My heart started pounding, but I kept moving forward. Once I was inside, an older woman approached me. She wore a long black skirt, black high heels, and a white blouse that was tucked neatly into her skirt.
“Mr. Parker?” she asked politely. That was a good sign. Surely Aedin wouldn’t kill me with witnesses around.
Clearing my throat, I replied, “Yes. Cord Parker.”
“I’m Jess, one of Mr. O’Sullivan’s assistants.”
One of them? Shit. Who is this guy?
“It’s nice to meet you,” I replied with a tight smile.
She nodded and then handed me a bottle of water. “Your mother has asked that you keep hydrated since you’re still getting over the flu.”
Staring down at the water, I couldn’t believe my mother’s powers reached across the goddamn Atlantic Ocean.
“Um, okay. Thank you,” I replied while taking the water from her. She waited for me to actually open it and take a drink. When I did, she smiled with satisfaction.
“Follow me, sir.”
I glanced out one of the large windows and saw Aunt Vi was talking to someone. A man. We walked by so quickly though that I couldn’t tell who it was, but it sure as hell looked like Aedin.
I started to sweat. He was going to have me roughed up first. Have one of his guys teach me a lesson.
My hand raked through my hair, and I let out a groan.
“What was that, sir?” Jess asked.
“Um, nothing.”
She opened the door to a large room that housed a table on one side, probably for meetings and such, and on the opposite side a stunning desk that sat in front of floor-to-ceiling windows.
“It will only be a few moments, Mr. Parker. Make yourself at home. In the corner is a bar if you’d like something stronger than water.”
I nodded while looking around. Behind the meeting desk, bookshelves covered the entire span of the wall. The shelves reminded me of the ones in Aisling.
“Thank you,” I said, making my way farther into the room. The door clicked behind me.
Blowing out a sigh, I made my way over to the bar. I hadn’t eaten anything except the apple and two bananas Aunt Vi had practically pushed down my throat. I walked behind the bar to see what the stash was, and my eyes widened in disbelief.
“Holy fucking shit.”
My eyes scanned the booze. Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Bunnahabhain Limited Edition, Macallan Sherrywood forty-year-old single malt scotch, which I knew was about a fourteen-thousand-dollar bottle. Dalmore, Glenfarcias…and shit. He even had Glenfiddich. One of the best damn Scotch Whiskys around.
I shook my head and opened the water, taking a long drink from it. I moved back around the bar and over to the small sitting area. There were two chairs that flanked a large sofa. I sat down and dropped my head in my hands after I placed the water on the table.
My head was fucking pounding, my entire body aching from this damn flu. I was honest-to-God surprised my fever had broken. I felt like crap. I rubbed my fingertips on my temples and groaned. Maybe it was just the idea of meeting with Maebh’s father.
“Fucking flu,” I said as I moved my hands and scrubbed my face before closing my eyes and dropping my head against the sofa. I knew if I wasn’t careful, I’d fall asleep. I let my body relax some and the most beautiful green eyes popped into my mind.
I smiled and whispered, “Maebh.” I slowly felt myself slipping into sleep before someone cleared their throat.
A shiver ran down my back, and I knew she was in the room.
“You look like shite.”
My stomach dropped at the sound of her voice and me smile grew bigger. “I feel like it, too.”
Lifting my head, I saw the most beautiful woman on Earth standing with her hands crossed over her chest. The woman I loved more than my own life. The woman I planned on winning back. The woman I planned on making love to by the end of the day if it killed me. That woman was dressed in a white lace outfit that instantly had my cock going stiff. Under the lace was a bra that looked like a damn sports bra and white shorts that looked like nothing more than the boy short panties she loved.
“Maebh,” I whispered as I stood. Closing my eyes, I tried to get the room to stop spinning.
“Are you okay?” she asked, my entire body to shuddering at her touch.
“I am now,” I breathed out, staring in her beautiful emerald eyes.
