Becoming the Whiskey Princess Read online

  I giggle. “Just asking.”

  “That’s not something you ask, though; you let it happen,” he says, kissing the back of my hand. “Give it time.”

  “We were gonna have sex the night I got shot,” I point out and he closes his eyes.

  “You’re killin’ me, Amberlyn. Shh, don’t talk about it. I won’t make it through dinner with my family if ya keep it up,” he practically begs and I giggle.

  “So saying that I want you very, very badly is frowned upon until a moment where we aren’t going to dinner with your family?”

  His eyes drift shut as he nods his head, his fingers squeezing mine. “You like torturing me, yeah?”

  I smile. “Yeah, I do.”

  It’s just so easy.

  “You look well, Amberlyn. That’s very good.”

  I look up and smile across the table at Mr. O’Callaghan. Declan’s mother and Lena smile fondly at me while her fiancé, Micah, just looks at me. He is very proper. Doesn’t really talk much, but he is gorgeous. He’d have to be to be with someone like Lena. She is stunning. Tall as a model and a body like one too. The dress she wears puts mine to shame. It sparkles like a mirror ball and is short, showing off her beautiful long legs. Micah doesn’t take his eyes off her much, and I don’t blame him. I feel a little self-conscious around her. If Declan didn’t look at me like I was the best looking piece of pie in the world, I’d probably leave.

  Thankfully, he does though.

  “Thank you,” I say, tearing my gaze away from Micah and on to Mr. O’Callaghan. “I feel great.”

  “That’s grand, Amberlyn, we’ve all been so worried,” Mrs. O’Callaghan says.

  “Sorry for that,” I say because I have no clue what else to say.

  “No, not at all. We owe you everything for protecting Declan the way you did,” she says softly, squeezing Declan’s arm. He sends her a smile before glancing at me with a grin. Good God, he is sexy. Heat burns throughout me. While it is fun to torture him with my need, it’s just that; I crave him. I want to feel his naked body against mine. I want touch my lips to his body, taste him, and have the most unbelievable connection with him. I need it. I need him.

  “You’re flushed. Are you okay?”

  I glance over at him as my skin burns with more color. “Yes, fine. It’s hot in here.”

  He chuckles as Lena says, “I love your accent. It’s so different from ours. It’s so funny that we are both marrying non-Irish folks, Dec! Poor kids of ours won’t know who to sound like.”

  Declan laughs as he nods. “I hope they all sound like Amberlyn. That would be a blessing, yeah.”

  I smile as I lean into him and Lena giggles. “Such a softy he is. Wish ya talked to me like that, Micah.”

  Micah scoffs to that as he shakes his head. “Like I don’t. You know I do.”

  His voice is very English. He’s from London from my understanding. They met when she went there on a holiday with her grandmother. Lena’s laughter fills the room as she nods her head.

  “I do,” she says with a wink, and you can just see their love coming off them in waves. I wonder if it looks that way for Declan and me.

  “When are you two getting married?” I ask and Lena smiles.

  “May, next year. We want to wait till his mother gets back from Africa. She is doing missionary work,” Lena informs me and I smile.

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, she’s a doctor. I’m to go over this November to help build some house. Trying to talk Lena into going with me.”

  Lena laughs as Declan scoffs. “She wouldn’t last an hour and you know it.”

  Micah smiles as he looks over at her. “Yeah, she wouldn’t, but it’s gonna be hard being away from her.”

  “I might try,” Lena announces, but that has everyone at the table laughing. “Ah! Whatever.”

  “You know you need your hair and makeup done, and I doubt that your designer will come to Africa to design yer dresses,” Declan says, pointing his fork at her. “And I’m pretty sure they don’t have air conditioning.”

  “Oh, off with ya.” She sneers back at him with a wave of her hand. “I don’t need that stuff.”

  “Sure,” Declan laughs and I smile at the family banter. Fiona and I can be the same way.

  “Speaking of Marc, Amberlyn, we will need to get you in with him. Have him design you some clothes. He won’t have time to do your wedding gown, but he’ll have your wardrobe done for after the wedding,” Mrs. O’Callaghan says.

  I look over at her, confused. “My wardrobe?”

  “Of course, you can’t run around in jeans and T-shirts, my dear. You’ll need nice clothes.”

  “You’ll love him! We can go together! A girls’ trip!” Lena exclaims.

  “I like my clothes,” I say, which silences the table. Looking around at all the faces staring at me, my heart jackhammers against my chest. “I like being comfortable.”

  “Oh, he’ll make sure you are comfortable! Promise,” Lena assures me, but I have seen what she wears, and if they think I’m strolling through the pub in heels, they have another thing coming.

  Before I can make that known though, Mrs. O’Callaghan says, “When do you want to go pick out a dress? I’d love to come and so would Lena.”

  Not that I have anything against Declan’s mom or sister, but I really wanted to do that with my aunt and my cousin. Since I don’t want to offend them, I say, “I think we are planning that next week.”

  “Oh, it will be a blast! Ma, you’ll have to call to make sure they have tea and everything set up.”

  When I glance back at Mrs. O’Callaghan, she’s on her phone, nodding her head. “Already penciled it in. I’ll call in the morning. I am so excited.”

  I smile, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes as Mr. O’Callaghan says, “You’ll get married here, right, Declan?”

  Declan nods. “Sure, Da.”

  “Um,” I say, and all eyes shift to me. “My mom and dad got married on the B&B land, by the lake under the tree. I’d love to get married there.”

  “Oh, of course,” Declan says quickly. “We’ll have to make sure Mr. and Mrs. Maclaster are okay with that, but yeah, I want that too.”

  He smiles widely at me before returning to his plate, but when I look up, I can see that his parents don’t like that idea.

  “Will it hold everyone?”

  “Everyone?” I ask, looking at Declan.

  “Yeah, it will be fine. I have a huge family, friends, and stuff. It will be grand.”

  “Oh,” Mrs. O’Callaghan says, her shoulders falling. “We’ve all gotten married on this land.”

  “Well, things change, Ma. I have to respect Amberlyn’s wishes too,” he says without looking at her, and I bite the inside of my cheek. I won’t give on this. No matter how disappointed his mother looks. I want her to like me, but I won’t budge on this.

  “That’s settled then,” Mr. O’Callaghan says.

  “Yes, I guess it is,” Mrs. O’Callaghan sighs as Declan looks over at me.

  He sends me a grin before leaning over to kiss my lips softly. It’s way too quick in my opinion, and as he pulls back, he whispers, “I can’t wait to be married to you.”

  “Me neither,” I say back, running my thumb along his lip to wipe away some of my lip gloss.

  He gives me a wink before returning back to his plate. Leaning back in my seat, stuffed from the duck that was prepared, I look across the table as Mr. O’Callaghan asks, “Will you be moving in before or after the wedding?”

  Moving in?

  “We haven’t talked about that yet, Da,” Declan says without looking up. “We haven’t discussed a lot of things. Been waiting for her to heal and all.”

  “That’s well and all,” Mr. O’Callaghan says, “but it’s coming up quick. The wedding, that is, and we want to make sure she is comfortable.”

  “Sure, Da, let us talk privately about that.”

  “Of course,” he says with a nod.

  �€