“I’m not saying it should be tied to a man. Men aren’t meant to be the answer to your happiness. But a partner – a good one – can enhance your life.”
“I think I’m good.” Fi shrugged.
“Are you? I wonder.”
“Now is not the time to wax philosophical, my love,” Fi said, gently putting her walls up.
“Ahh, if ever there was a time to get philosophical it’s at three in the morning after a dram or three of whiskey. The witching hour, Fi – it brings out great truths.”
“Drunks and children never lie,” Fi agreed.
Grace threw back her head and laughed. “I love you, Fi. Now I’m going to take my man out of here. I trust you’ll make sure Liam gets home safe?”
“Me? Why me? He’s got friends here,” Fi pouted.
“All of whom have women with other things on their mind.”
Fi looked up to see various couples slipping from the pub, arms thrown around each other and whispering into each other’s ears.
“Fine. I’ll make sure Liam gets safely home.”
“That’s a good lass. Have I told you I loved you today?”
“You have. Many a time. I’m happy for you, Gracie. Dylan’s a good man and I know you’ll have a beautiful life together.”
“Oh, and there’s herself trying to make me shed a wee tear at this hour,” Gracie said, squeezing Fi’s arm before retreating across the room to throw her arms around Dylan. The pickings were slim on the dance floor, and aside from Liam, Margaret and Sean, and her mum and da, everyone had slipped out the door. The DJ let the last song play out and everyone looked up at the silence that blanketed the room.
“Go on, all of you. I swear if I see any of ye trying to clean up I won’t come to Gracie’s wedding,” Cait threatened, switching into pub-owner mode and making shooing motions with her hands. Fi came around the bar to say her goodbyes and was shocked when her mum motioned her to the door. “You as well, Fi. Get on with ye.”
“But this is my party. I’m supposed to clean up.”
“Liam, you’ll be seeing Fi gets home safely,” Cait instructed Liam, who slanted one eye closed and grinned lopsidedly at her.
“This man? He’s so pissed he can barely stand,” Fi laughed.
“Then you’ve a duty to see him home. Go on then, Fi. You’ve a duty to our guests.”
“Ye can’t be serious right now. Kicking me out of me own pub at three in the morning?”
“I’ll be reminding you the pub is mine, and you’re lucky I let you tend to it.” Cait pointed to the door. “Out.”
“And I’ll be reminding you of this the next time you’re down a barmaid and call me for help,” Fi groused as she stepped out the door with a humming Liam. Her mouth dropped open when the door slammed shut behind her. “Me own mum. Turning me out on the street with a drunken man. She’s obviously not concerned for me safety.”
“You’re a fearsome woman, Fi. I wouldn’t want to be meeting you in a dark alley. Unless you’re wearing that dress and feeling amorous about me,” Liam said, grabbing her arm and trying to swing her into a lopsided two-step.
“Oh, hold on, let’s straighten you out then,” Fi sighed, and tucked her arm through Liam’s, tugging him down the street. Then she stopped, so suddenly that he almost bowled her over when he kept going. “I don’t know where you live.”
“It’s… on a street.” Liam squinted down the darkened street, turning in a full circle. “Hmm. One of these.”
“Is that so? And which one of them is it?”
“One with a flat on it.”
“And what does the building look like?”
“It has a blue door.” Liam stopped, looked up at the sky, and then at her again. “Damn, Fi, have I told you how delicious you look tonight? I want to just slurp you up like an ice cream cone.”
“Ohhhkay, let’s get you on then,” Fi said, ignoring the shivers of lust that raced through her at his words. Her body definitely remembered being devoured by Liam’s mouth, and every second had been a dream. Realizing she had no choice, Fi tugged his arm to direct him down the street toward the water and her apartment building. Liam hummed an incoherent song the whole way, and when they stopped in front of her door, he pulled her close.
“Hey!” Fi said.
“I didn’t get to dance with you tonight. Dance with me, pretty Fi?”
