Beers, Hens, and Irishmen (Warbler's Point Series)

by Meghan Quinn

  “Be right back.” He gave her a wink and headed back to the kitchen. Liam was on the phone, most likely with Neala but he got his attention. “Can you watch the bar? I’m taking a quick break.”

  “More like you want to hit on that blonde who came in with the Sheila.”

  “His sister to be exact.” Finn said while wagging his eyebrows. “And I stake claim, so back off.”

  “You lucky dog, just be happy Bradon wasn’t working tonight. He would have been all over her faster than you can pour a shot for the local lush.”

  Finn laughingly agreed and grabbed the fish and chips, making sure to grab extra tartar sauce. He placed the plate in front of the Sheila’s sister and watched her eyes widen in amazement.

  “Oh my, this looks fantastic. I can already feel my hips growing from eating this.” She said jokingly.

  Finn thought about her hips growing and didn’t think it possible. She was most likely one of those lucky girls who didn’t have to do anything to maintain such an amazing body. Instead of telling her how incredibly sexy she was he said, “Nah, a little grease never hurt anyone.”

  She returned his statement with a smile and dug in. She ate the fish like it was going to be stolen away from her. He couldn’t help but smile.

  She looked up. “Are you laughing at the way I eat?”

  He put his hands up in defense. “No, not at all.”

  “You better not.” She said while pointing her fork at him. “I haven’t eaten all day and I’m ravenous.”

  Finn wished she was ravenous for him, instead of the fish and chips. Realizing he didn’t even know her name but was already fantasizing about her he extended his hand out and said, “I don’t think I introduced myself. I’m Finn O’Leary. I own this fine establishment with my siblings.”

  She took her little hand in his, sending a bolt of electricity up his arm. “I’m Blaire, this fine establishment is quite lovely. I like it here and these fish and chips are to die for. If Booker doesn’t get back fast enough, I might end up making a dent in his plate.”

  Finn laughed. “So what brings you to Warblers Point?”

  In between bites she replied, “Needed a change of scenery. I was recently let go from my job and I needed a break. A much needed break.”

  Finn felt bad for obviously bringing up a sore subject but he wanted to know more. “I’m sorry to hear that. If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do before you came out here?”

  “I’m a nurse.”

  “Ah, a very admirable profession. I don’t know how you do it. I could never deal with all those patients and blood. I would get so woozy. I would most likely pass out on a patient making matters worse.”

  She laughed. Finn thought about how it was such a beautiful sound. “Yea, we don’t like light weights like you in our profession. You have to have nerves of steel.”

  “Apparently.”

  They just stared at each other for a couple of seconds when she said, “You know, those glasses you wear make you look extremely sexy.”

  Caught off guard by her blunt statement all he could say was, “Uh, oh thanks.” He readjusted his glasses on his nose, even though he just put them back in the same place.

  “Are they real?”

  Finn took a quick glance at her chest wondering the same exact thing. “Are what real?” He asked in a hazy state of mind, her superior hotness was infiltrating his brain.

  She dropped her fork on her plate, took a swig of beer and said, “Oh my God, you totally just checked out my tits.” Finn’s mouth dropped open and was about to deny it when she interrupted him. “Don’t lie to me, I saw you.” She pointed her finger at him.

  There was nothing he could do but own up to her charges. He shrugged in a little school boy sort of way and said, “Guilty as charged. Sorry but I just have to say you are fucking hot.”

  She looked at him with a studying eye and took another sip of her beer. “So, we have both established each other as being attracted to one another. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”

  Finn could feel himself starting to go hard under the table. Never in his life had he ever dealt with such a direct woman. He always seemed to date passive aggressive woman, Blaire was like a breath of fresh air.

  He leaned in closer and snagged a fry from her plate. “I can take you out tomorrow night.”

  She placed her chin in her hand and met him half way across the table, showing off a bit of her amazing cleavage, this time Finn made a point of staring at the glorious sight.

