Duncan: The Lucky Irish Series - Book 1

by Anna Castor

  “Don, that makes number three this month. Why is it so hard for you to behave and not scare away your assistants?” Duncan said while looking over his shoulder at Jenna, who was pushing the elevator button multiple times, as if that would make the elevator come sooner.

  “Dunc, I think it’s more that she’s disappointed she didn’t get a taste of me,” Donovan said while readjusting his cufflinks. He then straightened his tie and looked at Duncan as if to say now that he’d handled the loose ends, he was ready to proceed with his day.

  “Hmmm, and it’s quite the taste,” Strawberry purred from the leather seat in front of the mahogany desk which Donovan was now leaning against. Duncan groaned, and Kayla rolled her eyes at her statement.

  “And that is your cue to leave us,” Donovan said in an even voice. The woman looked up at Donovan and tried to pout her lips, but before she could do so, Donovan put his index finger over her mouth. “Shhh. No need to drag this out. We had our fun, and now it’s time for you to leave.”

  As if she was hypnotized, she nodded at Donovan and instantly stood up from her chair, then sauntered toward the door. “Keep in touch?” Strawberry asked as she looked hopefully over her shoulder at Donovan. When he didn’t answer, her shoulders sagged a bit, but she kept on moving toward the elevators.

  Entering the office, Kayla turned and looked around. It was a corner office with a full view of downtown Austin. In the left corner was a black leather couch, a coffee table, and some filing cabinets, but what caught her eye were the multiple paintings hanging on the wall. They seemed expressive with dark coloring and abstract figures.

  “Do you like my paintings? I’d love to make one of you.” Kayla noticed the tension coming from Duncan at this statement from Donovan. His jaw was set tight, and he narrowed his eyes at him. Donovan was an attractive man, but in a different kind of way than Duncan. Donovan oozed authority, and sex as well, but he had something dark about him that she couldn’t pinpoint. He resembled Duncan if you ignored the wavy dark hair, but he was an unattainable version of him.

  Duncan was a player for sure, but in an accessible way, and he had a certain playful, roguish air about him she found attractive. Kayla enjoyed butting heads with her former partners, joking around and teasing each other. She most definitely didn’t get the teasing vibe from Donovan. No, he was not the joking-around type. He was in control and made sure everyone knew it.

  “That will never happen, Don.” Duncan strode across the office and stood next to Kayla, who in return took a small step aside so she stood at an arm’s length from him. Duncan sighed, and when she looked in his green eyes, she was a little stunned by his serious expression. He looked straight back at Kayla as he said, “She is not one of your playthings. Forget it, bro.”

  The moment Kayla’s sultry voice announced she was ready for Donovan, Duncan had lost his shit. He even said as much when he went and opened the door of Donovan’s office to find him yet again in a compromising position. His brother was a great guy. He was loyal to a fault, honest, and strong. He was truly a big brother for Duncan growing up, guiding him and protecting him, but right now, Duncan hated him.

  Okay, he didn’t really hate him, but he knew with one look at Kayla, his brother would think he’d found a new toy to play with. Donovan had his ways to turn every woman he’d met into a wanton piece of ass. Duncan couldn’t bear the thought of him getting his paws on his wildflower. Donovan had to be stopped before he even began his magic, and Duncan knew he had to draw a line in the sand.

  “Forget it?” His brother chuckled. The bastard was smiling at him, but the moment it clicked, he looked rather shocked and asked, “Are you sure?”

  The Mills brothers’ code was sacred, and they did not mess with chicks who were declared off-limits. Sure enough, the moment Duncan nodded his confirmation, Donovan strolled behind his desk and took a seat in his designer chair.

  “What can I do for you, Miss...?” Donovan let his words linger for Kayla to reply.

  “Kayla Walsh. We have an appointment—well, we had an appointment scheduled ten minutes ago.”

  Duncan was taken aback a bit when he found that Kayla was not blushing, not flustered, nor was she stuttering when she replied to Donovan. She walked toward Donovan’s desk and reached out her hand for him to shake. After their handshake, she took the liberty of sitting in front of Donovan’s desk, and she crossed her legs. Her back was straight, her shoulders set back, and somewhere in the mix-up earlier, she had taken off her coat, which she draped over the arm of her chair.

