In Your Arms

by Shannyn Schroeder

  “No thanks,” she said and hoped Sean hadn’t heard.

  Caitlyn bumped her arm. “I’m kind of sorry I didn’t wear my team shirt. We might’ve been able to make a bunch of cash taking turns stripping off our shirts.”

  Although it was a private conversation and a joke, the ass on Emma’s other side snickered. “I guess I offered to overpay. If you’re strippers, I could’ve given you a buck for a look at those tits.”

  Emma bit her lip and ignored him. She and Caitlyn picked up their pitchers and headed back to the table.

  “I’m so glad you guys beat those assholes,” Caitlyn said as she filled glasses.

  Emma’s stomach sank. She should’ve warned Caitlyn not to say anything.

  Although Caitlyn spoke to her boyfriend, Chris, everyone else at the table listened in. “That guy was a total ass, wasn’t he, Emma?”

  Emma covered by taking a sip of beer. Sean’s eyes zeroed in on her.

  “Did he do something?”

  Emma waved a hand. “He was obnoxious. He offered me twenty bucks to take off my shirt.” When Sean’s jaw flexed, she added, “I don’t think it was about me as much as the shirt itself. I think they’re sore losers.”

  “Well, yeah,” Caitlyn added. “But then he called us a couple of cheap strippers.”

  Sean’s hot gaze flashed back to Emma.

  “It was nothing. Really.” How the hell did she continue to end up in these situations? Was she that much of a shit magnet? She shouldn’t be surprised. Years of working with her mom had taught her such behavior was more the norm than most people realized. For every decent guy she’d come across in a bar, there were two or three who were horrible.

  “If you say so,” Sean said after a minute of staring at her.

  His face still looked pissed, but his words soothed her a little. No, the world wouldn’t end if he got into another bar fight. Neither would their relationship. But starting over meant doing things differently.

  They rejoined the conversation at the table, and after another half hour, Emma was ready to go. She was tired and had already stayed longer than she’d planned. “Ready to leave?” she asked Sean.

  “Yeah.”

  “If you want to stay, I can take your car and you can ask Tommy to drop you off at my place.”

  “No. We agreed we’d come for a drink or two and you’ve been patient.”

  “It’s not like it’s torture for me to be here with you.”

  He turned and planted a warm kiss on her lips. The simple kiss reminded her how right everything felt. They could handle this relationship stuff.

  * * *

  Sean was buzzed from a decent amount of alcohol as well as the high of winning. As they said their good-byes to everyone at the table, he stopped to give Tommy another hug. He thumped his brother on the back and said, “You need a ride?”

  “Nah. I’m okay.” And he sounded it.

  How the hell was he not drunk off his ass after a win like that? “See you tomorrow.”

  “Doubt it,” Tommy answered. “Emma gets all your time now.”

  “Aww . . . are you missing me, little brother?”

  “Hell, no. I like having the basement all to myself.” He gave Sean a little shove. “I’m glad you fixed things with her. I like her.”

  Sean smiled. “I like her too.”

  He waved at everyone one last time, and he headed out the door with his arm around Emma’s shoulders.

  “Thanks for coming out tonight. I know you don’t like to be out on a school night.” He laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Saying that makes me feel like I’m in high school trying to get one of the good girls into bed.”

  “Are you implying I’m not a good girl?”

  “You’re good in most ways and really bad in the ways I like best.” He pushed the door open, and they stepped outside.

  A couple of the Dawgs stood there smoking. One checked Emma out, and Sean tried to keep his anger in check.

  “Ready to lose that shirt, sweetheart?”

  Sean and Emma both stopped. Emma placed a gentle hand on his chest. Then she turned to the asshole. “It’s fitting that your team is the Dawgs because you certainly don’t know what it is to be a man.”

  The two guys with him hooted and smiled, but this guy’s face went red and he took a step toward Emma.

  Sean was at her back, but she stood her ground.