Her mouth twitched with a smile.
“Wait, am I dreaming?”
Now she did smile. A full-blown, knock-me-off-my-damn-feet kind of smile. “No, why?”
“Well, for one thing, you’re standing here with me. You’re not yelling and accusing me of cheating. Your dad’s not in here threatening to have the Irish mafia kick my ass. Something’s wrong.”
Maebh doubled over laughing and moved next to me, prompting me to sit down on the sofa. The back of her hand came to my forehead the moment I sat. She shook her head and let out a breath.
“What are you doing flying across the ocean when you’re sick, you eejit?”
“The moment I heard what bullshit Kylie pulled, I needed to get to you. You needed to hear it from me that nothing happened with her. I swear on my family’s life, nothing happened.”
“So you jumped on a private plane and flew here?” she asked.
I nodded. “My mother wouldn’t let me leave unless I was fever free.” I pouted and Maebh shook her head, trying to hide the grin.
“Smart woman,” Maebh whispered, reaching for my water and handing it to me. “You don’t have a fever, but you certainly don’t look like you feel well.”
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “I don’t. I feel like shit.” Lifting my head again, our eyes met. “Maebh, I need you to know that nothing happened between me and Kylie. I would never hurt you, I promised you I would never—”
Her fingers pushed against my lips. She moved quickly and positioned herself with her legs straddling me and her body over my hardening cock.
“I already know nothing happened, and I’m sorry I ran.”
My brows pulled together in confusion and I stared at her. What did she mean she already knew? Why the hell did she leave and come to Ireland then?
Confused, I spoke the only word that would come out of my mouth. “Huh?”
Maebh let out a soft sigh and kissed me on the forehead before locking her gaze with mine. “I’m sorry I let her pull at those small doubts in me mind. She pushed the right buttons and caused me to turn and tuck tail. What I should have done was march past her little arse and straight up to you. If I had paid attention the second time I came over, I would have found you passed out from a fever and known she was bluffing. I think I knew deep down at the time she was lying, but it took me stubborn Irish arse time to realize it. I was going to leave to head back to America earlier today when me da stopped me. Melanie had already called him and told him you were on your way here. And to tell me nothing happened between you and Kylie, and that Kylie had played a cruel joke on me and even erased me text messages.” Her brow lifted as she added, “She is a piece of work, that one.”
“She’ll never bother us again. I want you to know I talked to her before we left, I needed to make sure she didn’t do anything to me while I was passed out.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“And?”
“She told me she had been getting dressed when you came back. She got the idea to crawl into the bed with me because she heard you coming up the stairs.”
Maebh’s eyes filled with anger.
“I told her to never look my way. She’ll never be a problem again, I promise you.”
“Okay, but I need you to know something. I’m not the type of woman who runs away from a problem, Cord. But seeing her standing in your place with nothing but your shirt on, and the things she said… It messed with me head a bit, I won’t lie. I don’t want to be jealous, but I am a wee bit.”
I cupped her face with my hands. “You’re the only wom
an I want. The only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to build a house together and fill it with babies and puppies.”
Maebh giggled. “Babies?” she asked, her eyes lighting up like Christmas morning. “How many babies are we talking about?”
“As many as you want. I love you, and I will always love you and only you. You’re it for me, Maebh. I can’t imagine living this life without you. I may have been scared when we first started dating, but I’m not anymore. I can’t promise you I won’t fuck up because this is still so new to me. All I know is that you make me feel alive and I’ve never loved anyone like I love you Please tell me you’re coming back home with me.”
Her teeth sank into her lip, and it felt like my entire world stopped in that moment as I waited for her to speak. I didn’t breathe, my heart didn’t beat, everything was at a stand-still.
“This will always be home, Cord. But now I have two homes. Here and Oak Springs.”
Relief rushed over my body and I took in a breath.
“I learned something the last few days though.”
