Velvet of Desire

Louth, Ireland. The smallest county in Ireland, but also radiant, and serene. Anyone would fall in love with it's rolling green hills, the beautiful view of Dundalk bay, and the fresh air. That was what pulled Connor O'Callaghan there and the fact that she had to honor her grandmother’s will. Her ancestry was here.

The past few months was a hell for her. Losing her parents, and her grandmother in the same month hit home for her. Her gran was always speaking of the beautiful Ireland. She remembered the stories told to her as a little girl of her gran's adventures to Dublin, and to other sites. A tear trickled down her cheek, and her hands trembled to answer her cellphone when it rang.

“Hello,” she tried her best to make her voice sound steady, but she didn't quite succeed. The other person on the other line wasn't fooled and the tears just flooded.

“Connor, I know sugar, I know it hurts. If going to Ireland is too much for you to handle, then maybe you need to stay in Boston,” The soothing voice was that of her closest friend, Henrich de Vellero. Who was a open homosexual, and was proud.

She sniffled. “Henri, I'm fine. It's the memories that hurt. Gran was always there when mother wasn't and father was always too busy to care about me. She was the only one that understood me, and she practically raised me. I have to do this. I have to be in Louth, and I have to get what was in her will. I know this is what she wanted. I want to honor what she wanted.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then there was a sigh and Henrich spoke again.

“I can be over in five and come with you.” Henrich stated over the phone.

She shook her head and sniffled again. “No. You don't have to do that.”

He was the type that wouldn't take no for an answer. “Babydoll, I'm coming over, and we're going to Ireland together.”

That was the end of that conversation and like he said, Henrich arrived at her tiny apartment in five minutes and they were well on their way to Logan Airport. Once they were on the plane Connor felt jittery. Henrich took her hand and started rubbing it. He leaned over close to her ear.

“You know, plane rides aren't that bad. Since this is your first time, I can see what you would be scared of. It's like loosing your virginity all over again," he said with a comical tone in his voice.

Connor laughed, and he smiled.

“There's my gorgeous princess," his voice softened.

She blushed and swatted at him playfully. She relaxed a little bit more and slid into sleep. When she woke up the whole six hours had flew by. They were getting ready to land and she got all nervous again and Henrich smiled.

“Connor, I promise you, everything is going to be okay. There's nothing to be nervous about," Henrich reassured her.

“Henri, I have everything to be nervous about. I've never been out of the states. I'm in a foreign country. I think I'm having a-” She tried taking deep breaths. Henrich pulled her into his arms and starting rocking her. He hummed a little and within a few minutes she was calm and the buckle seat belt sign flashed three times indicating they were about to land.

She shut her eyes and let out a breath as the wheels touched the runway. The plane jostled a little bit.

“A little rough, but it's always like that when planes land,” Henrich stated when Connor clenched his hand tightly.

Connor only nodded and kept her eyes shut. Then they were led off the plane and into the airport where they waited ten minutes to get their luggage. She found the papers she needed and began reading them over again.

“What do they say?” Henrich asked, while leaning over to see what she was reading.

She paused and looked around. “Well, there's a house that a distant cousin of ours or something has kept up for some time now. It says that the house is rightfully mine, so I guess our first adventure is to find the house and this cousin of mine.”

Henrich nodded. “Okay, and does this cousin have a name.”

Connor smirked.

Henrich raised a brow. “What? What's so funny?”

Connor shook her head and laughed a bit. “I'm named after a cousin. Her name is Connery. She's older though. She's like fifty.”

Henrich looked puzzled. “How is that funny?”

She rolled her eyes and hit him lightly, and picked up her suitcase. “Just come on,” she said and walked to the directory board that had a bunch of different maps. She looked through a few and settled on the simplest, and started towards the rent-a-car center within the airport to get a vehicle. It would be much easier to get around with a vehicle she concluded.

It took about thirty minutes to figure everything out with the rent-a-car people. She was still definitely nervous about being in a foreign country. It made her feel like an idiot when they ask questions she doesn't understand. Though it made her feel better that Henrich had come with her.

She let out a breath and her and Henrich headed to the parking lot and drove away from the airport in a nice Acura TL.

“I think you turn up here. Take a right,” Henrich said and Connor complied.

“Are you sure you know how to read a map?” She asked him when he seemed to be hesitant about the next turn.

He rolled his eyes this time. “Please, I'm not illiterate,” he stated and went back to looking at the map.

She sighed and kept driving. With a few turn a rounds and some irritated groans, they finally made it to the house that was said to be hers. She called ahead of time to tell her cousin that she was coming out to see the house. She only said that she would make sure the place was open and ready for her.

