Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

The fresh air had been exactly what Cass needed. She attacked the keyboard with increased vigor, and Irish was tapping away on his laptop. He hadn’t left her side since they’d returned to the office, and she appreciated it.

Without a doubt, he had her back, and for that, she thanked her lucky stars.

“You want some food?” he asked, as if aware her mind was wandering. On cue, her stomach grumbled, and Irish laughed. “Guess that’s a yes. What do you feel like? Chinese? Thai? Japanese? Malaysian?”

“What’s with the Asian cuisine choices? Not that I mind. I love them all, but is that what you’re craving and it’s your polite way of getting your way?” she asked .

Irish shrugged. “We could get Italian if you wanted pasta.”

Cass laughed. He might have thrown out that suggestion, but her man wanted Italian as much as he wanted a punch in the gut. “I actually would love some Thai. There’s a nice family run restaurant near my house. How about we pack up and eat there? Then we can go home and watch a movie.”

“Who are you, and what have you done with Cassandra Whitehall? It’s not even six p.m., and you want to leave the office? Unheard of.”

Cass liked this side of Irish. He didn’t show it much. Most of the time he only showed it to her. To everyone else, he was the grumpy, surly former Delta who smiled rarely.

“I do want to leave.” She looped her arms around his neck. “I’ve found that there’s more to life than work now.”

“Is that right?”

His hands landed on her hips, the warmth from his fingers radiating through the layers of her clothes, igniting the desire she now didn’t have to hide from him.

“It is.” Cass pushed to tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, sighing at the contact.

Being in Irish’s arms settled her. There was no place she’d rather be, and every time he held her, she felt safe, as if nothing could touch her. That was ridiculous because he wasn’t a forcefield. He was a man. Who was as vulnerable as the next person.

The thought of him getting hurt was one she didn’t want to think about, so she clung to him a little tighter, pouring all her feelings into the kiss.

They broke away at the same time, both breathless.

Cass looked up at Irish.

He was watching her, his lips plump from their kiss. Lust shone in his bright blue eyes, but there was also a hint of worry, as if he’d been able to read her mind.

Had he felt her desperation? Perhaps, but she wasn’t about to tell him of her fears—not yet. She wanted to enjoy this moment. This new feeling of being in a relationship with someone special.

“You ready to eat?” he asked after a few moments.

“I am.” Cass pecked his lips quickly, before pulling out of his arms and turning her attention back to her computer. She closed everything down, then unplugged her laptop and put it in her bag. Maybe later she could do a little more digging.

There had to be someone who could answer her questions about what she’d recalled today. She wasn’t going to rest until she’d found something .

“We will get answers,” Irish said softly.

Again, he seemed to know exactly what was going through her mind. His insight shouldn’t surprise her because from the moment they’d met, Irish had always picked up on whatever was going on with her.

He’d been the first one to notice her headaches. He’d bullied her to see a doctor, and even though he hadn’t gone with her to the appointments, he’d always contacted her after to see if she was okay.

No one saw this part of Irish. He kept it buried deep. The guys on the team knew when they needed him, he’d always be there for them. He’d shown it time and time again.

Was that what he was like with his former team?

Undoubtedly, it was why he’d done what he’d done.

It was still disappointing that he hadn’t fully opened up to Cass about what’d happened. There’d been a couple times where it’d looked like he was going to say something, but each time, it was as though he’d changed his mind.

While his silence hurt a little, it must be hard for him to talk about the trauma he’d experienced when serving with his Delta team.

Cass really should tell him she already knew what’d gone down on his last mission. She suspected Irish’s reasons for making those decisions.

Would it make a difference to their relationship if she came clean with him?

Would he feel like she’d gone too far?

The thoughts tumbled through her mind as they made their way out of the office and down to the car.

Irish swept the vehicles for trackers and any other nefarious devices that could be attached to the undercarriage.

Of course, the likelihood of anything happening while they were in the building’s parking garage was slim, but still the precautions were appreciated because the lure of an influx of cash could make people do things they wouldn’t normally do.

“You’ll have to direct me to this restaurant you’ve raved about,” Irish said.

Cass chuckled. “I didn’t rave. I just said it was really good food.”

“Same thing.”

“Uh-huh. It’s a couple of blocks from my house. And be prepared to swallow your words when you have your first mouthful. Then you’ll be the one raving.”

“We’ll see. Tell me, what’s your favorite dish there? What should I order?” Irish asked .

“Their curries are delicious. Whether you go green, red or yellow, they’re all good.”

