Taking Risk Series

by Toni Aleo

  When a tear runs down my cheek and splashes on my hand, I look down as I take in a deep breath.

  “Don’t hide,” Declan whispers before lifting my face so he can see me. “That is really amazing of you, to want to do that for your ma.”

  I smile. Man, I miss her, and I would do it all over again. Everything. “Yeah, but sometimes, I think I didn’t do enough. Maybe I could have saved her somehow, but then I know I couldn’t have. I was the best daughter I could have been because I wanted her to be happy and proud of me. I worked so hard, didn’t do anything but focus on my studies and take care of her. I don’t have any friends back home because I didn’t have time. I went to school, came home, did homework, and did anything she needed. My senior year, I was homeschooled. I didn’t have a prom, homecoming, nothing. I did everything for her, and I was a nobody to the kids my age. Don’t think I regret any of it, because I don’t, but it’s sad to think that when I left, no one knew, no one missed me, because I didn’t have time for anything or anyone but her. And if I hadn’t come here, I’d be alone, trying to figure out how to live life without my mom. I know she knew that, and that’s why she asked me to come here.”

  Moving our food, Declan slides beside me. Taking my hands in his, he kisses each of my palms before looking deep into my eyes. “I believe that you are the strongest person I know, Amberlyn. Your ma was right to ask you to come here. It may very well be for my own selfish reasons, but because of that, I thank your ma every day. You know why I came out after hiding away for three years, right?”

  My eyes are cloudy with tears, and my heart feels like a vise grip is around it as I look deep in his eyes. I haven’t shared any of that with anyone else but Fiona. I can’t believe I just blurted it out like that either, but it’s just different with him. I feel so at ease with him. Slowly, I shake my head. “No.”

  “For you. I saw you across the lake that day when you were sunbathing, and I knew I had to know your name and the color of your eyes.”

  Hearing him say those words has me breathless as he holds my gaze, his ice-blue eyes shining. “Then I met you and had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of that beautiful smile of yours, and the more I learned about you, the more I thank God I came off this damn land.”

  If he wanted me to smile, he succeeded. My grin is huge as stray tears roll down my cheeks. “And if you left now, I’d miss you. Terribly.”

  Leaning toward him, I rest my head to his. “I’d miss you, too.”

  He smiles, and I can’t help but smile back, even though I want to break down and cry for both of us. Grinning, I say, “Good thing I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

  “That is a good thing.”

  His mouth is still curved in a contagious grin as he reaches up, slowly moving his thumb along my bottom lip, causing gooseflesh to cover my skin despite the hot weather. His eyes are so dark, locked with mine, and when his tongue comes out to wet his lips, I ask, “Are you gonna kiss me now? Oh-dear-God-why-did-I-just-ask-that!”

  I say it as one word before I close my eyes in complete and utter humiliation. Declan’s laugh runs down my spine, and it doesn’t help my embarrassment one bit. If anything, it makes it worse as I open my eyes to look at him, and what I find makes me smile. His face is so close to mine, his eyes bright and playful.

  “Really though, why do you keep asking? Do you want to kiss me or something?” he jokes, pulling a nervous laugh from me.

  “Something like that,” I joke back with a grin, but then I shake my head. “I need a filter.”

  “No, I like that you say what you think,” he says, cupping my face. With his eyes locked on mine, breathing is not an option. As he leans toward me, his lips coming for mine, I hold my breath and close my eyes tight because thank sweet baby Jesus, he is going to kiss me. But then his lips meet my nose in a sweet, soft kiss, and my eyes spring open as he pulls away. Deflated, I ask, “Not the moment, huh?”

  He reaches for his burger and takes a huge bite before shaking his head. After swallowing, he grins over at me. “Not yet.”

  “This better be some amazingly awesome kiss,” I tease as I pick up my own burger.

  He winks, his eyes dark as he says, “Best damn kiss you’ll ever have. I can promise ya that.”

  I want to say he has that right since I’ve kissed only one guy, and he had weird braces that stuck me in the lip. Instead, I just nod and eat my hamburger happily because this was probably the best first date ever.

