"I know it's not the biggest," Conall muttered from the driver's seat. "But it's the only place around that was willing to forgo the lease agreement and stays in the area so you can be close for work."
She hadn't forgotten about Ash's assurance that her mother's old friend from way back would let her work as a substitute teacher at the middle school. Something she was anxious to start. She missed the kids in Denver and knew that the next few months would go a lot faster if she kept herself occupied with the same kind of work.
"It needs to appear as if you are here to stay a while," Ash had said. "Margie will put in a good word with the teachers and you'll be staying busy, I'm sure of it."
She turned to Conall who was now watching her carefully as she took in the apartment complex. He had been quiet throughout breakfast, but was pleasant for the most part. She got the feeling that he didn't want to be, but she didn't blame him. She was putting his family in danger whether he thought that was true or not, and what he didn't know would certainly piss him off. She was lucky he had taken on the assignment in the first place.
"It's actually more than what I expected, Conall. It's really nice."
He didn't seem to hear her answer and added, "It would be better to have a house, easier to keep you safe, but due to the situation, this is the best I can do."
"Conall," she said firmly and put a hand on his arm. That's when she noticed his hands were still gripping the steering wheel and tightly by the looks of it. He flinched at the connection and she pulled her hand back quickly as if she had been burned, which wouldn't surprise her. She'd felt a brief hum of electricity whenever they touched and it wasn't unpleasant. "It's great," she declared. "It's certainly a lot nicer than a lot of other places I've lived in. If you think I will be safe here, I'm all for it."
He narrowed his eyes at her and suddenly looked angry. "What kinds of places have you lived in?"
She hesitated, not sure if that information had been in her file or not, but decided it didn't matter and she was going to be completely honest about as much as she could.
"My brother and I couldn't exactly afford luxury and I was too busy working to really care where I spent my nights, as long as we were safe. Rayce didn't care either, until he got older. But by then, he had ended up with the wrong crowd and rarely came home… wherever home was."
Conall's eyes softened, but it didn't make her feel any better. It was mortifying to talk about her past and how badly she had failed her little brother. He hadn't had the life she wanted him to and because of that, he was headed down the wrong path. She knew deep down there wasn't anything she could have done, but it still hurt.
"This place will work," she finished and reached for the door handle.
"It's not your fault, Emily."
She stilled at the sincerity she heard in his voice. He may not speak much, but when he did, it wasn't wasted on meaningless words. Instead of arguing with him she just nodded and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, Conall. I know differently, though."
Before he could respond, she climbed out of the truck and made her way around the hood to meet him. They walked in silence to the front office and picked up the key for the apartment that was available for them.
"This way," he said quietly, but she noticed the huskiness in his voice and wondered if she had upset him. She couldn't imagine why, but Conall was still a mystery to her.
When he directed her to a set of grated metal stairs, he placed his hand on the small of her back as they climbed and she all but forgot the hard looks he had given her over the last twenty four hours. A shiver ran up her spine and she nearly stumbled at the first landing they came to.
This is getting ridiculous, Em. He isn't interested, he can't be interested, so quit it.
He turned her right and led her passed several doors, indicating that the apartment would most likely be quite small. Didn't matter because it was still going to be bigger than the one she had back in Denver.
He stopped in front of a crisp white door with the number '214' on the front of it and the four was slightly tilted as if it was getting ready to fall to the ground. The anticipation made her heart race and she started fidgeting with her fingers, a habit she had formed over the last several weeks that she absolutely hated. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, then placed his hand on the small of her back once more and gently pushed her inside. His hand was warm and strong and made her feel grounded… safe.
"I'll have a cleaning crew come before we move in," he stated.
She barely heard him. The apartment was small and cozy and probably the nicest place she would ever stay in other than the Brannock's. The walls were painted white and the carpet was a grayish blue color that looked brand new. When was the last time she had seen new carpet? She couldn't remember. Off to the side was the cutest damn kitchen she had ever laid eyes on with a tiny breakfast nook tucked in the corner. The tile was a bright white and the counters were just a little darker than the carpet.
And there were cabinets.
Actual cabinets with doors and everything.
She felt a sting in the back of her eyes and her breath caught in her throat.
Why can't this be for real?
"Emily?" she heard Conall ask with concern.
"Where's the bedroom?" she breathed excitedly and hurried past him to find it.
He chuckled from behind her, but she ignored him and crashed through the first door she came upon. The bathroom. Same white tile as the kitchen and same color countertops, but she gasped when she saw the shower and the bathtub. Two separate fixtures. The shower was big enough for two people and the bathtub was deep enough to swim in.
When was the last time I ever just took a bath?
She didn't take the time to think on it and whipped around to go find the bedroom. She crashed into Conall on the way out and he was still chuckling softly, but grasped her upper arms to steady her.
"Whoa, take a breath."
She couldn't stop the smile if she wanted to and her eyes filled with happy tears. Finally, happy tears.