  She was wearing a bright yellow blouse above her tight black skirt, and her two top buttons were unbuttoned, giving just a little hint of her ample cleavage. In front of Donovan sat, indeed, a wildflower who radiated that she was not in the least distracted or bedazzled by him, and Duncan respected that. In some weird way, he was proud of her, and he didn’t know what to make of that.

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Walsh. I’m sorry, I hope you’re not deciding against this job because of this turn of events?”

  Duncan knew his brother like the back of his hand, and the look Donovan was giving Kayla was one of him sizing her up. He wanted to know if she was some porcelain doll who would break at his antics, because he often had female visitors, and Donovan wasn’t going to change his ways.

  Kayla responded in a calm voice. “No, I’m not deciding against this job.”

  Donovan started to say, “Good, now—” but he couldn’t finish his sentence because Kayla interrupted him.

  “But I do have certain stipulations I would like to discuss first.”

  Duncan smiled because nobody ever interrupted Donovan, not to mention giving him stipulations. He took a seat on the leather couch to watch the show. Surely this meeting was not going to end in employment for Kayla now, so he could relax and sit back and be glad his brother wasn’t going to work closely with her.

  Kayla handed Donovan some papers. “Number one, I am not one of your playthings, so no innuendo, no groping, no yapping about all this painting stuff, because that will not work on me.”

  Duncan’s jaw dropped, and when he looked at Donovan, he could see his brother was also surprised. Duncan leaned back in his chair and had his chin between his thumb and index finger as if he was looking at a puzzle he had yet to solve.

  “Number two, I don’t want to witness a similar situation ever again, so please lock the door when you’re preoccupied and can’t answer it.”

  Duncan laughed out loud at her words, and he caught Kayla smiling at him before she shook her head and looked with a straight face at Donovan again.

  “Those are my stipulations. I don’t think these should be deal breakers for you, but for me they are. I work hard, and as you can see in my résumé, I have the experience to take a truckload of work from your shoulders.”

  Duncan wasn’t prepared for the next words that came out of Donovan’s mouth as he glanced at Kayla’s résumé and nodded. “Fair enough. You’re hired.” Kayla smiled and shifted in her chair ever so briefly, as if she hadn’t been completely sure about her tactics but was happy with the outcome. “Welcome aboard, Kayla. Please fill in these forms so we can send you our offer via mail.”

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Mills. You’ll not regret this, I’m sure.” Kayla sounded relieved while her posture still remained self-assured.

  “I know, Kayla, and you can call me Donovan.”

  Duncan smiled. She sure did take a stand against his brother, and there weren’t a lot of people who could get away with that. He was proud of her and no longer worried she would fall for his brother. If anything, she might be the one person who could stick around as his assistant and keep telling it to him straight.

  Duncan wanted to have her so badly when he first laid eyes on her, and perhaps he still did, but now she was not only off-limits for his brother but for him as well. Pursuing her would make things too complicated, and he wasn’t sure she would be the one who would make him go for complicated. He was busy with his new bu
siness, his family, and friends. Even though he might be bored with the long line of one-night stands he’d had in the past few years, he didn’t need a girlfriend when he could have all the tail he wanted at his dojo.

  So when Donovan and Kayla wrapped things up and agreed she would start the very next day at nine, Duncan only said goodbye when she got up from her chair. “See you around, Kayla.” Well, that could mean anything, right? Duncan had hoped to leave the door ajar for them becoming something more, but not to look too eager for a chance with her.

  “I guess so, Duncan.” She turned and walked through the door, heading straight into the elevator, which was kept open by an office worker who looked at her fine swaying ass when she entered.

  “You got it bad, brother,” Donovan said as they watched the elevator doors close.

  “Nah.” Duncan tried to downplay his feelings for Kayla. Shit, now he was thinking about his feelings for her? How did that happen? It was way too soon to speak of feelings. He hardly knew the girl, let alone had feelings for her.

  That reminded him.... “Can I have a look at that résumé?” Duncan turned and tried to take the documents from Donovan’s desk, but Donovan was quick to take them from him.

