Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Once I do, he removes my wedge heels from my feet and places a pair of socks on for me. Then he pulls out a shoe box and begins to place the sneakers inside on my feet. I watch silently as he ties the shoes for me.
Ronan looks up at me and smiles. Suddenly, I’m thrown back in time. I’m thrown back to that day when I was about four. My daddy bought me a pair of Wonder Woman skates and took me to the park to try them out.
“All right, Danny. Let’s get these bad boys on your feet so we can show them my girl can do anything. I told your mama I hate these jellies. Your feet are all sweaty,” Daddy grumbled as he pulled a pair of socks from his back pocket.
He then wiped the bottom of my foot on his T-shirt and slipped one of my little socks on. I was so excited. Once he strapped my skates on, he helped me out of the car and held my hand as he got me to the park, where he spent the next couple of hours teaching me to skate before taking me for ice cream.
I come out of the memory and groan. That was one of the happiest days I can remember with my dad before he was gone. He had a smile on his face the entire day.
“My ass done went and developed damn daddy issues. Fuck out of here,” I mutter to myself.
“What’s that, love?”
“Nothing. What’s all this about?”
“I had a gut feeling ya weren’t going to have the right footwear. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise, so Connie and Dae-Dae helped me get your size. Now come on, I want to show ya a wee bit of Ireland.”
Ugh, how can he still pull me in when I know I feel him pulling away? This man is dangerous to my being. No matter how much I want him, I know I can’t have him and keep him.
I’ll only be taunting myself. When I go home, I’ll have to forget I ever met him. No matter what he says, that’s going to be for the best.
The men I truly love never stay—my dad, Geno, Uncle Freddie. It’s better I ignore these feelings I have growing. Death and destruction are all I have to offer.
“Oh, hell no. Where the hell have you brought me?” I squawk as I pull to a stop.
“Carrick-a-Rede,” he croons as he turns to look down at my face.
“The rope bridge?” I breathe and lick my lips.
What the hell are the chances he would bring me on a date that would tap into my biggest fear? I have looked down the barrel of a gun. I’ve taken on men twice my size. Hell, I’ve been in the middle of a shootout once or twice in my lifetime, but this … death-drop heights. I hate them with a passion and this man wants me to walk across this bridge that has like a hundred-foot drop into the Atlantic or something.
“Nope,” I say and shake my head.
“Come on, love. Ya have to walk the bridge at least once in yer life. Yer here, why not?”
“Because I can’t,” I whisper.
He moves to crowd my space and cups the back of my neck. I tilt my head back to look up into his eyes. He searches my gaze with his.
I bite my lip as his blue-hazel eyes bounce over my face. He begins to lean in, his breath brushing my lips. I close my eyes, but the kiss never comes.
“Ronan McGowan? Aye, I thought that was ya? What are ya doing here? This here is for the tourists. I didn’t start coming here until I started doing the tours for Da.”
I open my eyes and see a tall strawberry-blonde woman standing beside Ronan, looking at him expectantly. I take that as my cue to take a step back. Turning quickly, I head back for the car.
It’s beautiful out here, but I’m not walking that bridge. There isn’t enough fine in this world to make that happen. My heart begins to ache because I know I’d be disappointing my uncle.
He never caught on to my fear of heights. At least, I don’t believe he ever did. I’m sure he would have helped me to crush that fear if he had.
“Hold on, love. Wait,” Ronan calls after me as he grabs my wrist to halt me.
He turns me to face him and looks at me appraisingly. I feel like he sees right through me. I’m not sure how to feel about that.
“Aye, I see. I’ve found yer one fear.” He nods to himself.
“One and two,” I mumble under my breath.
I’m going to stop lying to myself. This man embodies my other worst nightmare. I could fall for him so easily and then I’d lose him.