"Pfft, gentle. Yeah, Ash, you're gentle alright."
"Don't make me cut you!" she snapped.
He took a step back from her and Emily wondered who was the real dangerous one in the room. Surely Conall could take his sister and she had the feeling Ash was very much aware of that, but was determined to stand up to him even if he'd never lay a finger on her.
Instead of arguing with his sister, he ignored her and his gaze landed on Emily. The hardness in his eyes immediately went soft when he saw the tears she was eagerly trying to wipe away and he started to push passed Ash to get to her. When he did, his hands landed on her shoulders, the same way her brother's had so long ago, but this time the touch was more than gentle. It was caring.
"You okay?"
She nodded and tried to smile at him, but the warmth of his touch was making her head spin. "Yeah, we were just talking."
His eyes narrowed and looked between her and Ash a few times before he shook his head and sighed, clearly exasperated. "Women," he muttered.
Ash smiled widely, but covered it and turned away from them. "I'm going to shower before Luke gets home. See you two later." Then she was gone.
Conall was still staring down at her and the air thickened when she took a step back to get a little distance. "I'm invited to dinner," she blurted out, hoping to fill the silence with something other than the sizzle between them.
He grinned at her and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't think he smiled often enough and wanted to make the effort to cause it more often. "Of course you are. Ash is making lasagna. I wouldn't let you miss that. Come on, let's go."
He placed his hand at the small of her back and led her to the front door. The second they were outside, he stopped her and with a serious look on his face, proceeded to send her nerves into a frenzy. "I suggest we come up with a good story together. Something to tell people when they ask about our… um, relationship."
Right. She was supposed to be his girlfriend. His pretend girlfriend.
"Alright."
"My family might have some ideas and some of them may be inappropriate. Just, don't take it too seriously with them. They're just having fun."
She wasn't sure why he was so nervous, but figured she should listen to him. She had taken everything so seriously for so long, it would be nice to have a little fun for once.
He started toward the sidewalk and she followed closely behind. Then he stopped again, abruptly enough that she nearly collided with his solid back, and turned to look at her. The expression on his face was one of apprehension and she couldn't help but think it was an adorable look on him. "And don't listen much to what Gus has to say."
"Okay."
"And if anything comes up that makes you uncomfortable, just let me know."
"What would come up to make me feel uncomfortable?"
He raked a hand through his hair and tugged on it before dropping his arm back to his side. It brushed against hers, sending a wave of acute awareness through her body. "Your brother or the case. I'm sure they won't bring it up, but I'll do my best to steer them away from it."
He faced forward once more, but this time kept his pace slower so she could walk beside him. She felt a warmth wash through her at his concern and found herself looking forward to whatever it was that came up in conversation.
Especially if it was about him.
***
Emily opened her eyes to sunlight pouring in the window and the sound of a lawnmower. Something she hadn't heard in a long, long time. For once, she woke up rested. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep. She hadn't truly felt safe in the last several months and had an extremely difficult time getting the thought of what she was doing out of her head, so she spent most of her nights tossing and turning. She had been so exhausted after dinner, however, that the moment her head hit the pillow, she was dead to the world and didn't wake up once.
She sat up and stretched, taking in the room around her. The bed had been really comfortable and she promised herself to make that a priority whenever she got back to her old life in Denver, if she ever did. She never splurged on anything - her apartment was proof of that - but she was going to spend whatever money she had on a new bed and some comfortable sheets. It had obviously made a huge difference since her muscles weren't sore anywhere and she didn't need to immediately pop a few Tylenol before starting the day.
The sound of the lawn mower got louder as it passed under the window in her room. She wondered if it was Conall that was taking care of the lawn and hurried out of bed to dress for the day.
The Brannocks weren't the most unusual family she had ever come across, but they certainly were the funniest. The banter between the siblings and Lucas had Emily almost falling out of her chair with laughter, and the stories they told her had been unforgettable.
It started out extremely awkward. Emily wasn't sure if Ash would be uncomfortable around her after her short emotional episode that afternoon and Conall had been acting strangely ever since they returned to the house. Well, maybe he was acting completely normal. She had no idea since he barely spoke to her.
When Lucas Shade had walked into the kitchen, Emily understood exactly why Ash got that faraway look in her eyes whenever his name came up. He was extremely handsome and his piercing blue eyes were definitely something to gawk at. He was tall and even though he wore loose slacks and a dress shirt, you could see the strength in his shoulders and chest. It was when he smiled that Emily finally understood what Ash had been saying to her. Those dimples could do some serious damage and the ice had been broken the second she opened her mouth and blurted, "What the hell is in the water here? You all are freaking gorgeous!"
It was on that note that the rest of them had burst out laughing and Gus started arguing about being the sexy one again.
Lucas may have been handsome, but that wasn't what made her so envious of Aislinn Brannock. It was the way he looked at her, the way he couldn't take his eyes off of her, and the way he fielded her brothers' teasing remarks. Before long, Lucas and Ash had both stepped away for some privacy and Emily watched as Gus and Conall set the table for dinner, all while griping about their little sister getting married.