  Chapter 14

  Declan

  I hate board meetings.

  They are stupid and pointless, in my opinion. I am the youngest person in here, while my da and our colleagues are all in their late fifties. Usually, I don’t say anything. I can be found at the end of the table, taking notes and taking in everything my da is saying. This will be my company one day, and when that happens, I want to be able to fall into the seat my da is sitting in and lead like he does. He is a powerful man, knows what he wants for the company, and what he doesn’t. He is vocal about his opinions, and everyone respects him.

  I want that.

  But today, instead of taking notes and listening attentively like I should, my thoughts are on a certain lady with freckles that dust every inch of her. I haven’t seen Amberlyn since I dropped her off at eleven thirty, two nights ago. I didn’t make it to the pub yesterday because one of our pot stills went on the fritz, and then today, I have this damn meeting. I’m pining for her.

  Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I hold it under the table and quickly text her.

  I’m stuck at work. I won’t be in today.

  I go to tuck it back in my pocket when it vibrates with a new message.

  You’re slacking, slacker. Haha. No worries, just means you owe me dinner or something.

  Doesn’t that sound like a perfect idea? Smiling, I write her back.

  Tonight? You free?

  I can be if you are asking.

  Yeah, I am.

  Then yes, I’ll see you…when?

  Six.

  Awesome. 

  “Declan, what do you think?”

  I glance up, tucking my phone in my pocket. “I think it’s good,” I say, even though I don’t have a clue what is going on.

  “So you agree on an increase of two percent for the distributors in the US?” my da asks.

  I shake my head, leaning on the table. “Why are we raising the prices at all?”

  “Because they are making a double profit off us. Where have you been?”

  I shrug. “Not listening, I guess. Excuse me, I was distracted.”

  Da nods. “Would you like us to wait until you are done?”

  “No sir, I apologize.”

  “That’s fine, please read the proposal and give us your opinion.”

  I glance down at the file in front of me and know that all eyes are on me. Biting into my lip, I read quickly and agree that the distributors’ prices need to go up. Looking down at my da to find he is watching me, I try not to be nervous as I say, “Yes, but it needs to be more. At least four percent so that we are both equal, and send a suggested price because they don’t have that yet. Since we are the best whiskey in the world, they are taking advantage of it. Send a suggested price and then a cap of what they can sell. If they don’t like it, that’s fine. We are the leading whiskey brand in the United States behind Jack Daniel’s. I know they are banking from their distributors, and we can too.”

  My da nods as a satisfied smile covers his face. Pride is shining in his eyes as everyone at the table nods in agreement. The nervousness I was feeling is gone as a triumphant feeling takes over. This is what I love; this is what I was meant to do. I may hate being trapped in this room with these stiffs, but I love the feeling I get when I do something right. It’s almost as satisfying as being close to Amberlyn.

  “I agree. Ryan, write it up and get it together for the distributors all over the world. Good job, Declan.”

  Everyone sends me a nod before getting up and leaving
the room. Standing up, I follow everyone out and soon fall into step with my da. “Good job in there, but stay off that phone.”

  I nod. “Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.”

  “Good. Everything going well in the distillery?”

  “Yes, very well. Kane is doing a great job,” I say as my da stops, turning to me.

  “I knew he would. He takes after his own da, hardworking. He’ll do well in the production room. I believe that. I hate to lose Paul to retirement, but Kane is the perfect replacement.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I say. He nods as he looks down at his phone, reading an email from what I can see. Usually I don’t talk about things I want for the business because it might start a fight due to my marital status, but for some reason, I’m feeling brave. I clear my throat before saying, “Da, I was wondering if we could send my whiskey into beta testing?”

  He looks up from his phone to me. His brows are pulled together, and his eyes no longer hold the pride they did before, more like annoyance now. “Come into my office, please.”

  Fuck me. Reluctantly, I follow him into his office and fall into the seat before his desk. I just wanted a simple yes or no answer.