When they did pull up, she noticed a few things. One, that the house was amazingly big including a long dirt driveway. Two, there was a lot of land. Three, there was a black sedan parked in front. She stopped the car behind the black sedan and got out. She looked around, and noticed some more things. It was on country land, and that there was maybe two neighbors and that was a big maybe.

A man about six foot tall stepped out from the doorway.

“Hello there. You must be Miss O'Callaghan,” the man stated.

She stared for a moment. His skin was a golden tan, and his hair was as black as a crow's wing, cropped close to his face with a slight wave. His muscles could be seen through his tight khaki shirt, and his eyes were a doe brown color. He was something out of a faerietale.

Henrich nipped her in the side with his elbow and she blinked a few times.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I was being rude. Yes, I'm Connor O'Callaghan. And you are?” She didn't know who he was, she was never told that her cousin had any children, or anything. She just assumed that all her relatives were either really old, or deceased.

He smiled, and his teeth were perfectly white and straight. Her heart fluttered up to her throat and she swallowed.

“I'm Lucien Romano," he said and stepped off the porch to meet her.

The name was Italian, she noticed, but he didn't have an accent. He spoke like he was American. She suddenly wondered why he was in Ireland and how he was related to her.

She nodded. “Nice to meet you. And this is my friend Henrich de Vellero.”

Though Lucian was a perfect picture, Henrich wasn't lacking in any area. Henrich was a handsome picture too. It was sad that he really didn't like women or Connor would of found her match mate in Heaven.

Lucien nodded to Henrich and smiled.

“Welcome to Louth. This is your grandmother's home. Connie was taking care of it for a while, but she got older. She hired my father to watch the house and take care of it. It's been remodeled a few times. Your grandmother would send money for what needed to be done, even though Connie insisted that she pay for it.”

There was a lot that Connor didn't know about her gran. She didn't know that all of this had been hers. She only knew that she lived here for many years before coming to America and marrying her grandfather. She did find herself relived that Lucien wasn't related to her, even though she was sure that nothing would progress between them. She shook the thoughts out of her head. She was here for business and business only. She didn't care how beautiful Lucien Romano was.

“So, how did you come to take care of it?” She asked him.

His smile faltered a bit but he pretended that it didn't. “My father passed over, and so I finished what he started. I've lived in Ireland for ten years now. Though I was born in Long Island.”

Henrich was making eyes at him and so Connor shoved her elbow into his ribcage.

“Well I'd like to get out of the sun and in to see the house. I guess I'll be staying here for a bit until I can figure out what I'm doing,” she stated and Lucian nodded.

“Of course,” he said and led them into the house.

It was really spacious. She looked over the floors and the walls and looked at the ceilings. It was absolutely gorgeous. There wasn't one imperfection in the house. Lucien's father had done a great job and so did Lucien himself.

“I do have to tell you something,” he said suddenly and she turned to look at him. “I do live here.”

Connor wasn't sure what to say to that. She just thought for a moment. “Well, since this has been your home, I wouldn't want to kick you out, so I don't see the harm in you staying. There's five bedrooms, so I'm sure we'll all have the appropriate space.”

Lucien nodded in approval and watched Connor roam the rest of the house and smiled. His thoughts were churning in his head like cogs on a wheel. The pictures certainly weren't enough. Connor was more beautiful in person. His phone rang and he answered. Of course it would be no one but Connie.

“Hello. Aye, she liked it. Abigail did good by her. She brought a friend,” he paused as she listened to Connie.

“She's a smart girl Lucien, and Abigail was a smart woman. I only wish that I could tell her that I'm really her aunt. Though that would only shock the poor girl,” there was a sigh and Lucien nodded.

“You take real good care of her Lucien. Don't let anyone tarnish her,” Connie stated sternly.

He smiled. “I promise Connie, now I have to go. I have to go and feed the horses," he said and they said their goodbyes. He strolled out to the stable behind the house.

Connor walked out towards the stables. She smiled and looked up at the sky. It just felt right, standing there in Ireland. She felt like she was at home. She had what was her gran's, and that was the most important thing to her now. She saw some horses grazing and her breath caught.

She went back to an early memory of her riding her first horse. She remember the fear she had when she clumb atop the great beast and felt the muscles quiver beneath her. She closed her eyes and smiled as she continued her stroll down memory lane. Her gran had thought that every woman needed to learn. She wasn't sure why, but her gran was very adamant about it. She laughed at the memory, and shook her head.

“Oh Gran. You were an amazing woman,” she said softly.

Lucien heard her voice and came out of the barn.

“I see you've made it to the stables. Your grandmother had seventeen horses,” he smiled.

Connor nodded and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. She stuck her hands in her front pockets and leaned back and forward on her heels. Lucien looked her up and down. He already seen the beauty from a first glance. This time he slowed his mind down and took in the whole picture.

