Contents<\/p>\n
1 – A Snowy Night In Dublin
\n2 – Phred And Finbar
\n3 – A Tabloid Journalist
\n4 – The Cocktail Menu
\n5 – Chocolate Liqueur Kisses
\n6 – Dinner With Finbar
\n7 – Tea And Trouble
\n8 – Up To Mischief
\n9 – Keep Your Guard Up
\n10 – The Media Circus At Christmas<\/p>\n
Chapter One<\/p>\n
Finbar was a great kisser. Even after dating him for two years, the sparks ignited as powerfully as the first time we kissed on a snowy November night in Dublin. I was wearing a woolly hat with colourful pom poms, more practical and warm than fashionable.
\n I\u2019ll always remember the first time I saw him\u2026
\n Snow covered the cobbled street. Frost sparkled on the trees in the city centre, and a marvellous hush had descended over Dublin. It was one of those rare moments when everything was perfect. I stood under one of the trees, breathing in the cold night air, wondering whether to walk the rest of the way home along the quays by the River Liffey or jump in a taxi.
\n While I pondered this, I saw a man approach me. He walked like no one else \u2014 like he was ethereal of foot, movements like quicksilver, and yet with a calm, confidence. He wore an expensive looking dark suit, dark shirt and grey silk tie. His shoes had a shine to them, and he gave me the impression he\u2019d just stepped out of one of the pubs or nightclubs, band box perfect and showing no signs of having been standing in the cold like me.
\n His silky black hair was swept back from his face and a few rogue strands fell across his brow. I imagined his hair had been well\u2013cut in August and had grown into a longer, naturally sexy style that touched the collar of his shirt. Perhaps he\u2019d been too busy to get it cut again. He appeared to be a man without vanity; a manly man, in his early thirties, maybe younger. It was hard to tell because of the sense of lean fitness about him. Not the type of fitness necessarily achieved from a gym, but something else.
\n A pang of nervous anticipation jolted through me as he drew nearer. His eyes had a deep sparkle, as if he knew what he wanted; a man who enjoyed life at the edge, a fighter and a lover.
\n At first I thought he couldn\u2019t possibly be approaching me. The streets had plenty of lovely young women scurrying from one nightclub, restaurant or bar to the next, arms folded across their ample bosoms in a futile bid for warmth. Women who were dressed to party, not for the weather. Sometimes I envied them. Sometimes I thought \u2014 to hell with practicality. I\u2019m leaving my furry boots with their sensible flat heels and fleece lining in the cupboard and I\u2019m heading out into the city wearing a pair of six inch tottering heels. Who cares if I skite on the icy pavement, or slip in the snow? What\u2019s a few chilblains versus fashion? But then of course I never did. Well, that\u2019s not strictly true. I did once. That\u2019s how I know about slipping on the ice, landing with a thud and flashing my knickers to everyone within laughing distance.
\n So there I was, a woolly hatted, furry booted babe. Perhaps not a babe. At least, not that any man could see from my red wool coat that was buttoned up to the neck with the collar up, and wrapped in a pink scarf and thermal lined mittens. I was under there somewhere, all cosy and toasty, and enjoying the snowy atmosphere in the city, lit up by the streetlamps, watching the flakes flutter down.
\n That\u2019s why I was surprised when his quicksilver movements brought him closer to me. I looked around to see if there was a woman wearing a low\u2013cut, sleeveless, chiffon blouse and short skirt that he was targeting. But no, it was me.
\n I remember thinking how handsome he was. Not in a tall, dark, chocolate box style. No, his handsomeness wore more slowly on the senses, but I liked him. I liked him the first time I ever set eyes on Finbar.
\n Later, he said he felt the same about me. Attraction is a strange beast. I even saw a scantily clad young woman glare at him because Finbar was interested in me and had walked right past her without a glance. The insult daggered from her narrowed eyes. He didn\u2019t even notice the virtual venom being thrown at him.
\n I\u2019d been working on an assignment for one of the tabloids in Dublin. I\u2019m a newspaper journalist. Having finished the interview near St Stephen\u2019s Green, I\u2019d headed down Grafton Street towards the hub of the city and paused to admire the snowscape. After a day working at the newspaper office, I was enjoying the cold fresh air. The last thing I expected was a man like Finbar to walk into my world.
\n I\u2019ll always remember his first words to me\u2026
\n \u2018Is that a fuckin\u2019 tea cosy you\u2019re wearing on your head?\u2019
\n He had nice voice. Warm, heart melting, though he could\u2019ve chosen a better way to introduce himself than to diss my hat.
\n But, that\u2019s what happened.
\n And here\u2019s what happened next\u2026
\n This is the story of Finbar and me. I\u2019m Phred, Phred O\u2019Leary. Welcome to my mischievous life in Dublin\u2026<\/p>\n
Chapter Two<\/p>\n
\u2018Take your pick,\u2019 I said to Mr Charming.
\n He frowned, dark brows framing those sexy green eyes of his. \u2018My pick of what?\u2019
\n \u2018I\u2019ll give you a head start to run like blazes up Dame Street, but I\u2019ll still catch you.\u2019 I looked at his expensive black shoes. Ideal for clubbing, but not for outrunning a crazy chick.
\n \u2018What happens if you catch me?\u2019
\n \u2018I\u2019ll kick the bejeezus out of your arse for insulting me and my hat.\u2019
\n He took the threat well. I was quietly impressed.