“What’s that?” I asked, my thumb gliding over her soft cheek.
“Ireland is a part of me. I need her spirit to fill me soul. I want to come back often. Me da is going to be staying here, with the distillery. They need him, and I know that. But I want to visit more often.”
I nodded. “I think we can do that. Especially if he sends that private plane of his.”
Maebh giggled.
“Speaking of, Jesus H. Christ, Maebh. What in the fuck is all of this? You live in a castle? Darlin’ you’ve got some explaining to do.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not a castle like the Blarney Castle. Me family on Da’s side does have a bit of Irish nobility though. Not that it means much today. Me Da’s grandmother though, she is of British nobility. Lady Darby Grady is her given name. She is a very wealthy woman and very English. And me great-grandmother as well. They are both decedents of King Henry the eighth.”
“Wow. I’ll have to keep that bit of information in mind when we have fights cuz ol’ Henry didn’t fare too well at the end.” I rubbed my neck, and she playfully hit me on the chest, her body now fully seated on me. My cock was pushing up into her pussy and not only was my head spinning from being sick, but also because she was sitting on me.
“No, seriously, that’s pretty cool.”
She shrugged after a few seconds. “I don’t think much of it and neither did my parents. Me father built the distillery on his own and made it what it is today without the help of his ma or grandmother. She of course thinks we are Irish fools who don’t respect her English ways.”
“Is she right?”
Maebh simply winked and leaned down to kiss me. “We’ll talk about me family later. For right now, I want to kiss those lips. I hope you’re not still contagious.”
“I’m not, and if I am, I’ll take care of you when you get sick.”
Wrapping her arms around my neck, she leaned closer. My hand slipped behind her neck and brought her mouth to mine in a hard, needy kiss.
The emotion we both poured into the kiss was evident. Each of us saying how sorry we were, and how nothing like this would ever come between us again. It was fucking amazing what could be said with the silence of one kiss.
Maebh pulled back first, her forehead rested on mine while she breathed deeply.
“Promise me something, agra.”
“Anything,” she panted.
“You’ll talk to me next time. If anything scares you, or you think something is happening, talk to me before you leave.”
She drew her head back and pierced my eyes with hers. “I’ll never leave you again, I swear. And I also promise you I’ll never run again. If we have problems, we’ll talk to each other first.”
I closed my eyes and whispered, “Thank you,” before catching her gaze again. “I don’t think I could take you leaving me again. I couldn’t breathe while you were gone.”
“Neither could I,” she confessed. “And, Cord, I don’t want you to think I’m avoiding talking about me family. I think by now you’ve guessed I come from money, but it doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s not who I am or what defines me.”
It was my turn to press my fingers to her lips. “Maebh, I don’t care if you come from money or not. None of that changes who you are in here.”
Taking her hand, I pressed it to my chest.
“Money doesn’t mean anything to me either. All I want is for the two of us to be happy and pop out a couple of kids who are going to talk so fucked-up between your Irish accent and my southern drawl that we won’t know what in the hell they are saying.”
She laughed and slid her hands through my hair.
“I love you so much.”
“And I love you, my beautiful Irish cailin.”
“Kiss me again,” I whispered against her lips.
“Cord, me da and your aunt are waiting outside. We have to go.”
“No, we don’t have to go. We can stay here and…” Glancing around, I realized we were in her father’s office. “Yeah, we better get out of here.”
She climbed off of me. I slowly stood, letting the dizziness settle before reaching for my girl’s hand and walking back out.
When we emerged from the building, Aunt Vi was talking to Aedin. I’d never seen her smiling like that at a man before.
“Oh, hell.”
“What’s wrong?” Maebh asked.
“Aunt Vi is smitten with your father.”
Maebh glanced to them. “You think?”
