Heart of the Druid Laird Read Free Page A

it came to men. During the years they were in college together, Sidney had been the quiet one, content to stay in the background while her best friend created a stir wherever they went.
    She smiled. Creating a stir happened naturally for Zoe. Her blond hair curled in soft ringlets around her perfect oval face and big blue eyes. Petite and curvy, Zoe barely reached five feet three inches. At five ten, Sidney towered over her, with nothing but straight lines and long limbs—except for her chest. She crossed her arms over her ample breasts. They’d been the bane of her existence as a teenager.
    “Did you call your mother back yet, Sid?”
    “Nope. I’m avoiding her.”
    “It won’t do you any good. She’ll keep calling. Mothers are like that.”
    “Is this ‘push Sidney’s buttons’ day or something? Did I miss the memo? I know she’ll keep calling. I just can’t face another grueling lecture about the shop or my lack of a social life right now.”
    “Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Panache à Trois is doing really well for a new business. It’s only going to get better.”
    “I hope so.” Their boutique had to succeed. Her family’s financial future depended upon it. She’d been the one to persuade her mother not to sell the building after her father died. Their success or failure rested squarely on her shoulders. “I’ll call her back later. David said he’d be home for supper. What are we having?” Sidney toed a broken eggshell on the kitchen floor and picked up a roll of paper towels from the counter. “Not quiche, I’m guessing.”
     
    Dermot studied the storefront across the street and read the marquee above the door, Panache à Trois: Fine Art, Handcrafted Gifts and Locally Designed Clothing. It seemed unlikely he’d find the babe here. Perhaps there were flats on the second floor, and the family lived in one of them.
    The traffic light changed. “Thomas, Niall, come with me. Lachlan, you and Donald wait outside.” Dermot crossed the street with his men. “We’ll be less conspicuous if we enter separately. You two go first. Blend in.” He paused by the entrance.
    “Blend in?” Thomas shot him an incredulous look. “We’re conspicuous no matter what, Druid. More so when we travel as a pack.”
    His cousin had it right. Thomas, the shortest of the lot, stood at six feet three inches, and Dermot insisted they all maintain peak fighting form. Immortality was no excuse for a lack of self-discipline. “Nonetheless, you’ll do as I bid.”
    Thomas snorted and went inside. Niall followed. Dermot took a deep breath to center himself before entering. What he found inside was an overstimulating cacophony of color, scent and sound arranged to entice the senses. To his left, baskets full of scented soaps sat on shelves next to lotions and creams.
    Every available inch of wall space held paintings and prints, colorful wall plaques, mirrors with hand-painted frames, and knickknacks of every sort. Racks of clothing and islands of gift items created a maze, guiding shoppers near every product the store had to offer. Soothing music provided a backdrop for the shoppers, encouraging them to linger. Impressive. Someone here had a genius for marketing.
    Movement caught his eye. A young woman emerged from the back, her hands full of receipts she studied with focused attention. She had the body of a swimmer, broad-shouldered, long-limbed and slender—except for her breasts. There, Mother Nature had blessed her with the gift of plenty.
    Hair the color of polished walnut fell straight and thick to the middle of her back. As he watched, she flipped an errant lock over her shoulder. His mouth went dry. She had a body to stir a man’s blood. He imagined those long legs wrapped around…What the hell was he thinking? Dermot gave himself a stern shake.
    He was here for one reason, and one reason only.
    The woman perched on a stool behind a computer with the receipts clutched in one hand. Could this be