Chapter 2
Shannon
“I’m nearly there. The bus got stuck in traffic. Don’t panic.”
Shannon sighed, her free hand rubbing at the back of her neck as she pressed the mobile phone between her ear and shoulder.
She’d been riding Trixie in the sand paddock when the first call came. One of the waitresses covering the afternoon shift vomited in the storeroom, and her manager sent her home.
Working in the city coffee shop was one way Shannon kept her head above water. Though the pay wasn’t great, it covered bills and boosted her savings.
Thankfully, Niall hadn’t noticed when she ended her training session early, leaving Trixie half-exercised.
The upcoming equine competitions meant she couldn’t afford to slack off, even with her schedule all over the place. She had to train every single day, no exceptions. Practice made perfect, after all .
However, this afternoon, she’d traded her riding helmet for a baseball cap, and her jodhpurs for black leggings.
Ending the call, she shoved the phone into her back pocket and stood as the bus came to an abrupt stop.
Shannon managed to catch her bag before it slid off the seat and rolled her eyes, shot the driver a subtle chin flick, and jumped down onto the footpath.
She inhaled deep into her lungs, the salty sea breeze reminding her just how far she was from home. The squawk of seagulls overhead vied with the loud traffic below them.
In a hurry, she jogged toward the pedestrian crossing, glancing at her watch. Almost half past four. The usual rush of office workers was still building.
She poked the crosswalk button and waited for the light to change.
“Jamie?” a male voice called from behind her, close but distant. “Jamie, where are you?”
Shannon glanced over her shoulder at a well-dressed man, possibly in his sixties, with cropped white hair and a furrowed brow, pacing steadily.
He didn’t appear drunk or dangerous, just lost—confused, vulnerable.
When the traffic light beeped, Shannon hesitated, hoping someone else would step in to help him. But no one did.
Strangers walked past without so much as a glance in his direction, never pausing long enough to care what was happening .
Something tugged at her, though. She knew he was lost from his panicked movements, wide eyes, and the way he spun around, looking heavenward.
Shannon exhaled a long breath as she watched him drag his palms down his pale cheeks in frustration.
Her heart twisted as she checked her watch again. She was already late. A few more minutes wouldn’t matter.
She jogged toward him, meeting his gaze as she slowed.
“Hey… Can I help you?” Her hand grazed his shoulder, careful, but grounding.
The lines around his mouth deepened, and his wiry brows furrowed, as though he was trying to focus on her, but the effort made his expression tighten.
“Oh, my dear,” he mumbled. “I need Jamie. My son, Jamie. I was with him, and then I...” His words trailed off.
Shannon’s eyes darted around the street, searching for anyone who might be with him, anyone who might recognise him. But no one showed any interest.
“Where did you last see him?” she asked.
The man stopped pacing, his arms folding across his chest as he cradled himself in a self-soothing gesture.
His expression went blank, and he stared along the road, toward the hotel, eyes unfocused, as if the world around him had faded.
His hand swept over his cropped buzz cut, the motion slow, as though he were trying to remember something. The thick golden ring on his left hand gleamed in the sunlight when his fingers curled into a fist .
His suit jacket flared open, revealing a royal blue lining, the fabric stitched perfectly to fit his frame.
“I don’t know,” he murmured, his voice tight. “My eldest son, Marcus… he’s flying home to see me. He told me he would be here. I went to look for him.”
The shift in his demeanour didn’t go unnoticed. His memory seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye, like someone flipping a switch in his mind.
Shannon glanced at his jacket again, then back at him.
“Is that your phone?” she asked gently, pointing to the device in his jacket. “In your pocket.”
He blinked, as if he hadn’t noticed it until then. Slowly, he nodded, his brow furrowing deeper. “Yes. But...it doesn’t work right now. I…”
The elderly man patted his jacket, then slipped a shaky hand inside. He pulled the phone out and stared at the black screen with a frown.
“Where is he?”
“May I see your phone, sir?” Shannon extended her palm toward him.
Hesitation clouded his gaze. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the phone tighter, but eventually, with a reluctant, almost defeated sigh, he released it.
Shannon tapped the screen, but it stayed dark. She tried again, frowning. It didn’t take long to figure out he’d likely turned it off without even realising it.
After she squeezed the power button, the phone lit up, and Shannon unlocked it, her heart giving an odd, uneasy flutter as she scrolled through the contacts.
She found the listing for ‘Jamie’ and tapped the number. The phone rang once before a deep voice answered.
“Dad! Where the hell are you?” The desperation in his question sent a chill down her spine, the harshness making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
Shannon’s pulse quickened, strangely stirred by the roughness of his voice.
“Oh, hi, he’s okay. I found your dad near The Fitz Hotel in Belfast. He’s a bit confused and looking for his son Jamie. I’m guessing that’s you?” She tapped her foot, her eyes darting around the street.
“Is he still near The Fitz Hotel?”
“Yeah, he’s down the street—” she started.
“Do not let him out of your sight. I’m coming to you right now.” The line disconnected, leaving Shannon with the phone still pressed to her ear.
She glanced at the elderly man, who was twiddling with his gold cufflinks. His eyes were brighter now as he cocked his head.