  “She’s American then?”

  I look up, confused. “Excuse me, what?”

  “The girl you’ve been seeing, Amberlyn Reilly, twenty years old, born in Nashville, Tennessee. Her ma and da were born here, but they left after getting married, both deceased. She is Shelia and Michael Maclaster’s niece. Works as a bartender at the pub across the lake.”

  Holding my da’s gaze, I nod. “Yes.”

  “She’s American, Declan. That won’t work.”

  My fingers bite into my thighs. “Why is that?”

  “Because she doesn’t come from old money like us.”

  Flabbergasted, I take in a breath before protesting. “That wasn’t part of the requirements.”

  “Maybe so, but I won’t accept her. Call me a snob, but I want you to be with an Irish girl—old money, pretty, and good for you.”

  I don’t know why, but rage takes over within seconds, and I want nothing more than to pick the chair up and throw it through the window. I roll my eyes and stand up, holding the file that I have like a shield over my heart. “That’s the stupidest shite I’ve ever heard, and I refuse to listen to this any longer. You said get out, meet people, fall in love, and get married so I can have the business. I am doing that. I refuse to have you go and add different stipulations. I also refuse to allow this to bother me now because I don’t know what will happen with Amberlyn. So this conversation is over. Forget I asked about my whiskey. I’ll do it once I own this fuckin’ company.”

  I stalk out of the office, slamming the door behind me. I chance a glance at my da to find him with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. That’s right, be fuckin’ surprised ’cause you are a wanker!

  How dare he?

  Stomping through the offices and out into the fresh air, I let out a long breath, sucking in more air as my heart pounds in my chest. Lacing my fingers behind my head, I replay our conversation as I fill my lungs with air, letting it out in a swoosh each time. I focus on Cathmor, who is waiting to take me back to the distillery, but I can’t move right now. My da may very well kill me once he sees me again, but I just don’t get it. The nerve of him. The rules are pretty much set in stone. I get married…I have the company, nothing about her race, her origin, or anything. As long as she is female and has my last name, I am good. Why the fuck would he throw that at me? Damn it. And why am I letting it bother me so much? I am not asking Amberlyn to marry me today; I haven’t even kissed the woman yet.

  “You say that you won’t let what I’ve said bother you.”

  I glance back at my da and stiffen at the sight of him. He still has the power to make me feel like he did when he scolded me when I was six years old and was found breaking windows with rocks. It was all Kane’s idea, of course, since my nanny was a bitch, but I was still the one who took the brunt of the punishment. I swallow loudly as I nod. “Sure, I won’t.”

  “But you are, I know you are, and that shows me that she does mean something to you and that this is more than you are letting on. It won’t last. She doesn’t believe in what we do, who we are. She isn’t what you need.”

  “You don’t know what she is,” I snap, my heart pounding so fast in my chest that it hurts.

  “It doesn’t matter because I know you, and you believe in family, in traditions, and she doesn’t have that.”

  Taking in a deep breath to keep myself from cussing my da out, I look up at him. “Da, you don’t know her. Nothing about her. She loved her family, she has traditions, and she is the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”

  “So you love her.”

  I balk, my heart racing at speeds I didn’t know it could go. My palms are soaking wet, and I feel faint. I hate arguing with my father, but I hate that I might be lying with the answer I am about to provide him. I don’t know what I feel. “No, but I care for her, and I know that this is nothing to bat your eyes at. She is special, and I feel that our relationship could be something to treasure. I’d like the respect from you to see what it is.”

  Looking away, he shakes his head slowly before letting out a long breath. “I hope you aren’t making the same mistake your sister did. She got involved with someone who was not in our social standing, and look what happened. Thank goodness she found Micah.”

