Bronagh
Had I hit my head and woken up in some whacked-out alternate universe? I had to have. That was the only explanation for Darragh and Cathal O’Sheeran being in my room. Well, only Cathal now.
I remained silent as I thought back and tried to gather my scrambled brain cells. Maybe if I did, I’d wake up and find this was all a dream, including the wreck. Although if it were, my body was putting on a good act because I hurt everywhere, and it was increasing.
Earlier, when I imagined I woke up to the medical staff working on me, I refused to take anything for pain.
I wanted to remain alert, especially when I was alone.
I had to admit, I’d been scared. When I was told they’d found my emergency contact in my phone and called him, I was relieved.
Despite the distance and our mostly distant relationship, I knew Dad would make me safe.
Only I’d never imagined his solution to the distance between here and New Mexico was to ask anyone in the O’Sheeran family to be with me and to bring their bodyguards.
Wait, this was a parallel universe. They weren’t here.
But boy, if it were real, I’d be in trouble. The reason was sitting next to me, staring at me intently. Cathal O’Sheeran hadn’t changed, other than getting a little older, and that only increased his attractiveness.
I recalled one of the rare times I’d been home, and I’d seen the impressive O’Sheeran clan.
They’d been at my mom’s funeral when I was seven.
Cathal, I knew, was ten years older than me, which would’ve made him seventeen.
To a little girl grieving, I’d been huddled on a chair, trying to disappear, as countless people mingled and chatted in our house at the wake.
Even if they were considered rivals and enemies, the other Irish Mafia families came to pay their respects to my dad and mom.
The influx of the three couples with their fifteen kids made an impression, even without their security detail.
I sat there trying not to get caught staring, but I couldn’t help it. Three little girls were around my age, or a couple of years older. I wanted to play with them, but I stayed seated. It wasn’t those girls who captured and held my attention throughout the family’s stay. It was Cathal.
All the O’Sheeran men, even as teenagers, had been handsome guys.
They’d grown over the years into even more ruggedly handsome, appealing men, including Cathal.
But there was something about him that had always made him stand out to me.
Yes, he was blond when most of the others were dark-haired, but it was more than his coloring.
I’d never been able to put my finger on it.
Meeting him after all these years, I realized whatever it was, it was still there and stronger than ever. Any time the O’Sheeran family was in the news or society papers, I’d listened and read about them. They fascinated people, and I was one of them.
What was freaking me out and making me upset was that my addled brain had made up the fact that he was here as my fiancé.
It was as if my secret wish had been used to hurt me.
When Dad mentioned asking Darragh to arrange a temporary marriage between our families, my heart leaped, and my immediate thought was that I wanted Darragh to agree and for Cathal to be the one I married.
Even if it were temporary and only in name, having one year with him would be a dream for me.
Sure, when it ended, it would hurt, but I’d hopefully have good memories to live off for the rest of my life.
But I knew that Darragh had turned Dad down, which meant that this was a hallucination.
A wave of pain rolled through my body. I groaned and closed my eyes.
“God, my brain is fucked up. Stop it!” I told myself.
“Stop what?” he asked, his voice deep.
I kept my eyes closed and rubbed my forehead.
“Stop with the hallucination! Lord, I must’ve really knocked my head good. There’s no way Darragh and Cathal O’Sheeran are here. I wonder if the doctor can unscramble my brain? Or am I in a coma and this is my permanent state? I mean, it could be worse, but still,” I mumbled.
“Bronagh, you’re not imagining anything. Your brain isn’t scrambled,” the unreal Cathal said.
“Of course you’d say that. You’re not real.
Dad is going to be so upset. Now he won’t have anyone to bargain away to protect the family.
I wonder if someone is willing to marry a woman in a coma?
I mean, it was to be an in-name-only marriage.
It would give my husband an excuse not to spend time with me,” I muttered.
“Bronagh, open your eyes! I’m not a hallucination,” he growled.
“No, I’ll keep them closed. It would’ve been too much to believe Cathal really wanted to marry me. God, I hurt,” I whined.
I heard what sounded like movement, then I gasped, but I couldn’t draw in air.
A mouth was sealed on mine, and I was being kissed.
Kissed in a way I’d never been. The hunger in it was unbelievable.
No man had ever kissed me with that degree of hunger or desperation, not even my former boyfriends.
Wanting to enjoy it, I moved my mouth to mimic the one in my dream.
Suddenly, a tongue wiggled between my lips and entered my mouth.
I darted my tongue forward to meet it as they twined together, the heat and the taste registering.
Along with it came the smell of cologne.
When large, warm, firm hands cupped my face, I moaned.
That’s when the realization hit that no coma or dream could produce this in me. I gasped, and my eyelids flew open.
Slowly, Cathal’s mouth parted from mine, and he drew back far enough that we could see each other without going cross-eyed. His face was flushed with passion. He gave me a seductive smirk.
“Does that feel like a dream or that you’re brain damaged? It’s real. I’m real. And I came here with my cousin to make sure you were okay and to keep you safe. However, now that I did, you and I have a lot to talk about.”
“L-like what?” I croaked.
“Like how you and I have an engagement to announce and then a wedding to attend. We should do them at the same time. We don’t want to wait between times.
It’s better to surprise everyone. You’ll need a few weeks for the bruises and cuts to heal, so it’ll give us time to get to know each other.
I also need to talk to my cousin about your security.
I have a better idea than having your dad bring men.
But before I do that, I’ll call the nurse to bring you something for your headache.
I can tell you’re hurting. There’s no need to suffer. ”
I lay there with my mouth hanging open as he straightened and pushed the call button for the nurse. She answered immediately, as if she’d been waiting for him to call.
“Yes, may I help you?” the woman asked brightly.
“Yeah, someone needs to bring her something for pain. Now. She’s miserable,” he said with authority.
“Of course, sir, I’ll be right there,” she replied, then the line went dead.
“I’ll be right back. I just need to speak to Dar. I shouldn’t be long. You try to rest.”
As if I weren’t reeling enough, Cathal bent over me, gave me a swift kiss, then straightened and walked to the door, then out. I picked up a hand and pinched myself on the underside of my arm.
“Ouch!” I cried.
It hurt. And if it hurt, then that meant…Oh my God! It was real. Cathal was real. And if he were to be believed, he planned for us to marry. What the hell happened after Darragh spoke to Dad?