Four years earlier...

Georgia had worked for Diana for a little over a year and things had fallen into a routine that was helping her cope with her almost obsessive thoughts about Ewan Mailler. Her dreams had started out simple, a kiss or a dance, something to suggest that the attraction was there, but as she had spent more time in his presence and she had started to notice little things about him they had grown.

Her morning meetings with him made her feel as if she had run a marathon. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty, and her legs were shaky.  She had no clue why her body was reacting so strongly to the man but it was. At first, she had thought it was because he was just a handsome charismatic man and it had been a while since she had been close to any man, but now she wasn't so sure. 

Diana had brought a few men home who were just as handsome and charismatic as Mr. Mailler and they had done nothing to make her heart race or her knees shake.

He never treated her as anything other than an employee.  He never looked at her longer than necessary and he never touched her. Their relationship was the epitome of employer and employee, proper with just enough respect shown not to be considered a suck-up.  

Now, here she was packing a bag to head home for her visa renewal and vacation. She would be gone for two weeks and she was looking forward to getting away, clearing her head, and getting a new perspective on how things stood. Hopefully, she would come back cured because she would hate to lose her job.  It paid well and she was able to build up her retirement funds.

Craig had booked her on a flight to New York with a stop in Dublin. He had apologized for the layover but it was the only flight that wasn't full since she had left the decision of the dates until the last minute.

Diana had been going through a crisis and had to be reasoned with in regards to her leaving. Georgia looked over her room one more time making sure she hadn't forgotten anything and picked her suit jacket up off of the bed. The bright red material set off her dark hair and made her feel powerful.

Putting her thick wool coat over her suit and grabbing her simple rolling suitcase and purse, she walked down the stairs and into the foyer. Noticing there was a car waiting out front she continued on, giving her bags to the driver and climbing into the car. She couldn't hide her surprise as she ducked her head into the car and came face to face with Ewan Mailler sitting in the seat looking at his phone.

"I'm sorry I thought this was the car that was taking me to airport." She started to retreat and when she felt his hand on her arm she could barley keep from jumping out of her skin.

"You're correct. Craig booked us on the same flight."

Georgia eyed him, then his hand which he removed from her arm.

She slowly settled back into the seat as the driver closed her door. "Why?"

"It was convenient and it gives me time to get to know you since it's likely that you'll be around indefinitely."

Georgia didn't know what to say to this.  She was wary about him getting to know her but she was pleased that he thought she would be around for a while. She looked out of the window as the car started to move.

Neither of them spoke other than mild pleasantries until they were seated on the plane in a first class cabin.

"I didn't know you flew commercial," Georgia said suddenly, finding it odd that he was on a plane that wasn't his since he had enough money to have a fleet of them.

"As long as I get where I'm going I don't much care how I get there," he said as he settled back in his seat his arm brushing hers. 

He had given Georgia the window seat and she sunk back into it as far away from his overwhelming presence as was possible. "I find that hard to believe," she said without thinking as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Some of the only down time I get is while I'm traveling, so why wouldn't I want the journey to take a little longer than it needs to?" He looked over at her and his face was so close to hers that she could see the stubble that was just starting to coat his jaw.

She looked up into his eyes which were watching her closely. Everything froze, all of the sounds of the plane and the people around them faded away as her gaze traveled down to his lips. They were nice lips. The bottom one was full and very kissable.

Upset at the direction her thoughts were taking she turned to look out of the window without meeting his eyes again. She focused on the activity below and the light snow that was falling as if her life depended on it. She heard him talking with the flight attendant who was trying to flirt with him even though he seemed oblivious.

"Are you really not interested or is she beneath your standards?" Georgia heard herself asking much to her mortification as the woman left. "Forget I asked that, it was totally inappropriate," she said, clearing her throat.

"I generally try not to flirt with women who wear wedding rings."

Her head jerked up as mortification made her face turn blood red. As she looked at him he nodded towards her ring. What was he trying to say...that he would flirt with her if she wasn't wearing a ring or that she should know better as one who was wearing a ring? She reached down and twisted her ring around her finger, her gaze not leaving his face as he watched her hand movements.

When his eyes meet hers she turned to look out of the window again.  This was going from bad to worse quickly.  She wasn't going to have a job after this flight if she continued on the way she was going. It was best if she only spoke when spoken to she decided as she folded her hands in her lap, doing her best to ignore her racing heart and the wonderful smell of the man next to her.

It was a short flight to Dublin and almost as soon as they were done ascending they started their descent. Neither she nor Mr. Mailler said a word to each other but she was aware of his every movement and it was all she could do to keep from jumping every time his arm brushed hers on the armrest.

   As they began the descent the Captain came across the loud speaker and apologized to those who were on any flights that were connecting to fly to the North Eastern U.S. because a major snow storm had stopped all inbound flights within the last hour.

Georgia heard a lot of groans from the other passengers but Mailler seemed unfazed.

"Well it sounds like you're going to get some extra down time," Georgia said as the plane taxied towards the gate.

"Sounds that way," He agreed as he pulled out his phone and started to send a text. He was contacting Craig no doubt, asking for him to make arrangements for them.

