How could she have believed he was into her? He was looking everywhere else but at her. Not good enough, the words repeated over and over in her head.
Standing before she’d even decided what she was doing, Penny mumbled something about fresh air to Bonnie and headed outside. She needed to breathe. She needed to think. What was she actually trying to accomplish? She wasn’t the kind of girl who played games. She’d never been like that. Okay, she wanted Finn to be jealous. More accurately, she wanted him to feel how she felt. If she couldn’t have that, then she’d let him know she didn’t need him anyway.
She gulped in the cold, damp air, looking at the smokers outside laughing and chatting. Looking to get away from them, she slipped around the corner into an alleyway. She just needed a minute. She needed to pull herself together. She shouldn’t have had those drinks on an empty stomach. She knew better than that. She leaned back against the hard brick wall. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply.
“Ah, here you are.”
Her eyes snapped open as Seamus approached.
“I thought I saw you slip outside. Nice spot you’ve found.”
His voice rolled out smooth and sexy as he made his way towards her, hovering over her. It was only then she realized the game she’d been playing. She had been flirting with him, leading him on. Now that he stood so solidly in front of her, she knew this wasn’t what she wanted.
“Hey,” she greeted him flatly.
She tried to conjure the feelings from in the bar, just a moment ago. She had felt sexy and wanted. Desirable. As he closed the distance between them, something in her gut twisted, and she knew this was wrong.
She had wanted it from Finn. She had foolishly been trying to make him jealous. It was something she’d never tried before and was obviously not good at.
“Seamus,” his name caught in her throat as she tried to figure out what to say.
He misread her breathiness and closed the last gap between them. “Right here.”
He placed an arm above her head against the wall, using his other hand to tilt her head up, then leaned in to kiss her.
Penny let herself be led, breathing in the smell of him: alcohol and cigarettes. It wasn’t a gentle kiss; immediately, it was hungry, wanting more. There was no pulling away. She was already pressed up against a wall. Instead, she lifted her arms to shove against the immovable force of his chest, turning her face away from his.
“Stop.” She wanted to yell, but her voice came out strangled from the shock of what was happening.
“Stop?” His expression fell in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“This… it isn’t what I want.” It was the only thing she could think to say.
“You seemed to want it five minutes ago,” he countered. “Give me a minute; you might change your mind again.” He leaned in for another kiss.
“Seamus, no….”
“She asked you to stop.”
The voice came from behind them. Loud and clear, carrying over the drinkers around the corner.
Seamus turned a look of annoyance on the intruder. “Seriously, Finn? You have every other American girl in thereeating out of your hands. You could take any of them home tonight. You can’t spare this one for me?”
As Finn approached, Penelope could see the steely look in his sea-green eyes. She’d seen him angry when they’d first talked about Felix, but that was nothing compared to this.
“I know this is your thing, Seamus. Flirt with the tourists and enjoy them while they’re visiting. But I’m telling you to leave Penny alone.”
Seamus turned his intimidating bulk until it was focused squarely on Finn. He glowered down at him angrily. Finn didn’t make a single move to retreat. He stood his ground, looking just as angry.
“Fine,” Seamus said eventually. “But you better be back inside playing in five minutes. You’re not getting paid to flirt with the girls.”
Finn took it as Seamus knocked past him, holding his stance, unintimidated. As soon as he rounded the corner, though, he was at Penny’s side. “Are you okay?”
Tears streamed down her face. Not so much from the threat of Seamus. She believed he would have backed off if she had kept insisting. But from the whole mess the evening had turned into, which she knew was her fault. She was grateful to Finn for appearing, but all she wanted was to escape.
“I want to go home,” she managed to get the words out before the next sob hit her. “I need to go home.” She wasn’t sure if she meant the house they were staying in or home, home. But she needed to leave immediately.
“Okay, okay. Let’s get you a cab.”
