but serious. “I’m sorry. How was I to know Tootie still had Herbert’s things? Didn’t you ask them about pets?”
Hands on hips, she bent and glared through narrowed eyes. “I don’t remember being given a choice.”
His guilt over not giving her an option had nagged at his conscience all day.
“Do you know what just crawled in my bed?”
An act he wouldn’t mind performing. He forced his thoughts away from the image of her figure backlit by the moon.
Both hands waved in the air as she paced. “Some furry creature that I think was a ferret. I didn’t stick around for a detailed survey. The way my allergies are acting, it’s probably a member of the cat family. I’m sure that critter’s dander was all over the bedding. That’s the reason I didn’t grab a coat. In fact, I probably shouldn’t still be wearing this nightgown.” She sneezed and ripped at the knot in the sheet.
“Wait.” Testing his resistance to the unveiling of another inch of her enticing skin was not a good idea. “Vena, calm down.”
“Calm down?” She sucked in a deep breath and sat on the table across from him. “Finn, I don’t want to fight. More than the animals, there’s no privacy. The ladies kept interrupting me with offers of tea or reminders to take breaks. Lunch lasted an hour because they wanted to chat. For some inexplicable reason, Tootie had to teach me every vegetable in her seedling pots.”
He cleared his throat and glanced away for a moment. The ladies were worried about her health, but he hesitated about mentioning that fact until he figured out what was really going on with her. “Yeah, I saw you with a rake in your hands. I figured you wanted a break.”
“How could I go back in the house while they worked out in the sun?” Vena dropped to her knees in front of him, tugging the sheet from under her foot. “You owe me, Finnian.”
A bewitching woman kneeling before him appealed in a basic way that tensed every muscle in his body. He took in a slow breath before answering. “Maybe I do.”
Her small hands rested on his thighs and the sheet fell off one shoulder, exposing creamy white skin. “I’m begging you. Let me move back to The Shamrocks.”
Chapter Four
AS FINNIAN LOOKED INTO Vena’s imploring eyes, he knew he couldn’t deny this woman anything. What worried him more, he didn’t want to. His chest tightened. She made an oddly appealing sight—puffy eyes, red nose, hair in wild curls around her pale face, sheet barely covering her curvaceous assets.
His thoughts battled between her unpredictable behavior and his pressing need for privacy. If she stayed under his roof, he could keep a close eye on her. Plus, to be convincing as an engaged couple, they needed to develop their ‘relationship’.
He ran a hand through the hair hanging over his forehead. Housing one small person couldn’t be too much trouble. Although she’d surprised him at every turn. If he sent her back to a house that set off her allergies, he’d be drummed out of the Quaid family.
Stifling a yawn, he pinned her with a stare. “My priority is the renovations. If the water is off for several hours, I don’t want complaints you can’t wash your hair or soak in a bubble bath. Or when we have to use propane lanterns.”
“The kind you light with matches?” She nibbled on her lower lip and peered from under her lashes. “Will that happen often?”
The movement drew his gaze to her full lips, and his blood sped through his body, a reaction that continued to surprise him. This was just Moira’s friend, Thia’s little sister.
“Not too often.” He ran over the inn’s schedule in his mind. What was he forgetting? “With Ma gone, meals won’t be provided. I keep coffee brewing, but that’s it.”
“I’ll manage my own meals from what’s available. Agreed.” Her hand shot out between them. “Let’s shake.”
His callused hand swallowed her silky-soft one, and a peculiar warmth washed through him. A
Hands on hips, she bent and glared through narrowed eyes. “I don’t remember being given a choice.”
His guilt over not giving her an option had nagged at his conscience all day.
“Do you know what just crawled in my bed?”
An act he wouldn’t mind performing. He forced his thoughts away from the image of her figure backlit by the moon.
Both hands waved in the air as she paced. “Some furry creature that I think was a ferret. I didn’t stick around for a detailed survey. The way my allergies are acting, it’s probably a member of the cat family. I’m sure that critter’s dander was all over the bedding. That’s the reason I didn’t grab a coat. In fact, I probably shouldn’t still be wearing this nightgown.” She sneezed and ripped at the knot in the sheet.
“Wait.” Testing his resistance to the unveiling of another inch of her enticing skin was not a good idea. “Vena, calm down.”
“Calm down?” She sucked in a deep breath and sat on the table across from him. “Finn, I don’t want to fight. More than the animals, there’s no privacy. The ladies kept interrupting me with offers of tea or reminders to take breaks. Lunch lasted an hour because they wanted to chat. For some inexplicable reason, Tootie had to teach me every vegetable in her seedling pots.”
He cleared his throat and glanced away for a moment. The ladies were worried about her health, but he hesitated about mentioning that fact until he figured out what was really going on with her. “Yeah, I saw you with a rake in your hands. I figured you wanted a break.”
“How could I go back in the house while they worked out in the sun?” Vena dropped to her knees in front of him, tugging the sheet from under her foot. “You owe me, Finnian.”
A bewitching woman kneeling before him appealed in a basic way that tensed every muscle in his body. He took in a slow breath before answering. “Maybe I do.”
Her small hands rested on his thighs and the sheet fell off one shoulder, exposing creamy white skin. “I’m begging you. Let me move back to The Shamrocks.”
Chapter Four
AS FINNIAN LOOKED INTO Vena’s imploring eyes, he knew he couldn’t deny this woman anything. What worried him more, he didn’t want to. His chest tightened. She made an oddly appealing sight—puffy eyes, red nose, hair in wild curls around her pale face, sheet barely covering her curvaceous assets.
His thoughts battled between her unpredictable behavior and his pressing need for privacy. If she stayed under his roof, he could keep a close eye on her. Plus, to be convincing as an engaged couple, they needed to develop their ‘relationship’.
He ran a hand through the hair hanging over his forehead. Housing one small person couldn’t be too much trouble. Although she’d surprised him at every turn. If he sent her back to a house that set off her allergies, he’d be drummed out of the Quaid family.
Stifling a yawn, he pinned her with a stare. “My priority is the renovations. If the water is off for several hours, I don’t want complaints you can’t wash your hair or soak in a bubble bath. Or when we have to use propane lanterns.”
“The kind you light with matches?” She nibbled on her lower lip and peered from under her lashes. “Will that happen often?”
The movement drew his gaze to her full lips, and his blood sped through his body, a reaction that continued to surprise him. This was just Moira’s friend, Thia’s little sister.
“Not too often.” He ran over the inn’s schedule in his mind. What was he forgetting? “With Ma gone, meals won’t be provided. I keep coffee brewing, but that’s it.”
“I’ll manage my own meals from what’s available. Agreed.” Her hand shot out between them. “Let’s shake.”
His callused hand swallowed her silky-soft one, and a peculiar warmth washed through him. A
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