\n \u2018What\u2019s option two dare I ask?\u2019 he said.
\n \u2018I can save us both a sprint up the street and kick your arse right here.\u2019
\n \u2018Tough choice,\u2019 he said, trying not to smile, forcing the dimples in his cheeks to deepen with the effort.
\n We were quiet for a moment. Not a stand off. Just toying with each other.
\n He straightened himself up to full height, which was easily six feet, though he seemed to have a natural stoop, from whatever he did in life, or whatever it had done to him.
\n \u2018I\u2019m the adventurous sort,\u2019 he said. \u2018So I\u2019m going to go for the first option. I\u2019m pretty fit and run in all weathers, and if you think these slippy shoes will slow me down, well\u2026that\u2019ll about make us even, because I doubt you could catch anyone in those clumpy, furry boots. I thought for a moment you had your feet up two beavers\u2019 arses. Then I saw that they were actually winter booties. So, yes. You\u2019re on. Chase me.\u2019
\n I think he thought he\u2019d called my bluff, but I never bluff. That was his first mistake. His second mistake was just about to happen.
\n \u2018Start running,\u2019 I said.
\n He hesitated. For a second. His eyes bored into mine, questioning how far I\u2019d go to beat him. Would I really chase a grown man up Dame Street? A man I\u2019d just met? Hell, yes!
\n \u2018Run!\u2019 I told him.
\n On my second request he started sprinting, not too fast. I think the whole scenario was kicking in. But it was his own fault. If he wanted an easy time and was after a bit of skirt to spend the night with him, he shouldn\u2019t have walked past the floozy with her chesticles on display. If they\u2019d been out in the freezing cold any longer they\u2019d have developed frostbite. But I\u2019m sure she would\u2019ve let him take her home to thaw out.
\n \u2018My name\u2019s Finbar,\u2019 he yelled over his shoulder as I let him get the head start I\u2019d promised. I was many things, but a cheat wasn\u2019t one of them. Unfortunately. I say unfortunately, because if I\u2019d been willing to sleep with more dubious but rich men, and lie and connive my way through life, I\u2019d probably have been driving past this sinfully sexy man in a big posh car. But I was the decent sort. In my own way. It didn\u2019t always pay the rent, or buy me happiness. Not that I\u2019m perfect. I tell the odd fib or use a bit of blarney to get by, but in the grand scheme of things, I can be trusted not to be a dirty, underhanded cheat. So his luck was in tonight.
\n As I was chasing him, that\u2019s what I wondered. Was he looking for a feel under my woollies? Very likely. Would I even contemplate such a thought? To be honest, it\u2019s not really my style, but he made me feel a bit giddy. Now that I was all pumped with adrenalin, and gaining on him as we ran up the street, I knew I couldn\u2019t entirely trust myself not to flirt with Finbar.
\n From standing under a tree admiring snowflakes, looking like I was dressed for an arctic expedition, to chasing a handsome hunk through the centre of Dublin on a snowy night, things had moved fast. Finbar and I were almost instant friends. And that\u2019s how it all began.<\/p>\n
I caught up with him near the all\u2013night bakers whose freshly baked bread at midnight always smelled delicious. He skidded to a halt at the corner, but I\u2019d kept my speed up and didn\u2019t apply the brakes until I saw the whites of his eyes. Disbelief and hilarity sparkled in their depth. Then I flattened him. He didn\u2019t resist, possibly because he was laughing. We both toppled over into the hard packed snow and slid a few metres before stopping near the traffic lights.
\n I was on top of him.
\n All he did was laugh, and I started laughing too. I tired to extricate myself from his strong, lean muscled body, which I could feel through the two layers of my thermal vests. My coat had become unbuttoned with the effort of putting on a spurt of speed to catch him, and my chest heaved right in front of him.
\n He couldn\u2019t take his eyes off my bust, which has always been one my best features even though I keep it under wraps most of the time. I thought he\u2019d do that thing that men do \u2014 ogle your assets then pretend they\u2019re not fixated with your tits. But no \u2014Finbar wasn\u2019t like other men I\u2019d met. He came right out and commented on my assets.
\n \u2018That\u2019s a grand pair of titties you\u2019ve got on you. I thought you had a pretty face and a scandalous hidden streak about you that lured me to you. If I\u2019d known you had a pair of noodles like those under your insulation, I\u2019d have gone for option two and had you lying on top of me ten minutes ago.\u2019
\n I pushed myself up and began buttoning my coat.
\n \u2018You lost. I caught you. I won,\u2019 I told him.
\n \u2018Subtle little thing, aren\u2019t you?\u2019
\n \u2018I have my moments.\u2019
\n \u2018Have a few moments with me. Can I buy you a drink?\u2019 He glanced at the bakery. \u2018Or a crusty baguette?\u2019
\n \u2018I\u2019ll have the bread if there\u2019s a tea going with it.\u2019 The bakery had a few tables where you could sit and enjoy their products with a cup of tea or coffee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Contents 1 – A Snowy Night In Dublin 2 – Phred And Finbar 3 – A Tabloid Journalist 4 – The Cocktail Menu 5 – Chocolate Liqueur Kisses 6 – Dinner With Finbar 7 – Tea And Trouble 8 – Up To Mischief 9 – Keep Your Guard Up 10 – The Media Circus At … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":431,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-437","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=437"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":446,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/437\/revisions\/446"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.de-annblack.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}