Nodding, I wrapped my arm around her waist and guided her closer. Neither her dad or Aunt Vi even noticed we had walked up. We stood there and stared before glancing at each other. Maebh chewed slightly on her lip while trying not to smile. I couldn’t help but wonder how she felt about her father moving on with someone else. I knew he’d loved his wife more than anything, but even Maebh had been worried he was beginning to get lonely.
I cleared my throat and that got Aunt Vi and Aedin’s attention. Looking our way, their faces brightened.
“I take it things are all good?” Vi asked, glancing down to my arm around Maebh.
“Yes. They’re perfect!” Maebh declared.
“I hope you don’t have to rush back to the states. I’d love to fish some in the river, Cord, when you’re feeling better,” Aedin said.
“Yes, I’d love that.” I made a mental note to ask Maebh why she had never fished before when she lived on this fucking amazing river. I’d be out there every damn day.
“I think we should head to the house. Cord isn’t feeling so great, and I think he needs to lie down.” Maebh said.
Aedin motioned for us to get into the car. The drive up to the main house wasn’t that long. The car pulled around the circular drive and up to the massive house.
“Tell me about this place, Aedin,” Aunt Vi said.
I could see the pride in his face when we all stepped out of the car.
“Castle Finghin has been in my family since the early eighteen-hundreds. My family has occupied it since, with the exception of when me da married me ma. They moved to England for a bit before me da couldn’t take it and moved back. The house sits on a large amount of land.”
“How many acres?” I asked.
“Three hundred, though at one time, most of the small town we drove through once belonged to me family.”
“Wow,” I said, as Aunt Vi made her way up the giant stone steps.
“It’s four-story, forty-five-thousand square feet with ten suites and ten additional bedrooms. There is also a twenty-seat-cinema, a library, a spa with an indoor pool, and two wine cellars.”
“I’ll sleep in one of those cellars tonight,” Aunt Vi stated.
We all laughed as the door opened and an older man stepped out and greeted us.
“George, this is me boyfriend, Cord Parker. And his aunt, Vi Parker.”
George gave us both a small bow. “Your room is ready, ma’am.
I’ll personally show you to it.”
Aunt Vi smiled and replied, “Thank you so much.”
“Once you rest, we’ll take a trip into town, and I’ll show you around,” Aedin stated.
A scenic tour was going to have to wait. My head was killing me, and I needed to spend time with Maebh.
“We’ll see how Cord feels in a bit. Let’s get you settled in, shall we?” Maebh said, looking back over her shoulder at the guy who had been our driver. “Dalton, you can leave Cord’s bag there. We can get it.”
“Yes, Ms. O’Sullivan.”
It was strange having people waiting on us, and I was positive Maebh knew I felt that way. Aunt Vi didn’t mind it, but I wasn’t about to let some guy carry my small bag up the steps. Fuck no.
“Let’s go,” Maebh said, quickly taking my hand as I reached for my bag and we walked through the door.
My mouth dropped at the sight before me. The foyer was fucking beautiful. I looked straight up and saw a stained glass dome ceiling. A massive chandelier hung down and stopped at the second level. The iron work on the stair railing had the most beautiful details I’d ever seen.
“There’s a jeb door at the top that leads to a forty-acre rose garden on top of the house,” Aedin said, causing Aunt Vi to gasp.
“A rose garden?” she asked, her eyes lifting all the way up.
“Yes, ten thousand rose bushes.”
“I have to see it, this instant.”
Aedin’s face lit up. “Do you like roses, Vi?”
“Do I like roses? Do cows shit in pastures?”
Maebh covered her mouth to hide her giggle while I let out a groan. Aedin laughed his damn ass off. Clearly he liked Aunt Vi’s crude sense of humor.
“Come on, I’ll take you up there. You can get settled after we take a stroll.”
Aunt Vi started up the steps and then stopped, glancing over her shoulder. “Maebh, you’ve got babysitting duty now. I’m off the clock.”
Lifting her hand and saluting my aunt, Maebh replied, “Got it. I’ll take the job seriously.”
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