I sat there, staring at the tiles on the floor and wondering if he was trying to fuck with my head. Something up her sleeve? I tried not to dwell on it because she was probably just going to do another interview with some trashy gossip mag.

A little while later, in order to evade the paps, a small group of us made the drive up to the Dublin Mountains to have dinner and drinks in a cozy little pub off the beaten track. The whole time Annie was snugly tucked under my arm, sipping on a glass of Baileys, looking rosy-cheeked and thoroughly relaxed.

This is the life, I thought to myself.

She’d put her hair in a loose ponytail and strands fell messily over her neck and shoulders. I wanted to grip that ponytail in my hand while I took her from behind. My quick and dirty orgasm today had definitely not been enough to keep me satisfied. In fact, it had kind of made matters worse. Getting a taste of her had only made my hunger grow even fiercer. I wanted to make love to her; but with everything going on and us staying in a hotel room (where seemingly Patricia felt she had the freedom to come and go as she pleased), it just didn’t feel like we had the required privacy. We were constantly surrounded by people, and I just wanted to be alone. Nobody else but me and Annie.

When she stood to go use the bathroom, I watched her smooth her skirt down over her thighs and walk away. Bryan had the good nature to rib me about it.

“Can’t take your eyes off that one,” he said. “You’ve got it bad, Fitzpatrick.”

“Leave him alone,” said Tina, who sat with her husband Desmond on the other side of the table. “I think it’s lovely. You can practically feel how badly they’re into each other. Makes me a little jealous, if I’m honest.”

Seriously, they were like a bunch of clucking hens. We’d finished our food, and Annie’s glass of Baileys was empty. I thought this was as good a time as any to make a move. Just as she returned to the table, I stood and helped her on with her coat and handbag. She seemed surprised that we were leaving already but let me lead her outside nonetheless. We said our goodbyes, and it felt good to get back behind the wheel. I knew that soon enough I’d be back in New York amid the traffic and the people and the stress, so I decided to make the most of the moment.

“You mind if we go for a drive before we head back to the hotel?” I asked Annie as she settled into the passenger seat.

She did a cute little yawn. “Not at all. I’ll warn you, though. I’m exhausted, so I may fall asleep along the way.”

“Get in the back and lie down if you like,” I suggested. The idea seemed to appeal to her because she climbed between the seats, giving me yet another spectacular view of her arse. I had to resist the urge to lean forward and give it a little bite. She lay down in the back, and I sat there for a moment, looking at her through the overhead mirror. Such a fucking temptation.

I had a feeling this was going to be the best drive of my life.

In some places the roads weren’t lit very well, and it seemed like I’d gotten my wish because it really felt like we were all alone. We talked a little along the way with Annie explaining some of the stuff about her job I didn’t know. Seriously, the woman was so intelligent when she was relaxed enough not to be anxious that it made me feel dumb in comparison. Yeah, I was educated, but Annie just had this natural flair for what she did that I was in awe of.

All the while she talked, I had my eyes flickering between her and the road. She sat with her feet up on the seat, her body strewn in such a way that she was almost lying down, with her head resting against the edge of the window. It was kind of a high, having her all to myself like this. I started to fixate on how she hadn’t put on a seatbelt and how those seatbelts hung next to her body. It would be so easy to strap her down. I could be pretty creative when the mood took me.

When I saw a little turn off the main road, I took it until we came to a secluded nook surrounded by tall trees. I parked the car. I was still staring at her through the mirror when she sat up, asking, “Why have we stopped?”

I exhaled and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. Was I actually considering doing this? I mean, depending on what she preferred in bed, I could scare her off for good. Then again, from the very moment I’d met her, I had the distinct feeling that we were compatible, unnervingly so. Somehow, I just knew she’d be perfect, that we’d be perfect.

“Taking a little break,” I replied as I turned off the engine. I left the keys in the ignition so that the radio could stay on. I’d found a station during the drive that was playing some nice, relaxing chill-out music, and I thought silence might make Annie uncomfortable. Her eyes flickered when I began climbing toward her into the back, and all of a sudden she was sitting up straight, watching me warily.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

It was crazy how she could go from relaxed to uptight in a heartbeat, and strangely, I kind of got off on her uptightness because it was so much fun helping her unwind. I let out a low, dark chuckle and pulled her into me; the moment my lips met hers, her tension melted away. Her hands gripped my shirt, her body straining against mine. I cupped her cheeks as I slid my tongue into her mouth, a hard, probing invasion. She allowed it with a sigh, and I began to ease her into a reclining position.

She was heaving and breathless when I broke our kiss to whisper in her ear, “I’m going to try some stuff, okay? I promise I won’t hurt you, but I’d really like it if you let me. You can tell me to stop any time if you feel uncomfortable.”