Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
I found her captivating. And incredibly sexy.
And trapped alone with her in my cottage with only one bed might prove to be too much to handle.
AUTUMN
I watched Sully sip his coffee and eat the buns I had warmed for him. His long legs were stretched toward the fire, and he wiggled his toes often to warm them. I found the action rather adorable.
Not a word I would normally associate with such a tall, imposing man.
But once I realized he wasn’t there to hurt me, I forgot to be frightened. In fact, I found I was quite comfortable with him. He was intelligent and kind. His eyes were warm, and he spoke quietly, even teased me a few times. Bonnie spoke of him highly, her affection for him evident.
“He’s my second cousin,” she explained once. “But he’s always been good to me. He’s more like a big brother than a cousin, really. He’s ten years older than me, and he loves to tease me about babysitting me when I was little.”
That made him forty-eight—ten years my senior. He looked younger. Fit and strong, not a gray hair to be seen. He had a few laugh lines around his eyes, but they only made him handsomer somehow. He was good-looking, his jaw sharp, with eyes the color of deep whiskey and his hair a rich mahogany. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen a solicitor so tall or broad. I wondered if he scared witnesses.
“I rarely am in court with witnesses,” he said with a smirk. “And here, we’re often referred to as advocates.”
“Oh,” I muttered, realizing I had spoken out loud.
“I only appear in court if needed. Most of my work is behind the scenes. I prefer that, but if I need to go, I do.” He flashed me a smile. “My size can be intimidating, even outside the court.”
“Hmm,” I hummed.
“My generation seems to have grown bigger than normal,” he said with a grin. “My cousins Finn and Niall are both tall and broad.”
“Do they live here?”
“No. They’re in Toronto.”
“Oh! So am I.”
“Finn owns O’Reilly’s. Do you know it?”
My eyes grew round. “I love the pub there. We go after work on a Friday and play darts and drink Guinness.”
He laughed. “I’ll have Finn get you in to see his wife sing. She’s an angel.”
“I’d love that.”
We were quiet for a moment. Then I spoke. “Bonnie is tall for a woman too.”
He finished the buns and wiped his mouth. “She is. My aunt Roisin is fairly tall, but we all tower over her.”
“Bonnie is slender, willowy,” I said, looking down with a grimace. I would never be described that way.
He frowned and followed my gaze, then met my eyes. “I prefer women to have curves,” he said quietly.
“Oh.”
“And I like them a bit shorter. It makes me feel like I’m a protector.”
“I’m sure your wife likes that.”
He kept our gazes locked. “No wife.”
“Girlfriend?”
He shook his head.
“Significant other?” I whispered.
“None.”
“Oh.”
Sully grinned. “Am I making you speechless, mo fhiadh beag?”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Short person.”
I sniffed, knowing he was teasing. “Rude.”
He laughed. “What about you? Husband? Boyfriend?”
I felt the color drain from my face at the mention of a boyfriend. It was all I could do to simply shake my head and reply, “No.”
He studied me as if he knew there was a story there.
And something told me he was going to ask me about it before we left this cottage.
CHAPTER FOUR
SULLY
My feet were finally dry and warm, and I stood, heading back down the hall. I rummaged in the cupboard, finding an extra pillow and blanket. My thoughts were full of our conversation. Autumn was insecure about herself. I saw the way she looked at her figure and heard the sadness in her voice. I wanted to tell her she was perfect. Her rounded hips and full breasts were a complete turn-on for me. But I had only just met her, so I couldn’t say that.
And the way she reacted to my question about a husband or boyfriend. Something in that seemingly innocent query frightened her. Or the person I inquired about did.
I planned to find out who.
Why it was important, I had no idea, but it was.
I stopped in the bathroom and brushed my teeth, staring in the mirror. I was tired and looked it. I had planned a good night’s sleep in my comfortable bed, but I would be spending it on the sofa instead. I was glad I had bought a bigger one recently. The old one wouldn’t have held me at all.
I returned to the living room, finding Autumn still curled up in the chair. She looked sleepy and pretty, making me smile. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to crash. It’s been a hell of a week.”
“Of course.” She stood, holding out her arms for the blanket and pillow.