“I… fine, Liam, I’ll dance with you,” Fi said, and allowed Liam to pull her close. He smelled of the sea, she realized, as she pressed against his body and nestled her face into his chest. Salt water and something more earthy – all male, though. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he sang to her, in Gaelic this time, and moved them in a slow dance under the wan light of the moon. The waves lapped gently at the shore, and Fi wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying his warmth. For a moment, she let herself sway there in his arms and imagined coming home every night to him – this gentle giant of a man who could still respect her and make her feel safe even if he’d drunk an entire pub’s worth of whiskey.
“Come on, Liam. Let’s get you to bed,” Fi said, pulling away before her heart made her do something silly, like telling him she wanted more. She tugged him upstairs.
The man was asleep before he hit the bed. Once she’d made sure he was comfortable, with a glass of water by his head, Fi peeled off her dress and put on a loose tank and sleep pants. Curling into her window seat, she watched the moonlight dance across the water and wondered just what it was she was searching for.
Chapter 21
Fi jolted awake when she was gathered into someone’s arms. Confused, she pushed back and glanced around blurrily, trying to figure out where she was and what was happening.
“Shh, I’m just bringing you to bed,” Liam whispered against her ear.
Fi blinked up at him as he cradled her close, bringing her down the hallway and depositing her on the bed. Her mouth dropped open when he crawled in next to her, pulled her to him, and tugged the blanket over the both of them. Wanting to protest, but also enjoying the comfort of his warmth, Fi allowed sleep to pull her under.
Hours later, Fi blinked awake once more, shocked to feel an arm tossed loosely around her waist. For a moment, she let herself lie there, enjoying the feel of a man in her bed, before she shifted and started to slip from under the sheets.
“Good morning… or should I say afternoon?” Liam snagged her wrist and tugged her back down.
“Is it that late already?” Fi asked, sitting stiffly on the side of the bed and refusing to lie back down with him. A part of her admitted he looked super cozy, and with the way her head felt right now, she’d love nothing more than to crawl back into bed and nestle in his arms. But because of that feeling, she lightly detached his hand. “I have to use the toilet. Would you like a coffee?”
“Tea, if you have it,” Liam said, smiling at her in such a disarming way that Fi felt her stomach flutter. He looked adorable with his hair rumpled and eyes sleepy. At some point in the night he must have taken his shirt off, and her eyes trailed across the muscles of his chest, causing the flutter in her stomach to kick up a notch. Taking a deep breath, Fi skedaddled to the bathroom, reminding herself firmly that this man had recently rejected her advances and now was not the time to get those thoughts about him. She was determined to keep Liam in the friend zone, as she had promised herself to do the other night after she’d tossed him out of her flat. This wasn’t the first time he had made her want more, but she didn’t have the head or heart for playing games with a man. Never one to engage in manipulation or flirting tactics, Fi had always missed the greater subtleties that came with the dating game. Instead, she’d put it out there when she wanted to be with someone, and if they didn’t feel the same, she moved on. Simple. It should be simple, Fi repeated to herself as she padded to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Why did things with Liam not feel simple?
“I went to the shops yesterday if you fancy a brekkie,” Fi called down the hallway. Liam let out a raucous cheer, which she took for a
yes, so she began pulling ingredients from the fridge. In moments she had the tomatoes cut and bacon on a tray for the oven. Popping the bread in the toaster, she poured beans into a pan on the stove and cracked eggs into a bowl. Humming, Fi prepared the tea, then poured the eggs into a pan, content with cooking. Though her mum had never been a great cook, her dad had enjoyed teaching her the basics in the kitchen. Between the two of them, Fi could mix a mean cocktail and serve a solid meal without breaking a sweat.
“How’s your head then?” Fi asked when Liam appeared on the other side of her breakfast bar. She had decided to gloss over the fact that they’d just been snuggling in bed together.
“It’s a bit fuzzy, but nothing I can’t handle.” Liam gratefully accepted the mug of tea she handed him.
“You were delightfully in your cups last night.” Fi shot him a look.
“As were you, if I recall. Although all I can seem to focus on is you in that dress. Why must you play with a man’s heart so?” Liam groused.
