“So will you do it then, Georgia?
Will you pretend to be engaged to me?”
She was tempted, she could admit that much to herself. It was a
small thing, after all. Just to help her lover out of a tight spot. And oh, he
was a wonderful lover, she thought, her heart beginning to trip wildly in her
chest. The time spent with him in the past couple of weeks had been…fabulous.
But this was something else again.
“I can help you get your business license,” he offered. “You’re
bogged down in the mire of bureaucratic speak, and I don’t know as you’d noticed
or not, but things in Ireland move at their own pace. You could be a woman with
a walker by the time you got that license pushed through on your own.”
She gave him a hard look. “But you’re a magician?”
“I’ve a way about me, that’s true. But also, I know some of
those that are in charge of these things and frankly, as the owner of Irish Air,
I carry a bit more weight to my words than you would.”
He could. Darn it. She’d already seen for herself that working
her way through the reams of paperwork was going to be mind-boggling.
“I could see you settled and ready for business much faster
than you could do it on your own.”
“Are you trying to bribe me?”
He grinned, unashamed. “I am and doing a damn fine job of it if
you ask me.”
Staring up into his brown eyes, shining now with the excitement
for his plan, Georgia knew she was pretty much done. And let’s face it, she told
herself, he’d had her from the jump. Not only was it a great excuse to keep
their affair going—but she knew how worried he was about Ailish and she felt for
him. He had probably never doubted for a moment that he’d be able to talk her
into joining him in his insanity. Even before the
really superior bribe.
He was unlike anyone she’d ever known, Georgia thought.
Everything about him was outrageous. Why wouldn’t a proposal from Sean Connolly
be the same?
“And, did you know there’s a cottage for sale at the edge of
the village?”
“Is that the one I hear you were talking to someone named Brian
about?”
“Ah, the Dunley express,” he said with a grin. “Talk about it
in the pub and it’s as good as published in the paper. No, this isn’t Brian’s
mum’s place. He’s rented it just last week to Sinead and Michael when they come
home.”
“Oh.” Well, there went a perfectly good cottage. “I spoke to
Mary this afternoon, and she didn’t say a thing about a cottage for sale.”
“She doesn’t know all,” Sean said, bending to plant one quick,
hard kiss on her lips. “For example, I own two of the cottages near the close at
the end of main. Not far from your new shop…”
That last bit he let hang there long enough for Georgia to
consider it. Then he continued.
“They’re small, but well kept. Close to the village center and
with a faery wood in the back.”
She shook her head and laughed. “A what?”
He smiled, that delicious, slow curve of his mouth that
promised wickedness done to perfection. “A faery wood, where if you stand and
make a wish on the full of the moon, you might get just what your heart yearns
for.” He paused. “Or, the faeries might snatch you away to live forever in their
raft beneath the trees.”
With the song of Ireland in his voice, even the crazy sounded
perfectly reasonable. “Faeries.”
“You’d live in Ireland and dismiss them?” he challenged, his
eyes practically twinkling now with good humor and banked laughter.
“Sean…”
“I could be convinced to make you a very good deal on either of
the cottages, if…”
“You’re evil,” she said softly. “My mother used to warn me
about men like you.”
“An intelligent woman to be sure. I liked her very much when we
met at Ronan’s wedding.”
Her mother had liked him, too. But then, her mom liked
everybody. Georgia could remember being like that once upon a time. Before her
ex-husband had left her for her cheerleader cousin and
Will you pretend to be engaged to me?”
She was tempted, she could admit that much to herself. It was a
small thing, after all. Just to help her lover out of a tight spot. And oh, he
was a wonderful lover, she thought, her heart beginning to trip wildly in her
chest. The time spent with him in the past couple of weeks had been…fabulous.
But this was something else again.
“I can help you get your business license,” he offered. “You’re
bogged down in the mire of bureaucratic speak, and I don’t know as you’d noticed
or not, but things in Ireland move at their own pace. You could be a woman with
a walker by the time you got that license pushed through on your own.”
She gave him a hard look. “But you’re a magician?”
“I’ve a way about me, that’s true. But also, I know some of
those that are in charge of these things and frankly, as the owner of Irish Air,
I carry a bit more weight to my words than you would.”
He could. Darn it. She’d already seen for herself that working
her way through the reams of paperwork was going to be mind-boggling.
“I could see you settled and ready for business much faster
than you could do it on your own.”
“Are you trying to bribe me?”
He grinned, unashamed. “I am and doing a damn fine job of it if
you ask me.”
Staring up into his brown eyes, shining now with the excitement
for his plan, Georgia knew she was pretty much done. And let’s face it, she told
herself, he’d had her from the jump. Not only was it a great excuse to keep
their affair going—but she knew how worried he was about Ailish and she felt for
him. He had probably never doubted for a moment that he’d be able to talk her
into joining him in his insanity. Even before the
really superior bribe.
He was unlike anyone she’d ever known, Georgia thought.
Everything about him was outrageous. Why wouldn’t a proposal from Sean Connolly
be the same?
“And, did you know there’s a cottage for sale at the edge of
the village?”
“Is that the one I hear you were talking to someone named Brian
about?”
“Ah, the Dunley express,” he said with a grin. “Talk about it
in the pub and it’s as good as published in the paper. No, this isn’t Brian’s
mum’s place. He’s rented it just last week to Sinead and Michael when they come
home.”
“Oh.” Well, there went a perfectly good cottage. “I spoke to
Mary this afternoon, and she didn’t say a thing about a cottage for sale.”
“She doesn’t know all,” Sean said, bending to plant one quick,
hard kiss on her lips. “For example, I own two of the cottages near the close at
the end of main. Not far from your new shop…”
That last bit he let hang there long enough for Georgia to
consider it. Then he continued.
“They’re small, but well kept. Close to the village center and
with a faery wood in the back.”
She shook her head and laughed. “A what?”
He smiled, that delicious, slow curve of his mouth that
promised wickedness done to perfection. “A faery wood, where if you stand and
make a wish on the full of the moon, you might get just what your heart yearns
for.” He paused. “Or, the faeries might snatch you away to live forever in their
raft beneath the trees.”
With the song of Ireland in his voice, even the crazy sounded
perfectly reasonable. “Faeries.”
“You’d live in Ireland and dismiss them?” he challenged, his
eyes practically twinkling now with good humor and banked laughter.
“Sean…”
“I could be convinced to make you a very good deal on either of
the cottages, if…”
“You’re evil,” she said softly. “My mother used to warn me
about men like you.”
“An intelligent woman to be sure. I liked her very much when we
met at Ronan’s wedding.”
Her mother had liked him, too. But then, her mom liked
everybody. Georgia could remember being like that once upon a time. Before her
ex-husband had left her for her cheerleader cousin and
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