remedies sometimes
work best. I can see myself home thank you.” Without meaning to
half the bottle ended up squirted on her foot.
“ That’s
ridiculous Ash. I am going that way. I can drive you to the hotel.
You can hardly walk,” he placed a hand on her shoulder which was
shrugged off.
“ It’s my
afternoon off. I have errands to run.” She turned away hoping he
wouldn’t notice that her voice had taken on a high-pitched sound.
She still had to face him in the morning and the day after. This
was so embarrassing.
“ Are you
crying?” he was developing powers of perception at the worst
possible time.
“ I splashed
lemon juice in my eyes,” she said. Hoping he’d leave. The stinging
was not so bad but his rejection still hurt like he’d kicked her on
the soft part of the shin.
“ If this is
about the kiss, then forget it. I won’t take advantage of you.
Let’s not complicate the deal we have.” He placed his hands in his
pocket and kicked the heel of one foot with the toe of the
other.
Was he trying to be a
chivalrous gentleman? How sweet. There was a chance she might never
get a chance to experience anything exciting and adventurous and he
wanted to suck all the joy out of her life. Did he have any idea
what her potential life could look like? Of course he
didn’t.
“ Kieran, you
are such a fool.” She strode up to him and grabbed onto his tie,
pulling him closer. His hands were still in his pocket, his eyes
were wide open and she placed her thigh between his legs and leaned
in. He gasped in surprise. She let him. After all, he deserved that
scared deer-in-the lights-look.
As his lips were barely
an inch she took the tip of her tongue and traced a pattern along
the edge of his lips. He tasted of coffee and mint. And something
she couldn’t describe. That heavy feeling in her belly came back
with a vengeance. She didn’t know whether to step back from the
force of it, or to plunge herself into him and bathe in the beauty
of it.
She teased open his mouth
with little nips and waited for him to comply with her pleas. As
his mouth opened she slipped her tongue into his mouth and waited
for the rush of sensation to catch up with the rate of her heart.
“Kieran.” His name was barely whispered when his lips were crushed
against hers.
The instant she felt him
pull away she moaned and pulled him closer. But like some dream she
couldn’t get back to, he stepped back.
“ We shouldn’t
Ash. It’s not fair on you.” His hands swept across his face and he
sighed. “I respect you too much.”
Wow. That was definitely
a new one. He was definitely old school. Grabbing her bag Ash
dabbed the hot tears spilling on her cheeks with her forearm as she
walked away. She hadn’t cried once when they stripped her of her
crown, but she cried now. Unbelievable!
She sniffed and refused
to turn back. If she saw pity grace those puppy-dog brown eyes,
then that was it for her. What she needed was some affirmation that
reminded her this was a business deal and nothing else. And maybe a
few on how to respect herself more.
*****
No matter how many times
Kieran looked at the old fashion clock that sat on his father’s
desk, the time refused to go any faster than it could. The light
knock on his door was a welcome distraction.
“ Coffee,
sir?” she handed him the cup without waiting for the
reply.
He took the steaming mug.
“Why do you bother asking when you know the answer?”
After the kiss at the
beach she avoided contact with him when she could. He missed her
smile the most. “I will come back for the coffee cup.”
He’d run out of excuses
to make her stay longer. “I wish you’d talk to me. Like you used
to.”
As she turned her hair
fell over her shoulders. She deserved that crown. “It’s a pretend
relationship. There’s no one here to pretend for.”
The sound of heightened
voices prevented him from rebuttal. “Someone out there might
disagree? Do you think it’s another allergic reaction?
work best. I can see myself home thank you.” Without meaning to
half the bottle ended up squirted on her foot.
“ That’s
ridiculous Ash. I am going that way. I can drive you to the hotel.
You can hardly walk,” he placed a hand on her shoulder which was
shrugged off.
“ It’s my
afternoon off. I have errands to run.” She turned away hoping he
wouldn’t notice that her voice had taken on a high-pitched sound.
She still had to face him in the morning and the day after. This
was so embarrassing.
“ Are you
crying?” he was developing powers of perception at the worst
possible time.
“ I splashed
lemon juice in my eyes,” she said. Hoping he’d leave. The stinging
was not so bad but his rejection still hurt like he’d kicked her on
the soft part of the shin.
“ If this is
about the kiss, then forget it. I won’t take advantage of you.
Let’s not complicate the deal we have.” He placed his hands in his
pocket and kicked the heel of one foot with the toe of the
other.
Was he trying to be a
chivalrous gentleman? How sweet. There was a chance she might never
get a chance to experience anything exciting and adventurous and he
wanted to suck all the joy out of her life. Did he have any idea
what her potential life could look like? Of course he
didn’t.
“ Kieran, you
are such a fool.” She strode up to him and grabbed onto his tie,
pulling him closer. His hands were still in his pocket, his eyes
were wide open and she placed her thigh between his legs and leaned
in. He gasped in surprise. She let him. After all, he deserved that
scared deer-in-the lights-look.
As his lips were barely
an inch she took the tip of her tongue and traced a pattern along
the edge of his lips. He tasted of coffee and mint. And something
she couldn’t describe. That heavy feeling in her belly came back
with a vengeance. She didn’t know whether to step back from the
force of it, or to plunge herself into him and bathe in the beauty
of it.
She teased open his mouth
with little nips and waited for him to comply with her pleas. As
his mouth opened she slipped her tongue into his mouth and waited
for the rush of sensation to catch up with the rate of her heart.
“Kieran.” His name was barely whispered when his lips were crushed
against hers.
The instant she felt him
pull away she moaned and pulled him closer. But like some dream she
couldn’t get back to, he stepped back.
“ We shouldn’t
Ash. It’s not fair on you.” His hands swept across his face and he
sighed. “I respect you too much.”
Wow. That was definitely
a new one. He was definitely old school. Grabbing her bag Ash
dabbed the hot tears spilling on her cheeks with her forearm as she
walked away. She hadn’t cried once when they stripped her of her
crown, but she cried now. Unbelievable!
She sniffed and refused
to turn back. If she saw pity grace those puppy-dog brown eyes,
then that was it for her. What she needed was some affirmation that
reminded her this was a business deal and nothing else. And maybe a
few on how to respect herself more.
*****
No matter how many times
Kieran looked at the old fashion clock that sat on his father’s
desk, the time refused to go any faster than it could. The light
knock on his door was a welcome distraction.
“ Coffee,
sir?” she handed him the cup without waiting for the
reply.
He took the steaming mug.
“Why do you bother asking when you know the answer?”
After the kiss at the
beach she avoided contact with him when she could. He missed her
smile the most. “I will come back for the coffee cup.”
He’d run out of excuses
to make her stay longer. “I wish you’d talk to me. Like you used
to.”
As she turned her hair
fell over her shoulders. She deserved that crown. “It’s a pretend
relationship. There’s no one here to pretend for.”
The sound of heightened
voices prevented him from rebuttal. “Someone out there might
disagree? Do you think it’s another allergic reaction?
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