  “You do not intimidate me. What kind of man feels the need to harass a woman because of the shirt she’s wearing? Just because you’re pissy that you lost? Get over it.”

  He huffed, but said nothing. Emma turned and took Sean’s hand. His muscles were tense, and he knew she felt it.

  She led the way back to his car but said nothing. When they reached the door, she stopped and turned to face him. “You really wanted to hit that guy, didn’t you?”

  “Still do.”

  “Why?”

  Sean closed his eyes and tried to explain. “Because I don’t want anyone to talk to you like that. You deserve better.”

  “I agree. But do you think hitting him would make him understand that?”

  Sean shrugged. “Probably not. But I’d feel better delivering the message.”

  Emma stroked a finger down his chest. “I love that you want to protect me. It’s an even bigger turn-on that you backed off to let me handle it myself. It was easier knowing you were there to jump in if I needed help.”

  “I’ll always be at your back.”

  “I prefer it when I’m in your arms.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against the car as he took her mouth. God, he loved everything about this woman, from who she was to how she pushed him to be better.

  “So how bad would it have been if I had hit him?” he whispered against her lips.

  “Not bad at all. But I like knowing you’re in control. That you can think before you fight.” She kissed his lips. Then his jaw. Then trailed her tongue on his neck. In his ear, she said, “I love that I matter enough for you to want to fight for me.”

  “I love you.”

  Her breath hitched, and she lifted her face to look into his eyes. She said nothing, but he knew she felt the same.

  “I’ve fought plenty in my life. As a teenager, I fought over girls before. You’re the first woman who makes me want to fight for her as well as stop fighting for her. I’m a better person with you.”

  Her eyes got teary. “I love you too. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that you are a good man. I shouldn’t have kept pushing you away because of some notion I had about how you live your life.” She hugged him tightly as she said, “You make me a better person too because with you I can be my whole self.”

  Sean ran his hands over her hips. “I like every part of you.”

  She pushed him away. “Right back at you. Now let’s go so I can get you naked before it’s too late for our own celebration.”

  Sean climbed into the car with thoughts of spending the night with Emma in his arms and couldn’t think of a better place to be.

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  Deirdre Murphy has had her life planned for her since she was born: Work in her parents’ noisy pub in rural Ireland. Live with her family until she marries. Marry her childhood sweetheart ASAP, since he’s decided sexy fun time should wait for marriage. None of it excites her. But before her fate closes in, Deirdre’s got one last visit to her Chicago cousins—where she can spend her mornings in a peaceful bakery, keep to herself, and savor the space she needs . . . until she meets Tommy O’Malley.

  Tommy is as tough as his city and twice as ready to welcome her in. He’s covered in tattoos, stays up half the night inking them on other people, and has a reputation for being good with his hands. And he’s heart-pounding, forgot-her-words, can’t-stop-staring exciting. Tommy knows he’s the opposite of everything Deirdre has prepared for.
But to watch her set herself free, he’s willing to risk almost anything....

  Deirdre Murphy stepped out of the international terminal at O’Hare Airport into the blustery wind of Chicago. She disliked the crowds and held no love for the cold, but as soon as she stepped to the curb, she felt freedom. It had been months since she’d left the city to return home to Ireland, but something about this place put her at ease. Or maybe it was simply escaping her family and the responsibilities she’d left behind.

  She scanned the curb for her cousin Maggie, and for the life of her, couldn’t remember what Maggie’s car looked like. Suddenly, loud honking preceded a pickup truck whipping into a spot in front of her. Deirdre looked up and saw Maggie’s smiling face.

  Deirdre grabbed her suitcases and her shoulder bag to put in the truck, but before she got to the curb, Maggie was flying at her and wrapping her arms around her. If her hands hadn’t been full, Deirdre would’ve returned the embrace. Maybe.

  “I’m so glad you’re back! And just in time for St. Paddy’s Day.” Her cousin chuckled. “You thought you were coming to hang out, but I had ulterior motives in getting you here now. You can work at the bar with us. It’s a blast.”

