Page 6 of Shamrock Kisses

“I’m not much of a partier,” I respond, more sheepish than I’d like.

“Neither are we,” she replies quickly, flashing a smile that catches me by surprise.Maybe I still have a shot here.

I take a breath, gathering what little courage I have left. “Can I buy you and your friends a round of drinks?”

“My friends are already drinking for free.” The other two giggle. “Emily is dating the guy that owns the place, Nicholas,” she explains, pointing at a guy behind the bar wearing a white and green White Sox jersey with an impressive Celtic sleeve tattoo. “And Sarah is dating that guy—Aaron.” She points at the other tall guy behind the bar wearing a green tank top that says, “Whiskey Helps.”

Well, there goes that plan.I hesitate, feeling my options slip away. “Can I buyyoua drink?”

“Yeah. An Irish coffee, please.”

I smile, nodding. I’m starting to think this wasn’t a bad idea after all.

“That sounds good. I think I’ll get one too,” I say, trying to play it cool as I head for the bar. My nerves are still there, but now they’re a little more manageable.Maybe I can actually pull this off.

6

“Rachel!” Sarah squeals as Patrick walks toward the bar. “His name isPatrick! Are youfuckingkidding me?!”

“There’s something magical about this place,” Emily chimes in, amused. “And you know you drink for free, right?”

“I know, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.”

We exchange glances, an almost electric energy buzzing between us.

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves,” I warn, though I can’t hide my own excitement. “I’m barely keeping my cool as it is … becauselookat that guy.”

“If that’s not your future husband, I don’t know who is,” Emily teases.

“I know! I’m freaking out right now!” My heart is racing. He’s exactly my type. And his eyes without the glasses … holy shit. They are so green.

“Seriously,” Sarah adds, biting her lip to stifle her laughter. “I’m already picking out bridesmaid dresses.”

“Stop,” I hiss, though I can’t hold back a smile. Aaron notices how we’re all staring at Patrick and winks at us as he finishes making the Irish coffees.

“Be cool,please,” I whisper, panic rising slightly as Patrick heads back.

He returns with the drinks and a damp cloth in hand, his expression confused, like he’s trying to decode some sort of puzzle. His eyebrows knit together, and I find him so cute.

“Aaron, right?” he asks as he sets the drinks down. We all nod.

“He said we needed this?” Patrick places the cloth in the center of the table. I smile, thoroughly impressed that Aaron’s playing wingman.

As Patrick takes a seat, his knee bumps into mine, and the simple contact sends my heart rate back up. I try not to react, but my body betrays me as my cheeks flush again. He’s so close. I check him out, noticing how his jacket stretches over his broad shoulders.Patrick’s strong.

“If you’re going to sit with us, you need to be initiated,” Sarah says, ever the instigator.

Patrick raises an eyebrow. “Should I be scared? Am I joining the cult of cute brunettes?”

We all laugh. I hadn’t thought about how my best friends and I are all brunettes before, and how he, Nicholas, and Aaron are also brunettes.

“Looks that way.” His green eyes are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I could stare at them for hours, but I break our eye contact, taking a sip of my drink.

“Pick a tattoo,” Emily says, sliding a pile of temporary tattoos his way.

He laughs softly, sorting through the pile with a thoughtful expression, deciding on a shamrock that matches mine. “Where should I put it?” he asks, his voice dropping just a little as his eyes land on mine.

Oh.I take my time, letting my eyes wander over his body, his neck, his jawline, dragging out the decision.This guy is sofucking hot.I don’t think he’s beard fishing. I think he would be just as hot without the beard. But I like the beard. Patrick is exactly my type—the kind who lifts weights and also eats carbs.

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