  Donovan replied sharply, “You know I can’t let you, bro. I won’t violate her privacy because you’ve got a hard-on for her.”

  Donovan had his own security company that was not only hired for installing security systems but for safeguarding and private investigation as well. He also worked with a women’s shelter in St. Johns near Duncan Dojo, and his company often provided protection when a woman needed transportation from the shelter to the next safe house. He was an IT genius who came in handy for making any trace of the fleeing woman disappear.

  For some this might be a real contradiction to a man who could discard women so easily in his private life, but Duncan knew Donovan was always up front with his dates. And because Donovan was a Mills brother, he was also known for his loyalty, honor, and strength. Donovan was a guy who you’d have to get to know better to understand his ways, because he didn’t open up easily. But when you proved yourself to him, he’d have your back no matter what.

  Donovan took after their oldest brother, Brennan, who had a whole different kind of issue to deal with. But they both had a way about them that seemed to make people wary to approach them. This often proved to be an aphrodisiac for the ladies, because they all seemed to believe they would be the one who could get past their barriers.

  It was a never-ending cycle of girls coming and going growing up at the Millses’ house—except for their dad, Sean, who had been happily married to their mother, Edith. When she died when Duncan was only nine years old, Sean never seemed to be able to forget her, and he never had a new woman in his life, or at least not around his sons. That was true love, and Duncan wasn’t sure if he was ready for that kind of commitment at this time in his life.

  “Hi, Kayla. Wow, you look nice.”

  Kayla turned around as she stepped into the elevator in her apartment building. Her neighbor Caitlin just walked up while hoisting several take-out bags.

  “Thanks, Caitlin. How’s it going? Hungry, I see?”

  Her curly haired brunette neighbor looked down at her four bags and grinned. “Yes, but I’m afraid that I’ve went a little overboard here. Please say that you’ll help me eat all this stuff. Stop me from stuffing my face and risk tearing out of my uniform tomorrow.”

  Kayla met Caitlin right after she’d first met her neighbor on her right side, Miss Jackson. Hearing her cat Mister Whisker the first time on her second day in the apartment, she was sure the high screeching sound was coming from someone in pain.

  She’d looked out of her partly opened front door in search of the person who could be needing her help, only to find a petite elderly lady with a gray twisted bun in a pink 1950s Coco Chanel suit in the doorway next to her, holding a screeching dark gray fur ball as well as some mail. The cat didn’t seem to be in pain while it was happily swishing its tail, and Miss Jackson assured her not to worry about him.

  “Oh, dear, Mister Whisker is fine. I guess he resembles you in a way, looking a little worse for wear but still going strong.” Miss Jackson smiled kindly at Kayla.

  That comment ensured that she appreciated Miss Jackson right off the bat. Miss Jackson was straight to the point but not in an intrusive way, as she didn’t ask any probing questions even though she’d have to know, after taking one look at Kayla, there was a story for her to tell.

  Caitlin had then walked in on their conversation, and as a police officer, she instantly asked Kayla if she needed her help. Kayla was touched that the two women, her neighbors on each side, were so nice to her.

  In the following month, they’d slipped into a routine of small talk over a cup of coffee at Danny’s Diner next door. Miss Jackson and Caitlin both sensed when it was best to avoid certain topics in their conversations, and they never made Kayla feel uncomfortable.

  The elevator arrived at their floor, and they walked in a comfortable silence toward Caitlin’s apartment. Where Kayla’s apartment wasn’t decorated in the style she preferred, as she rented the furnished apartment last minute from the grandmother of an old colleague who’d moved into a nursing home, Caitlin’s apartment was truly welcoming.

  As Caitlin let them into her warmly colored apartment, she gave the four take-out bags to Kayla and then walked straight to the open plan kitchen as she commented over her shoulder, “I’m going to grab us some wine. Shall we eat on the couch?”

  “Yeah.”

  Kayla was still getting used to their blossoming friendship. In New Jersey she was out socializing almost every day, going for drinks after work with colleagues, taking a yoga class with friends, meeting up with her sisters or brothers for lunch. In the past month, she’d only talked to Miss Jackson and Caitlin. Saying that Kayla was still out of her element was an understatement.

