Duncan: The Lucky Irish Series - Book 1

by Anna Castor

  “Donovan once had some fun with a colleague of mine, and she knew the deal. He explicitly told her that he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend. I guess she was okay with that. She’s happily married now, but every now and then, she still asks about him. I guess he made quite the impression.”

  “And Duncan?”

  “Well, Duncan was a real good MMA fighter, if not the best. He never lacked attention from the ladies, so to speak. He had some girlfriends growing up, but nothing too serious. He’s a real great guy. All of them are. But as your friend, I have to be honest, and I guess that Duncan hasn’t been exactly boyfriend material. But you know, things can change.... Perhaps you’ll be his game changer.”

  “Ha, I don’t know about that.”

  “Why not? Don’t sell yourself short, Kayla. You’re a BB-BB.”

  “A beebee?”

  “It’s something my sister Bree came up with when we were kids, ha ha. A Big-Breasted Beauty with Brains.”

  Kayla snickered and reached for the wine bottle to fill up her empty glass. “Okay, so I don’t know if it’s the wine or just because we’re opening up to each other, but I’ll tell you something about my experience, or rather the lack thereof, ha.”

  “Get out of town. If you’re telling me you’re a virgin, I’m going to hand in my badge, as I clearly didn’t get that vibe from you at all.”

  Kayla laughed while filling Caitlin’s glass with wine. She set the bottle on the coffee table and took a gulp from her glass. “Okay, so I’m twenty-nine years old, and I’ve been with a shocking total of three guys.”

  “So? That’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m thirty-five and my number is twelve. The summer after I found out my dad was cheating on my mom, I went a bit wild; otherwise, I would have been with a total of eight.”

  “I’m sorry about your mom and dad.”

  Caitlin waved her words away before taking a hefty gulp of her wine. “No biggie, I’m over it. Men can’t be trusted. It just took me some time to get with the program. So, tell me about number one.”

  “Josh, when I was nineteen. We’d been dating for six months before we slept together. He was the cousin of my college roommate. I had an instant connection with him because he was a fun guy, but there had been no real spark sexually. After a few months though, I convinced myself that my first time should be with him. It was over and done before I even knew what had happened. After a few times, I realized he wasn’t the one for me, and I broke things off. He didn’t seem to be too heartbroken about it either.”

  “Mmm, my first time was during the ’Slutty Summer of ’02,’ and I can’t even remember it properly as I was drunk off my ass. I’d waited to give my virginity to someone special, so I was still an eighteen-year-old virgin. God, I was a mess back then.”

  Kayla reached out and squeezed Caitlin’s hand on the couch.

  “Thanks, Kayla. Okay, so tell me about numbers two and three.”

  “Number two was Cole. It wasn’t too bad, certainly not compared to Josh, but it wasn’t earthshaking either. We’d been together for two years, but we were better off as friends. He was so cute, but also a bit boring.”

  Caitlin snickered and said, “Ugh, don’t you hate it when they’re boring?”

  “Yeah, I really do. So my third and last one was a one-night stand—”

  “Oooh, I’m so hoping for a story filled with breathtaking orgasms.”

  Kayla laughed out loud and shook her head. “No, it was bad. Like, real bad....”

  “Oh noo, poor girl.” Caitlin looked a little tipsy as she felt sorry for Kayla for experiencing bad sex after bad sex.

  “Number three was Mark. An acquaintance of my friend Tessa, and a total jerk. He asked me what time he should schedule the taxi to pick me up—while he was still inside of me.”

  Caitlin gasped. “Nooo.”

  Kayla nodded. “Yep.”

  “What a douche.”

  “I know. If my brothers knew about Mark, I wouldn’t hear the end of it. I never had the chance to explore dating with a guy, growing up with three brothers and a dad who were strict and overprotective. My dad was a cop, and so is my oldest brother, Calum. They would literally keep an eye on me during dates. I went to the movies with a guy, and my dad wanted one of my brothers to come with to chaperone. I was sixteen years old and I ended up going to the movies with my date, my brother Conner, and his date, Kelly. Conner was making out during the entire film. It was so gross.”