He got a response almost immediately and then he put his phone away as he patiently waited for the plane to park and the other passengers to depart. When the plane was empty he rose, his massive frame filling the cabin as he began to get his personal stuff from the bin above their heads.

"Sorry about the hold-up on the other end Mr. Mailler." the Captain said from the cockpit not ten feet away from them.

Ewan nodded, letting him know that he heard him but not giving him any more notice.

He waited for Georgia to rise and gather her things before he led the way off of the plane. When they walked out of the gate and into the terminal there was a representative waiting for them.

"Mr. Mailler, I'm Kira and I'm so sorry for the delay. We have you and your friend booked on the first flight out tomorrow. We have arranged for two rooms at one of our hotels and we have a car waiting to take you there now." The beautiful blond woman was practically out of breath as she talked and walked at the same time.

"Our luggage?" he asked as he moved through the terminal not slowing down his pace.

"That we cannot do. I'm sorry." She shook her head. 

Georgia had the impression that they had sent their prettiest customer care representative to help Mr. Mailler in an attempt to sooth any irritated nerves. However, Georgia knew not to say anything walking as fast as she needed too to keep up with Mailler's powerful strides.

"Thank you Kira.  We will take the car but pass on the rooms."

Guessing by the way he said we, she was included in his plans for the night.  Her heart gave a little jump at the thought.  In a way he had taken care of her. Granted, it was just as easy to make plans for two as it was for one, but he hadn't left her to her own devices which he had every right to do since she was only his employee.

The car that was waiting for them was warm and clean and as they settled in he gave an address to the driver and the car started to move. It wasn't a very long ride and soon they were pulling up outside a small pub that was housed in what looked to be a 17th century building. It was not what Georgia was expecting.  She had expected their destination to be a five star hotel with all of the amenities.

"Ewan!" A thick Irish brogue filled the night air as a short stocky dark haired man stood in the doorway to the pub. "I guess even you can't control the weather."

"Collin." Ewan held out his hand as the short man reached out and grasped his hand pulling him into a hug. To Georgia's surprise he hugged him back then stood back and put his hand on his shoulder.

"You look good Collin, married life agrees with you." Then she watched as an honest to goodness smile transformed Ewan Mailler's face. He had perfect white teeth, and lord help her, when a dimple appeared she had to stiffen her knees at the impact it had on her.

"Who is that lovely lady there behind you?" Collin asked as he glanced over at her.

"This is Georgia Dawson."

"Ms. Dawson. It's a pleasure. My name is Collin Shealy" He reached out his hand

Georgia took it in hers with a smile. "Collin, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Lord help us a yank, you surprise me Ewan." His laugh was loud and boisterous making others want to join in with him.

Ewan ignored the comment. "I hope you can feed us Collin, I can't speak for Georgia but I'm starving."

Georgia's stomach did a funny flip at his use of her first name.  Really, what was wrong with her? A smile and his use of her first name should not have such an impact on her.

"Only the best for you Ewan.  Come on in and we'll get you settled."

They followed Collin into a warm half full room of locals who were paying no attention to the two new people.  There was a beautiful redhead on the stage who was singing her heart out to the crowd.  It was a beautiful haunting tune but it was in Gaelic so she had no clue what the song was about.

They were led over to a table in the corner by the fire and Mailler helped her off with her coat, his fingers brushing her shoulders. She sat in the chair that Collin held out for her thanking him as she did so. No sooner had they settled in then food started to arrive along with a warm lager.

Georgia didn't ask any questions she just went with it and ate the delicious food and sipped at the warm beer, letting the atmosphere relax her for the first time that day. When the beautiful woman finished after a few more songs there was a round of hearty applause as she left the stage and headed right for Mailler.

"Ewan," she greeted as she hugged him close and it was plain to see that he was just as pleased to see her as she was to see him. Georgia eyed her over her beer glass and did her best to push back the jealously that was suddenly overwhelming her.

"Moria this is Georgia, Georgia this is Moria, Collin's wife."

Moria held out her hand as she took in Georgia's appearance. If she thought her presence there was odd she kept it to herself. "Is there anything you need Ewan? How is the food, can I get you more?" She looked over her shoulder and waved to someone.

"Everything is perfect and there is nothing more we need," Ewan assured her, taking his seat again.

"I'm pleased to hear it. Nothing is too good for the man who saved my Collin's life and made sure he came home to me.  Let me know if there is anything you need," she said with a kiss on Ewan's cheek before she wandered away to play hostess.

Mailler seemed to be taking it all in stride, if he was uncomfortable in any way he hid it well, but then he hid all of this thoughts well.

"Shall we try to have a conversation?" he suggested after a moment of tense silence. "We have a long evening before us and it might make the time pass more quickly." He leaned back in his chair watching her across the table.

"Sure." Georgia took a sip of her warm beer and set it aside with a grimace.

"I take it warm beer is not your thing?" He nodded towards the beer that sat more than half full on the table.

"No, not particularly."

"Would you like something else, a glass of wine maybe?"

"Something simple, water or some tea would be nice." He gave her a thoughtful look before rising to move towards the bar.

