“Then let’s agree to a time limit.”
“What will be sufficient for your research?”
“Half a minute?”
His brows shot up.
What did that mean? Was half a minute too long or two short? Probably too short, if the kissing of her married siblings was any indication. “Then two minutes.”
“Two minutes of kissing?”
“You’re right, that’s too long. Maybe one.”
He crossed his arms, the muscles in his forearms taut. “And when would you like to do this one-minute kiss?”
“The sooner the better. I need to turn in my next segment in three days.”
He hesitated. “So, your story has a kissing scene?”
“Just a brief one, and the editor says it needs to be more realistic.”
“Does it now? And you think kissing me will help you convey that?”
“Aye.” She actually didn’t know, but it was worth a try.
He glanced around again, probably checking if they were alone.
Which was a good idea. She needed to make sure no one—especially her two younger brothers—was near to witness her bold behavior in kissing Bellamy McKenna. She didn’t want word getting back to her da and mam that she was a loose woman.
Oh, sweet saints. She pressed a hand to her chest. Would kissing Bellamy make her a loose woman? Maybe she shouldn’t kiss him.
“What about a hug instead of a kiss?” Her question came out rushed and wobbly.
He stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets. “You decide. ’Tis your research.”
“Then let’s stick with a hug.”
He shrugged as if either a kiss or a hug was all the same to him. Maybe they were. And maybe she was having a moment of worry for nothing.
“So now that we have that worked out,” he said, “will you be telling me the man for Deirdre?”
“We haven’t picked a time or a place for the hug.”
With an exasperated sigh, he stepped forward and reached for her. “Let’s get this over with.”
She batted his hand away. “Eww. No. I won’t hug you like this, not with that kind of attitude.”
His brows shot up again.
“It has to be romantic, sweet, tender, and full of emotion.”
“That wasn’t part of the bargain.”
“Oh aye, it was implied. What good is a hug if it doesn’t have any romance to it? Then I may as well go hug my mam.”
He shoved his hands back into his pockets. “Fine. You’re right.”
“Of course I am.” She sniffed, then turned up her nose at him. “We’ll meet here at the pond tomorrow at this time, and you can hug me then.”
