Liam shook him a little as if to berate him for his foul language, but she carried on. “I’m Catriona. You stole from me because you needed money?”
The kid who had to grow up too fast sneered at her. “What do you think? Don’t you think I’d find something better to do if I had the choice?”
Ignoring the insult, Catriona touched his shoulder. The young man shrugged, but it was clear that under the coat, his body had suffered from strain and hunger. She guessed that he was a good enough thief, but the fear in his eyes, the way he looked for a way out told her he was stealing for someone else.
Gazes locked for a moment, she nodded before reaching inside her bag. She’d exchanged some money at the airport, not knowing when she’d have access to an ATM again, or if she’d need to pay for her accommodations in cash. Taking the thick wad of money, she offered it to him.
Liam rolled his eyes. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Why are you doing that?”
For the first time, Catriona glanced at him and put her palm on the fist Liam kept on the young boy. Slowly, and without her having to say a thing, he released the young boy, and she linked her fingers with him. Once he was free, the boy sidestepped, ready to bolt, but remained within reach of the money.
“What’s the catch?”
“None, just take the money.”
He looked at Catriona and then at Liam, obviously torn whether to take the suspicious gift or not, which confirmed that he wasn’t a wicked soul, but one who was in desperate need.
His hand hovered before closing his fingers over it. Another moment he stayed there, probably asking himself if he was dreaming or not, before he looked up at her.
“Cary Paylor.”
And before she could answer, he turned and sprinted out of sight.
Catriona offered the young man a small prayer for his safety and slowly returned her attention to her surroundings. The warm and calloused hand in hers was the first thing that brought her back. The cold had intensified as the sun disappeared, the cold piercing through her coat, seeping into her skin.
The contact made her heart beat faster, bringing a new kind of heat inside her body. Catriona turned to see Liam observing her.
“Why did you do that? He tried to steal from you.”
His handsome face was troubled and, with his entire focus on her, Catriona felt like the center of the world. How could this man make her feel such a way? Her whole life, she’d been sure of every step she took, the kind lit with faith. When she was offered the chance to dedicate her life to God, the call had been strong, but the journey had been filled with delays and sideways missions. Was that pull another way to test her or a sign she should reconsider her calling?
“I know, and I don’t condone criminal activities, but in that young boy, I saw so much suffering and desperation, it was impossible to look away. He wasn’t stealing for himself, and he didn’t enjoy doing it.”
As she spoke, Liam’s features softened until he sighed and squeezed her hand gently. “I know, I sensed it too. But it was a knee jerk reaction to go after him. I felt how thin he was. He hasn’t been pulled into a gang yet. But don’t you think that we could have helped him more at the station? Call in a social worker who would have offered him a solution for himself instead of whoever he’s protecting?”
In a silent answer, Catriona tightened her hold. “You saw how determined he was. He would’ve been the same with an officer or a social worker. And maybe a kind gesture will stick with him more than arrests and accusations.”
Liam shook his head, a smile hovering on his lips. “You see the positive in everyone and everything, don’t you?”
“As do you, otherwise, I never would’ve been able to convince you to let Cary go.”
Fingers came to trace her cold cheek in a ghostly caress. “I’m like Cary, a protector. Don’t mistake me for a good soul. I’ve seen and done too much in my life to even qualify for the word good.”
Unable to help herself, Catriona stepped further into the shimmering silver of his eyes, and the enticing warmth and safety of his body and even risked cupping his cheek with her own hand. His whiskers scratched a little, and she resisted exploring the new texture, but only for a moment as he lowered his head to kiss her.
Her heart stuttered just as she sensed his soft exhale on her lips. It was his infinitesimal hesitation that made her act and bridge the gap so she could kiss him.
The heat of the contact almost shocked Catriona. Despite the winter wind, her body warmed, and a tremor coursed through her. It was so sudden and so intense, she almost feared it. Despite her years, she’d closed herself off from all possible contact with the opposite sex, focused instead on otherworldly and ethereal thoughts. It had been an easy thing to do as she’d never been attracted to another human being before. The idea that a simple, natural reaction overtook her and swept her away was almost frightening in its intensity.
But she wasn’t the kind of woman to be scared, never had been. It was that facet that motivated her to use her talents and not stay behind the walls of a cloister. And what had prompted her to avoid taking her vows until now.
Discovering the thrill of a kiss, Catriona was losing herself in it when Liam jerked back. The man was flushed, and his eyes almost glowed in the dimming light.
“I’m sorry. Damn. Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, it’s a mistake.”
Catriona was still processing what had just happened, but at his words, angled her head. “Liam, I’m the one.”
He cut her off. “No!” After a deep breath, his voice lowered as if he’d got himself back under control. “No. I’m not the type of man to lose control like that or forget about decency. You’re destined to be a nun. I had no business touching you inappropriately.”
As he was torturing himself, she didn’t know what to do. He was right about the fact she’d every intention of dedicating her life to God. She wanted to tell him he was a good man, and that she was the one who’d kissed him.
Discomfort pulsed out of him in waves, and before she could say another word, he put his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders in his coat while turning and muttering about going to the station.
Her lips still tingling, Catriona hesitated only an instant before jogging after him, still trying to understand if what had just happened had been a sign of what was to come or if it was only a temptation from the devil himself.
