one coin less and he’ll turn his wrath on the person who carries that missing coin.”
Ronan leaned on his elbows, his mind racing on various scenarios. Okay, so he, Rourke, and Kasey had taken a coin each. Certainly three missing coins wouldn’t make a difference.
Or would they, especially if that damn weird little guy actually believed they would?
“I can tell there’s something wrong. What is it? What aren’t you telling me?” Cathy asked, looking all sweet and pretty. He wanted to forget all this nonsense and make love to her more than he could ever admit. Tommy had been right—it had been far too long since he’d seen her, far too long since he’d looked into those emerald green eyes, or tangled his hands in her long scarlet hair.
He had it so bad he hurt.
“Are you dating anyone?” he asked.
“No. And don’t change the subject. You’re holding some information back. I can always tell.”
He leaned in closer. “Can I come home with you tonight?”
She sat back. “There’s no future in it.”
“Maybe we’re not meant for a future. Maybe we’re meant to make crazy love and find someone else to grow old with.”
She leaned back in, a twinkle caught her eye, and a wicked little smile lit up her already stunning face. His heart melted. “I couldn’t grow old with someone I didn’t want to make love with outside, under the stars on a patio table.”
The memory of her, almost completely naked, lying under him, a look of passion on her face as moonlight danced in her hair was too much for him. He quickly pushed the vision out of his head.
“It wasn’t even our patio table. Weren’t you taking care of a neighbor’s dog?”
“It was a cat, and we crashed through the table and almost killed their cat.”
Ronan chuckled remembering the frightened Calico kitten they’d had to coax down out of a maple tree. It took hours to get her to cooperate, and by then he and Cathy had made love three more times.
Things were looking up. He had her laughing over their past indiscretions. This had to be a good sign. “Didn’t we try to fix that table, but couldn’t so we ended up buying them a new one?”
She nodded. “The broken one now resides in my yard. I found someone to fix it.”
“Want to break it again?” He slid his hands across the table to take hers. She slapped them away.
“First tell me the truth. Do you have any of that gold?”
Ronan didn’t want to answer her, but he knew if he had any chance at getting her even close to a bed or on a table, he had to tell the truth. She could always see right through him.
“Okay! I took one measly coin, but I gave it away years ago.”
“Can you get it back? Who’d you give it to?”
“A friend who thought it might bring him good luck someday.”
“And where is this friend?”
“I don’t know. What does it matter? I told you the truth. Now can we go back to your place and break that table again?”
“You still don’t get it. We have to find that coin and return it before the leprechaun counts his gold, or something even more horrible will happen to our village or maybe even to you. Where does this friend live?”
She suddenly looked desperate, like a mom who wanted him to find her lost child. He’d seen that look many times before, but he never thought he’d see it on Cathy’s face.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Tommy’s dead, our village is in ruins and your life or perhaps the life of your friend may be in danger. We need to retrieve that coin and deliver it to Adhamh. Plus, you need to call your cousins and tell them of the dangers of keeping the coins. I’m assuming they have some too.” Damn, it was like the woman could read his mind.
“The three of us took one coin each, while Tommy stuffed his pocket with gold. When you say deliver it, what exactly do you mean?”
“Bring it back to Ireland, of course. Besides, we need to go home for Tommy’s funeral. It’s only
Ronan leaned on his elbows, his mind racing on various scenarios. Okay, so he, Rourke, and Kasey had taken a coin each. Certainly three missing coins wouldn’t make a difference.
Or would they, especially if that damn weird little guy actually believed they would?
“I can tell there’s something wrong. What is it? What aren’t you telling me?” Cathy asked, looking all sweet and pretty. He wanted to forget all this nonsense and make love to her more than he could ever admit. Tommy had been right—it had been far too long since he’d seen her, far too long since he’d looked into those emerald green eyes, or tangled his hands in her long scarlet hair.
He had it so bad he hurt.
“Are you dating anyone?” he asked.
“No. And don’t change the subject. You’re holding some information back. I can always tell.”
He leaned in closer. “Can I come home with you tonight?”
She sat back. “There’s no future in it.”
“Maybe we’re not meant for a future. Maybe we’re meant to make crazy love and find someone else to grow old with.”
She leaned back in, a twinkle caught her eye, and a wicked little smile lit up her already stunning face. His heart melted. “I couldn’t grow old with someone I didn’t want to make love with outside, under the stars on a patio table.”
The memory of her, almost completely naked, lying under him, a look of passion on her face as moonlight danced in her hair was too much for him. He quickly pushed the vision out of his head.
“It wasn’t even our patio table. Weren’t you taking care of a neighbor’s dog?”
“It was a cat, and we crashed through the table and almost killed their cat.”
Ronan chuckled remembering the frightened Calico kitten they’d had to coax down out of a maple tree. It took hours to get her to cooperate, and by then he and Cathy had made love three more times.
Things were looking up. He had her laughing over their past indiscretions. This had to be a good sign. “Didn’t we try to fix that table, but couldn’t so we ended up buying them a new one?”
She nodded. “The broken one now resides in my yard. I found someone to fix it.”
“Want to break it again?” He slid his hands across the table to take hers. She slapped them away.
“First tell me the truth. Do you have any of that gold?”
Ronan didn’t want to answer her, but he knew if he had any chance at getting her even close to a bed or on a table, he had to tell the truth. She could always see right through him.
“Okay! I took one measly coin, but I gave it away years ago.”
“Can you get it back? Who’d you give it to?”
“A friend who thought it might bring him good luck someday.”
“And where is this friend?”
“I don’t know. What does it matter? I told you the truth. Now can we go back to your place and break that table again?”
“You still don’t get it. We have to find that coin and return it before the leprechaun counts his gold, or something even more horrible will happen to our village or maybe even to you. Where does this friend live?”
She suddenly looked desperate, like a mom who wanted him to find her lost child. He’d seen that look many times before, but he never thought he’d see it on Cathy’s face.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Tommy’s dead, our village is in ruins and your life or perhaps the life of your friend may be in danger. We need to retrieve that coin and deliver it to Adhamh. Plus, you need to call your cousins and tell them of the dangers of keeping the coins. I’m assuming they have some too.” Damn, it was like the woman could read his mind.
“The three of us took one coin each, while Tommy stuffed his pocket with gold. When you say deliver it, what exactly do you mean?”
“Bring it back to Ireland, of course. Besides, we need to go home for Tommy’s funeral. It’s only
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