Page 3 of Dublin Beast
Two weeks. Two weeks of hitting all the major tourist spots, keeping my presence noticeable—but not suspicious. And today, finally, someone bit.
Jamie. Cute, in a careless, messy-haired way, with the kind of easygoing charm that makes girls drop their guard. He approached me at Tate Liverpool and struck up a conversation about modern art.
Then he “bumped into me” again outside the Cavern Club, all smiles and smooth lines.
When he walked in here a few minutes ago while I ate my pot pie, I knew my instincts were spot on.
Jamie’s up to no good.
He turns from the bar with a pint in his hand and I gesture for him to join me.
He flashes me a panty-dampening smile and turns the chair opposite me to straddle the seat. “It’s like the city keeps throwing us together today.”
I take a sip of my drink, tilting my head. “So you think it’s fate?”
“I think it’s an opportunity.” His grin is easy, practiced. “You mentioned you are traveling solo, right?”
I hesitate long enough to seem cautious. “Yeah.”
“Then you probably haven’t seen the real Liverpool yet.” He leans in again, voice low and conspiratorial. “Most tourists just get the pretty side—the museums, the docks, the Beatles stuff. But the real city? You gotta know where to look.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And you’re offering to show me what lies behind the curtain?”
He lifts his pint in a little toast. “If you’re up for it.”
I glance away, like I’m considering. In reality, my heart is already beating faster. This is it. The hook.
“What kind of tour are we talking about?” I ask.
Jamie grins. “The kind you don’t find in guidebooks.”
I let out a breathy laugh, shaking my head. “Sounds sketchy.”
“Nah, love. Not sketchy.” He lifts his palms as if trying to appear innocent. “Exclusive.”
I roll my eyes, but I let my smile linger. “When?”
“How about tomorrow night?” He takes a sip of his drink, watching me over the rim. “I’ll text you a spot to meet and we’ll see where the night takes us.”
I pretend to consider his offer for a moment and then nod. Pretending to be just another too-trusting, reckless traveler looking for adventure, I hand him my phone. “Okay, add your number.”
The grin he flashes me is nothing but cocky satisfaction. He thinks he’s won.
When he hands my phone back, he holds it a moment longer, brushing his finger over my thumb. The touch sets off every internal alarm bell in me. It’s all I can do to school my features not to give my repulsion away.
Still, I’ve come too far to blow it now.
“Do you want to stay and join me for supper?”
Jamie flashes one last grin before upending his beer and setting down his empty glass. “Nah, love. I gotta jet. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
He’s up and out of the pub in the next heartbeat.
A private tour.
A shiver snakes down my spine, and I shake my hand to get rid of the sensation of his touch. If I weren’t hunting answers and looking for guys like him, I’d almost admire how good he is at this.
What he doesn’t know, is that I’m hunting him just as much as he’s hunting me.