They obviously had some difficulty with it, but when Lucas walked back into the kitchen with an intense glare and said, "You asshats are going to be in charge of writing Thank You cards if you don't knock it the fuck off," they shut their mouths. Ash came back into the kitchen a moment later and Lucas smiled and pulled her into his arms with a brief kiss as if nothing had even happened.
All the while, Emily sat at the island with an amused smile and watched the love they all shared. The ease with which they interacted. Family was important to them, just as it was to her.
Dinner had been entertaining and once the issue of coming up with a back story for her and Conall was resolved, they had all settled into reminiscing and informing her that Conall had a word limit for each day so not to worry when he suddenly stopped talking to her. He hadn't denied it and instead, kept his head down and focused on eating.
It was Ash who had come up with an idea of what they could tell people when asked about their 'relationship'. She was Emily Moore from Los Angeles and met Conall on a ski trip she took over the winter in Colorado. They had been keeping a long distance friendship, the reason why no one had heard about her, and when Conall had come back to California recently, they decided to get together more seriously. Conall was going to transfer to Oakland and Emily was moving here to be with him.
She didn't think they would have to go into too much detail, but Gus had other ideas and wanted to make sure they stuck with their story.
"People are already asking about him."
"What people?" Conall had asked.
Gus cleared his throat and gave him a look, "People who want to catch up."
Ash had rolled her eyes and clarified for Emily. "That means the sluts that he leaves behind after visiting Dad every so often. These two have built up quite the coll
ection."
She had laughed in response, but it was forced. Emily didn't like the thought of Conall bringing women back to wherever they would be staying. Her worry was erased, however, when Conall spoke.
"Doesn't matter anyway," he grumbled. "They won't have a chance to see me while I'm here. I have a job to do. I'll make sure Miller gets all the paperwork done by the time we leave here. It will all be fine."
After that, the conversation had lightened and Emily discovered that Liam Brannock was not only a respected father, but a highly respected man in the community. The party for his retirement was going to be a pretty big event and was supposed to be a surprise. Ash hadn't been too happy when she was told he knew all about it but had shrugged it off when Lucas pointed out that she would have more help because of it. Gus hadn't taken that well since he was the one that was supposed to keep Liam busy until the party.
It was during dessert that Emily finally learned what happened over the last few months that had resulted in Liam's mock funeral and Ash's shoulder injury. The mood had changed dramatically when Lucas told her about his ex-partner. He was still stinging from the betrayal, but Ash reassured him that it all worked out and it wasn't worth their grief.
Ash was a lot stronger than Emily had taken her for in the beginning. She was silly and genuine with a very acquiescent way about her, but she had a fire in her that she had obviously held back over the years. Liam commented that Lucas was partly responsible for bringing that out in her, but the man had argued that it was all Ash. She had just needed a reason to let it out.
After dessert, Lucas and Ash sat around the table with Conall, chatting about wedding plans and Gus immediately went into the office to catch the game. Whatever game that was. She spent the rest of the evening chatting with Liam about his days as a captain in the police force until Ash and Lucas said their goodbyes and headed home with their arms wrapped around each other.
Gus had appeared briefly to say goodbye and give his sister a hug and sent Lucas off with a glare. When she asked what his problem was he simply replied with, "She's my sister and I'm still getting used to letting her go."
Instead of feeling the usual disappointment in her own brother for not being that way, she decided to hold onto the hope that after this was all over, Rayce would give them a chance. Their parents hadn't been loving and they spent most of their days and nights partying while she took care of Rayce and helped him with his homework. She never wanted Rayce to wonder if he was loved, because he was. She showed him every single day; tried to keep their family together, even if it was just the two of them.
Emily had expected to toss and turn that night. Rayce was in the forefront of her mind and after getting to know Conall's family, she was a little more reluctant to go through with everything. They seemed to trust her. She didn't want to see the disappointment on their faces if they ever discovered the truth.
She was so distracted with her thoughts that she nearly collided with Liam on her way to the stairs.
"Whoa, careful, my dear."
She felt her cheeks flush and smoothed out her hair, "Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about, you looked a little distracted," he pointed out.
It was then that she noticed a thicker Irish brogue in his words. "How long have you been in America?"
He smiled, flashing his white teeth and making his blue eyes twinkle. "Oh, it's been a long time now. Why do you ask?"
"I can hear a little accent every so often when you speak. I wasn't sure about it last night, but… it's a little thicker now."
"Ah, yes. I've been up for a while now and I was just going to lie down. My children tell me it thickens when I'm tired or upset about something. I don't even realize that I let it out. My Isabelle never wanted me to lose it, but when she passed, I didn't hold onto it much anymore."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said quietly. She hadn't meant to bring up his late wife. She could tell at dinner that the woman was still very much missed, as she should be. She raised a wonderful family.