  Sometimes my da can be a real snob. Is that all he cares about? Someone’s social standing? Someone’s money? What about who they are? And fuck, am I like him? Looking him over, I am disgusted, not only with him, but with myself. I’m like him in so many ways, and I can’t believe I’ve allowed that to happen. I don’t agree with his views. I want to be successful, but because I’m savvy, not because I chose people with money over anyone else. I don’t want to be a snob, a stuck-up arsehole. I want to be someone whom Amberlyn can like, maybe one day fall in love with. Having my da say this has put everything in perspective for me. I have to make sure I never end up like him—bitter and hating anyone who isn’t us. Not that I owe him anything else in this conversation, but I still feel that I have to reiterate how important Amberlyn is.

  “She is nothing like that slick git, Casey Burke. She is special,” I say confidently. “You’ll see.”

  * * *

  When I pull into the pub later that night, my da and the conversation we had are the last think I’m thinking of. Amberlyn is center stage, shining, flooding my thoughts with every detail I can remember. Which is basically everything about her. I’ve missed the way her hair cascades down her shoulders, the way her eyes shine, and the way her lips purse when she is in deep thought. God, my hands are shaking. I want to see her so bad. At this point, I don’t care what we do. We can sit in the car and talk and I would be happy, which will be what we do if Plan A doesn’t work for her.

  Reaching for the door handle, I go inside, and the loud, boisterous pub goes quiet at my entrance. Popping up from behind the bar, Amberlyn grins as her eyes set on mine. My chest aches at the site of her. She looks angelic. Her hair falls the way I like it down her shoulders, wild and curly, her eyes bright with only a little makeup enhancing them. Her lips are glossed to perfection, and a sweet, pink color dusts her cheeks. When she comes out from behind the bar, she is wearing a pair of fitted jeans and a green see-through shirt with a tank covering the pieces I’ve been dreaming about. As she reaches me, a slow grin forms on my lips.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey there,” I say as my hands shake at my side. I want to envelop her in a hug, nuzzle my nose in her hair, and get lost in the intoxicating smell of her. “You look beautiful.”

  She smiles sweetly, the pink of her cheeks darkening. “Thank you. Let’s go before my uncle comes out here and threatens you or something.”

  I chuckle at that as she takes my hand, lacing her small fingers with mine and basically dragging me out the door with only a wave to Fiona. I wave, t
oo, and receive a grin as the door slams shut. Once we are outside, she whips around, wrapping her arms tightly around my middle. My eyes drift closed as I hug her in closer, loving the way she feels in my arms. She is small, but she fits me perfectly. Taking in a deep breath, I get drunk off the smell of her hair. I love it, crave it, and when she pulls back, I stop her by holding her tighter.

  “Not yet,” I whisper.

  “I don’t like sharing you with anyone else.”

  I know what she means. I hate the onlookers, too, but this…this is wonderful. I can feel her smile on my shoulder as she hugs me tighter. Squeezing her one last time, I pull back and look down at her beautifully flushed face. She bites into her lip as her head falls to the side, her eyes locked on mine. “What if I kiss you?”

  I pause, surprised. “What?”

  “You won’t kiss me until the perfect moment, as you say, but what if I kiss you?”

  I grin as I shake my head, letting my hands drop from her waist to put some distance between us. “I won’t let you.”

  She scoffs. “A willing girl’s lips coming toward you, and you won’t kiss them?”

  “Nope,” I say, taking another step back for good measure. She laughs as she follows me, trying to close the gap between us, but I am quicker. Turning around, I run to the car with her chasing me, our laughter filling the air. When I reach my car, I unlock it, but before I can get in, she jumps in my seat and looks up at me with her lips pursed in the air.

  “Kiss me,” she mumbles through her pursed lips. I laugh, but damn if I don’t want to. I wouldn’t stop though. I’d give her the best fuckin’ kiss in the world, and I refuse to do that in the cab of my car.

  “No way,” I say, reaching for her wrist to pull her from the car, but she bats me away playfully, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “I’m not moving until you kiss me,” she says, crossing her arms under her breasts to push them up. Not sure if she did it on purpose, but of course, I look at her delectable chest through the sheer green fabric before looking up at her pursed lips. Swallowing loudly, I cross my own arms before I do what we both want. “Come on, you’ve got me begging for a kiss from you. How pathetic.”