Wild Irish Dreamer - Tricia O'Malley Page 0,61

just tried tango. I think I did all right, no?” Fi beamed over at Luis who smiled down at her.

“Of course. You were a delight,” he said.

“May I have this dance?” Liam repeated, completely ignoring Luis.

“Certainly. I think I’m ready to try this again,” Fi said. She kept her tone light, cutting through the tension that seemed to fill the air between the two men. For a moment, her mind flashed back to the dream she’d successfully ignored. The music began before any of them could speak again, and Liam whisked her to the middle of the dance floor.

“Have you tangoed before?” Fi asked, deciding to keep the conversation light. She didn’t want to ask if he’d followed her here tonight.

“Believe it or not, I have.” Liam smiled down at her and wrapped an arm around her waist. His nearness had an entirely different effect on her than Luis’ had, and her stomach flipped in knots. Holding her eyes with his own, he dipped his head closer to hers, and for a moment she thought he might try to kiss her. “Luis is not the only man here with moves.”

With that, Liam twirled her out and away from him, her skirt swirling in an arc around her legs, and Fi lost herself to the music and the dance. Every time Liam pulled her near, her pulse picked up, and by the time they ended the dance, they were both panting, their eyes locked on each other’s. Fi took an unsteady breath, and then another, before stepping lightly back from Liam.

“Thank you for the dance. Please, won’t you join us at our table?” Fi asked.

“I believe I will,” Liam said. “Though I don’t want to be out much later; we’ve a big day tomorrow.”

“I agree,” Fi said, returning to their table.

Luis stood on their arrival. “Ah, Liam, will you be joining us?”

“Just for one drink and then to the hotel. We’ve much to cover tomorrow,” Liam said simply, and Luis nodded his head in agreement. Another glass was procured and soon the three sat at the table sipping their wine and admiring the dancers. Though the conversation was light, touching on the history of the dances they watched, Fi felt as though the tension had thickened in the air around them. Finally, annoyed with it all, she pushed back her chair to stand.

“I’m ready to go home. I’ll just grab a taxi to go back to the hotel. Thank you, Luis, for a lovely evening.”

“But – Fiona, I can take you.”

“Really, it’s fine. Finish your wine and your meal. I’m just tired,” Fi said, stepping back from the table.

Liam rose. “I’ll go back with you. I need to look over a few things.”

Mentally, Fi groaned. She knew what it would look like to Luis, but found that she actually didn’t care. The emotions at the table were messing with her head, and it was time for her to clear out before she did something stupid like let down her shields and read their minds.

“Please see her home safe,” Luis said, as if he were allowing Liam to escort her.

“Naturally,” Liam said, his smile more a baring of his teeth, and then they were gone.

A taxi waited conveniently out front and Fi dropped into it, grateful to be out of the dance hall and more than ready for bed. Emotionally charged situations were draining for her, and this one had too many elements for her to decipher.

“Fi…” Liam began, and she turned her head, simply looking at him. He caught her glance and shut his mouth, seeming to innately understand her need for silence. Instead, he reached out and squeezed her hand once before letting it drop.

Why she felt bereft at the loss of his touch was a question Fi didn’t want to examine further.

Chapter 32

The next morning, the uneasy feeling stayed with her, but Fi did her best to push it aside and focus on her work. Today was the big day – the final translations and the signing of a multi-million-euro contract. Fi had finished all the contract translations and passed them over to Liam; however, she had been told there would be a few more changes to the clauses after further negotiations today.

As the afternoon drew late, Fi paced the small conference room at the boatyard where they’d stashed her to be available to finalize any information. Fi found it a bit odd that they hadn’t asked for her in the last round of negotiations, but it seemed Luis