“There’s a pub.” I pointed. “It’s off Waterloo!”
Cian slowed some, but he looked wary. Maybe because it looked busy. People were hanging around outside, maybe enjoying some fresh air before they went back inside. We’d mostly been keeping to ourselves. I’d never seen Cian in a crowd before. Not like this, where he didn’t orchestrate it. I wasn’t sure how he’d do.
“We can find another place—”
He shook his head. “It’ll do.”
It didn’t truly sound like it would do, but he had never lied to me. He’d only recently started talking to me. But something in his voice set me on edge a bit. As he found a place to park, I took the scarf off, wrapping it around my shoulders, and fixed my bun and added gloss to my lips. I’d just worn a light gold sweater, cuffed jeans, and my Converse sneakers.
He found an empty spot, and as a breeze drifted past us, I noticed him sniffing the air around me, like he could scent me in it. I smiled a little and turned to him.
“Ready?”
“You’re beautiful, Maeve,” he whispered, running a hand down my cheek. “I could spend the rest of my time buried inside of you.”
If it was someone else saying it, I might have thought it was an odd comment, or compliment, but I understood what he was telling me.
I was his safe space.
I squeezed his bicep. “You protect me with this. I keep and protect you here.” I took his hand and set it over my heart. “You’re already buried inside of me. No one can reach you but me.” I leaned in and kissed him.
My stomach grumbled and he pulled away, stepping out of the Thing. He came to the other side and lifted me out, then took my hand and kept it in his while we walked to the pub.
Waterloo was alive with nightlife. It was the first time I’d experienced anything like it, except for when I went shopping and out to eat with Cian in Galway. Music poured out of pub doors, and the scent of food lingered in the air. The street was packed with people, and I noticed how Cian’s eyes were jumping around. He wasn’t comfortable, but he was doing this for me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to find a quieter place?”
Either he didn’t hear me or he was determined, because he pulled me close to his side and kept me there while we barreled through people to get inside the pub.
Everyone seemed to move out of his way, just like they always did. They probably sensed the wildness about him and the danger that came with it. If I didn’t know him, I would have moved too.
His eyes scanned the inside of the pub and then he directed me to two seats at the bar. He took the one closest to the door. Probably so he could monitor who came and went.
All eyes were on us. No, not us. My husband. He was so fine, most of the ladies were having a hard time looking away.
The barmaid came to take our orders. She had black hair and stunning blue eyes that shimmered in the dim bar. “Howaya! What can I get you?”
Cian said nothing, just stared toward the area set up for live music. I ordered bar food and two Guinness beers. She nodded and said she’d be back.
My eyes followed the direction of Cian’s. It was a makeshift stage, but it looked like a ramp was on the side. A couple minutes later, I found out why. A striking man in a wheelchair rolled himself up on it and parked in front of the microphone.
He tapped it, and once he knew it was live, he introduced himself as Killian Kelly, and said he was going to sing a few songs.
“He has the same name. Well, his first name is the same as your middle name.”
Cian grabbed for his Guinness when the barmaid set it down and took a drink. “His is spelled with a K.”
“Oh.” I looked around. “How do you know?”
“He’s my cousin.”
I set my beer down slowly. “I didn’t think…”
“He has a twin. Cash Kelly. He lives in New York. He’s known as the Marauder of Hell’s Kitchen. Their Mam was cousin to my own. That’s the only family I know of, besides the ones who always called my Da a bastard.”
“Do they know about you? The twins?”
“Cash knows me by name and face because of business. I’m not sure if Killian remembers me. I’d only met them the once. Our mams got a good laugh about Killian and I sharin’ the same name. They didn’t keep in touch much. Not until we moved back to Ireland.”