  “So, tell me why you’re dressed to kill.” Caitlin plopped next to Kayla on the couch while unscrewing the cork from the wine bottle. Kayla took out the Chinese dinner from the take-out bags and placed the containers on the coffee table.

  “I’ve landed myself a job.” Kayla chuckled, as she still couldn’t believe what had happened today.

  “Wow, congratulations. I’m so happy for you! Tell me everything. Where? And what will you be doing?” Caitlin’s enthusiasm was contagious, and Kayla smiled at her new friend. She took a full glass of white wine from Caitlin’s outstretched hand and settled back onto the couch.

  “I’m going to be the assistant for Donovan Mills, from—”

  “No way!”

  Kayla raised her brow at Caitlin and tried to keep it cool. She didn’t want to encounter another woman drooling over her new boss, as it was obvious that he was so full of himself.

  Caitlin burst out laughing when she noticed Kayla’s frosty response.

  “I know what you’re thinking. No, I haven’t slept with him. Ugh, stop putting that thought into my head. I would like to enjoy my chow mein in a minute, thank you very much.”

  Kayla couldn’t help but laugh. It felt good talking with Caitlin about someone they both knew, as it hadn’t happened to them before. Until now, they had only touched shallow topics in their conversations. Kayla knew that talking about her new boss could deepen their friendship.

  “I’ve known the Mills family since forever. We moved next door to them when I was fifteen and Donovan was fourteen. I work with his younger brother Declan. He’s my partner on the force.”

  Kayla gulped her wine for liquid courage and asked, “Okay, so you know all about Duncan as well?”

  Caitlin stopped forking chow mein onto her plate, glanced over her shoulder with her piercing light blue eyes, and smirked. “Ha, you’ve met Duncan, eh?”

  Kayla’s cheeks heated, and she shifted on the couch to place her glass on the coffee table. She tried to answer as indifferently as possible, saying, “Yeah, he was there during the interview.”

 
; “He was present during your job interview? What for? He doesn’t even work at Mills Security.”

  “I don’t know, maybe they wanted to—” Kayla started to think of an explanation but was interrupted by Caitlin.

  “I can imagine those two bickering over you, Kayla. It must have been quite the show when you turned them down,” Caitlin said while wolfing down her meal. When Kayla didn’t respond, Caitlin’s eyes went wide.

  “Oh, sorry. My bad. I just figured that...,” Caitlin sputtered.

  Kayla took a plate and placed a lukewarm spring roll from one of the containers on it. She shook her head and said, “I know. They scream player just by looking at them. Donovan is definitely not my type, but—”

  “But Duncan is?” Caitlin observed Kayla over the rim of her wineglass and waited for her confirmation.

  “I guess so.... I don’t know. I don’t know the guy. He seemed arrogant and cocky, and don’t forget bossy.”

  “But also sexy as hell?” Caitlin chuckled.

  “Well... yes. You can say that.” Kayla peered through her lashes and tried to gauge Caitlin’s reaction.

  “I get it. I really do. Can you believe that there are five Mills brothers? My friends find them all smoking hot, and growing up next to them brought a lot of girls who wanted to befriend me just to get close to them. It gets old real quick, you know? I guess that, to me, they just feel like they’re my brothers. Very loud and annoying brothers, ha.”

  Kayla grinned before taking a huge bite out of her spring roll. Thank goodness Caitlin wasn’t into Duncan. What if they’d both liked him? Caitlin was the first friend she found in Austin, in her new life. She was happy that he wouldn’t stand in between them. But maybe he wasn’t even into her. He was so casual as he said goodbye to her today. Perhaps he wasn’t even single?

  The grin fell from her face as she took a swig from her glass. After she swallowed, she asked, “Is Duncan single?”

  “Duncan is single, yeah. All of the Mills brothers are single. My sister Fianna even dated Ronan, their brother, for a short period. My guess is that Brennan, the oldest, and Declan, my partner, are the most serious out of the bunch. The other three are definitely players. But I must say, they are upfront about it.