The red, vibrant hair, and the pale, green eyes made her look like she fit right in, in Ireland. Her skin was like ivory, porcelain against his. Her face was soft, and her lips pouty. She had all the right curves in all the right places. She was a bit height challenged, but with her petite frame, it suited her fine.

Connor noticed that he was staring at her and she cleared her throat. “How about you show me around the stables. Let me meet the horses.”

He snapped out of it, and nodded. “Of course,” he said and lead her into the barn where a few of the horses were actually in their stalls. She went over to a gray, freckled mare and smiled.

He watched her, his curiosity burning. He didn't know that she was passionate about horses. It came as a shock. She was from Boston, the city. What did a city girl know about animals like these?

She lifted her hand and patted the horse on her neck. Lucien spoke now.

“That's Anna. She's seven. Lately she hasn't been eating well. I'm not too sure why. The vet says that if she doesn't start eating soon, she won't make it.”

Connor's brows knitted together with worry. She started stroking the mare's head softly and the mare nudged her and snorted softly in response. Connor smiled a small, sad smile.

“Easy girl. I only want to help,” she said softly and then opened the mare's stall door and entered. She walked around her carefully, examining her.

She felt the mare's muscles quiver under her touch. She came back to the mare's head and then opened the mare's mouth and looked inside. She frowned.

“Whoever your vet is didn't do a great job examining her. She has a bad tooth. She doesn't like a bit in her mouth,” she stated angrily and Lucien came over to take a look himself.

He was baffled. “I guess we should get a new vet,” he concluded and Connor smiled.

Henrich finally arrived. “Don't mind me you two love birds, I just came out to take a look at the beauties.”

Connor immediately blushed and hid her face behind the mare. Lucien took notice of this but didn't respond.

“It's nice of you to join us Henrich. I hope the horses treat you well," Lucien said with a smile.

Henrich smiled. “I love horses hun. And they love me,”

Lucien chuckled. “I'm sure they do."

Connor smirked and giggled. “Henri, how about we all go for a ride. I haven't ridden in a while and need to warm up a bit.”

Henrich shrugged and Lucien nodded. “That's a terrific idea. I'll grab a few horses,” Lucien said and left to fetch them out of the fields. Connor turned on Henrich.

“Henri. Please. I do not like him, and I'm sure he doesn't like me. We were discussing the well being of the horses, please don't embarrass me,” she pleaded.

Henrich rolled his eyes. “Sure. Connor, I know you. He's hot, and he's Italian.”

Connor blushed again and turned away. “Well, I'm not pursuing any relationship so please, no more jokes about it.”

Henrich sighed. “Okay,” he gave in and went over to her. He hugged her as she came out of Anna's stall.

Lucien returned with three of the horses. Connor's mouth fell as he approached with them. She already knew which horse was her. The black stallion. Pitch black, like coal. She walked forward and touched the stallion's forehead.

“You're beautiful,” she said in awe of the horse's beauty.

Lucien laughed. “He likes to think so too.”

Connor looked over at Lucien. “What's his name?”

The stallion nudged Connor with his head in an affectionate way. She smiled and laid her cheek against his.

Lucien smiled. He admired her innocence. She was so carefree right now and it was definitely a Kodak moment.

“He doesn't have a name. I rescued him two months ago, and haven't come up with a name for him," he said and crossed his arms across his chest.

He had really rescued him for her in particular. He knew that she would love him and he knew that she would love to name him. In the letters from Abbie, she had mentioned that Connor was passionate about certain things. He wished that Abbie had mentioned that she knew so much about horses. He would of cleaned the stallion up a bit before showing him to her.

She looked into the stallion's eyes, listening to him, becoming one with him. It seemed like time stopped, and she was just there, listening to his wants, and his heart.

“Apollo. That will be his name,” she spoke it to the horse and the stallion seemed to understand because he nudged Connor again. Lucien smiled and Henrich winked at Connor. She smiled at the both of them and then turned her attention back on Apollo.

“Yes, you are full of brightness inside. Apollo suits you well,” Connor smiled and patted Apollo on the neck.

Lucien handed Henrich the reins to a red thoroughbred named Ginseng, and Lucien himself would be riding Spitfire, a rowdy dark bay mare.

They rode down to a small creek and let their horses drink. Connor looked around her and smiled. She sucked in the Irish air, and turned in circled. Henrich smiled as he watched her. He couldn't remember a time where she was this happy.

Lucien watched her spin in circles like a little girl. He couldn't help but smile as she done so. Just the way the light from the sun bounced off her skin, and how the breeze lifted her scent and threw it at him. It made his stomach flip and his body feel light.

Henrich looked over at Lucien and smiled, because he knew that Lucien was hooked.