Page 17 of Sanctuary

“I thought you were in Dublin until next week,” Connor said, straightening his clothes with as much dignity as he could muster.

“It rained the whole time,” Iris replied, her keen eyes still darting between us. “Absolutely dreadful. Rory called and mentioned there had been some... excitement here. I thought I’d come back and see for myself.” She fixed her gaze on me. “And to meet the woman who’s captured our Connor’s heart.”

Heat rushed to my face. “Oh, we’re just—”

“Madly in love,” Connor finished, sliding an arm around my waist and pulling me close. “Aren’t we, darling?”

I forced a smile, fighting the urge to elbow him in the ribs. “Absolutely smitten.”

Iris’s eyebrow arched skeptically. “Well, isn’t that lovely. She patted the dog’s head absently. “I assume you’ll wait until the fall for the wedding?”

Connor coughed. “Actually, we were thinking about something sooner. Small, intimate.”

“How intimate?” Iris asked, her tone deceptively casual.

“Just family,” I said quickly, trying to sound convincing. “And a few close friends.”

Iris nodded slowly. “I see. Well, I won’t keep you two lovebirds from your... library reorganization.” She smirked. “Killer and I will just go settle in. Come along, boy.”

The moment they were gone, I stepped away from him, my heart still hammering in my chest. “That was close.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his expression troubled. “Too close. We need to be more careful.”

I nodded, though part of me was disappointed by his quick retreat. Had the kiss been just part of our act? Or was there something more genuine beneath the surface?

“Connor,” I began hesitantly, “about what happened before—”

“We should probably head downstairs,” he interrupted, not meeting my eyes. “If Iris is back, we should make sure everything’s ready for dinner.”

I swallowed my disappointment. “Right. Of course.”

As we left the library, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. Between the men hunting me, the secrets I was keeping, and these confusing new feelings for him, I felt like I was drowning in a whirlpool of chaos.

Chapter 9

Mia

Several days later, I strolled into the kitchen after dinner and spotted Connor lounging against the counter, lost in thought. As soon as he noticed me, he flashed a wide smile.

“Hey, about that dessert I still owe you...”

I chuckled. “I was curious if you’d remember. So,” I said, perching on a stool at the island, “what kind of dessert were you thinking of?”

A small smile played at the corners of his mouth as he rolled up his sleeves. “Just now I was thinking of something Irish, but alas I don’t have all the ingredients. Do you like raspberries?”

“Love them!”

“Then how does a raspberry mille-feuille sound?”

My eyes widened. “Ambitious. I’m impressed.”

“Good, because I’ve already started it.” He looked at me and winked as he walked around the island. “Like I said, I’m full of surprises.”

I watched mesmerized, as he worked. His hands moved with confidence and grace, measuring and mixing with precision. The kitchen filled with a delicious scent as he opened the oven and pulled out the pan and sat it on the counter to cool.

As he whipped cream and folded in fresh raspberries, I found myself relaxing despite the earlier tension. There was something soothing about watching him work, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“So,” he said casually as he began assembling the layers of pastry and cream, “tell me more about yourself. What made you want to become a librarian?”

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