She sets me with a disapproving look before sending a warm smile over to Declan.

“Oh, well, that was a sight to see!” she says with a laugh. “For a show of masculine greatness like that, my lad, your lunch is on the house.”

Declan’s face is still bright with color, but he shakes his head. “No ma’am, I’ll pay for what I ordered.”

“You will do no such thing. Don’t take his money, Amberlyn,” she warns before disappearing around back. I glance back at Declan and I can’t help it, I bust out laughing. I don’t know if it is because I want to ease his guilt, trying to play it off as not a big deal, but soon he is nervously laughing, too.

When I finally calm down, I say, “Jeez, that was awkward.”

“Sure was,” he said before standing and pulling his wallet out.

“Oh no, you don’t. I’m not getting in trouble for you!”

A smile pulls at his mouth as he concedes. “Fine, I’m just leaving a tip.”

“No way, I don’t want it. I know she is still watching, so just promise you’ll come to lunch tomorrow. Wednesdays are horribly slow, and I’ll be completely bored during this time.”

I don’t know why I said that. I need to draw back a little, and I hate how much it pleases me when he doesn’t even blink, he just quickly says, “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

“Awesome. Have a great tour,” I say as he heads for the door.

“Will do, have fun getting your tattoo. I can’t wait to see it,” he says with a wink. He sends me one last grin before he’s gone and as the door slams shut and silence fills the pub, I can’t stand how alone I feel.

Or how my heart is still beating out of control.

I have no clue why we are busy tonight. It makes no damn sense! It’s a Tuesday and we were supposed to get off early so I can go get my damn tattoo, but it’s looking like it’s not going to happen.

“This is insane!” I complain as I pass out the pints of beers to everyone.

“It really is. Hopefully, it will die down soon.”

When the door opens and a group of guys comes falling in, I send her a look. “I don’t think so.”

“Ugh! I got them. Keep the bar happy.”

“I will,” I say as she heads towards the group. Working quickly, I pass out pints and when I’m asked for a whiskey on the rocks, I smile as I reach for the O’Callaghan Black. Every time my hand touches this bottle, I think of him, but then I curse myself because that is just dumb. Blah. But I can’t help it; all I see are his gorgeous, thin lips coming towards mine. A part of me wishes that my aunt hadn’t had interrupted us. Then I remember that he is not single, and I shouldn’t be kissing him. That causes me to get mad because he almost kissed me, and he is engaged! Damn it, this is so stupid, and I need to just stop it with the Whiskey Prince. He is bound to get me in trouble just like his potent whiskey would. But, like an addict, I don’t know if I can.

Ignoring my depressing feelings, I hurry to fill orders.

“Amberlyn, I need a pint, please.”

I glance up to see Kane leaning against the bar with his brows pulled together and I know that something wrong. “Everything okay?” I ask as I quickly fill him a pint and pass it his way.

“Tough day,” he says with a shake of his head. “Had to deal with this arse of a gobshite.”

I smile. “Yeah, Declan told me he had a tour today.”

“Yeah, it fucking sucked,” he says before taking a long pull of his beer. Wiping his mouth with his hand, he looks back at me as he asks, “I thought ya were getting a tattoo tonight?”

“Do you see the pub? We aren’t going anywhere.”

“It’ll slow down,” he said with a shrug. “No worries.”

“Says the guy that gets to drink beer and not have to serve anyone.”

He toasts his pint to me as he laughs. “Touché”

I send him a smirk before rushing to the end of the bar to serve the sandwich my aunt has laid out for me. Taking the cash from the patron, I turn to put it in the register when my gaze meets his.

Holy shit.

“So I heard that the Whiskey Prince has been coming in here, and I can see why. Where did you come from, beautiful? Must have been heaven because you are simply an angel.”

Wow, corny much? But even so, I can only blink as I look into the sharp blue eyes of this beautiful stranger. He is something, that’s for sure. Thick, blond hair that is in disarray under the ball cap he wears, shoulders thick and broad, his waist trim, and a smile that is unstoppable. Good lord, he is mighty fine.

“Nope, America.”

He smiles as he pushes up on the bar, his eyes boring into mine, but I am looking at his arms, full of tattoos, even his neck has them. They are amazing designs, and I want to get closer to see what they are. I want to know him. I don’t know why because he is obviously not my type, but I’m attracted to him for some reason.

“Ah, the Yank, sure, I’ve heard of you, but no one told me you were better looking than Fiona.”

I don’t know how to answer, so I just smile as I try to remember what I’m doing. Oh yes, serving people. “What can I get you?”

“Your number and if the Whiskey Prince is here, point me in his direction.”

“He isn’t here, Casey. What’s it to ya, anyway?”

We both look over to where Kane is looking at Casey with a look that could kill. I’ve never seen Kane look so mad, and I wonder what is going on because his scary look doesn’t seem to scare Casey. He is just laughing.

“He doesn’t come out for years and he used to be my pal, I’d like to say hi,” Casey says before winking over at me, but the tension in the air makes me feel like there is more to the story than that.

“He is no friend of yours. I don’t want to hear you mention him again, or we can take this outside,” Kane threatens. Before I can say anything, Fiona is there.

“What’s going on? Everyone good?”

Kane is holding Casey’s gaze but while Kane looks like he is about to break a beer bottle on the bar and stab Casey in the neck, Casey is grinning, with no cares in the world.

“Nothing at all,” Kane says, snaking an arm around Fiona’s waist. She looks back at me and shrugs her shoulders. I don’t know what to do or say, so I look back at Casey and say again, “Can I get you something?”