Page 5 of Harry

He smoked and smiled grimly as the thought filtered through his mind that his mother would be horrified that he had picked up ‘the dreadful habit’ again. Going out tonight had been a dismal failure.

The bar he frequented had been less than appealing. It was somewhere he usually felt comfortable going because no one bothered him. He was just Harry to the patrons.

Not Harry McGibbon. No one hassled him, but then again, if they did the first time, they were never tempted to try for the second time. He knew how to handle himself very well. Hadn’t he been forced to learn? He thought bitterly. His old man hadn’t used his fist, but his words had done the damage. And a hell of a lot of it too.

Richard McGibbon had enjoyed being the king of the proverbial castle. His glance tracked over to the stone manor that had been in the family for several generations. It was too big for one person, but there was a proviso in the will that prevented it from being sold. It could be given away, donated to charity, but never sold.

He had been trying to persuade his mother to turn it into a museum or something like that, but she insists on clinging to the pile of stones like a lover.

He had no love for the place. Too many bad memories. He would have stayed in Ireland where he still had some cousins and an aunt, but he owed it to her to come back and help out. Besides, he could just stomach being here because the old man was dead.

Leaning his head back, he squinted against the fragrant smoke and studied the star-studded sky. His expression turned wistful, and he could feel the familiar ache staring inside his chest and moving further down.

“I could do this all night.” Her sultry voice was so clear, he could almost imagine her sitting next to him.

“I can think of something else we could be doing.”

“You’re always thinking about sex.”

“Who said anything about sex? Now whose mind is in the gutter now?”

“You can honestly say you don’t feel the need to strip me naked and have your way with me?”

“Now look what you’ve done.” He growled before pulling her on top of him.

The smoke was inhaled too swiftly and caused him to choke and sputter. Shep jumped up from his fitful nap and wandered over to put his face on his master’s knees, eyeing him woefully as if wondering what was wrong.

“I’m fine, buddy,” Harry grinned sheepishly. “Just some extremely uncomfortable memories, taking root. How about a last-minute run before we turn in?” The dog wagged his tail excitedly in response.

Chapter 2

He had half expected her to be present, but wondered if she would show up. He was idly conversing with some acquaintances when he felt her presence and knew the exact moment she stepped into the crowded ballroom.

He had often remarked on the fact that she had a presence. “I think it has to do with your personality,” he had told her teasingly one night when they were at a restaurant. “You send off a certain vibe.”

His fingers tightened around the glass, and he felt himself stiffening as he turned fully to look at her. And he was not the only one. In a room filled with incredibly beautiful women, Janelle Sinclair was like a beacon.

She was certainly not the most beautiful woman in the room, but there was something about her that demanded a second and a third look. That was what had caught his attention when he first saw her at the party and had captivated him ever since.

It was the same thing that had him spellbound even now. And why he could not get her out of his head? He was here with another woman, but that was just for show. They had been photographed together of course and speculations about their supposed affair had left him feeling slightly amused and more than a little irritated.

He also knew that she would have seen the photo and read the column. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her. But hell if he wasn’t hurting.

He was halfway across the room, rudely cutting off the few people who felt they had to say something to him when Minerva joined him.

“You have been neglecting me.” She pouted at him, green eyes limpid. She had been issuing silent invitations ever since he started accompanying her to various functions and he chose to ignore them.

“We cannot have that, can we?” He said smoothly. “There’s someone I have to speak to.”

“I am not leaving you a second.”

A flash of annoyance flitted over his face before it was tamped down. He was about to pass her off to someone else when he turned around and almost bumped into Janelle.

She was clinging to Davenport’s arm, but aside from a curt nod, he barely noticed him. His eyes were fully on the woman draped in the stunning bronze dress.

“Harry.” She was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

“Janelle.”

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