Chapter 8

Delaney slipped the phone back into her purse and offered Connor a relieved smile. Their date wouldn’t be disrupted, despite her worry when Connor had called asking her to meet him at the restaurant because he was hung up with a client. His request had stung more than she’d wanted to admit. She had to arrive on time or they would have lost their reservations. Delaney had dressed with care, and then debated whether to drive herself or call a cab. An abundance of caution sent her to her car. Luckily, Gatsby’s had valet parking. She’d been seated almost immediately. She declined when asked if she desired a cocktail. If she didn’t order anything and Connor didn’t show up, she could leave without fuss or calling attention to the fact she’d been stood up.

Watching the door like a proverbial hawk, she’d waved madly when he stepped inside and then dropped her hand feeling like a complete fool. The big smile and immediate apology as he dropped into the chair closest to her went a long way toward soothing her nerves.

“You are such a good sport, Delaney. That guy is a big client, so I was stuck. I swear, if he said ‘And to make a long story short’ one more time, I was going to stuff my tie in his mouth.” The waiter approached, and he paused to order two glasses of wine by vineyard name and year.

Now she sipped her second glass of a very excellent pinot noir as they waited for their food and listened as Connor told her about his encounter in the men’s room. “The guy reminded me a lot of my dad.”

“Oh?” Delaney knew next to nothing about Connor’s family and she hoped to glean some information.

“Dad is this big, military kind of guy. He walks in and everyone knows he’s arrived. Of course, my mum has the same sort of presence. They were Olympians. That’s how they met.”

“Really?” She worked to keep her expression from looking crestfallen. No wonder he looked so athletic.

He chuckled. “I hate horses. They still ride, though they just breed and train now instead of competing. Sadly, neither my sister nor I followed in their footsteps.”

“Oh! They’re equestrians.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re one of the horsey set. Mum will love you.”

She shuddered and shook her head. “I’ve never been on a horse. I’m actually terrified of them, but I love to watch the equestrian events on TV. Your dad is military?”

“Retired. He was an Irish Army Ranger. Now he’s the Taoiseach of Clann MacDermot.”

Delaney stumbled over the word. “Teeshock? What’s that?”

“That’s the Gaelic word for clann chief. For our branch, it’s mostly hereditary.”

“Does that mean you’ll be…whatever that word is someday?” Oh, the romantic fantasies that thought created—living in an Irish castle with her very own sexy clann chief at her side.

Her question evoked another roll of Connor’s eyes. “Not if I can help it. If Dad ever decides to step down, I’ll put it up to a vote of the Clann. I’m too American now. I have no desire to move back to Ireland. A cousin can hold the spot just as easily. And Dad is on an aggressive hunt for long-lost cousins. I don’t know why. My parents have some…odd ideas.”

“Odd?”

Connor looked uncomfortable and his gaze roved around the room instead of focusing on her.

“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

“What about your family?” The question was sincere, but he definitely shifted the subject away from his parents’ odd ideas—whatever they might be.

Now it was her turn to roll eyes. “Mine is almost text-book dysfunctional. I have an older brother who is a perpetual Peter Pan and my older sister is…” How did she explain Nessa? “Nessa is a bit ambitious and sometimes she’s not too polite about stepping on toes to get what she wants.”

He chuckled. “Sounds a bit like Ciara, my twin.”

“You have a twin? Wow. That’s rather cool.”

“Really? I always thought it was a pain having to share birthdays and other important events.” He laughed at the shocked expression on her face. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Ciara, but we’re both attention whores. When we’re together, it’s just a big game of one-upmanship.” He leaned back in his chair and sipped his wine. “Is your brother attached?”

Delaney’s brow furrowed. “Keegan? Ha. He can’t keep a girlfriend.”

“We should introduce him to Ciara. She loves a beta male. I get the feeling Keegan might be right up her alley.”

She laughed and had to stifle her mirth with a napkin. “Beta male describes him perfectly. He doesn’t have an ambitious bone in his body. He’s brilliant, but he’s working in retail sales at a computer store. He’d still be living in my parent’s basement if they had one. As soon as I left for college, they sold their house and moved into a condo.”

Connor winked. “He sounds perfect for Ciara. She’s got enough ambition for ten people. Maybe we should double date one of these times.”

She worked to keep her surprise from showing but inside, she did a Snoopy dance. He wanted to ask her out again. He liked her. Now she regretted driving her own car.

He reached over and stroked his index finger down the back of her hand where it rested on the table. “Thanks for being such a good sport tonight. I really am sorry I had to babysit that client. And I’m glad that phone call you got didn’t pull you away. I’ve enjoyed dinner.”

The phone call. She’d totally forgotten. “Oh…yes. I told you I’m a consultant with the police department, right? When the SWAT team all left, I was worried there’d been a call out.”

Connor didn’t quite jerk his hand back, but he no longer touched her. “I figured you did employment screenings or the like. What exactly does your position entail?”