“Was that my son? Where is he?”
Shannon rubbed his arm, the soft fabric beneath her fingertips hinting at his wealth. “Yes, sir, he’s on his way. We should head closer to the Fitz Hotel.”
A sigh of relief escaped his lungs, and when his shoulders sagged, the tension drained from his features as they took a few steps. “Do you know my Jamie? He’d like you.”
Shannon shook her head, following his gaze.
Her breath caught as the revolving doors of the grand hotel spun open, and a suited man stepped out, scanning the area before locking eyes with them and heading straight their way.
Holy shit.
With dazed fascination, she gawked at the guy jogging her way. He wore tailored slate-coloured trousers that clung to his taut thighs with a perfection that made her throat dry.
His unbuttoned jacket flapped behind him in the breeze, as though even the wind couldn’t keep up with him.
A neat grey shirt, collar casually parted with a couple of buttons undone, clung to his broad chest. He didn’t wear a tie, and somehow that added to the air of confidence about him.
The closer he got, the louder the sound of his expensive leather shoes hitting the tarmac was.
When he finally stopped in front of the elderly man, he wrapped his arms around him in a way that seemed to carry a year’s worth of worry and relief.
“Jesus, Dad… You had me worried.” He sighed.
There was a definite family resemblance, but this man, this Jamie, appeared to be in his early thirties. He stood out like a neon sign in a blackout.
A day or two’s stubble dusted his strong jawline, giving him an untamed edge.
Shannon’s heart did a little flutter while her mind wandered to thoughts she knew she shouldn’t be having.
The image of his rough stubble against her inner thighs flickered for a moment, sending a shockwave through her.
But there had to be a flaw beneath all that perfection. There always was.
Shannon stood in silence, captivated by the intense richness of his eyes, which gleamed with a halo of amber light. It was clear this guy could have whatever he desired.
He rubbed his father’s arm, then straightened his back. “You have to stop doing this, Dad.”
Her gaze drifted down his long legs, and back up to his broad, muscular shoulders.
She chewed the inside of her left cheek, watching the father-son exchange, her eyes lingering on his full lips pressed into a tight line.
The scent of his cologne, rich and musky, had her leaning closer as if the gods had crafted it just for him to lure and captivate.
Being this close to him stirred sensations she couldn’t ignore.
“Why did you wander off this time?” His voice was smooth, yet abrasive.
When his arm moved, the tailored fabric of his suit tightened around the curve of his bicep.
And then, poof, the spell evaporated when a pretty young woman burst out of The Fitz Hotel next, her glowing makeup-free complexion and strained smile adding to her effortless beauty.
Obviously, his type.
“Oh God, George, you scared the hell out of us. Please stay put next time,” she said, part command, part plea.
George smiled, exhaustion visible under his eyes. “Where’s Marcus? I told him to be here.”
Jamie sighed. “Dad, I told you. Marcus is flying to America. He’ll be home in a few days.
“Why are we outside in the cold, Jamie? Can we please go inside?” George’s arms wrapped around his chest as he blew out a short puff of air, fed up.
At that moment, Jamie’s amber eyes locked onto hers, the heat of the silent exchange searing her skin. She froze, the depth of his gaze making her heart stutter a few beats.
His chiselled features were striking enough for him to be a model, with dark, sandy hair falling in a messy, sexy sweep at the front. A furrowed brow and intense stare had her swallowing hard.
Without saying a word, Jamie shoved a hand inside his jacket and pulled out a wad of folded cash. He flicked a few hundred-pound notes into the air, waving them between them.
“Take that for your trouble.”
And there it was. The flaw. The arrogance. He half-turned to his father, already expecting her to accept the cash, as if the transaction was complete.
Typical. Just another rich asshole. A simple thank you would have been enough.
“I don’t need your money,” she bit out, though part of her mind screamed the opposite.
She could use it. But pride wouldn’t let her take a handout from someone like him .
Shannon grabbed the strap of her shoulder bag and turned away, lifting her chin, determined not to let him see how much his gesture stung.
“Asshole,” she muttered under her breath.
“Hey!” Jamie shot back.
Glancing over her shoulder, she witnessed a sexy grin creeping across his face. “I’m an asshole for repaying a favour?”
His gaze traced her figure from head to toe, lingering just long enough to make her skin burn.
Shannon’s insides caught fire.
“I didn’t stay with your dad for a payout.” Her voice was icy, her lips curling into a small, almost sarcastic smile. “My pride is worth more than your condescending attitude.”
She turned, straightened her spine, and walked with purposeful strides, but not before throwing one last glance over her shoulder. “Basic manners are free.”
Her pulse quickened as she stomped across the road, muttering under her breath, “Entitled dick…”
As if pulled by a magnet, she couldn’t resist one more look just as Jamie turned his head, his gaze hunting hers.
A jolt of heat shot through her, unexpected and irritating, leaving her body tingling and warm against her will.
Her chest tightened, and a flush spread up her neck, warming her cheeks.
“Rich wanker.” She stormed toward the coffee shop door. “Just another cocky guy to remind me why I don’t need a man.”