Authors: Toni Kelly

Irish Dreams (11 page)

Who was she kidding? The past couple days she’d been imagining Ethan everywhere. Her insides felt hollow without him, without Ireland. She’d ordered shepherd’s pie from the pub down the street for the past two days in a row. She hadn’t even eaten shepherd’s pie in Ireland but something about it coming from an Irish pub soothed her. Hell, next she’d take up drinking Guinness and singing U2 songs in karaoke bars. What a mess. And yet all she wanted to do was go home and watch movies like
Dear Frankie
,
P.S. I Love You
and
Leap Year
. Sure, there were some Scottish or English actors in those films but they did a decent job at imitating the Irish brogue and she was a complete glutton for romance.

She reached out and picked up a little snow globe sitting on her desk. Inside sat a miniature, snow-covered Dublin. A silly souvenir from the airport, but a reminder of Ireland nonetheless. She put down the snow globe and leaned her elbows on her desk.

Outside, the palm trees swayed in the warm breeze. With the approach of fall, Phoenix cooled to a toasty ninety-seven degrees. Ugh. She didn’t want heat and dry brush. She wanted humidity and greenery and fifty degree weather. Served her right, walking away from the one man she truly loved. She could admit that easily now, when no one else was around to witness her humiliation. How’d she fall in love with a guy in one week?

Her co-worker Katie popped her head inside the office. “Hey, Jim said to let you know the staff meeting has been canceled today.”

“Thanks.” She shook her head and glanced down at her desk. Numbers and graphs blended into one big blurry ball.

“Is everything okay?” Katie took a step forward. A frown line formed between her dark eyes. Her obvious concern wouldn’t be so bad, but anything she was told would be fed to gossip mongers.

“Why do you ask?”

“I know you’ve only been back a few days, and you’re probably still jet-lagged, but you seem different somehow. Are you still upset about Rick?”

“Rick?” Maggie rubbed her temple. What was Katie going on about?

“You know, Rick, your handsome ex?”

If only she knew. “He is definitely not worth being upset over.”

“Oh.” Katie sat on the edge of her desk. “What happened?”

Maggie sighed. “Nothing I want to discuss.”

Katie dusted the front of her skirt off, suddenly appearing awkward. “I understand.”

“Sir, you can’t enter our offices,” the receptionist outside her office said in a loud voice. “This is a private area. Please leave or I’ll be forced to call security.”

Maggie rose at the panicked note in the receptionist’s voice.

“Maggie. Where is she?” the man asked.

Lord, it couldn’t be, but it sounded like him. “Ethan?”

Katie, who now stood in her office doorway, turned to face her. “You know him?”

Maggie walked to the entryway, her stomach twisting as her heartbeat galloped. Ethan stood amongst several rows of cubicles, dashingly handsome in a charcoal gray suit and a blue, collared shirt.

“He’s gorgeous,” Katie murmured.

Without a doubt he was, and Maggie forced control over herself to keep from running and flinging her arms around him.

“Maggie?” He faced her, held her with his gaze.

She cleared her throat and stepped out of her office. “What are you doing?”

One side of his mouth curved up. “Right now I’d say I’m at the point of being dragged from this ad agency.” His expression went serious as he weaved around cubicles, making his way toward her. “I’m not leaving until you tell me to go.” He stopped in front of her, lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. “Do you want me to go? I know you said you needed time, but I need you. And since your home is here, I had to come to you.”

She shook her head, too stunned to speak. Did she imagine this too?

“Kiss him, Maggie,” Katie said from behind her.

Ethan laughed. The deep sound rolled over her. “I’m throwing out a lifeline here. You’ve got to be the one to make a decision. What do you want, Maggie? Do you want to stay here? If it’s the advertising, I’d happily make you a key player in Moore Hotels’ marketing. If you plain and simple like Phoenix, then I guess I’ll have to learn to love the sun.”

“You’d give up Ireland for me?”

“I’d give up anything for you. I’m sorry it took me this long to admit it. And you, what do you want?”

“I want you,” she said, knowing she spoke the truth. “I don’t know how it happened so fast, but I love you, Ethan.”

“God, Maggie. I love you too.” He pulled her to him, laid his mouth on hers. The kiss was passionate and deep and perfect. And somewhere within her, Maggie could feel she belonged here with him. “I’ll take the kiss as a sign you want to be with me,” he said.

“On one condition.”

A dark brow arched in question. “What is it?” Ethan asked.

“We live in Ireland.”

His expression went serious. “Are you sure, Maggie?”

Maggie smiled and hooked her arm with his. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

About Toni Kelly

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=198

Toni Kelly’s background is a mix between Ireland and the Caribbean, something which has always fascinated her. Growing up in a household where dinner could be pilaf rice and curry chicken while dessert was Terry’s Orange chocolate and Earl Grey tea left her mind wanting to delve into the myths and magic which lay in these two cultures and many more.

When time permits, Toni loves to travel and explore the world bit by bit. She is fluent in English and Spanish and teaching herself Italian. Toni loves incorporating her experiences in travel–even if they are just scents, sights and tastes–into her writing. Come explore the world with her.

Toni’s Website:

www.toni-kelly.com

Reader eMail:

[email protected]

Need more Irish? Check out these titles in the Irish Collection,

from Lyrical Press:

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Irish

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