She inhaled slowly, the knot in her abdomen expanding until her tummy ached. “I work with the SWAT team after an incident. I help debrief them and provide counseling if it’s needed. I also act as a negotiator sometimes.”

Connor folded his fingers around her hand and gave it a little squeeze. “That must be fascinating, though I certainly hope none of my criminal clients ever end up on the wrong side of that deal. Interesting coincidence some of the people you work with were here.”

“One of the team members chose here to celebrate her birthday. Too bad they didn’t get to stay. They were called into a meeting at the police station.”

He tilted his head and studied her for a long moment. Nervous under his scrutiny, she wet her now dry lips with the tip of her tongue before reaching for her wine glass. Interrupted as the waiter arrived with their entrées, Delaney grabbed a moment to regain her equilibrium. Connor MacDermot made her feel light-headed. And hot. And shivery. And just a little bit out of control. For a woman who prided herself on self-control, it was an uneasy feeling.

The conversation paused as they ate a few bites. She sighed happily over the taste of her steak. The garlic and mushroom crust melted on her tongue, as did the tender beef. Connor watched her, intent on her mouth and the movement of her throat as she swallowed.

“Good?”

“Excellent. Thank you again for inviting me here. I’ve wanted to try it but…”

“But it seemed wasted on a best friend?”

She laughed. “Exactly.”

“So tell me more about your work with the police department. Are you close to anyone in the group who was here?”

Delaney swallowed her food and reached for her glass, sipping before answering. “I’m getting to know them better.”

“That explains things.” He offered a knowing smile topped by a quirked brow.

“What things?”

“The big guy staring daggers at me—the one I bumped into in the bathroom and who might be a long lost cousin even though he has red hair. That’s rare in my clann.”

“Rory?” She blinked several times, unable to hide her surprise. “Rory MacDermot. Of course. He’s one of the snipers on the team.” Puzzled, she stared at Connor. “Wait. He was staring at you?”

Connor chuckled. “Indeed he was. If looks could kill, the EMTs would be doing CPR on me even as we speak. I think he might be a little sweet on you.”

“Oh good heavens, no. That’s not possible. He’s a—” She snapped her mouth shut. She didn’t know what to call him. Colleague, yes. But he had secrets, too. Secrets she wanted to understand, and she was appalled that she’d almost spilled information about him. Delaney’s chest hurt at the thought of betraying Rory.

Connor wisely backed away from the subject. “So, dessert? The Chocolate Decadence is supposed to be fabulous.”

Thankful for the gracious out, she agreed. She felt so comfortable with Connor, like she’d known him forever rather than this being a first date. His hand on hers felt warm and… She tamped down on the shivery feeling in her middle and had to admit she had a major crush on him. But what woman wouldn’t? He was gorgeous, an attorney, sweet, caring, yet with a dash of devil-may-care flair that appealed to her on every feminine level. She couldn’t wait for her goodnight kiss and made a mental note to actually eat the after-dinner mint.

When the bill arrived, Delaney was pleased to note that Connor snatched one of the mints and surreptitiously popped it in his mouth. She sucked on her mint and decided that she’d just leave her car in the parking lot so she could ride home with Connor.

****

Manannán mac Lir stared at the white-capped waves marching relentlessly toward the strip of beach where he stood, feet braced against the wind racing to land in front of the storm churning out at sea. His emotions roiled, every bit as potent as that tempest. The Irish wolfhound at his feet whined softly. Beside him, a black stallion tossed his head and neighed in challenge.

“Am I as bad as Abhean, then, Arien?” The horse pawed at the sand. “I condemn him for meddling yet did I not do the same? I took Riordan before his time and even now history repeats itself. She is there and he senses her, but she makes the same mistake time after time.” Arien whickered and nibbled at the mantle draped over the fae’s arm. “I would bring them both home to find their peace, but I smell the harper’s magic stench in this. I must let the game play out, I fear.”

The dog sat up, staring at something off to the right. The ruff on the back of the animal’s neck rose in a silent growl. “Yes, Broc, I know he watches. I expect his mournful tunes to whip the tempest to a frenzy any moment.” Manannán dropped his hand to the big dog’s head and ruffled his ears, the gesture providing comfort to fae and animal alike.

Almost on cue, wailing pipes rode the storm winds and fat drops of rain splattered on the wet sand. With a heavy heart, Manannán vaulted onto the bare back of the horse. The horse turned away from the source of the music and cantered off, his hooves kicking up foam and sand. Broc, the wolfhound, stood watching the opposite direction, the hair on his neck still ruffled, his whole body tense and ready to hunt. The fae whistled and the dog followed with reluctance.

Abhean finished the dirge, the smirk curling his full lips not mournful in the least. He knew what path to tread. He might now have a chance to repay mac Lir for a millennium of slights. He whistled a jaunty tune as he walked up the beach in the opposite direction. A large gray dog appeared from the waves and shook the saltwater from his fur. The animal galloped up to Abhean, tongue panting. “And did yee have a bracing swim, Bród? Come m’friend, we have mischief to make.