"It's alright, my dear. It's not as if I could forget her, she's on my mind every minute of the day. It's good to remember her with someone else."
She wished she could say as much for her parents, but that would never be the case. The day they died had almost been a relief to Emily and she had felt awful thinking that way.
They were gone for two days, out on one of their drinking binges, before she got the call that they had caused a car accident that had almost taken the life of a baby. She'd been so angry at the time, but Rayce needed her. She was strong for him and never brought them up in any negative way over the years.
"I'm beat. I will see you later this afternoon. Conall is outside in case you were wonderin'."
"Thank you," she blinked up at him.
He nodded his head with a smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes and stepped inside his room. She immediately headed for the kitchen, sure to find someone in there that could distract her for the morning. Ash may live with Lucas, but she did say she was going to be around a lot getting things ready for the party in two days and Emily was relieved when she found her sitting at the island making a list.
"Good morning, Ash."
"Good morning! Wow, you look great, Emily."
Emily frowned, "I'm sorry?"
The smile on Ash's face was bright and mischievous, it made her a little nervous. "Your hair is gorgeous and your face is seriously flawless. I'm assuming you just woke up and didn't even get yourself ready, but you don't look like you need to at all." She stood from the stool she had been sitting on, her dark hair falling over her injured shoulder, and picked up her list. "I'm off to the store with Gus, have Con text me if you guys need anything that you think of over the next little while. He's out back, you should go find him."
Emily could barely keep up, the woman was speaking so fast, and rambling like she was nervous or anxious about something. Before she could ask what was wrong, Ash was out the door and the only sound that broke the silence was the lawn mower starting back up.
She shrugged and made her way to the door that led out into the backyard. She was so distracted by the lanterns and strings of lights that had been set up for the party that she didn't see Conall until it was too late to make a run for it.
She knew the man was fit, but for the love of God, did he have to be that fit?
He was pushing the mower toward her and she froze when he looked up and the roaring of the motor immediately died out. He was sweaty, tanned, shirtless, and his muscles flexed deliciously as he gripped the handle of the mower. She opened her mouth to say something, but the only thing that came out was a tiny squeak.
"Good morning, Emily. Did I wake you?"
No idea, but I don't mind if you ever do in the future, she thought.
"No."
"Good," he said, his blues eyes darkening as they flickered to her hair that was hanging over her shoulders in a messy braid.
She was suddenly nervous about her appearance, then remembered Ash's assurance that she looked good. The woman had obviously known that Emily wouldn't want to look like she had just woken up when she saw Conall. Ash was sneaky as hell, but smart.
"Have you eaten breakfast?" Conall asked and wiped his hands on the gym shorts he was wearing low on his hips.
She glimpsed the waistband of his underwear and felt her eyes widen when she saw his abdomen, firm and rippled with muscle. Even his belly button was sexy. That had to be illegal, right? She moved her gaze upward and shook her head slowly in response of whatever the question had been and her eyes zeroed in on a tattoo that covered his left shoulder and stretched out to the area over his heart. She couldn't make out all the details, but the image was beautiful and she wanted a closer look more than anything at the moment.
"I'm gonna shower then."
She nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the tattoo and incapable of speech or anything else.
"Emily?"
Her eyes finally moved up to see that he was smiling a
t her and her cheeks went hot as she scrambled for something to say. "What about the lawn?"
He frowned and looked behind him at the half finished lawn, then turned back and started toward the door. "Gus will finish it later. We got shit to do."
In the next moment, all the wonder she had felt from seeing him sweaty and shirtless with a body women would kill to touch, was replaced with irritation. She wasn't sure if he meant to be rude or if that was just how he spoke to everyone.
Shit to do.
She didn't think on it for very long and decided it was better that he treated her no differently than he would any other witness he was protecting. She already liked his family too much and that was going to make it hard to leave when the trial was over and done with. No point in liking him for anything other than his impressive physique.
She was watching his back as she followed him inside the house. His muscles moved gracefully with every step he took and she was mesmerized.
He held the door open for her and mumbled, "I'll be ready in a few minutes," then immediately started for the stairs.
"Where are we going?"
He kept moving, but answered her question as if it was obvious. "I'm taking you to breakfast."
"Oh."
"Then we're going to look at an apartment."
"Oh."
His voice faded and she assumed he was climbing the stairs when he said, "Gotta make sure my girlfriend approves of where we live."
Oh.
Her head may have been saying she was pleased that he treated her like he would anyone else, but her heart stuttered anyway, telling a completely different story.
***
They pulled into the parking lot of a good sized apartment complex, but that wasn't what made Emily's stomach roll. It was probably the nicest set of apartments she had ever had the choice of living in and she wasn't sure what to do with that.
Over the years, she lived in plenty of dumps, especially when it was just her and Rayce, but had always hoped to find somewhere nice that she could be proud to call home. This place was definitely making her feel like that dream could happen.
Conned Page 6