“You’ve sampled them all?” he asked, as he reached for her hand.

She loved that they could do this now, touch each other freely. “Yep, although I tend to stick to chicken as my meat preference. But you can have beef, seafood, or go a vegetarian option.”

“Anything else?”

“I haven’t had it but have overheard people in the restaurant espouse how wonderful their duck dish is. I’m not a fan of duck, so I haven’t tried it. Of course, all their appetizers are yummy. Honestly, I don’t think you could order anything that wouldn’t be good,” Cass said.

“So many options. I’m not sure how I’m going to choose.”

She smiled. “Luckily, it’s close to my house, so we can visit as many times as we want.”

Irish lifted their connected hands and kissed her fingertips. The sweet, romantic gesture melted her insides. “That we can.”

Cass directed him to the restaurant, and they placed their order. While they waited, Irish kept her close, and she didn’t miss the way his eyes tracked everyone in the restaurant. She’d bet he’d already planned the best escape route for them should anything happen. Which she hoped it didn’t.

The family who ran the restaurant were friendly, and the last thing she wanted was for her presence to cause them any harm.

Shit, why have I never considered I could bring danger to innocent people around me?

Because until a few days ago, it hadn’t been an issue. She’d been able to live her life in blissful ignorance of her past.

“You good, Alastriona ?”

Words lodged in her throat, so Cass nodded instead of speaking.

They made their way to the car. The aroma of the food normally had her mouth watering, but this time her stomach churned, and one mouthful might bring it right back up.

Brick homes and tree-lined streets flew by as they drove back to her house. Thankfully, Irish hadn’t attempted to make conversation with her.

“Wait here,” he commanded as they pulled to a stop.

Normally, she’d argue with him that everything was okay because she’d received no notifications of any breaches of the security around her property, but she didn’t this time. Didn’t have the energy. Not to mention that as much as Cass liked to believe her security system was flawless, that wasn’t possible. She’d proven that in her job many times.

The door opened, and as she faced Irish, concern highlighted his features.

He seemed to want her to talk to him. To tell him what was going through her mind. Why her temperament had changed from being happy to being serious in the space of a heartbeat.

Instead of telling him, which Cass would over dinner, she climbed out of the car and pressed herself against his body, circling her arms around his waist.

Immediately, Irish closed around her, and she sighed against his chest. “I’ve got you, Cass. Always,” he whispered against her cheek. “Come on. Let’s get inside and eat.”

I don’t like standing outside in the open.

He didn’t say the words, but they hung in the air as if he’d shouted them loudly.

Irish ushered her inside after collecting their food from the car.

Once they were settled at the table, plates filled, she breathed a little easier. Considering everything that was going on, a comfortable silence settled around them as they ate.

“I feel like I have this boulder hanging above my head, held by the thinnest piece of string, and any second, it’s going to give way and squash me,” Cass said, feeling the desire to express what was troubling her.

Irish put his fork against his plate and took her hand. “If you weren’t feeling like this, I’d be worried.”

“It hit me when we were at the Thai place. The restaurant was full. Everyone was happy, and the owners are lovely people, yet me being there could’ve changed everything for them. My uncle could’ve sent someone to shoot up the place to get me, and all those people could’ve died. All because of me.” Her words rushed out, and the food she’d eaten curdled in the bottom of her stomach.

A second later, Cass’s chair was being pulled out, and she ended up in Irish’s arms yet again. “I’m not going to say you shouldn’t feel that way because that diminishes what you’re feeling. And those feelings are valid. But I will say, I don’t think your uncle will make that sort of statement.”

She wanted to believe him, she truly did, but it was hard. “How do you know though? You don’t know what he’s thinking. Or whether he’s had enough of waiting and has decided he wants me and will do whatever necessary to get me.”

“Which means he wouldn’t put you in the middle of a shootout when there’s a chance that you’ll be one of the victims,” Irish said.

He had a point.

“You could be right,” she said.

“I’m always right.” He winked and smiled cheekily at her.

Even amidst all the turmoil, Cass couldn’t stop smiling in response to his arrogance. “That remains to be seen. Come on, let’s finish dinner, and then we can watch a movie or do something else.”

In a flash, desire smoldered in Irish’s blue eyes, and answering the need bloomed to life inside of her.

“I like the idea of something else,” he all but growled.

“Maybe I’m not so hungry after all,” she murmured and lifted her face.

Irish understood the unspoken message and slammed his lips down on hers.

Forgetting everything for a while was what she needed and doing it in his arms—well there was no place she’d rather be.