Fi chuckled. “I wasn’t planning on seeing any men last night, it’s your fault the lot of you showed up.”
“And I’ll be forever grateful to Dylan for making us go. The sight of you in that dress will be always burned into my brain. I don’t guess you’d be wanting to put it back on for me while you serve me breakfast, will you?”
Fi slanted him a look.
“That’s a no, then. Though I must say, you’re looking as beautiful as ever in this lovely outfit as well. I can’t think there’s much you don’t look gorgeous in, though I think this look is particularly special. Maybe because I don’t think many men get to see it?” Liam pondered aloud.
Fi turned and put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”
“Me? I’m complimenting you.”
“Why?”
“Well, why not? Can’t I tell you that you look beautiful?”
“No, you can not.”
“Why not? I thought all women enjoyed hearing compliments.”
“They do. But you’re… complicating things.”
“How so? Honesty never complicates things.” Liam took a sip of his tea and studied her over the mug, his eyes stormy in his face as he tried to figure her out.
“Because you’ve rejected me. Again, mind you, and that’s told me all I need to know about where things are with us,” Fi said, turning to stir the eggs and to check the bacon in the oven.
“I did not reject you because of what you’re thinking. It just wasn’t the right time.”
“Well, the offer is off the table.”
“Sure and women are finicky ones, aren’t they?” Liam asked of no one in particular, raising his eyes to the ceiling and then bringing them back to Fi. “How is this fair to me? If I was pressuring you to have a shag, I’d be a lowlife male who only wanted one thing. But when you do it and I say no, then you’ll not be interested in me at all? I hardly think that’s fair, Fi.”
She stared at him for a moment, caught by his words. “Well, shite. When you say it like that, I guess I do sound like an arse, don’t I?”
“It’s just a double standard is all.” Liam shrugged a shoulder.
“You’re absolutely right, Liam. I’m sorry,” Fi said, leaning over to touch his arm, meaning every word. “I would be mad at you if you ran hot and cold on me if I turned you down for sex. That’s not right of me. For that I’m sorry. Can I offer you breakfast as an apology?”
“Ah, food. The way to me heart.” Liam smiled his disarming smile, and Fi’s heart flipped in her chest. Loading his plate and then hers, she rounded the breakfast bar and climbed onto the stool next to his. For a few moments, they ate in companionable silence, while Fi’s brain worked through what was bugging her.
“I think then… all things considered… it’s best if we are friends,” Fi said, tentatively broaching the conversation.
“I’ve never stopped being your friend,” Liam said, cutting into his baked tomato.
“I know. I just mean… that’s it, just friends. It’s probably best.”
“How so?”
“Because you’re here. I travel a lot. Long distance rarely works. All that. I like you, Liam. I always have. Best not to muck things up with a relationship,” Fi said, feeling more confident as the words tumbled out.
“I travel a lot as well, Fi. We often travel to the same places. I suspect we would travel well together, if you allowed it.”
“I’m sure we would. But… well, I think it’s maybe too complicated. We have a lot of overlapping friends and business partners. Don’t you think it’s best not to complicate things?” Fi turned, her eyes meeting his.
“No,” Liam said simply, before turning back to his meal.
“Well, I’m not sure how to respond to that,” Fi admitted, huffing out a laugh as she pushed her plate away and stood, carrying her mug to her window seat. The seat had already become her comfort zone and now, with the moody sky outside reflecting her inner turmoil, she sipped her tea and curled up to watch the water.
“Does everything always line up in a neat row in your life?” Liam asked, nudging her so she moved over on the seat. Though there was barely enough room for the both of them, Liam managed to wedge himself across from her so she could study the handsome edges to his face.
“Usually, yes,” Fi admitted, turning away to scan the water once more. “I like being in control.”
“And this makes you feel out of control?” Liam asked, gesturing with his mug to the two of them.
“There is no this,” Fi grumbled.
Liam smiled, this time an almost feral smile that shot lust straight to her gut. “Come on, Fi. I never fancied you for a liar.”
