But she didn’t push it, and picked up the plates they’d eaten lunch off to take them upstairs.

In Maeve’s kitchen she loaded them into the dishwasher along with coffee mugs and a few other things sitting in the sink, then leaned against the counter after she’d closed the door of the dishwasher. How could Maeve forget something they’d talked about only a few hours ago? And she’d been so annoyed after her telephone conversation with the supplier. Weird.

She went back down to the shop.

“Can I use your computer, Maeve?” she asked. “I’d like to email my friends and let them know I’m away for a while.”

“Of course. In my office. Feel free to use it whenever you like.”

Keara had been impressed to see Maeve using a computer, keeping her business records, emailing and even using “that Internet thing” as Maeve called it. She sat down at Maeve’s computer and logged into her own email, and sent a quick message off to Monica, Paige and Essie to let them know where she was. They’d been so worried about her—for no reason, because she was fine—she wanted them to know she’d just gone on a little holiday. She smiled wryly as she tapped at the keys. No more middle of the night phone calls.

Shane strolled into The Irish Sex Fairy. To his surprise, Keara stood behind the counter ringing up a purchase. Huh. Maeve had her working.

Still pale and thin, dressed in skinny black jeans and a floaty yellow top, her golden red hair swung around her shoulders. The shadows in her eyes seemed to have diminished but smudges below the eyes said she still hadn’t been sleeping well.

Something tugged at his conscience with a twinge. She looked like she’d been through hell.

She lifted her head and saw him walking in, and a faint frown flickered across her face. What? Had he pissed her off that much by scaring the bejesus out of her in the middle of the night?

“Hello,” she said. “What can I do for you today?”

He opened his mouth to say “nothing”, and then closed it. Did he want to tell her he was there checking up not only on Maeve, but her? Somehow, no, he didn’t. So he grabbed a box of condoms and slapped them on the counter. “I’ll take these.”

Her pretty mouth pinched and she rang up the purchase without a word, slipping the box into the red plastic bag.

“Shane!” Maeve had finished with her customers and spotted him, and zipped across the store. “How are you? How was your date last weekend?”

“Must’ve been good,” Keara muttered handing him the bag of condoms. His cheeks heated but he smiled at Maeve.

“It was fine,” he said. “Great.”

“That’s so good! You need more fun in your life. You must bring your new girlfriend around to meet me sometime.”

Shane didn’t want to tell her that he wasn’t going to be seeing Laila again. Gorgeous girl, and she’d been as horny as he had last weekend, making for a great night of hot, no-strings sex, but she hadn’t really sparked his interest on any other level. But how else to explain the jumbo box of condoms he now held in his hands? He tried to hold them unobtrusively at his side.

“Sometime,” he prevaricated. “How are things here? Need anything moved? Nails hammered? Screws tightened?”

Maeve swatted his shoulder with a trill of laughter. “Don’t be silly, a rún. I can hammer a nail and I can screw…well, let’s not go there.”

“Let’s not,” he agreed with a return smile.

“There are some boxes in the back I wouldn’t mind moved,” she told him, biting her bottom lip. “If you have a minute. I just want to store them on a higher shelf.”

“Sure. I’ll do it right now.” He glanced at Keara as he followed Maeve, felt her eyes on him as they walked through the Staff Only door. He strode into a storeroom where Maeve kept extra stock and supplies.

“These two boxes.” She indicated a couple of large cartons on the floor. “They’ve been sitting there for weeks just getting in the way. I’d like them up on that top shelf.”

He eyed the shelf. “Gonna be hard to get them down. What’s in them? Stuff you won’t need any time soon?”

Keara’s face appeared in the door. “Maeve? A customer is asking for you.”

“Oh. All right. I’ll be right back.” She fluttered out of the room, leaving Keara and Shane alone.

“Know what’s in those boxes?” Shane asked, waving a hand.

“Um…no. But let’s look.”

She went to unfold the flaps but realized that packing tape sealed the boxes. “These look like they’ve never been opened.” She frowned. A packing slip inside a plastic pouch was taped to the top of one, and she ripped it off and opened it. Unfolding the papers, she nibbled her bottom lip.

“What is it?” Shane asked, watching her. The lip-nibbling thing was extremely sexy. His body responded.

A frown edged Keara’s brows. “I think this is the…uh…stuff she was looking for the other day. She said it hadn’t arrived.” She scanned the paper and her brows rose. “February. This was shipped in February. This is the shipment.” She lifted her eyes from the page to meet his. “I don’t get it.”

“Get what?” His own gut tightened a little.

“Maeve was all upset because this shipment was missing. She’s been calling the supplier and they said it was shipped. So she got me to call the delivery company and they insisted she signed for it. They’re sending me copies of the delivery slip, but…” She blinked. “This is it. It must have been sitting here for the last month.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” She licked her lips then made a face. “I uh…well, she’ll be happy that we found it.”

Shane cursed inside. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, only one more reason why he checked in on Maeve from time to time. He drew in a breath. “I’m sure she will.”

Keara tipped her head and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “You don’t seem surprised by this.”

He paused while he debated what to say to Keara.

But Maeve reappeared in the door. “Oh. You haven’t moved them yet.” She divided a look between the two of them and smiled. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No.” Shane smiled back at her. “But Maeve, let’s look in these boxes before we move them up on that shelf.”

He cut the box open and Keara helped Maeve open it and pull items out. When Maeve saw what was in it, her face drew into confused lines. Keara held out the packing slip. “Is this the missing order?” she asked quietly.

Maeve took it and glanced it over. “Yes. Yes it is.” She frowned. “But…when did this arrive? I’ve been waiting for this for over a month.”

Shane met Keara’s eyes and he read the concern there. “Well, good thing I didn’t put it away,” he said easily, stepping forward. “I’ll take these out front and you can unpack them.”

“Thank you, Shane.”

He hated the look of uncertain confusion on Maeve’s face as he hefted the box and strode out with it. Damn, he hated it. He was going to have to talk to Keara.

Keara trailed along behind Shane, the muscles in his arms bulging beneath the short sleeves of his navy T-shirt as he carried the heavy box out to the store. Despite her confusion and concern, her gaze drifted down his muscled back to his tight butt in faded jeans.

She tucked her top lip under her teeth, and forced her eyes not to stare at his buff body. Maeve. She was worried about Maeve.

He lowered the box to the floor, glanced at her then went back for the other one. “Let me help,” Keara murmured to Maeve. “I think I know where these things go now.”

She unpacked the cock rings and erection aids and Maeve went to look after another customer. Shane returned with the second box and without saying a word, opened it and started helping.

She flicked a glance at him. “You don’t need to help,” she said.

He scowled. “I’m helping. And when we’re done you and I are going across the street to the Shamrock for coffee.”