Escape With Me

by Kristen Proby

  “I wouldn’t mind that,” I admit.

  “Really?”

  “I loved summer camp when I was a kid. My favorite nights were the ones when we’d sleep in tents. I like to hike and fish and do all the outdoorsy things.”

  His hands are on his hips as he stares at me in what looks like shock.

  “You don’t strike me as the outdoorsy type.”

  “Why? Because I also like makeup and pretty clothes? I can be a girly-girl and still enjoy a good hike. I just don’t get to do it often because my parents thought it was barbaric. They said if I wanted to spend some time outside, they’d send me to a spa where I could sit by the pool.”

  “It seems to me they just don’t understand you at all, love.”

  I look up at him in surprise. “I guess I never thought of it like that, but you’re right. They don’t understand me. And I don’t think they ever have, honestly.”

  “Well, we’re going to have plenty of time to hike, and if you’d like to fish, we can go over to Shawn’s property nearby and fish on his lake. What do you want to do first?”

  I tap my chin and look around the big house, and then I grin up at this sexy, sweet man.

  “You. I want to do you first.”

  Keegan’s green eyes darken, and the next thing I know, he slings me over his shoulder and smacks my ass as he stomps up the stairs to the bedroom we chose as ours for the next few days.

  “This is quite caveman of you, you know.”

  “They would have dragged you by your hair, I’m carrying you.”

  I giggle and pat his ass in delight before he tosses me onto the soft, luxurious bed.

  “Shawn and Maeve did a good job in these bedrooms. The bed is to die for.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet, lass.”

  Keegan’s still sleeping when I slip out of bed and walk into the en suite bathroom. We never left the house to enjoy the great outdoors last night. We spent the whole time in bed, making love and talking. Laughing. Then we raided the kitchen for sustenance before starting all over again.

  It’s the most fun I’ve ever had with a man in my whole life.

  Is it sad that I’m on the downslope to thirty and didn’t know that being with a man could be so fun? So good for me?

  I turn on the spray in the walk-in shower that’s big enough for a party of four, and as it heats up, I comb out my hair and gather my shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, finally stepping inside the delectable spray.

  I’m no stranger to beautiful homes. My parents are wealthy, and their home is full of grandeur, bordering on pompous. Obnoxious, even. They’re all about showing off their wealth, rather than using it for comfort.

  That’s not what this house is. Yes, it’s absolutely beautiful, with all of the finest furnishings money can buy. But it’s all been done so the family is comfortable. While absolutely lovely, I’m not afraid to live here. To put my feet on an ottoman or hop up onto the kitchen counter and watch as Keegan whips up an omelet. This home was designed with enjoyment in mind.

  I’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours, and I’m more comfortable than I ever was in the many years I lived with my parents.

  And I know, deep down, that if I’d married Troy, the same would have been true there. He intended to build a monstrosity of a house to show off to others, not for our comfort.

  That would have sucked.

  I just finished rinsing the conditioner out of my hair when I feel Keegan join me. He wraps his arms around my waist from behind and kisses the side of my neck.

  “Good morning,” he growls.

  “Good morning.” I feel him pressed against my back, already hard and ready to go.

  Or maybe it’s just morning, and he’s simply hard.

  “You left me.”

  I laugh and turn in his arms. His eyes are still heavy with sleep. “I woke up and found I needed a hot shower to soothe my muscles after yesterday’s sexcapades.”

  “We can sit in the hot tub for that.”

  “We tried that last night, and it only led to more sexcapades.”

  He laughs and reaches for the soap. “You didn’t seem to mind.”

  “Oh, I’m definitely not complaining.” He lathers up his hands and gets to work running them all over my body, starting with my shoulders. In the past, I would have been mortified at the thought of standing naked in front of a man in the shower.

  But not with Keegan. He’s made it perfectly clear that he loves my body, from my bigger-than-I’d-prefer breasts to my curvy hips and thighs that have a touch of cellulite. None of it bothers him at all. In fact, when he touches me, it’s as if he worships me.

  And it almost gives me a high.

  Every woman should be treated this way.

  Maybe I should take out an ad somewhere to let the others know.

  I smirk when his thumb brushes over my nipple, making him raise a brow.

  “Is that funny, lass?”

  I press my lips together and shake my head. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

  “And what’s on your mind?”

  “It’s dumb. Please continue.”

  He kisses my forehead as his hands travel down my belly and over my thighs.

  Nothing about this is funny. It’s sexy as hell.

  And yet, I still have the giggles from a second ago. I hold my breath, trying to keep it in.

  But I can’t.

  I snort just as his fingers glide down my ass crack.

  “Not the reaction I expected.”

  “I’m sorry.” I tip my forehead to his chest and give in to the giggles. “I was just thinking—”

  But I can’t continue as laughter bubbles out of me. It’s not even that funny. But this is one of those moments in life when the stupid giggles set in, and they won’t stop. You just have to ride the wave until they subside.

  When I pull back, I see Keegan grinning down at me. He rinses his hands free of soap and wipes the tears off my cheeks.

  “I need to be let in on the joke.”