“Fine – obviously there’s an attraction here. A basic, healthy lust. We’re two attractive people. We have a bit of a history. That’s normal. It’s not a big deal,” Fi said.
“Isn’t it? What if I wanted it to be a big deal?”
“Well, you’ll be having to look for that from another woman, Liam. I’m leaving the day after next for my next project. I won’t likely be back here until the wedding.” Fi had taken a project that she’d been offered two days ago. It had come as a bit of a surprise, but she’d felt like it was the right choice for her career. Luckily, if she could wrap things up quickly, she’d only be gone for a few weeks.
“I can wait,” Liam decided.
“Can you? Because this is my life, Liam. One that I dearly love. I love traveling to different countries, often with little notice. I pack lightly, rarely stay long, and keep moving. It’s important to me to explore the world.”
“I’m a sailor, Fi. That’s what I do.”
“Aye, but I’m not. So we’ll be exploring the world on our different paths,” Fi said, and then softened when he just looked at her. “Listen, we’re mates, okay? I like you, Liam. I really do. But I think it’s more important to me that we stay friends than try something that might ruin our relationship. I won’t deny an attraction, but I think it’s best for all involved if we stay as just friends.”
“I’ll respect your decision, on one condition,” Liam said, reaching out to play with her fingers.
“What’s the condition?”
“If the time comes where you may think differently, you’ll allow me to try and change your mind.”
“Why? You could have any woman. Why are you after me?”
“Because you’re not any woman, Fi. I can bide my time.”
“That’s not… that was not my intention for this conversation,” Fi said, shooting a frustrated glance at Liam as he left the window seat and began to tidy the kitchen.
“That’s fine. I’m excellent at negotiating, Fi. I know when to back off and when to push. You’re not ready.”
“I may never be ready. I may always just want to be friends,” Fi all but shouted from across the room.
“That’s fine with me too. But I suspect I’ll be changing your mind at some point.”
“This is not… Liam. No. You can’t put that ou
t there. It’ll just make things weird.”
“You’re the only one making things weird. We’re friends. I’ve got it.” Liam held up his hands and smiled at her across the bar. “Though I can’t promise what the town will think about me leaving your apartment mid-afternoon after a late night at the pub.”
“Ah, shite,” Fi swore and glanced out the window. The man was absolutely right, and wasn’t that enough to put her in a mood?
Chapter 22
“What’s this I hear Liam was seen leaving your place yesterday afternoon? And from Mary Margaret of all people, not even me own kin?” Gracie demanded when Fi strolled into the pub the next evening. She had come for a last pint with her family before her flight in the morning.
“And a good evening to you, Miss Gracie, it’s lovely to see you’ve recuperated just fine from your hen party. Oh, and you’re right welcome, you are, for me throwing you such a fine bash.” Fi stuck a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at Grace.
“Oh, would you hush up? I was getting to all that, I was,” Grace said. Then, jumping from the stool, she threw her arms around Fi, nearly bowling her over before dragging her to the bar. “It was the best hen party I’ve ever had.”
“It’s the only hen party you’ve ever had,” Fi pointed out, settling onto a stool and smiling over at Cait, who was arguing with Mr. Murphy at the other end of the bar.
“Hello, Fi. Thank you for throwing my fiancée a lovely party the other night. She gushed about it all day long yesterday.” Dylan leaned over from his seat next to Grace and smiled at her.
“There – that’s a proper thank you. Unlike this ungrateful wench here,” Fi sniffed.
“I swear to the goddess, if you don’t give me the details on Liam, like, now, I’m going to throttle you.” Gracie smacked her palm on the bar.
“Gracie, I’m sure you’re not asking my own daughter if she slept with a man in front of her mum, are you?” Cait demanded from behind the bar.
Grace had the decency to blush. “No, ma’am, I’m not.”
“That’s a good girl. Now, Fi, you’d better be telling the truth about why Liam was seen leaving your apartment yesterday afternoon. No lying to your mum, now.”
Wild Irish Dreamer (The Mystic Cove Series Book 8) Page 10