Kim had grown up with a specific image of leprechauns in mind: short and ginger-haired, dressed in a green tuxedo, with an exaggerated Irish accent. This man standing at her door—rugged yet athletic, dark stubble dusting his tanned face, a shock of black hair drooping in front of his crystal blue eyes—looked more like the anti-hero of a biker movie in his black jeans and wife-beater than the leprechaun he claimed to be.

She frowned, keeping a tight grip on the doorjamb. “You’re who, now?” she asked, entranced by his smile.

“I am Kieran, lass,” he repeated his first greeting to her, “and I’ve come to assist with your wish request.”

“My wish.” Kim glanced past the man, searching for cameras or some other clue that she might be the butt of a televised prank. She tried to think of who might plant a novelty coin in her home and arrange this elaborate scheme, but Kieran’s lyrical voice lulled her attention back to him.

“Right here, lass.” He held up his smart phone. “Your wish came through my text messaging system just now, but I have to tell you…it’s a bit difficult for me to understand.”

“Oh, really?” Kim raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry. Did I not enunciate correctly in my head?” She had nowhere to go tonight, so why not play along for a while?

“You came in fine, Miss Treacher. It’s the actual request I don’t get.” With that, he turned out the face of the phone and showed her the wish, verbatim, on the tiny screen. What truly shocked Kim, however, was the picture of her that accompanied the text.”

“How did you get my picture?” she demanded, still entranced by the thumbnail portrait, a recent shot for which she didn’t recall posing.

“Aye, we keep everybody on file, in the event,” Kieran said, then, “May I come in?”

“No.”

She slammed the door, then engaged the bolt and the chain. She turned back to the couch and squealed on seeing the so-called leprechaun sitting at one end.

He waved a finger at her. “Now, lass,” he chided, “how do you expect me to grant your wish if you won’t cooperate?”

“How…what…?” Kim’s heart pounded wildly. Her apartment had no other entrance, and she swore Kieran had stood outside when she locked him out. This couldn’t be.

“Aye, but it is true,” Kieran said, as though reading her mind. “Leprechauns are a crafty, and often playful, breed.” To drive the point home, the handsome man waved his hand and a small bouquet materialized out of nothing, his fingers curled around the stems. “But when somebody manages to snag us for a wish, we believe firmly in fulfillment.”

“Yeah, well…” Kim found nothing within reach to make for a suitable weapon. Figuring, too, if Kieran meant her harm he’d have attacked her already, she lunged for the door and unlocked it. “Well,” she began again, “you can take your flowers and your pink hearts, yellow moons, and blue diamonds and get on out of here. We’ll let that be my wish, it doesn’t get any clearer than that.”

“I’m afraid I canna’ do that, lass.” Kieran tut-tutted, and clicked his tongue as he rose. Damn, but he had some nicely roped arms, and the tank-style of his white shirt really brought out the tan on his skin and the muscle definition in his shoulders. Any other time, in a different situation, Kim knew she wouldn’t act so hostile. Just his simple smile sent her blood pulsing and her nipples to harden.

“Once you wish on a coin, that’s what you get. No do-overs.” He stepped closer; she didn’t back away. “I see from my logs, right here, that this evening you wished for, ah, clarification.”

Kim folded her arms. “So I did. I wished to know what exactly it was about those blasted coins that turned people insane.”

“That’s all, then?” A cross of amusement and confusion creased his brow. “Usually, when people find our gold, they’ll wish for something a bit more substantial. Like more gold, or stock and annuities. It changes over time.”

“I didn’t think leprechauns really existed,” Kim said, weary. “I guess you’ve proven me wrong, so your work is done.” As she spoke, disappointment filled her heart at the realization of what had happened. She burned off a genuine wish—she could have had her bills paid, her retirement secured, or her car replaced with something a hell of a lot nicer, and she blew it. Of course, she had been tempted to lie and say she’d wished differently, but these guys had her on file!

“Perhaps.” Kieran nodded, and pocketed his phone. “Or, since I’m here and there’s anything else you’d care to have…”