  “It’s so dumb.” I take a deep breath and then giggle again when I hiccup. “I’m embarrassed to tell you now because it’s not funny, and you’ll be let down.”

  He patiently rinses the soap off my body. The man makes me swoon.

  When I’m clean, he shuts off the water and reaches for the towels.

  “I’m sorry, I ruined the mood.”

  He turns to me quickly and pulls me into his arms. “You didn’t ruin anything at all. We’re having fun together, and that’s all that matters. We can christen the shower later.”

  “You’re a good man, you know that, right?”

  “I do okay.” He winks and wraps me in the towel. “Tell me what made you laugh. If you say it was my attempt at seduction, you’ll wound me deeply.”

  I let out a snort laugh. “No. It definitely wasn’t that. I was just thinking that before I knew you, I didn’t know that being with a man could be so fun and easy and good for me. And that I should probably take out an ad somewhere to tell others.”

  “Others?”

  “Yeah. You know, other women who have put up with less-than-stellar men because they think that’s as good as it gets. Someone needs to clue them in that it can be so much better.”

  “That isn’t a bad idea,” he says as he slips his T-shirt over his head and tosses me the clothes I brought with me into the bathroom. “What every woman in an average relationship needs to know.”

  “Yes! And I don’t know why it made me giggle. But it did. And then I just couldn’t stop.”

  Now that we’re dressed in our comfy clothes, he crosses to me and frames my face in his hands. “It’s glad I am that this isn’t average for you.”

  “Definitely not average. Not at all.”

  A smile tickles his lips before they descend on mine. He takes his time, kissing me long and slow before pulling away.

  “We need food,” he says.

  “I can cook breakfast.”

  “I didn’
t know you could cook.”

  “You never asked.” I toss him a sassy smile and lead him out of the bedroom suite and down to the kitchen. “You just sit there and look handsome while I pull this together.”

  He rests his chin in his hand as I bustle about, retrieving a pan and the ingredients for a classic American breakfast.

  I’m pleased to find frozen hash browns in the freezer, fresh eggs, bacon, and bread for toast.

  “How do you like your eggs?” I ask.

  “Whatever’s easiest for you is fine.”

  I raise a brow. “How do you prefer them?”

  “Over-medium.”

  I nod once and get to work. It’s not a time-consuming meal, you just have to keep an eye on things so you don’t overcook anything. Timing is everything.

  Before long, I’ve plated his meal and slide it over to him.

  He takes a bite of the perfectly crisp bacon, then stares at me as if I hung the moon.

  “It’s just bacon, Keegan.”

  “I should have you in the kitchen, not the bloody bar.”

  “Don’t you dare take me out of the bar.” I take a bite of my breakfast. “I like it too much. The regular customers are fun, and I’m just now getting the hang of it.”

  “I can’t keep anyone in the kitchen,” he admits. “That’s why Shawn and Lexi are in there so much. I had a part-time helper, but he moved to Seattle to be with his girlfriend. I need more staff.”

  I watch as he works his way through his plate. “Do you have a high turnover for any specific reason?”

  “The kitchen can be demanding,” he admits. “We have a good-sized menu, and when it’s busy, it’s busy. I’ve never had another bartender because I’m usually there. If Da’s in town, he’ll cover if need be. Shawn or Maeve can help in a pinch. If I’m gone for more than a day or two, I shut the bar down.”

  I frown at him. “That’s a lot of pressure on you, Keegan.”

  “I own the pub.”

  “Yes, you do. Which is why you need to hire employees you trust to help you. Bartend every day if you want to, but you shouldn’t have to close down just because you’re taking a holiday.”

  He sighs as he finishes his plate. “I’ve given some thought to bringing in more help. I’ll think on it more.”

  “I suspect you think about things until you drive yourself crazy.”

  “Sometimes.” He stands and carries his plate to the sink, then leans over and kisses my cheek. “Thank you for this delicious breakfast.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Would you like to join me on a hike?”

  “Hell, yes.

  “This is incredible.” I prop my hands on my hips as I try to catch my breath. We just made it to the top of a trail that led us to the top of a hill that offers the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen. “I can even see the house from here.”

  He nods and rests his foot on a boulder and leans on his knee. “When Kane and I came up here to check out the property, we found this trail and followed it up here. As soon as we stood here and saw the view, we knew we had to buy it.”

  “You and Kane are close.”

  “We’re only a year apart in age,” Keegan says. “He was my first friend and still is my best friend. He’s always been the more serious one, the artistic one. When we were small and still in Ireland, before our parents came to the US, he loved to spend hours upon hours in our uncle’s barn, firing glass.”

  “It’s fascinating to me. I’ve never seen how glass is made.”

  “I’m pretty sure we could show you how it’s done, if you’re interested.”

  “I would have to be an idiot to turn down the chance to watch Kane O’Callaghan at work.”

  “You’ve heard of him, then?”

  “Of course. I’ve seen his work before. It’s all over the world.”

  “We’re all damn proud of him.”

  “I think you’re all worth being proud of.”

  He laces his fingers with mine and raises my hand to his lips. “Let’s get back to the house so I can get you naked and pick up where we left off in the shower this morning.”

  “Not a bad idea at all. Let’s go.”

