, not to mention getting to know Megan. But the arrival of his friends had only added more stress. He felt increasingly guilty for not having any time to spend with them. And having Megan so near was proving to be quite a distraction.
Every time Zander found himself thinking of Megan he felt the balance of his precarious life slipping away from him. He’d been a fool to think he’d be able to guard himself against falling for her. Zander hated the hopeless feeling that had opened up in his chest. Every bit of him was craving the connection and comfort Megan was offering. But how could he let himself fall for a girl who would inevitably ruin him when she flew back to Boston, taking his lonely heart with her?
“Brought ye the good stuff,” Devon said, wheeling in a bar cart and handing Zander a heavy crystal glass half full of amber liquid. “From Da’s stash.”
Zander smiled tightly as he took the glass. His problems were a monster of his own making. The dilemma was he didn’t know how to solve it. But for now, the whiskey would help.
11
Megan
“Sam, everything’s fine,” Megan repeated. “I just lost track of time, but I’m almost back to the house.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes!” Megan said adamantly. “Will you please stop worrying about me? I’m not a child.”
Megan could hear the relief in Sam’s sigh. “I think you and Devon spend too much time together,” Sam joked. “You’re starting to sound alike.”
Megan laughed. “Well you should listen to us. We’re bloody brilliant,” she added in her best Irish accent.
Sam sighed. “Fine. Come to the library when you get back. We’re playing Scrabble.”
“I’m in!” she said before disconnecting.
Megan felt bad for worrying her friends, but she really had lost track of time. Her shopping trip hadn’t gone exactly as she’d planned. She’d nearly died of sticker shock when she saw the prices of the dresses at the Brown Thomas department store Sam had recommended. Megan had access to Zander’s credit card, but she didn’t feel right spending such an obscene amount of money on a dress for one night.
A lover of all things vintage, Megan had always been a bargain shopper. Thrift stores were her haven. Shopping at second-hand stores had started as necessity for Megan and her mom, but it became somewhat of a magical thing. Even now, when money wasn’t so tight, Megan still preferred to shop there. She’d always found something indescribably wonderful about taking home an ar
ticle of clothing that had its own stories to tell. Plus, she was all for the up-cycle movement of breathing new life into old things. She liked preserving the past and referred to her closet as a fashion time capsule.
So after kindly declining help from the posh staff at Brown Thomas, Megan made her way to a few adorable vintage boutiques she found in Dublin that were much more her style. Her favorite had been Lucy’s Lounge. The pink building had called to her like a beacon in the night, and it didn’t disappoint. Megan found the most amazing pair of white oxford shoes there. They weren’t at all practical, but they were her size and had tiny flowers stamped into the leather covering the front half of the shoe. They screamed Elton John, so of course she had to have them.
She’d also found her dress for the gala at Lucy’s Lounge. She couldn’t wait to wear it. It made her feel like a fairy princess. Megan loved any excuse to get dolled up, and the fact that she’d be on Zander’s arm made her giddy. She’d pinched herself so often that she worried she might actually end up with a bruise.
Megan looked at the sea of thrift store bags littering the back seat of the town car. She’d been in the process of tallying her damages when Sam called. Going back through the receipts, Megan began to sweat. She’d managed to spend almost three-hundred Euros! She’d gotten a lot for the money, but still, it was more than she’d ever spent in one outing.
She’d told herself she’d bought things she needed, like sweaters and scarves and a fabulous yellow umbrella covered in pink roses. Okay, so maybe the umbrella had been an impulse buy. But Megan would be getting a stipend for the film project she was working on for Cor-Tec so she told herself she would pay Zander back to alleviate her guilt.
The gates to the James’ Estate came into view and again Megan was swept away by the magnificence of it. “Hogwarts, eat your heart out,” she whispered.
“Ma’am?” the driver asked overhearing her.
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