  Deirdre clenched her jaw. Working at O’Leary’s Pub was the last thing she wanted to do. Her entire life had been about her own family’s pub and the single most important reason she’d wanted to leave home.

  Maggie pulled away, but nudged her shoulder. “Really. It’s fun. And it’s only one day. You’ll make a crap ton of money in tips just for having the accent.” She paused and lowered her voice. “I know you don’t want to be there all the time.”

  In fact, Maggie did know. She was the only person Deirdre had confided in. Maggie grabbed a suitcase and shoved it on the backseat of the truck.

  “Whose truck is this?”

  “Shane’s. My car is having issues, so I dropped him off at work so I could use his truck.”

  Deirdre watched Maggie as she spoke about her boyfriend. She was so happy that it was evident in her entire body. Deirdre wondered if she looked the same when she spoke about Rory. She doubted it. Something was off between them, now more than ever.

  After they were buckled up, Maggie reached across the seat. “Well? Let me see.”

  “What?” Deirdre asked, her stomach plummeting because she knew exactly what Maggie wanted to see.

  “Your Christmas present.” She paused. “Shit. He didn’t propose, did he?”

  Deirdre shook her head. “On the upside, I’m here.” She forced a smile. “He bought me the plane ticket.”

  A flash of Christmas night came to her. Rory had watched her open the present, and she’d swallowed her disappointment when she’d realized it wasn’t an engagement ring.

  He’d held her hand. I’ve never seen you as happy as you were in Chicago. Your face lit up my computer screen. Go back and have a good time.

  “What is it?” Maggie’s question pulled her from the past.

  “I don’t know. I’m thrilled to be here, but things between me and Rory . . . something’s not right.”

  Maggie pulled out into the traffic lane, then asked, “Is he cheating on you?”

  Deirdre shrugged. She never would’ve considered it, but then Maggie put her thoughts into words.

  “I mean, I don’t really know him well, but what guy sends his girlfriend halfway around the world?”

  Deirdre bit her lip. “Rory’s not like that. We’ve been friends since we were tots. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”

  “Not to be a bitch, but one way to keep you in the dark is to send you thousands of miles away.”

  Deirdre laughed. “Saying you don’t want to be a bitch doesn’t make it so.”

  Maggie mocked offense.

  “I can’t imagine Rory would be able to have a girl on the side without my family or his knowing. And they certainly wouldn’t keep it from me.”

  Maggie had gotten on the highway and the rush of traffic and the crazy crisscrossing of the pavement mesmerized Deirdre. She loved so much about this city. “It doesn’t really matter why he sent me here. I am here, and I’m going to enjoy myself.”

  “More than last time, I hope.”

  “What do you mean? I had fun last fall.”

  “Girl, you did little more than work and go to church with my mom.” Her hand flew up. “Not that we all don’t appreciate you taking on that task.”

  Deirdre laughed again. “I don’t mind. It seems to make Aunt Eileen happy to have someone attend with her.”

  While not as devout as her family believed, Deirdre liked the familiarity and rhythm of Mass. It gave her peace that she didn’t find at home.

  They exited the highway and began winding down residential streets. Deirdre was content to watch the scenery, but as usual, Maggie continued the conversation.

  “Okay, since there was no engagement, give me the scoop. Are you still a virgin?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Come on, if Rory had proposed, we both know your panties would’ve dropped as soon as the ring slipped on your finger.”

  Deirdre felt her cheeks heat. She didn’t have a sister of her own and she’d never talk so openly with her brothers. As uncomfortable as the conversation made her, she realized that she’d missed Maggie and her brazen nature.

  Plus, she was right. Deirdre had only been saving herself for marriage because it seemed like something Rory wanted.

  “What’s that Beyoncé song? He should’ve put a ring on it?” She laughed with her cousin even though she didn’t feel the levity her remark should’ve caused.

