His Wicked Celtic Kiss Read Free Page B

was the bright sun or Lorcan himself that made her corneas burn. Maybe both. The slight breeze caught his shoulder-length hair and a few strands blew across his face. His hair had a deep, lustrous sheen and was the rich shade of mahogany. Beautiful.
    But why was he here?
    He stopped in front of her. “Hello, Julie. Mind if I sit for a moment?”
    The small park bench was built for two, but having Lorcan so close would send her senses on sensual overload. He smiled, and her insides melted. Did he have any idea the power he held over people when he did that? His eyes crinkled adorably. Julie shoved her half-eaten bunny food in her lunch bag and stood. “I was going for a walk actually ... ”
    “I’ll come with you, if you don’t mind.”
    What could she say without sounding like a rude bitch? She could tell him to stay the hell away from her, but curiosity had her wondering why he’d sought her out. So she nodded, and they soon fell into step as Lorcan shortened his stride to fit hers.
    “I was on my way to the club, thought I’d swing by. Veronica told me you were in the park. I admit two rejections in one night stung.”
    Julie snorted. “Not used to it, I’ll bet.”
    Lorcan chuckled. “You’re the first.”
    Somehow, she had no problem believing him. “Why are you here?”
    “Not a stalker, I swear. I thought I would try one more time. Dinner? This Saturday night?”
    Julie stopped walking and turned to face him. “Why?”
    “Come to dinner with me and find out.”
    He was as tempting as that deep-fried, sinful appetizer platter at the pub. If she was going to indulge in something forbidden, why not a beyond-handsome man? It was only dinner. Besides, she wanted to know why he insisted on this “date.” She’d refused at first because, hell, she didn’t want to be hurt. Her self-protection mechanism clicked into place out of habit more than anything else. Time for a dose of ice-cold reality. Julie had always been unfailingly honest—especially with herself. She was not the sort of woman to turn a man’s head at first glance, especially not one as stunning as Lorcan Byrne.
    She sized him up for a long moment, then nodded. “Sure. Dinner.”
    “Brilliant! I’ll pick you up at the bakery when it closes. Six o’clock on Saturday, right?”
    “Right.”
    He gave her that solar-heating grin, a brief wave, then turned and sauntered away.
    What in hell had she agreed to?

Chapter Two
    Later that night, Julie paced about in her small apartment. The bras soaked in the bathroom sink, she had waxed her legs, and clipped those toenails—now what? She’d given a month’s notice to the landlord since informing Ronnie she’d take the back rooms as soon as possible. More money in her pocket meant she could keep working at the bakery. Of course, it would eliminate the walk to work which meant she’d have to find her exercise another way. Go for a jog on breaks? Running was no fun with a full bust. Black eyes were always a real possibility. Do sit-ups in between serving the customers? Another option, but how weird would that look if someone happened to come in? Mix dough for six dozen cookies by hand? Good way to firm up those flabby upper arms. Maybe buy a treadmill when she could afford it? Or better yet—a vivid flash of her having hot, sweaty, calorie-burning sex with Lorcan Byrne invaded her thoughts.
    Right. Like
that
would ever happen.
    Plopping down on her well-worn sofa, Julie pulled the throw around her and luxuriated in the warmth and comfort. The radio played soft rock in the background. How would she even be able to sleep the next five nights? Her nerves jumped and twitched just thinking about sharing a meal with Lorcan.
A date.
When was the last time she’d been on one? A real one? God, it had been close to three years. Last time she’d had sex, too.
    A date.
Would he kiss her? Would he want—more? The one time she’d had first-date sex had been a crushing disappointment. She’d felt cheap