“Thanks, I guess.”
The waiter returned with my beer and a diet soda for Sloane. Watching as her lips wrapped around the straw while she sucked the amber liquid through the thin plastic tube was pure torture. In an effort to keep my dick from busting through my zipper, my gaze drifted around the restaurant. Murray was sitting three tables away, tapping away on his cell phone, a scowl on his bearded face. Guess whoever he was supposed to meet was running late. Bad news for him, excellent news for me. It meant more time with my mystery woman. More time for what exactly had yet to be decided.
“Are you in Ireland on business or pleasure?”
“Both.” I cocked my head to the side, waiting for her to elaborate. “I was born in Dublin. When I was two, my mother moved us to the States. My father stayed here, so I spent my summers roaming these cobblestone streets. I visit him whenever I’m in the area.”
“Your lack of an accent makes sense now. And the business part?”
“I’m an accountant for an IT company. My time is generally split between here and London.”
“Smart and beautiful. The perfect combination.”
“Some people don’t see it that way.”
“Then they’re idiots.”
A pained expression flashed across her features before quickly morphing into a shy smile. Her next words though, left a mark on my heart.
“I’ll make sure to tell my father.”
I moved without thinking, stretching my hand over the table to lay it on top of hers. Electricity zapped through my body at the simple touch, making the hair on my arms stand on end.
“He’s a fool for not seeing the gift he’s been given.”
“My brother says the same thing.”
“Maybe it’s time you listened.”
Her hand spasmed beneath mine, a rosy blush creeping up her throat to settle on her cheeks. Sapphire eyes pinned me in place with their intensity. The world around us could’ve erupted into a ball of flames, and I would have let it burn to ash rather than look away from her.
“Maybe,” she answered softly.
Unfortunately, our waiter didn’t get the memo. The heat of her touch was lost to me when he set two platters down in front of us. With the moment gone, we dug into our food, continuing to chat in between bites. The conversation flowed effortlessly, like two people who’d known each other for years rather than minutes. Despite having grown up in completely different worlds, our likes and dislikes were eerily similar. It wasn’t until I discovered Sloane shared my love for the great outdoors that I knew, without a doubt, Ididn’t want our time to end. We’d met for a reason. Who was I to fuck with divine intervention?
Niall would blow a gasket if he knew how easily I’d become distracted. I’d forever be grateful he hadn’t insisted I wear an earpiece because I was so utterly focused on Sloane, I nearly missed when Murray’s lunch companion finally showed up.
The man sitting across from my target wasn’t someone I recognized. He appeared younger than Murray by at least two decades, possibly more. But what had me sitting up a little straighter in my seat was how closely they resembled one another. Both had deep coppery-red hair, matching clefts in their chins, and the same soulless moss-green eyes. The two were unmistakably related, what I needed to know was how we missed it?
Erik never married. He was a player, a perpetual bachelor who enjoyed being photographed with more women on his arm in any given week than some men bragged about bedding in a lifetime. Up until two seconds ago, I would’ve sworn he’d never fathered a child. Now, as I looked across the crowded pub at the two men, I’d stake half my paycheck on the opposite.
Fuck.
“I should probably get going.”
Double fuck.
She reached for the bill as the waiter placed it on the edge of the table, but I was quicker.
“When can I see you again, Sloane?” I asked, holding her gaze as I fished a credit card out of my wallet.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, clearly nervous. “I don’t know.”
“Let me rephrase. Do you want to see me again?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation.
“Good. Then we’ll take it slow. One day at a time. Let me see your phone.”