  “You’re on O’Leary.” She traced her finger on his hand. “Like what you see?” Referring to his blatant perusal of her chest.

  Finn tore his gaze away from her breasts and nodded. He gulped and said, “Very much so.”

  “Good, be at my place around seven tomorrow. I know just what to wear.” She wrote down where she was staying and her number on a napkin and handed it over to him.

  He looked down at the paper and noticed she was staying at The Sleeping Potato “Oh you are staying at my parent’s Bed and Breakfast. Do you have a cabin?” He prayed to the heavens above that she had a cabin because what he had planned for them was going to require some privacy.

  She continued to press her breasts together and rub his hand. “Why Finn O’Leary, how presumptuous of you.”

  “Hey, I just wanted to know where to pick you up exactly.” He lied.

  “Well if that’s the case, then yes. I do have a cabin. I’m staying in the maple cabin.”

  “Really? I built that one.”

  She abruptly stopped caressing his hand and sat up straighter. He already missed her touch. “You built that?”

  “Yea, originally all there was at The Sleeping Potato was the main house. My parents started over booking so they made the decision to expand. That’s where they came up with the cabin idea. My brothers and I each took a couple and built them ourselves, of course with some assistance.”

  “Wow, I’m impressed O’Learly. Handy and sexy, what a lethal weapon.”

  Finn was about to reply when he saw Booker headed their way. “Well, your brother seems to be back and his lips look a little glossy, looks like things went well up stairs.” He got up and patted the table. “Better get back to work. See you tomorrow sweetheart.” He nudged her chin with his finger and took off toward the bar.

  Booker eyed him as they were passing and said, “Didn’t waste any time on getting to know my sister did you?”

  Finn looked at the Sheila and said, “Better watch what you say, there are three of us to defend Fiona and one of you to defend Blaire.”

  “Don’t break her heart, Finn.”

  “I ask you to have the same courtesy where Fiona is concerned.”

  Booker nodded and took off toward his booth. Things were starting to shape up for the O’Leary kids. If only they could get Liam on the right track with Neala, then everyone would be happy. Finn went around refilling people’s drinks while he waited for Fiona to come back down stairs from her break. She should be in a much better mood now. When he saw her come out of their private door to their apartments and glance over at the Sheila with a smile, he knew right there that his sister was falling, and falling hard. He just hoped he wasn’t going to have to kick the Sheila’s ass if he did anything to Fiona because that wouldn’t bode well with what he was trying to form with Blaire.

  Chapter 12

  Booker barely got any sleep thanks to thinking about the date he planned for him and Fiona. It took a lot of favors but he was pretty sure everything was in place. He sent Fiona a text in the morning at six to let her know to be ready by eight. She sent a text message back saying whatever he had planned that required her to get out of bed early on her day off better be good. Little did she know he was going to blow her away.

  He didn’t need to bring anything with him because he already had everything set up so when they arrived at their destination the proper attire would be provided. It was half past seven and Booker couldn’t wait any longer,
he didn’t care if he was a little early, he needed to go see Fiona, now that she actually was warming up to him.

  On his drive over to her apartment he thought about the way she reacted last night to seeing him with Blaire. It made him smile thinking about how furious her little Irish face got. She was so endearing. Any human could read every emotion off her face since she was so expressive which was new for him. He usually dealt with people who were fake toward him.

  After Booker returned to his table, Blaire didn’t let him live down that fact that his little crush was just obsessed about him as he was with her. Even though he loved his little sister he could really do without her jabs about his love life, not that he really had one. He was hoping to have a very satisfying love life after today.

  He pulled up to the pub and parked in the back so he could use the back door entrance that led straight up to the apartments. He locked up his jeep and headed for the stairs. When he was making his way up, a certain broad shouldered Irishman was making his way down, making Booker’s blood boil.