  “Hmm, I guess my eighteen-year-old self was in need of some of that guidance too. My dad hadn’t exactly been around by then for me and my four younger sisters. But I guess going on a date with your brother tagging along sucks balls too.” Caitlin smirked.

  “Yeah, well, I promised myself after that one-night stand that I wouldn’t take that route ever again. I promised to have sex with someone only if he had a real potential in becoming my boyfriend. That person hasn’t come along in the past three years.”

  “Here’s to us... to new friendships.” Caitlin held up her wineglass for Kayla to toast. Kayla clinked her glass against Caitlin’s.

  “To us. I kinda like being a member of your BB-BB club.”

  Coming out of the elevator, the first thing Duncan noticed was Kayla’s empty desk. He’d visited the office almost every workday in the last weeks. Supposedly, he was meeting his brother for lunch, but on several occasions, Donovan wasn’t even present in the office. Duncan would stay just the same and sit with Kayla during her lunch break, and they would talk about everything and nothing.

  He strolled over to his brother’s office. Coming closer to the door, he could hear Kayla state, “Donovan, you know what I mean. Don’t act like you’ve never heard this idea before.”

  Duncan slowed and made an effort to not interrupt, as it seemed like they were having a heated conversation.

  “I truly don’t know what you’re talking about, Kayla. I’ve never had any complaints about the way I do things around here.”

  “Well, now that I’m here, maybe it’s time to spice things up a bit.”

  Duncan couldn’t help but chuckle at Kayla’s enthusiasm. His brother looked up with a smirk, but Kayla glared at him for interrupting. He held up both hands in surrender and walked past them before he took a seat on the leather couch in Donovan’s office.

  Kayla leaned on Donovan’s desk with both hands as she was obviously defending her case with passion. Donovan wasn’t impressed and held his hands behind his head with his feet crossed at the ankle on top of his desk. He seemed relaxed and rather amused.

  Duncan then took a better look at Kayla. She had such fire inside of her as she was arguing with his brother. He didn’t even know what it all was about, but the fact that she didn’t back down from anyone was making him hard. And the fact that it happened each time he saw her was worrying. And even more disconcerting was the fact that he couldn’t stay away. He needed to see her, to hear the sound of her voice.

  He wanted to make her blush and smile, even though she was trying to act indifferent to him. The days that he didn’t visit his brother’s office were the ones he didn’t get a moment with Kayla, and he began to hate those days. So, here he was again, sitting in his brother’s office. Even though there was no reason at all to stop by.

  “Just think it over, Donovan, and you’ll see that there is room for improvement here.”

  Kayla’s voice brought him back to the present, and as she walked past him, he noticed her brief glance toward him. Duncan tried his best to look as good as possible each time he went to visit Kayla—eh, Donovan. Yeah, okay, visit Kayla and not his brother. Who was he kidding, right?

  “Okay, bro. This has to stop. You can’t show up every day just to drool over my assistant. I can’t stand seeing you going all puppy eyes and swishing your tail at Kayla. Just ask her out.”

  “You okay with that?”

  “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but as a PI, I’m often seen as pretty observing. You two can’t stop eyeing each
other, and it’s making me feel uncomfortable in my own office. Come on, bro. I think I can safely say that the attraction is there for Kayla too. And when you two get together, then hopefully she’ll be too occupied to want to change everything around here at the office.”

  He chuckled his last sentence, and Duncan knew his brother really liked Kayla. He could see them butting heads and challenging each other, but Donovan always spoke fondly of her.

  “I don’t know, man, I don’t think it’s a good idea. What if it all goes to shit, and then you’ll be in the middle of it all.”

  Donovan picked up his cell and started scrolling. He hummed and looked up at Duncan as if he’d had enough of the conversation already. “You know what to do. Maybe you’re not ready right now, but you’ll get there. Kayla is a great girl. I respect her. She’s the only woman who has the balls to tell me like it is. She’s fair and has a good head on her shoulders. So no, I’m not afraid of you two falling apart and me being caught in the middle.”

