He kept waiting for Bellamy to break free, to try and kiss him. To slide a hand between them and grope the erection he couldn’t explain away. That was something he could stop. He could use it as an excuse to push Bellamy away from him and claim that it was all one-sided. That he wasn’t affected. Aroused just by breathing Bellamy’s air.
Instead Bellamy let out a rumble from deep in his chest and pressed his throat into Seamus’ hand like a dare. A challenge. Their torsos were pressed to each other, their breaths mingling and their gazes locked in some battle of wills Seamus didn’t entirely understand. He just knew he couldn’t be the first to look away.
When headlights splashed over them like cold water, Bellamy’s sigh rippled through his body. “Damn. You have some pretty blue eyes, Seamus. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Seamus dropped his hand from Bellamy’s throat and stepped back, embarrassed at losing control again.
Bellamy merely smiled and casually strode toward the car, motioning for Seamus to join him. “After you.”
They drove back to the hotel in silence, and when they arrived Seamus said an abrupt goodbye and made a beeline for his suite. He got inside, turned the lock and slid down the door, gripping yet another Bellamy-induced erection in his hand and staring blindly at a picture of a small white sailboat on a choppy, storm-tossed sea.
Yeah. That about summed it up.
Chapter Five
Seamus wrapped his arm around Gillian as they walked out of the brewery, tugging her up against his side. “I’ve got so many ideas now. I wasn’t sure how I was going to create what I wanted in my limited space but—” He shook his head. “You’re brilliant, Gill, I hope you know that.”
“I do,” she answered breezily. “Don’t go telling my brothers, though. They’re fragile creatures with egos like ruffled feathers.” She winked and clarified, “In constant need of stroking.”
When he laughed, she smiled and hugged him closer. “It’s good to hear you laugh, Seamus. You’ve seemed a bit down the last day or two. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I have?” He hoped he looked surprised. He was down and more than a little dismayed at how often he’d had to take himself in hand thinking about things he didn’t need to be thinking about. Where was his self-discipline? Everything he wanted—a mate, a mother for his children—was finally within reach and he couldn’t stop sabotaging himself with fantasies of sweaty sex with Bellamy.
But of course he couldn’t tell Gill all that.
“I miss my kids,” he finally said. At least that wasn’t a lie. “How sad is that? In seven years, I haven’t had a single break from being a full-time father. Now here I am in another country, learning the mysteries of beer from a beautiful woman and…” He shrugged. “I miss them.”
“So you still think I’m beautiful? I was wondering since you haven’t asked me to marry you today.” She was teasing him. And staring at him expectantly as if waiting for him to make an admission.
“I’m trying not to come on too strong.” And dealing with the fact that after years of drought, I have two people I want…with different parts of my anatomy. “My Gillian proposal schedule has me asking again tomorrow, in case you needed time to prepare.”
She hugged him again, then stepped out of his arms to hold his hand. “I wish I’d prepared better for your visit now that I know. There’s a three-day music festival not far from here, but it’s sold out. Bellamy got to catch the rowing regatta but most of the gatherings I love happen after you leave. If you’d brought the kids you could have stayed longer.”
Seamus sent her a look of disbelief, though a part of his heart was melting at her mention of his kids. “Are you kidding? I’m having a great time.”
Gill mimicked his expression. “The bartender is having a good time after crossing the ocean to go to another bar? Galway is a beautiful place, Seamus. Even if you just take a tour by yourself, you should go out and enjoy it. You don’t know when or if you’ll ever see it again.”
He kissed her hand with a playful smack of his lips. “I am enjoying it. This is why I came here.”
“The only reason?”
Seamus thought of his father. “I do need to track down a few Finn cousins before I leave. Dad made a before I die request.”
Gill chuckled. “That’s serious. It still sounds more like a job than a vacation, but you’re a good, obedient son, so off with you.”
“What, now? I thought we’d have lunch with Bess again.”
She was already pushing him toward his rental car. “I have some financials to go over with my father. We’re going to eat while we work, so you should go back to your castle, King Seamus. And maybe get a massage at the hotel spa before you search for your cousins—methinks you could do with a bit of pampering.”