Faith eyed the concoction warily. “Go on,” he coaxed. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a tentative sip. It was delicious. She took another and realized her tongue and lips were tingling. “What is this?”
“Secret family recipe. We call it the ‘Virgin Slayer’. Crafted by my great-grandfather on his wedding night to ease the fears of his bonnie bride.”
Her eyes grew into large silvery gray saucers as the first few sips sent the warm, tingly feeling down into other parts of her body. “Really?”
“Oh, aye,” Brian grinned and winked. “’Tis the curse of the McCain men to be so well-endowed as to cause the swooning of many a high-bred virgin lass.”
Faith couldn’t help it. She giggled. Brian’s eyes sparkled. “See? It’s working already.”
*
The photos took longer than expected. Kieran looked to the shadows where he had left Faith, but he was unable to catch a glimpse of her. The moment he was freed, he made a beeline for the spot, only to find it empty. His heart fell. He’d been so sure she’d wait for him.
The sound of laughter rang out from the patio, drawing his attention. He blinked and looked again, sure that he was seeing things. There, amidst a cheering circle of onlookers, Lacie’s brother Brian and Faith were executing a perfectly synchronized rendition of “Cotton Eyed Joe”.
Kieran could only gape in wonderment. He’d seen Faith smile before, and heard her gentle laugh, but had never seen her kick back and simply enjoy herself with wild abandon like she appeared to be doing. What happened to the woman so ready to flee just a short time ago? He was torn between being happy that she was having such a good time and being unhappy that she wasn’t having it with him. It was the sheer intensity of his jealousy, however, that left him feeling winded.
“Oh, will you look at that,” Lacie’s mom said, coming up next to him and clasping her hands together with tears in her eyes. “I haven’t seen Brian smile like that since he came back. Faith must be an angel.”
She was, Kieran thought with a rush of stark possessiveness. But she was his angel.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like Brian; he did. He and his brothers had done their damnedest to pull him and what remained of his team out of Afghanistan a few months earlier. He’d seen firsthand the kind of hell Brian had endured, knew that it would haunt him forever. Begrudging him a few minutes of happiness made him feel like shit, but Faith was his croie.
As the song ended, Brian bowed low to Faith, and Faith offered a proper Southern curtsy in response. Those gathered around cheered loudly, and it was only then that they seemed to realize they were the center of attention. Faith turned a brilliant shade of pink. When she looked up and saw Kieran, she made a beeline for him.
The fact that she did assuaged most of the murderous thoughts he’d been having.
“I thought you told me you couldn’t dance,” he accused. “That was wonderful!”
“That wasn’t really me,” she said, her face flushed and her eyes twinkling. “That was the ‘Virgin Slayer’”. When Kieran raised his brow in question, Faith explained Brian’s special drink and the dubious history behind its making. Faith sucked in a breath when Kieran tightened his fingers around hers, and leaned down close to her ear.
“Does that mean I’m going to get lucky tonight?” he asked in a husky whisper.
A noise – it sounded like a whimper - escaped her lips. Kieran looked deeply into her eyes and her breath caught. Kieran glanced down at where their hands were joined.
“Oh, look,” he said with a roguish smile. “I already did.”
––––––––
Once Matt started school at the end of August, Kieran didn’t get to see Faith every day anymore. She had declared Matt’s school work a priority and his “job” and martial arts lessons secondary. Kieran understood that, even agreed with it, but also knew that there was much more to Faith’s avoidance tactics than Matt’s grades.
For Kieran, it was sheer torture, leading him to new levels of frustration, and he knew he had to do something. His body, his heart, and his soul recognized her for what she was. Being around Faith – seeing her pretty face, hearing her lovely voice, scenting her natural fragrance - had become a physical need for him. While he was trying to be patient and understanding, hoping that Faith would eventually realize what he already knew, he was getting desperate. He had to figure out something.
Soon.
Chapter Twelve
“Maybe I should, you know, hang around tonight,” Matt suggested, eyeing her with concern etched in his youthful features. Faith sat at the kitchen table, fighting the urge to close her eyes and rest her head upon the smooth, cool surface. She impatiently wiped at the persistent sheen of perspiration across her brow and shivered slightly beneath the three layers of flannel.
“Matt, don’t sneak up on me like that,” she chastised gently. “And don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been looking forward to this for two weeks.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he shrugged, pinning her with a look way too mature for a fourteen year old.