Chapter 5
FIVE
Jenna’s head was throbbing and her mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert.
She tried to move, but couldn’t. Something was anchoring her tightly in place.
Her head rested on the hardest pillow she could recall sleeping on.
Realizing she didn’t have any pillows like that, her eyes shot open and the pain in her head increased tenfold.
She tried to sit up. No luck. There was a large very male arm holding her down.
“What the …” she mumbled.
The arm moved and was attached to a fully clothed Cormac, who was just opening his incredible eyes to look at her.
“How be ye this morn, lass?” he asked as he stretched and sat up.
“What happened here? We didn’t … did we?” She nervously awaited an answer while trying to remember what had actually happened last night.
“Nay, lass, dinna fash. Nothing happened, but not for lack of trying on yer part,” he chuckled.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember inviting you to sleep in my room with me,” she snarled.
“Well, ye did, lass. I wouldnae be here otherwise. I believe ye had a wee bit too much whiskey last night.”
“Yuck. Don’t remind me. Ooh, my head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Wait here, lass. I’ll get ye some water. A verra wise woman once told me that ye need to drink lots of it when ye feel as ye do.”
“Can you bring me some aspirin, too. It’s in the cabinet above the glasses in the kitchen.”
“Aye. I’ll return quickly, lass.”
Cormac left the room and Jenna replayed the night’s events from the beginning, trying to piece it all together.
“What on earth did I do? I hope I didn’t embarrass myself too much,” she said to herself.
Bits of memory were making their way into her brain.
She remembered Cormac carrying her up the stairs to the house.
That was nice of him. He carried her into her room where she kissed him.
Oh, my God, I kissed him. He must think I’m easy or worse.
But the kiss as she remembered it was incredible, all soft and warm.
A very solid wall of man had wrapped himself around her and she liked it very much.
She was drunk though. Maybe it seemed better than it really was.
Just thinking about it was doing crazy things to her body, so it must have been pretty damn good.
Oh, no! I asked him to make love to me! It’s official, I am never going to be able to look at him again.
Cormac walked back into the room to the sight of a very red-faced Jenna fanning herself with an old magazine. She immediately looked down as if she had just found something very interesting to read there.
“Are ye well, Jenna? You look a bit ill.”
“I’m fine,” she barked. That felt better.
She needed to reestablish the boundaries she set yesterday.
She definitely didn’t want him thinking she was interested in him.
Although he was very sweet and protective of her when Jonathan was being an ass.
So, he’s a nice guy. What difference does that make?
I’m going to stay as far away as possible.
I don’t need this right now. I used to think Jonathan was a nice guy, too. Hell, I married him.
Cormac handed her the aspirin and the water.
“Can I get ye anything else, lass?”
“Yeah, you can leave me alone and get the hell out of my room.” Yelling at Cormac was making her head hurt more, but it was also allowing her to take back control of her wayward emotions.
“I’ll leave ye then. I can see that yer back to yer prickly self.” Growling under his breath, Cormac turned on his heel and strode from the room, leaving Jenna to nurse her aching head and to sort through her conflicted feelings.
***
Cormac closed the door to Jenna’s room. He was having a hard time understanding how she could be so sweet last night and so thistle-like this morn. Could drinking all that whiskey have turned her into someone she was not?
The front door opened and Dylan walked through looking a bit disheveled.
“Hey, dude, how was your night? Did ye get Jenna back here without any trouble?”
“Aye. There was no trouble,” he scowled.
“Your words are saying one thing and your face is telling a different story. What happened?”
“Nothing happened. Yer cousin is in a verra bad mood this morning.”
Dylan took a seat and motioned for Cormac to do the same. They eyed each other, waiting for someone to speak.
“She was pretty out of it last night. Thanks for making sure she got home in one piece.”
Cormac nodded and continued to scowl.
“It couldn’t have been that bad,” Dylan said.
“It wasnae until this morning. She was a different lass last night, sweet like honey and this morning she’s as prickly as a thistle. I dinna ken what changed.”
“She sobered up. That’s what changed. She always has her guard up, especially around men. She’s been dealing with Jonathan for a while now and it’s made her very skeptical of a man’s motives. Plus my guess is she’s a bit embarrassed about last night.”
“Aye. I ken what ye speak of.” Last night he thought there was hope for them, but this morning that hope was thrown out the window.
Why on earth would Edna think that Jenna would agree to be his wife?
Better yet, why would he want her to be his wife?
A brief glimpse into the softer side of Jenna had him curious to find out.
***
Jenna was feeling badly about how she had just treated Cormac. He hadn’t done anything wrong. As a matter of fact, he had been a perfect gentleman. She should apologize to him for her behavior and leave it at that. The wall was back up and she wasn’t planning on knocking it down any time soon.
As she was about to enter the living room, she could hear Cormac speaking with Dylan. He sounded hurt and confused by her ill treatment.
“Ahem.” Jenna announced her presence and both Cormac and Dylan looked her way. “Cormac, I just wanted to apologize to you for my behavior last night and this morning. I was angry at the ex and I took it out on you. I’m very sorry.” She hoped she didn’t look as embarrassed as she felt.
Cormac looked up in surprise at her words, a relieved smile spread across his handsome face.
“Apology accepted, lass.”
“Good. I promise not to be all prickly like a thistle.” Jenna did her best to smile through her embarrassment.