"This place is perfect," she all but shouted and, without thinking, jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Before she realized exactly what she was doing, she felt his arms go around her waist and squeeze her gently. She was lost in the moment until the feel of his breath on her neck as he buried his nose in her hair made her very aware of the gentle hold he had on her.
When he muttered, "Good," she closed her eyes and pretended this was real, too.
Chapter 4
Conall
"I think maybe you overdid it on the cake, kid."
Ash was beaming at the huge monstrosity sitting in the middle of the kitchen island. The rest of us were doing our best not to burst out laughing at the very cliché five tiered tower of frosted goodness.
"You don't have a stripper in there, do you?" Gus asked hopefully and I quickly smacked him in the back of the head before Ash could.
"Come on, it's perfect. Dad deserves a huge send off, don't you think?"
Luke nodded eagerly even though Ash had her back to him and couldn't see that he was trying hard to kiss her ass. Gus, on the other hand, was shaking his head vigorously and trying not to grimace.
"I don't think this is the kind of send off he needs. A simple one layer square cake with ninja turtle figurines would probably have done the job just as well," he chuckled.
Ash had contacted one of Mom's old friends who designed cakes for weddings and birthdays and the two of them had put their heads together. Apparently they decided that bigger was better. I couldn't wait to see the look on Dad's face when this… whatever it was, was rolled in. Then again, he was always good at controlling his reactions and would probably smile bigger than ever and show his gratitude.
I glanced at my watch and saw that it was almost time for the guests to start arriving. Emily had spent most of the day with my sister helping her take care of last minute details, then she'd hurried up the stairs an hour a
go to get ready and still wasn't back yet. I stepped out of the kitchen doorway and glanced up at the top of the stairs.
Nothing.
"Whatcha doin, brother?"
Rolling my eyes, I cursed myself for being so damn weak while Gus was around.
"Nothing. Just want to make sure things go well for Ash and Dad."
"Mmhmm. You think she fits in that dress Ash let her borrow?"
The thought of punching my brother in the gut crossed my mind, but the image I had of Emily was too distracting. She was borrowing one of my sister's cocktail dresses that she said she'd never used - and thank God for that because I knew exactly what men would see if she had. That wasn't the reason I was so anxious to see her, though.
We had gone to lunch after leaving the apartment and running a few errands and we spent a good portion of the afternoon just talking. We discussed the case for a minute, but when I saw her discomfort, I changed the subject to her job in Denver, going against all the plans I had to keep my distance from her. I already knew she was a teacher, but hearing her talk about it had given me a glimpse of her I would have never seen otherwise. Her smile lit up the room when she told me about all her students and how much she missed them.
She steered the conversation to me and for the first time in a long time, I actually enjoyed talking about myself. It had been so long since I wanted someone to really know me, but with her, it had been easy to relax and let her in a little.
"So you, Gus, and Lucas have been the Three Musketeers since you were born?" she asked in amazement.
"Yeah, just about. Luke's mom and my mom were good friends at the time."
"That's great. It must be nice to have such a close group. I bet you boys got into a lot of trouble."
The wink she gave me had an unexpected effect. It made me want to tell her every dirty little secret I ever kept and then some. "Not too much, but enough. The most trouble we got into was with Mom and had to do with one or all of us pissing off Aislinn."
She laughed, her eyes sparkling and making me forget that things were getting too personal.
"Ash knows you boys love her."
"Hope so."
"She does. It shows when you all are together. She may hate the fact that you boys held her back, but the outcome proves otherwise." She smiled at me for a moment then blinked and looked down at her half eaten sandwich. "Will you tell me more about your mom?"
Never in my life had I been able to carry on a pleasant conversation like that with any woman other than my sister. All day I had anticipated talking to her again and in the back of my mind, I knew it was a mistake.
It couldn't continue no matter how much I wanted to know about her.
"Hmm," I grunted, remembering that Gus had asked me a question.
"Yeah, I think so, too," he wiggled his eyebrows.
My brother was certainly asking for a beating, but doing so would prove to him that he was right about me. I couldn't take my eyes or my mind off of Emily and it had nothing to do with my job. She could come downstairs in sweats and still keep my attention.
"You need a drink?" he asked and poked me in the side with his elbow.
"Hell yeah," I grumbled and strolled back into the kitchen to find something to dull my senses. One drink wasn't going to hurt, but I had to stay sharp. If it wasn't so important that people saw us together as a couple so we could spend the next few months in town, I wouldn't have even entertained the idea of having her at the party. Especially after that little episode at the apartment. Why it made me feel so damn proud that I had chosen something she loved, I have no idea.
Aislinn was fluttering around the kitchen, arranging dishes and double checking everything for the millionth time. I threw back a glass of Tullamore Dew that Dad had hidden in the cabinet and resigned myself to being social tonight. Or as social as I could get.
I moved toward my sister and put my arm around her shoulders to hug her to my side and keep her from flying off the handle. She immediately wrapped her arm around my waist and I smiled when she rested her head on my shoulder. That conversation with Emily sparked a new appreciation for my little sister. I was lucky to have her. We all were.
"Hey kid, you know that everything is going to go off without a hitch. This party is going to be amazing because of you."
