Chapter 3
HOLLY
O'Malley's buzzed with life—the clink of glasses, bursts of raucous laughter, and the hum of a hundred conversations merging into a single, chaotic melody.
Yet, somehow, it all faded into the background when this man touched me.
It was just him and me, standing there in the thick haze of fryer grease and stale beer.
My pulse thundered in my ears as his hand closed over mine, warm and steady, like it belonged there.
I stepped closer to the high-top table behind me, and the sticky floor tugged at my heels.
It grounded me in a way my spiraling thoughts couldn’t.
I glanced up at him, catching the way the dim, flickering neon lights played off his green eyes.
This had to be Dahlia’s doing. My sister loved meddling and this situation screamed of her handiwork. But why tonight? Why him?
I wanted to look around, to search the room for her telltale smirk, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from him. A flash of heat surged through me. His presence was thrilling, almost intoxicating.
And terrifying.
So, so terrifying.
“I really should go,” I said, the words weak and unconvincing, even to my own ears.
“Wait!” he said quickly, his voice low but insistent. His grip on my hand didn’t tighten, but it was firm enough to keep me rooted. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something vulnerable flicker there.
“I promised my brothers I’d find a wife before the end of summer,” he said, his tone calm but tinged with something darker. “If I don’t, I lose the only thing I’ve ever cared about.”
I blinked, startled. “Why are you telling me this?”
My voice barely rose above the background noise, but it didn’t matter.
His words had already triggered the familiar stir of my magic.
It coiled in my chest, threading through my veins like a living thing.
My breath caught at the realization that the binding was happening—my power responded to his confession, wrapped itself around his words, and tethered me to his secret before I’d even heard his wish.
No! My thoughts raced, trying to understand what was happening. My magic had never betrayed me before—never acted of its own accord. It always obeyed me, like an extension of my will. But tonight, the rules we’d followed for years had somehow changed.
He smiled faintly with a practiced sort of ease that didn’t reach his eyes. “Those are still the rules, aren’t they? I tell you a secret, and you grant me a wish. That’s how this works.”
I forced a laugh, though panic simmered beneath the surface. “Let me guess—you wish for me to be your wife?”
His laugh was genuine this time, a soft, rich sound that caught me off guard because I’d heard it before. I just couldn’t remember where. “You’re beautiful, but no. That’d be weird and it would break the rules.”
“Then what do you want?”
“To spend the night with you,” he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Oh!” I said, stunned again. This was a first. I was used to people wishing for money, cars, or bigger body parts—frivolous, superficial things.
Never for me.
I suddenly felt anxious. I was bound to this man, for better or worse, for the rest of this night, and he wanted me. I flagged down a passing waitress because I would need a drink to get through this wish…or five.
“A frothy green glass of whatever your special is tonight,” I said.
The waitress nodded, sparing my new partner a glance, but he shook his head politely.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the table’s edge, letting my gaze settle on him.
He looked casual enough, lounging back in his chair, but the faint crease at the corner of his mouth gave him away.
He wasn’t as at ease as he pretended to be.
His wish had him rattled. Hell, it had me rattled! How did he even know the rules?
I’d never had someone eavesdrop on me before, even when others were standing directly next to my victim. As soon as I asked if they wanted to play a game, a magical barrier went up that kept outsiders from hearing our conversation. So, how did he hear, and why didn’t I notice him listening?
Not that it mattered.
He wasn’t going anywhere. The binding my magic used on us ensured that.
What he didn’t know—what he didn’t need to know—was that the spell had already set in place.
I might not be able to leave his side, but I could use this ignorance to my advantage and do some digging.
“Two questions before I decide whether to grant your wish.”
“Ask away.”
“First,” I said, arching a brow, “what’s your name?”
“Liam,” he replied, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance, as though I should already know. That irked me because I felt like I should know it. He felt so familiar, like a dream I’d wandered into for a second time. I just couldn’t figure out why.
“Holly.” I gave a slight nod, watching him carefully as I introduced myself. My name didn’t phase him. There was no microexpression of its processing. Curious. Too, too curious. “Next question—tell me about the rules of your bet.”
“Oh, nothing groundbreaking,” Liam said, running a hand through his tousled dark hair.
“The usual bargain nonsense. If I don’t convince someone to marry me by the end of the summer, I lose thirty percent of the family business and sixty percent of the place I built from scratch.
They wanted to hit me where it hurt. You know, typical sibling rivalry stuff. ”
I blinked. Typical sibling rivalry? What kind of family did this guy come from? “Shouldn’t you be out searching for a wife then? You know, instead of hanging around with me tonight.”
“Probably,” he admitted with a deep exhale, his shoulders sagging slightly. “But I wanted one night—one night without the pressure of wondering if she’s the one.”
“Sounds tiresome.” I let my voice dip into something that sounded like sympathy, though it wasn’t. Or shouldn’t have been. Liam was like every other mark. Our time together was limited. What happened beyond tonight couldn’t matter because even if I wanted to help, I wouldn’t be able to.
“You have no idea,” he said, a bitter edge creeping into his tone. “Which is why I’m looking forward to tonight. Just one normal night.”
I tapped my fingers against the table, feigning thoughtfulness. Tonight would be anything but normal, but who was I to burst his bubble? “Well, I should probably inform you of one of mine. Let you know we only have two hours together.”
“What?”
“You asked to spend the night with me, right?” I said, leaning in slightly. “Well, the night ends at midnight. At 12:01, your wish will have been fulfilled.” My grin widened. “You’ve got to be specific when bargaining with the fae folk.”
Liam glanced at the gold letters printed on my shirt and smirked. “Because you’re a leprechaun?”
“Precisely.” I winked just as the waitress arrived with my drink—a frothy, neon-green concoction that practically screamed drink me and you’ll be puking later.
Before I could stop him, Liam handed the waitress a five-dollar bill, brushing off my protest with an easy smile.
“Thanks,” I said, raising the glass to my lips. I took a small, tentative sip, only to fight back a grimace. It was bitter and hoppy, with an aftertaste like burnt grass. “Delicious,” I lied, setting the mug down quickly.
“That bad, huh?” he asked, laughing.
“Terrible,” I admitted, pushing the drink aside. “I owe you five dollars for that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Liam said, standing and offering his hand. “There’s somewhere I want to take you.”
I eyed his outstretched hand warily. I couldn’t refuse.
If I did, the pain would start as an uncomfortable tingle and mount into excruciating pain.
But there were no stipulations about me delaying the inevitable and setting some ground rules.
“Just so we’re clear, sex is off the table.
If you’re thinking of taking me back to your place, you might as well save yourself the time and energy. ”
“If I had a heart, it’d be breaking right now,” he said, pouting dramatically.
“Heartless, huh?”
“So says my ex-girlfriend,” Liam said softly, his voice taking on an almost reflective tone. “Makes finding a soulmate pretty difficult, don’t you think?”
I froze mid-step, his words sending a ripple of unease through me. Was it what he said or how he said it? Before I could press him further, Liam took my hand and gave it a gentle tug, urging me to follow.
“Our time is ticking,” Liam said with an easy smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s make the most of it.”