Page 2 of To Catch A Rook

Jeremy stopped wiping a crystal decanter with his cloth and raised a disbelieving eyebrow in our direction.

“I don’t believe Miss Hillary Lane has ever been called ‘Blondie’ before.” He shook his head with a muted smile as he started on another cocktail order. “I would tread carefully, Lauchlan. She owns this town, and she’ll eat you for dinner.”

I winked at my favorite Martini Man; Jeremy always knew just what to say.

“No shit?” Lauchlan—how stereotypically Irish—cocked his head as those depthless green eyes languidly swept up my body. He had a mastery of how to ogle a woman—his eyes didn’t linger on one part of my body; instead, he roved over each section likeIwas the work of art, and he was trying to uncover my secrets.

Interesting.

“And here, I thought I would get to have a riveting conversation with a beautiful woman.” He shrugged amicably, taking a long pull of whiskey before flashing me a wide smile. “My loss.”

I swung my legs back up, my curiosity piqued. Very few people in this city didn’t know who I was, which could explain the indifference, but I was willing to learn a little more about the mystery man.

A night of banter and sex with a stranger was probably the perfect antidote to Kellan disappointing me. Again.

With Kellan gone and Aaron deep in the trenches of our upcoming merger, the only action I’d been getting lately was from my wand and my egg. I was all for group activities, but I preferred them to be of the human variety.

“Your gain,” I corrected. I lifted my chin in challenge, my eyes adopting my ‘take no shit’ boardroom persona. “Perhaps it is your lucky day. Make me laugh, Lucky, and I’ll buy you a drink.”

I shot a fierce boardroom stare in Jeremy’s direction, too. “And youwilltake my money if I buy this man a drink, Jeremy.”

He held my gaze for a brief moment, then silently nodded agreement. He may be afraid of Winter’s wrath, but he was more fearful of me in that moment.

I softened my glare and shot the generally kind bartender a quick wink before I shifted my attention back to Lucky, the sexy leprechaun.

“Okay,Lauchlan”—I emphasized his name, though I preferred my nickname much better—“how is it you’re a regular and I’ve never seen you before?”

Another dazzling grin lit up his face and his eyes sparkled with mischief. I was dead-spot-on with the leprechaun persona.

“I’m not a regular. At least, not yet.” He shifted his body to face me, resting his head on his raised palm with an amused smile. “Jeremy and I met yesterday, didn’t we, Jer-Bear?”

Jeremy shot an unamused glare in Lauchlan’s direction, but said nothing, his hands busy making my second dirty martini.

Lauchlan shrugged at the lack of response with another booming laugh, his lazy wink sending a current of desire down my spine.

“Nah, love. I just moved over the pond from Dublin. Da passed, so I came to be closer to my mumsy.”

“Mumsy?” I cast a dubious eyebrow at the juvenile term. “Are you a twelve-year-old boy, or is that an Irish thing?”

I had visited Ireland a few times to oversee a few takeovers, but I wasn’t an expert on the culture or the slang. I definitely didn’t love the word ‘mumsy’ coming out of a grown man’s sexy lips. I didnothave a ‘mommy’ kink.

“You don’t like ‘mumsy’?” Another wink and grin. “Too bad. I was plotting how I could take you home with me tonight to meet her.”

“Youlivewith your mother?” I nearly spat out the sip of the delicious martini. “I don’t think we can continue having this conversation.”

Instead of being insulted, the Irish charmer snorted into his own glass of whiskey.

“I just got here three days ago. I’m looking for a place now. Can’t stay with Mumsy if I want to take a beautiful woman home with me, now, can I?”

Under normal circumstances, I would not give this man a second glance. He was too unassuming, too charismatic. I liked men who were bossy and brash and ruthless. More like me.

But I’d be foolish if I pretended this man wasn’t sex incarnate. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want to hop on his dick right now. And I’d be an idiot if I didn’t take advantage of his undivided attention when all I’d have tonight, otherwise, was a date with Mr. Rabbit.

A woman has needs, after all. Still, I wasn’t going to make iteasy. Where was the fun in that?

“Why would you assume a beautiful womanwouldgo home with you?” I retorted smoothly, tapping my ruby red nails against the stem of the cocktail glass. “How do you convince the opposite sex to ride the ‘Lucky-train’?”

The air was thickening between us, and the faint scent of juniper and cedar tickled my senses as he leaned closer.

---