Page 12 of Pints & Potions

He cast her a searching side glance, and she blatantly admired the wide smile blossoming on his mouth. “And what does a woman care for, love?”

The way his tone dipped when he’d said “love” did funny things to Piper’s heart. Nerves caused her belly to tighten and warmth gathered at the apex of her thighs. Or maybe it was the suggestion behind his question. With a quick cough to clear her throat, she said, “Home. Family. Relationships.”

“And you have these?”

“Are you asking me if I’m committed to someone, Cian? Isn’t it a little late after the kisses we’ve shared?”

“Sometimes passion rules and you need to follow your heart.”

“And sometimes the shit is deep in here and you need muck boots,” she countered.

He laughed his response.

“In answer to your oddly phrased question, no. I don’t have those.” Her voice was sad even to her own ears, and she wanted to smack herself for sounding pathetic.

If Cian noticed, he didn’t comment.

Their conversation remained light for their rest of their trip, and they arrived in Liscannor, driving straight to the visitor center across from the cliffs. Excitement brewed inside Piper. As they exited the vehicle, she breathed deeply, ending on a sigh and a happy smile.

Arms resting on the hood of the car, Cian watched her. “It suits you. My homeland.”

“I could live here forever,” she agreed. “The moment I stepped off the plane, I felt as if I’d come home.”

“Perhaps you have,” he said softly. “I, for one, wouldn’t mind if you stayed for a bit.”

They locked gazes.

Looking away was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do, but she finally managed to break away from his magnetic pull. He didn’t even know her true name, and she was determined to keep it that way until satisfied the surname Thorne wouldn’t sign her death warrant. Many people, witches and non-witches alike, would see her six feet under for it.

“What do we do first?” she asked with a purposeful change of subject.

“Tickets can be had at the visitor centre. I’ll get us a pair if you prefer to wait, or we can tour the centre before our walk.”

“Let’s walk first and tour the centre second, if that’s all the same to you.”

“It’s your day, darlin’.”

She smiled at their easy camaraderie. Who knew this vacation would be such fun, or that being with Cian would be wonderfully drama free? It certainly hadn’t been at any other time in her life when she went anywhere with her previous boyfriends. Not that Cian was her boyfriend, but his playful, mellow vibe made her glad he was with her today.

He circled the hood of the car and held out a hand to her. Once hers was firmly ensconced within his warm grip, she fell into step beside him and listened intently as he wove a lively story. Like with his song, he had a way of drawing her in by using the cadence of his skillful voice. She would cheerfully remain mute the entire day if it meant hearing his pleasing monologue. Cian could read her the dictionary, and Piper would be a puddle of goo at his feet.

They obtained their tickets, and he good-naturedly answered the questions she peppered him with. She wanted to know everything from the highest points of the cliffs—214 meters—to the length—about 14 kilometres. He was a fountain of information, and he wasn’t lying when he’d said he was a brilliant tour guide. It wouldn’t stop her from double checking his answers. For all she knew, he could’ve made them up on the spot, but she liked his confidence and how ready he was to provide information for her endless questions.

When they got to a particularly scenic area, she reached for her phone to capture nature’s beauty. “Oh, crap!”

“What is it?”

She grimaced and admitted, “I forgot and left my phone in the car again. I want to snap some pictures of the view from here.”

“I’ll get it.”

“No, it’s too far. I can go, find an out-of-the-way spot, and teleport to the car. You wait here. I’ll just be a minute.”

As Cian watchedPiper jog away, he smiled. She was a bit quirky, but she was proper fun to rile. The longer he was around her, the stronger their connection grew. It worried him, if truth be known. He’d only ever been close to one woman.

Moira.

His smile died away, and he faced the cliffs.

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