  Murphy stopped in his tracks and stared down at Booker, then plastered a smile on his face, that winning Irish smile and shook Booker’s hand.

  “Top of the mornin’, laddie. How are ya, tis fine mornin’?”

  Booker wanted to reach down Murphy’s throat and rip out his vocal cords so he wouldn’t be able to charm his way through a crowd anymore with that damn Irish brogue of his. Instead, Booker smiled and shook Murphy’s hand. “I’m doing just great, and you?”

  Murphy smirked and said, “Just great now.”

  Booker had to let go of the man’s hand because he was about to crush it with fury. Was he just leaving Fiona’s apartment? Seeing Murphy in the hallway of the O’Leary’s apartments was putting a damper on his superior mood.

  “Well that’s good. Just waiting for some snow and then I will cash in on those ski lessons.”

  “They are callin’ for a good amount this weekend. Ya might be cashin’ in sooner than ya thought.”

  Booker just nodded. They stared at each other for a second while Booker visualized smashing Murphy’s head through the wall. He shook the thoughts out of his head and tried to move pass the brawny Irishman. Murphy stood in his way and puffed out his chest. If the man wasn’t a good fifty pounds heavier than him, Booker would roll his eyes in Murphy’s blatant display of machismo.

  “Uh, would you mind I’m trying to get through. I’m meeting Fiona.”

  Murphy cracked his knuckles, making Booker feel a little nervous, was this man really going to fight him? He felt like he was in some terrible mob movie. Booker could hold his own in a fight, but when the man looked like Hugh Jackman when he was wolverine, it could bring a man down a few pegs.

  Murphy studied Booker and then let him through. “Sure, have a nice day.” Then Murphy was gone. The whole encounter was rather odd and made Booker feel uneasy, jealous and furious. He didn’t even want to think about Fiona spending the night with Murphy the night before he planned an elaborate day for him and her.

  He walked up to her apartment and before he knocked on her door he decided to gather himself and assess her apartment before he went and started accusing her of sleeping with a man the same night they shared one of the most passionate kisses he ever experienced. He had to give Fiona a little more credit than that.

  He let out a slow breath and knocked on her door. He heard her on the other side struggling to get to the door and saying something.

  “Damn it Murphy, I told you to get out of here before Book…” That’s when she opened the door, wearing only a robe and her hair a mess like the blow dryer attacked her and a look of surprise on her face. “Oh my.” She peeked her head down the hallway, most likely to see if Murphy was gone and then said, “Uh, you’re here early.”

  Booker lost all reasoning in his head and said, “Oh sorry, was I interrupting something?” He felt so stupid, why did he think he could actually have Fiona to himself. She never committed to him and was always pulling herself away from him.

  “You’re not interrupting.” She ran her hand over her head trying to smooth out her hair.

  “Um, ok. Listen, forget about today.” He started to walk away when she pulled on his shoulder.

  “Where are you going? We had a date for today.”

  He looked at her as if she was crazy. “Do you really think I’m going to go on a date with you when you spent the whole night with that macho man?” Booker said while flinging his arm in the direction of the stairs.

  Fiona’s mouth dropped open in shock and that’s when Booker realized he lost his cool and made a huge mistake. If Fiona actually slept with Murphy her face would have been beet red from embarrassment of being caught. Booker swore under his breath and was about to retract his statement when she slapped him in the face.

  “How dare you. Did last night not tell you how interested I am in you? I would never agree to be with you today and let my guard down if I had someone else. If you must know, Murphy came over this morning to take me out to breakfast but I turned him down and told him I had a more important engagement. Apparently, I was wrong.”

  She started to slam the door when he stepped in the doorway to stop her. “Get out. You are not the guy I thought you were if you think of me that way.”

  Booker held up his hand in silence. “Fiona, I’m sorry. I’m a jealous idiot. There is something about that man that gets on my nerves that makes me forget all my rational thinking and lash out without looking at the facts. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” He tried to put on a pouting face, which seemed to work because he saw her face crack with a slight smile. She took her hand and ran it over his face trying to get rid of his pouty lip.

