“I’d like to think that marrying the woman you love was at least slightly more important than whatever business dealings you have going on,” she barked, now sulking.
“I don’t have time to placate you this morning, Eimear. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Late again?”
“Probably,” he replied, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek before leaving.
Eimear watched him go. What was happening here? When they had met, he was like Prince Charming riding in and sweeping her off her feet, but now, he was like a different person. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if he even loved her or if she was merely a piece of a puzzle he had to fit together as a part of his portfolio. Was she merely a prop to give him the appearance of a loyal family man for his clients?
Frustrated, she decided to blow off the last-minute wedding checks for the day and just get some fresh air. She called for the car and finished getting dressed, not surprised to find Kirby sitting in the front seat of the car beside Charles when he arrived to pick her up. Heaven forbid she go anywhere without her “muscle” to protect her. Kirby was a nice enough guy, but there was an underlying darkness about him. She had no doubt that he could be extremely violent when necessary or that he had been on more than one occasion.
“Where to?” Charles said with a smile.
“Boston Harbor. The aquarium.”
“Meeting someone?” Kirby asked.
He made it seem like an idle question, but she knew that it was not. He was always keen on knowing who she was meeting and, no doubt, reported it back to Ciaron. It had taken her a bit of time to realize that there was a reason he accompanied her on these little outings that had nothing to do with her safety. Today, she intended to see if she could lose him, just to prove she could. It was, perhaps, a childish game, but she was bored lately, and it would amuse her.
Of course, the idea wasn’t as easily implemented as she had thought it would be. Her best efforts only resulted in him keeping his distance to give her some space. It was only when a gathering of young scout troops drove a wedge between the two of them that she was able to finally get some yardage. She made her way quickly through several of the exhibits, finally landing herself in front of the penguin exhibition with no sign of Kirby in sight. She smiled, pleased with herself. No doubt he would find her soon, but she’d done what she set out to do.
“Co-parenting experts,” a voice said from beside her.
Eimear jumped, not expecting anyone so close to her. She turned to see a rather large man with dark eyes and hair looking at the penguins thoughtfully. He turned slightly toward her as she looked at him, trying not to gawk. Engaged or not, she felt an instinctual, primal pull toward him, a purely erotic reaction to the raw sexuality he exuded. There was something more too. His powerful arms bulged beneath the button-down cotton shirt he wore. His chiseled jawline drawing her in as if it were something to be toured extensively.
“Excuse me?” she said, finally managing a response.
“African penguins. They mate for life and co-parent. They both raise their eggs and they both feed their young. It’s something the human world could learn from,” he said.
“Oh. Yes. I’m sure they could,” she said, turning back to the habitat in front of them.
She couldn’t help but note the accent. It was mostly Irish, but somewhat muted, as if he’d been here for a while and had picked up some of the local lingo. Though Irish ancestry wasn’t uncommon for this area—she was from an Irish family, though it had been several generations ago that had brought her family over from Ulster—a true Irishmen was a bit more unexpected.
“It’s a shame that they have to live in a container. It’s no way for an animal to exist,” he remarked.
“No, but I’m sure there is a reason for it. Aren’t they endangered?”
“Yes. Humans destroy their natural habitat, so they end up here. It’s safer for them, but still a sad existence.”
Eimear smiled. A movement to the right of her caught her eye. She turned to see Kirby headed in her direction. He’d caught up with her.
“It is sad,” she agreed, smiling and turning to move away from him before Kirby came along to spoil her innocent flirtations with this incredibly attractive Irish specimen. “I have to go, but enjoy the aquarium on your visit,” she said, assuming he must be a tourist or perhaps, visiting family.
She wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t want this handsome stranger to know that she had a security goon following her everywhere. She quickly put some distance between them, moving on to the next display, but when she looked up, there was no sign of Kirby anywhere. Instead, the stranger was approaching her again with a smile.