“I’d like that verra much,” Cormac said, ending Jenna’s awkward apology. Chester had curled himself up into a ball at Cormac’s feet and looked up adoringly when Cormac bent to pet him. “Yer a good dog, Chester. Do ye know that last night when we returned, he didna even stir?”
“That’s because he trusts you,” Dylan said. “He’s not like that with everyone. Chester hates Jonathan. Never warmed up to him.”
“I cannae understand why,” Cormac joked.
“Hey, let’s go get some breakfast. Same place as last time. Okay?” Dylan asked.
“Aye,” Cormac agreed.
“You just want us along to protect you from that waitress who’s in love with you,” Jenna accused. “I’m on to you, Dylan.”
“She’s in love with Cormac now,” Dylan laughed.
“Cormac?” Jenna asked in disbelief. Why did she suddenly feel jealous? She shouldn’t. She had no claims on him. He could see whomever he wanted.
“Yeah. She was all flirty with him when we were in there yesterday. Told him to come back and ask for her table.”
“Well, then we wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would we?” Jenna tried to make her voice light and carefree, but somehow it didn’t come out that way. Both Cormac and Dylan were looking at her skeptically. “Come on, let’s go,” she urged.
***
Cormac was quite amused by the two ladies vying for his attention.
Sophia was obviously not happy to see Jenna.
She did everything possible to exclude Jenna and Dylan from her conversation with Cormac.
As for Jenna, well she was showing signs of jealousy and doing her best to pretend Sophia was invisible.
They were both speaking to him at the same time and Cormac had all he could do to keep a straight face and answer both of them.
Dylan was very amused and was snickering under his breath.
“Ladies, I cannae possibly speak with ye when ye both talk at the same time.” He purposely focused his attention on Sophia. He was enjoying this little game with Jenna. “Now, Sophia, what was it ye were saying to me?”
Sophia gave Jenna a triumphant smile.
“I was wondering what you were doing later today. I get off of work at four.”
Jenna was just about to speak, but Cormac beat her to it.
“I’m afraid I willnae be able to see ye at that time, lass. Dylan tells me we’re going to someplace called the East Bay.”
Sophia giggled. “Cormac, you are so funny.” She batted her eyelashes at him and positioned herself in such a way that he couldn’t avoid seeing her cleavage as she touched his arm.
“Mayhap we can meet some other time.” He winked and gave her a cocky grin.
Sophia was fanning herself with the menus by now. “I’d like that.”
“Can you take our order please,” Jenna said, her tone clipped.
“What would you like, Cormac?” Sophia asked in the sweetest voice.
“I’ll have what I had yesterday, lass, if ye dinna mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. Anything for you.” Sophia continued ogling Cormac.
“Oh—My—God. Could you hurry it up already, Sophia? This is a restaurant, not a dating service,” Jenna fumed.
Turning to Jenna with a growl, Sophia said, “What do you want?”
“I’d like a Denver omelet, please. And an orange juice.”
Sophia didn’t say anything in answer.
“I’ll have what Cormac’s having,” Dylan offered.
Sophia turned and winked at Cormac as she walked away.
“You really shouldn’t encourage her, you know.” Jenna said angrily.
“There’s nothing wrong in flirting with a pretty lass,” Cormac answered.
“You’ll be sorry when she starts stalking you.” Jenna testily offered.
“I’d have to agree with Jenna on that one,” Dylan confirmed.
The restaurant was crowded, but Sophia managed to get them their food in record time. She poured everyone coffee, again ignoring Dylan and Jenna.
“Grrr. She is really getting on my nerves,” Jenna confessed as Sophia walked away.
“Why would she be annoying you?” Dylan questioned.
“She’s just so obviously ignoring you and me. It’s like we aren’t even here and if we say anything to her, she acts like we’re disturbing her.”
“The lass is working verra hard, Jenna. You shouldnae judge her.” Cormac hid his grin.
“Never mind. We need to finish breakfast and get back to the house. I’d like to be across the bridge by noon.”
They ate their breakfast in silence interrupted only on those occasions when Sophia was fawning all over Cormac.
He was no fool. He knew exactly what he was doing by encouraging the waitress.
“Jenna, ye have no reason to be jealous of Sophia.” Cormac said.
She gave him a look of disbelief.
“I’m not jealous. Don’t flatter yourself, MacBayne,” Jenna snarled.
He laughed, “Aye, ye are jealous. I’m not a daft idjit. I know what I see.”
“You are out of your mind if you think I’m even remotely interested in you.”
“Ye and I both know the truth, Jenna, lass.” He gave her the smile he knew made the lasses weak in the knees. He wasn’t sure it was working on her. Now she just seemed angry.
“Can we get out of here, please?” Jenna requested.
Dylan was watching it all with an amused expression on his face.
“Sure, let’s go,” Dylan said.
Cormac stopped to thank Sophia and lifted her hand to his lips. She looked like she might faint and out of the corner of his eye he watched Jenna’s reaction.
“MacBayne, we don’t have all day here,” she spat. “Do your flirting on your own time.”
With that she stormed out the door with Dylan close on her heels.
Sophia was smiling triumphantly and Cormac felt a bit bad about using her to get to Jenna, but he’d probably never see Sophia again, so he didn’t think he’d done anything too terribly wrong.