"I'll get it." She rose to cut him off. "I'm sorry I'm not much of a drinker." She felt herself blush, embarrassed that she had misunderstood and that he had meant for her to get her own.  She did, after all, work for him.

"No, I'll get it." He put his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into her seat.

Georgia complied quickly, anxious to end the disturbing feeling of his hand on her shoulder. She watched as he moved gracefully across the room towards the bar. He never seemed to be out of his element.  For the past year she had seen him in many different situations and he always appeared to be in control. Even now, in the simple act of getting a drink from the bar, he was comfortable as he talked to the people sitting next to him. He must have said something funny because Georgia watched as all of the men laughed and then turned to look at her.

When he returned to the table he handed her a bottle of water, her fingers brushing his as she reached to take it from him. "Thank you." She turned to look at the men who had gone back to their drinks. "Do you mind me asking what you said at the bar that was so amusing?"

"I told them that I had no hopes of getting you drunk and taking advantage of you if you were going to stick to water but at least you were proving to be a cheap date." He reached for his beer as her turned his chair towards the fire and settled into it.

Georgia smiled and shook her head at the thought him trying to do that very thing.

"You don't believe that that was what I said?" He looked over at her with an amused expression.

"Hardly, I'm not exactly your type." She took a sip of her water thankful for the coolness as it traveled down her throat. If he only knew that he didn't have to get her drunk, all he really had to do was kiss her and she would probably be his for the taking.

"And what is 'my type'?" He gave an insincere smile. "I mean other than the wedding ring part.  I'm assuming that that's what that ring means."

"Yes, that's what it means." She looked down at her ring and twisted it around her finger.

"You don't strike me as the type who would be separated willingly from a husband even if things got a little tough."

"Thank you," she said. That was indeed a compliment, and the fact that he had guessed that about her told her just how good he was at gauging people's characters.  The whole evening was turning out to be surreal. She took off her glasses and sat them on the table rubbing her face.

"What happened?" he asked after a minute of waiting. She didn't know why but she had the impression that he didn't like the fact that he wanted to ask the question.

"You didn't want to ask that question did you?"

"No, but I do want to know the answer."

"And you're used to having all of the answers without having to ask aren't you?"

He looked up at her. "That's part of it." His eyes met hers not releasing her from his stare.

"What's the other part?" She licked her lips as the atmosphere between them suddenly changed.

"I'm bothered by the fact that I want to know." His gaze dropped down to her lips before he looked back towards the fire.

Georgia cleared her throat. She was getting to see a whole other side to this harsh man who people feared.

"People fear you, you know." She watched him as he gave a slow smile.

"Yes it's part of the Mailler image. They feared my father so they must fear me."

"You don't mind being feared?" Georgia watched him closely.

"No, it can be useful in dealing with people.  When you're feared you don't have to mess about with the niceties of polite society."

Georgia laughed. "In other words you can be as rude as you like."

He turned to her grinning. "Exactly." Their eyes met again with total understanding and a connection was made in that instant

"My husband was killed in Iraq four years ago."

"Military." He nodded. "How did he die?"

"IED."

They were both silent.  Her thinking about her husband and Mailler's thoughts a mystery.

"You were military weren't you?" Georgia continued after a few minutes.

"Yes." He took a large swallow of his beer.

"Why did you leave it? It seems like it would be a good fit for you. The control and organization of it all."

He was silent as he weighed his answer.

"Was it family obligations?"

"No, not at the time but it probably would have been that in the end."

Guessing that he didn't want to answer she stopped talking searching her mind for a new subject.

"Your husband, you loved him very much." He picked the subject for her.

"Yes, we were high school sweethearts. He was my best friend not just my husband." Georgia tried to pull her husband's image into her mind but couldn't. All she could see was Ewan Mailler sitting across from her, the sharp angles of his face highlighted by the fire while the shadow of a beard darkened his jaw. He was a beautiful man.

"What about you? Any great love affairs?" As soon as the question was out she was aware of the inappropriateness of it. "I'm sorry that's none of my business."

"Neither is your history but I'm still asking the questions so you have every right to ask as well." He looked over at her and smiled. "In answer to your first question I am no longer in the military because of an IED, the very thing that took your husband's life and no, I have never had a great love affair. I don't think I have it in me. I'm a selfish bastard really."

"No you're not. You give a large chunk of your money away to others." Georgia knew this and she also knew that no one was supposed to know about it, she had only found out by accident.

He laughed a sound that warmed her. "And how do you know that?" He motioned for another beer.

"I saw your tax return," she replied softly, realizing she had probably said the wrong thing.

He stilled, drink in midair. "I think I underestimated you."

"It was completely by accident.  My Aunt is and accountant and I used to help her so I know how to read them. It was on your desk one morning and I happened to notice it." Her words trailed off as she realized she was not helping herself in the least.

"So you know what my job was before going into the family business, what was yours before becoming my sisters whipping girl?"

"That's a bit harsh, besides you saw my resume."

"No, I love my sister but she is a self-involved spoiled brat who thinks of no one but herself." He thanked Moria as she dropped off another beer. "I