  “Don’t count on that working again.” She said while opening the door.

  He stepped in and said, “Let’s start over.” He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. He played with the silky-ness of her robe between his fingers when he said, “Good morning gorgeous.”

  “You’re early.” She said with a smirk.

  “I couldn’t wait to see you this morning.”

  She pulled herself away and started walking toward her bathroom. “Is that right? You couldn’t wait a couple more minutes to see me?”

  He followed her and pulled her in close again. “No I couldn’t wait.” He pulled her lips up towards his and kissed her with all the pent up passion he built up over the night. She had the softest lips he had ever experienced and if he didn’t pull away soon enough, he was going to have a problem in his pants.

  He pulled away and she looked up at him in a dream-like state. “Mmm, what was that for?”

  He played with the strap on her robe and said, “Just because I can.” He untied her robe and she quickly grasped it closed.

  Swatting his hand she said, “Just because I agreed to go out with you doesn’t mean you have an all access pass, mister.”

  “Not like I haven’t seen it before.” He said smiling.

  “Well, if you plan on seeing it again you better watch yourself.” She turned on her heels and headed for the bathroom. “Make yourself at home. I will be ready in ten minutes.”

  “Hurry up we’re on a schedule you know.” He looked at one of the woman magazines that was on her coffee table. The main headline was Ten Ways to Orally Please Your Man. Booker sat up straight and his interest peaked. He wondered if Fiona actually read the article. He started to open the magazine feeling a little dirty when she came in the room.

  “What is so impor…” Then he heard her chuckling form the bathroom. “You find yourself some reading material?”

  He peeked over the top of the magazine and said, “Have you read this article?”

  He saw her face start to flush and he got his answer. “That is for me to know and for you to find out.”

  He planted a huge smile on his face. “So, will I find out later tonight?”

  She pointed a stern finger at him. “Don’t push your luck. You’re still on thin ice from your accusation
s this morning.”

  He threw his hands up in defense. “Got it.” He looked down at his watch and noticed it was eight already and she was still in her robe. “Uh, I know I’m on thin ice here but I just want to remind you that we are on a schedule here.”

  He heard her toss a hairbrush on the counter and rummage in her bathroom. She shut the door and left him to his own comment. Well, that went well. He made a note to himself, she was not the best at keeping time.

  Ten minutes later she came out of the bathroom wearing dark skinny jeans, a tight green sweater and a white winter hat on her head. She wore little make-up but whatever she did apply on her face made her beautiful honey brown eyes pop. She looked so sexy it took every ounce of his energy not to throw her on the couch and take her. They were running late and he needed to keep reminding himself that.

  “You look amazing.” He got up and made his way toward her. He would dabble in a quick kiss and then get her out the door.

  “Thank you.” She was able to say before he took over her lips with his. He couldn’t get enough of her. Her perfume drew him in closer causing him to pull away abruptly. She wiped her mouth and stared at him.

  “Listen, you need to stop doing that.”

  He looked at her confused. “The kissing or the pulling away?”

  “Both, you are teasing me right now and it’s not fair. No more kissing today. You hear me?”

  “No kissing at all?” He tried the pouty lip again.”

  She shook her finger at him and grabbed her jacket. “Not going to work, no kissing…or touching. Just keep all your body parts to yourself. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company.”

  That didn’t seem like the date he had planned but since she actually agreed to go out with him, he would play by her rules…just for today.

  “So where are we going?”

  “If I can actually get you out the door I can show you.”

  She rolled her eyes at him, escorted him outside and locked up. They got in his Jeep without breaking the touching rule and he drove toward their first destination. He asked about her night’s sleep but when she was talking all he could think about was the article he read at her apartment and he hoped later tonight the touching ban will disperse and he can see if Fiona paid attention to the article.