  We hustle down the trail and make it back to the trailhead in half the time it took us to hike up. Just as we walk into the house, we hear Keegan’s phone ringing, but then it stops.

  “You just missed a call.”

  He shrugs but reaches for his cell. We left both devices sitting on the kitchen counter when we took off for our hike.

  Keegan scowls. “Christ Jesus, the family’s been blowing it up.”

  I glance at mine and see I’ve missed several calls from Maggie, as well.

  “My mother hasn’t felt well.” His face is lined with worry as he dials and puts the phone to his ear. “What’s going on, Maeve?”

  He listens, and then his eyes narrow as he looks over at me. “Are they okay? How soon? Well, she doesn’t waste any time, does she? We’ll wrap things up here and head back. No, we should be there. We own the bloody place, Maeve, we’ll be back. See you soon.”

  “Is your mom okay?”

  “It’s Anastasia.” He sighs and looks at me with regret. “I’m sorry, love, but we’ll have to cut our trip short. The baby’s on its way, and it seems he or she wants to make a dramatic entrance. Stasia’s having some complications. Kane’s beside himself.”

  “We need to get there,” I say immediately and hurry for the stairs. “I can be packed in five minutes.”

  “Stop.”

  I turn to find him just behind me. He drags his knuckles down my cheek.

  “What is it?”

  “Thank you.”

  “For not being a bitch because your brother is about to be a father?”

  He smiles. “Something like that.”

  “You’re welcome. Now let’s get a move on.”

  Chapter 10

  ~Keegan~

  “You can go up without me. I’m not trying to keep you from them, I just have to get a gift before I go in there.”

  I grin down at her as she fusses over some pink and blue blankets in the hospital gift shop.

  “I can wait ten more minutes.”

  “I just don’t know if I should get something for the baby or for Anastasia.”

  “We can get something for both of them,” I suggest. “Get all of it, if you want.”

  She sighs and bites her lower lip, concentrating way harder than I think is necessary, but I’m not a woman. They’re a mystery to me.

  “Wait.” She turns to me with wide eyes. “Do we know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

  “No, because we aren’t upstairs yet.”

  “Well, crap.” She finally decides on a yellow giraffe blanket and a bigger, fluffier gray blanket for Stasia. “Okay, I’ll start here and shop for more later.”

  “All right, let’s do this.”

  I pay for the gifts, along with the gift bags to stuff them in for exactly six minutes, and earn a glare from Izzy.

  “What?”

  “I was supposed to buy them.”

  “Can’t they be from us?”

  “Oh, of course. I just didn’t want to assume that would be okay.”

  I stop us in the hospital hallway and turn her to me. I tip up her chin. “You and I are an us, Isabella. I didn’t realize that wasn’t already implied, so I’m happy to make it clear right here and now.”

  Her lips tip up into a grin. “Well, okay then. Let’s go meet a baby.”

  I kiss her lips before taking her hand and leading her into an elevator and up to the labor and delivery part of the hospital.

  It’s been a few hours since that call to Maeve at the cabin. From what I understand, Stasia has since had an emergency C-section, and both she and the baby are safe.

  But they don’t want to tell me what the sex is until we get there.

  “What room is she in?” Izzy asks.

  “That one at the end of the hall.”

  “How do you kn
ow?”

  I grin at the laughter and chatter coming from the room. “Because I can hear them. We’re not a quiet lot, that’s for sure.”

  Izzy and I fill the doorway, and I smile at the scene before me.

  Anastasia is sitting up in the hospital bed, wearing a tired smile and an IV in one arm. Kane sits close by, one hand on her ankle as he talks with Anastasia’s brother, Archer, and his wife, Elena.

  My mother rocks the new baby in the corner as my father stands next to her and smiles down at the wee one.

  Maggie and Maeve are on their phones, most likely methodically calling all of the Montgomerys and O’Callaghans all over the bloody world.

  “You’re here,” Stasia says. “Come in.”

  “Is there room?” I ask, teasing her. “You’re awfully popular.”

  I walk to her and kiss her cheek before circling the bed to hug my brother.

  “Shawn and Lexi just left,” he says. “Amelia and Wyatt are on their way.”

  “What about your parents?” I ask Stasia.

  “They just went down to the cafeteria for some lunch.”

  “So, it’s been a revolving door.”

  “I just got off the phone with Will,” Maeve adds. “He and Meg will be here this evening. He can’t get out of practice since they have a game in a few days.”

  I glance back at Izzy, who’s still hovering in the doorway.

  “Come in, love. We don’t bite.”

  “I should wait in the waiting room. I don’t want to overwhelm—”

  “If you don’t get in here,” Anastasia says, “I’ll be offended.”

  Izzy laughs and steps inside, then offers Stasia the gift bags. “We stopped downstairs to get a little something.”

  “Oh, you didn’t have to…thank God, blankets! Everything happened so fast this morning, I forgot to bring the baby’s blankets and one for me. I’m always cold. This is absolutely perfect, Izzy, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Izzy, this is my brother, Archer. You met his wife, Elena, at the baby shower.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Hey, why did Archer get out of going to the baby shower?” I ask.