  “Okay, I’m going back to the dojo. See you later?”

  “Hmm, yeah, later.”

  Duncan walked out of Donovan’s office and saw Mike sitting on Kayla’s desk. He knew Donovan loved his employee like a brother, but right now, Duncan couldn’t care less. He strode toward the rough-looking, dark-haired personal bodyguard and narrowed his eyes at him.

  “Aren’t you supposed to babysit some prima donna somewhere?”

  Kayla and Mike stopped their conversation, and for the second time that day, Kayla narrowed her eyes at him, and her partner in conversation chuckled at his intrusion. What was wrong with these guys from Mills Security?

  None of them, including his brother, were sending out the vibe that they wanted something more from Kayla. Were they blind? Or stupid? Perhaps both? If he would work side by side with Kayla each day, he sure as hell wouldn’t let another man come close to her. He would mark his territory, stupid as it may sound. He just couldn’t help himself.

  But Mike simply chuckled and stood from Kayla’s desk, greeting Duncan. “Hey, Duncan. How’s it going at the dojo? Want to spar tonight, or maybe tomorrow at eight?”

  The twinkling in Mike’s brown eyes said that he knew what Duncan was doing. By downplaying his job at Mills Security and asking him why he was there, Duncan had sent the message to Mike that he would take him on for Kayla. Mike being Mike, he was enjoying Duncan’s alpha attitude and clearly not bothered by it.

  “No, I can’t. I have to give a class tonight, and I’m taking Kayla out to dinner tomorrow.”

  “Excuse me? No you’re not.” Kayla bristled while throwing the loose strands of long blonde hair that hung over her breast back over her shoulder with a brisk flick of the wrist.

  “I’m going to see if Don needs my help. See you later, Kayla. Good luck, Duncan.” Mike winked before walking into Donovan’s office and closing the door behind him.

  “Why not?”

  “Duncan... we can’t go out toget—”

  “Sure we can. I’m picking you up at seven.”

  Kayla rose from her chair, walked out from behind her desk, and stood before him with her hands gripping her narrow hips. His eyes trailed over her curves, but when she cleared her throat, he looked up into her eyes.

  “I’m already going out tomorrow. I can’t.”

  He flinched but wasn’t discouraged, as she hadn’t told him no. He took a step closer to her and held her eyes as he said, “Call it off. Go out with me.”

  “I... I can’t. I’m going out with friends for a birthday celebration.”

  He knew then that she wanted him too. She wasn’t going on a date with another guy but with friends. And when he gazed into her eyes, he knew that she had wanted to accept his invitation.

  “Okay, wildflower. Thursday.”

  Kayla nodded but never broke eye contact. He took another step toward her, but just as he was about to take her hand, the phone rang on her desk and she quickly turned toward the offending machine.

  Kayla cleared her throat, and before she picked up her phone, she smiled at Duncan and softly said, “Thursday.”

  In the last few weeks, Kayla had been busy working at Mills Security as Donovan Mills’s assistant, and she was happy to feel so productive again. Donovan and the other guys were really nice to work for, and her previous job experiences in the advertising world helped her in assisting them wherever she could.

  Kayla had recovered for a month in her new apartment without any familiar faces around, and it had begun to feel pretty lonesome, but she didn’t feel sorry for herself. She knew moving across the country was necessary, and landing this job ensured her stay here in Austin so she could stay safe.

  It was Wednesday morning, in her third week of employment. Kayla was up at 7:30 a.m. to make sure she arrived on time at work. The traffic in Austin was a nightmare, so she had to leave early.

  When she did a brief check in the full-length hallway mirror on her way to the front door, her reflection was of a confident-looking twenty-nine-year-old woman who held her head up high. The bruises on her face were gone, so she could opt for a natural look, and she only used some mascara and lip gloss.

  Kayla wore her favorite black suit, combined with a pink blouse and her black pumps. She grabbed her purse from the hallway table and looked out of the peephole of her front door. She didn’t notice any unfamiliar sounds in the hallway other than the hustle and bustle of her neighbors preparing to start their day. The coast looked clear, as she expected it to be, but she couldn’t let her guard down. There was too much at stake.