She sighed and absently nodded, but I could still see her counting the rolls and eyeing the dip.
"Ash," I chided.
She flinched and turned her head until she caught my stern expression that I hoped would snap her out of it. "What?"
"You look beautiful."
And she did. She was wearing a light blue dress that only made her grey eyes more striking and her hair was curled flawlessly and hanging over her shoulders and down her back. I always knew my little sister was pretty - if I didn't, I wouldn't have worried so much about her - but tonight I actually saw how breathtaking she truly was. She even made that ugly sling look amazing.
"Thank you, Con," she smiled and her eyes sparkled.
"I miss you tons, kid."
She squeezed her arm around me tighter and stretched up on her toes to kiss my cheek, "I miss you, too. It's nice to know you'll be around for a while."
"Promise to find time to call after you marry that asshat?" I teased and jerked my head in the direction Luke was standing. He and Gus were debating on whether or not to make a sandwich now or see if they could survive until dinner.
She scoffed and smacked me on the chest. "Not if you are going to call my fiancé names. I've been trying to get Gus to quit calling him Shady…"
I laughed and kissed her hair, "You better just give up on that now. He's never going to grow up."
"Good," she beamed at me then her eyebrows snapped together and her grey eyes that looked just like Mom's darted around the kitchen. "Where is Emily? Is she having trouble getting ready?"
I shrugged and dropped my arm back to my side to let her go and she immediately headed for the stairs. "Leave her be, Ash. I'm sure she's just a little nervous. She doesn't know anybody that is going to be here except us and she has to pretend to be my girlfriend when she knows hardly anything about me. I would probably lock myself in a room to avoid that shit."
Ash whirled around to face me, her eyes wide and her lips pursed in defiance. "I don't think the pretending is going to be very hard, Con. But you will have to stay by her to field any questions she may have a hard time answering. I don't know how you boys can do this stuff. It's all so damn stressful. She's tough, though. She'll keep it together and you'll help her."
I didn't get a chance to reassure her that I was good at my job and there was nothing to worry about since I didn't plan on leaving Emily's side at all. I also didn't get the chance to ask her what she meant when she said that pretending wasn't going to be very hard. I was hardly even able to process what Ash was talking about because my eyes caught a glimpse of Emily in the doorway and I was done for.
Ash was beautiful, but Emily… there were no words worthy enough to describe her.
"Oh, Emily! You look incredible!" Ash exclaimed and rushed forward to pull her into a hug and study her hair and makeup. They went on for a few minutes about the dress that I just couldn't take my eyes off of and when Ash pulled her toward me, my chest tightened and I felt the urge to rub my hand over my heart to relieve the pressure. Am I having a heart attack? What is this?
Emily looked up at me from beneath her eyelashes and damn it if that didn't make me want to kiss her until she couldn't breathe. The air around us thickened and the pressure in my chest held tighter with every breath.
"Hi."
It was a simple word and the response I should have given was just as simple, but I couldn't speak as I took in the details up close.
Her blonde hair was pinned up into some kind of fancy twist thing with small pieces falling out of it, making the style sexier than it would have been otherwise. Her makeup wasn't dramatic like I thought it would be and the green of her eyes was even more noticeable with the colors sh
e had chosen. The white dress she was wearing fit her like a glove. No other way to describe it. Every curve was accentuated by the thin, stretchy material. There was only one strap over her left shoulder and the neckline revealed enough to tease at the soft skin I knew was underneath. The hem stopped at the top of her knees, allowing a view of her long, smooth legs. She couldn't be any taller than 5'4", but those legs looked like they went on for miles.
And the shoes.
Damn you, Aislinn!
Those heels would only look better if they were digging into my back.
"Con, Are you okay?"
My sister's voice sounded more amused than panicked and I shook my head to clear away my dirty thoughts.
"You look… Wow!" It was all I could say and not enough of what I wanted to say.
"Thank you, Conall. You look very handsome yourself," Emily muttered with a small grin, bringing my attention to those plump lips. She wasn't wearing any lipstick, just some kind of gloss that brought out the natural pink of those lips and I desperately wanted to taste them.
"Doesn't he? I love when the boys wear suits. They may hate it, but they look so handsome," Ash rambled then turned to me. "She didn't bring anything fancy, of course, so I'm glad we are about the same size. Emily, this dress is perfect for you. You can definitely keep it. No way could I pull it off like that."
Emily was still looking up at me when she started to protest, but it was on that thought, I turned back to the cabinet where the Tullamore was and poured myself another glass. I needed a minute to pull myself together and the sound of Ash pulling Emily out the door to look at the decorations was like a heavy weight off of my shoulders. I sighed as the drink went down and immediately soothed me. When I turned back to the kitchen, Luke and Gus were smiling like a bunch of idiots.
"Hey Shady? Isn't that the look you got on your face when you saw Ash fifteen minutes ago?" Gus said casually without taking his eyes off me.
Luke nodded, his expression serious. "Yep. But I was able to pull her into a room and kiss her senseless. Helped a little bit."
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