Page 9 of Cocktails & Cauldrons

Ronan’s laughter followed the bastard to the bar, taunting Eoin with its mocking quality. When he had himself under control, he eased his hold on Brenna and tilted her pointy chin up. “He owes you for saving his life, love.”

“Or maybe you do,” she said with a slight twist of her lips. “Ronan’s a big guy.”

“You think I can’t beat him?”

“I think I don’t want to see either of you get hurt when you try.”

It didn’t sit well with Eoin that she thought he was a delicate flower. His oldest brother, Cian, had been a spy for the Witches’Council and had taught him to fight when Eoin was still in short pants. He might prefer a paintbrush to a weapon, but he still knew how to do damage, should he need to.

Yet he had nothing to prove at the moment, and so he let it go. “Are you ready to come home with me?”

For the second time in five minutes, she grew deathly pale. “I… uh… you… we…”

He placed a finger over her pillowy lips and registered her mouth was built for sin. How had he not noticed before that moment? He cleared his throat, mainly to focus on the subject at hand. “Not for sex, Brenna.” But damn, he wouldn’t mind that either. “You need a place to stay, and my apartment has an extra bedroom.”

“Oh.” Her face fell, and clear disappointment shone in her eyes. “Right. Not for sex. I knew that. Ofcourseyou don’t want to have sex with me. I’m—”

Eoin shut down her babbling the best way he knew how.

He kissed her.

CHAPTER 4

Nerves ate Brenna’s insides, and the sensation was almost painful as she stood outside the entrance to Eoin’s New York apartment. The urge to vomit was real. Her world had gone topsy-turvy in a matter of hours, and she had a dizzying sense that her life was never going to be the same. She only hoped it was a good thing.

With a twist of his wrist, Eoin unlocked and opened the door, then ushered her inside. The warm look he gave her melted her internal organs and doubled those pesky nerves.

“Are you all right, love?”

The quiet concern made her feel ashamed of herself, of the suspicions she’d had since he kissed her at the bar. Eoin treated their kiss as if it hadn’t rocked his world, but Brenna couldn’t be as blasé about it. She’d felt the scorching heat in places she didn’t know could burn to such a degree, and she was certain some of her brain’s wiring had melted and she was now dumber for it. Case in point, she’d blindly followed him here like a neglected puppy eager for affection. The man could be a serial killer, and she, his next victim. Still, if he kissed her before he took her out, what a way to go!

“Brenna?”

As soon as he said her name, she realized she’d taken too long to answer. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Yeah. I’m… fine.” Good gravy! Was she evernotgoing to babble in front of him? He must think she was a veritable nitwit. She released a heavy exhale and centered herself, or at least as much as she could. “I’m fine. I was wondering what I would do for clothing. Aunt Odessa isn’t likely to allow me back to pack my things.”

Eoin’s gaze dropped to her dress, and he couldn’t hide his judgmental grimace. “We’ll shop in the morning.”

“I…” What could she say? It wasn’t as if she had a choice, and the clothing Odessa had purchased for her was atrocious anyway. “Thank you.”

“I’ll send Reggie to Odessa’s tomorrow to recover your belongings. Make a list of your must-haves. Minus the clothing, because if it’s anything like what I’ve seen to date, you’re in need of a new wardrobe.”

Irritation at his high-handed attitude bubbled up, but Brenna didn’t argue. She gave him a sharp nod and proceeded to walk past him into his apartment. She stopped in the marbled foyer and turned back around, unsure which way to go.

Eoin locked the door and carelessly tossed his keys on the dark-wood table, roughly four feet in diameter, in the center of the entry. Brenna couldn’t prevent the wince as the metal slid across the surface and clinked against what appeared to be an antique porcelain vase. Odessa would’ve given her a ten-minute lecture had she done anything so irresponsible.

“What?”

She glanced up from the keys to stare at him with wide-eyed trepidation. She didn’t doubt she resembled a deer in the headlights. “N-nothing.”

“Are you afraid of me, Brenna?”

Well, she wasn’t that terrified before he’d asked, but what did she really know about him? “No?”

His lips twitched, and he pressed them into a tight line. A dimple appeared on his left cheek, and the sight of the asymmetrical indentation made her feel slightly better. As if perhaps he wasn’t so perfect, after all.

“Why did your ‘no’ sound like a question, love?”

“Maybe because I don’t really know you, and here I am, in your apartment, after cutting ties with the only family I have left in the world.”

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