  Now that she’d felt like she had room to breathe, the flashbacks were coming at her in full force. Every night she lay awake and she would not only be scared for her life, but for the lives of others as well. But because she was so frozen with fright, she could only hope that history wouldn’t repeat itself. In the contact with her family, she never heard anything alarming, as she reassured herself each night.

  After unlocking the door and stepping into the hallway, she swiftly locked her door again and turned toward the stairway when she was confident nobody was there. When Kayla reached the ground floor, she decided she needed a coffee to go. Coming through the doors of Danny’s Diner, she was greeted by a familiar voice. “Good heavens, dear Kayla, you look beautiful.” Her neighbor Miss Jackson was such a sweet woman and was always ready to give Kayla a compliment.

  “Thank you, Miss Jackson. You’re so kind.”

  Miss Jackson was having none of that. “I’m only stating the obvious, dear, and could you please start calling me Maureen, for heaven’s sake? You’re making me feel as if I’m eighty years old with your ‘Miss Jackson,’ and I am sure not a day over seventy-six.”

  Kayla smiled and instantly used her first name in congratulations. “Happy birthday, Maureen. I’m so glad you asked me to join you and Caitlin tonight for a celebration.”

  Maureen clapped her hands, looking rather pleased with herself. “I know the right place for us girls, and while we’re there, I can introduce you to a friend of mine and Cait’s.” Kayla raised an eyebrow at that little bit of information, and of course, Maureen didn’t miss a beat. “No, no matchmaking, Kayla. I promise you, this man is not for you.” Maureen laughed at her own statement.

  Kayla released the breath she was holding. “Well, if you’re not setting me up on a blind date, I’ll gladly join you tonight. Do we meet each other here at Danny’s?”

  Maureen nodded. “Yes, and we’ll leave at six thirty, so be there or be square.” That old phrase had Kayla smiling from ear to ear. “Okay, dear. See you later, alligator.”

  Kayla chipped in with “After a while, crocodile,” and now it was Maureen who laughed wholeheartedly.

  When Kayla arrived at work forty-five minutes later and dropped her purse in the same bottom drawer as Jenna did a few weeks ago, she noticed Donovan already sitting behind his desk. She was almost half an hour early; she was sure of it.

  “Oh, good, you’re here already,” Donovan sa
id.

  “Good morning, Donovan. I can’t beat you in coming in first, can I?” Kayla chuckled.

  Donovan had closed the distance between them and was now leaning one butt cheek on Kayla’s desk. He seemed relaxed, and she hoped to see this side of him more often.

  “Good morning, Kayla. I’m here almost every day at 8:00 a.m., right after my run, but you don’t have to start this early. Starting your day at 9:00 a.m. is perfect.”

  Kayla nodded and looked around the office building. She was positioned with the reception desk in front of Donovan’s office, and she had a great view of the comings and goings of the rest of the floor via the two elevators. She spied the three other doors with the blue-gray Mills Security logo, but the doors were closed, so she couldn’t see if her other colleagues were already in.

  Kayla felt pretty welcomed by Donovan, and not once since she had started had his eyes lingered on her or had he made a pass at her. He treated her as her brothers always did, and it made her feel at home. Home. Oh, how she missed home.

  “Everything all right, Kayla?” Donovan studied her with concern.

  Kayla forced a smile. “I’m sorry, yes, everything is perfect. I just wanted to thank you again for making me feel at home.”

  He looked surprised by her statement, but it was the truth. Mills Security felt like home already. Kayla was used to speaking her mind, and she was glad one terrible experience hadn’t taken that from her. She’d lost too much already, and she was determined to not let it change her personality.

  Kayla had been introduced on her first workday to the three other employees of Mills Security—Jacob, Mike, and Jordan. The guys were friendly and took their time explaining what their duties entailed. When she made it clear to them that she was here to stay and was not to be compared to the previous assistant or the women Donovan entertained in his office, she knew she had earned their respect.