  Before she knew it, they were in front of the O’Leary house and Deirdre was filled with longing once again. She loved that although the O’Learys ran their own pub, they had a real house. Deirdre’s family lived above their pub, so there was no escaping it. Ever.

  They hauled her luggage into the house, and Eileen came from the kitchen to greet them. “I have tea on. I thought you could use some after the trip.”

  Deirdre nodded. “Thank you. It sounds lovely.”

  “I’ll take your bags upstairs. The room is the same. No one has used it since you left.”

  “Let me help.” Deirdre hefted one of her bags. As they headed up the stairs, she asked, “So Aunt Eileen is really all right with you living with Shane?”

  “Why wouldn’t she be?”

  “I just thought . . . I don’t know. My mom is so excited at the simple thought of marriage.”

  “Come on. Your mom isn’t that old fashioned. I’m sure if you and Rory wanted to live together, she’d be okay with it.” She tossed the suitcase on the bed and then plopped beside it.

  Deirdre unzipped the case and flipped the lid. Maybe her mom wouldn’t care. Rory always seemed to think it would be an issue. Just like he wanted to wait to have sex. Now he’d sent her back to Chicago.

  That unsettled feeling returned.

  “Leave this for later. Let’s go have tea and catch up.”

  “Don’t you have to get Shane?”

  “Not ’til later. We have plenty of time.”

  Back in the kitchen Aunt Eileen was filling the teapot. A plate of cookies sat beside it on a tray. The same way her mom served tea at home.

  Without turning, Eileen said, “I’ll have you know that I spoke with the McDonoughs. They’d love to have you back at the bakery.”

  Maggie snickered.

  “What?”

  “I just think it’s ridiculous that the McDonoughs have owned that bakery for probably longer than I’ve been alive, but they leave the name Blackstone.”

  “Blackstone’s is an institution.” Eileen’s voice stiffened.

  Deirdre wasn’t sure if she was being serious.

  “If I owned a bakery that was that good, you better believe I’d have my name plastered all over it. I’d want people to know it was me.”

  Deirdre didn’t understand that. She’d be happy in the background. It was enough to create something that people wou
ld enjoy, even if they had no idea who had done it.

  Eileen lifted the tray. Deirdre rushed forward. “Let me.”

  They moved to the dining room table. She found comfort in the routine of having tea and cookies. As different as life was in Chicago, she liked knowing that family was consistent.

  * * *

  Tommy’s phone rang as he finished giving his client after-care instructions. He said good-bye to the client and answered the phone. “Hey, Jimmy, what’s up?”

  “I need you to get Norah’s birthday cake from Blackstone’s.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because Sean isn’t answering and Norah shouldn’t have to get her own cake. It’s all paid for. Just pick it up.”

  He hadn’t gone to Blackstone’s since Cupcake had gone back to Ireland. He’d never got the chance to ask her out, and going to the bakery would just be a reminder of his failure. “Get Kevin to pick it up.”

  “Not gonna happen. Stop being a dick and get the cake for our sister.”

  He was being a dick, but he didn’t need Jimmy to point it out. He also needed to get over it. There were other girls. He’d barely had a conversation with Deirdre, even at the urging of Moira, who was Deirdre’s cousin and Jimmy’s fiancée.

  “Fine.”

  He disconnected and caught Kai staring at him. Tommy thought that his boss would’ve lightened up since getting together with Norah. Some things, unfortunately, didn’t change. “Yeah, Kai, I took a personal call, but I was done with my client.” Then a thought hit him. “You want to pick up Norah’s birthday cake?”

  “Why the hell would I want to do that?”

  “She’s your girlfriend.”

  “She’s your sister. And it’s your family that wants to do family dinner. Besides, I have to go pick her up.”

  Tommy sighed. Back to getting over himself. He waited a little while, hoping for a walk-in client, but only one came in and Puck, the other tattoo artist, beat him to the counter.

  “I’m out of here,” Tommy called to Kai. “See you at the house.”