Her Irish Boss: O'Keeley's Irish Pub: Book One

by Palmer Jones

  Selena waved her hand, hoping Cathal would drop it as she tried to ignore the way Brogan's hand skimmed along her waist to set at her hip. “Katie has my car. If she comes and gets me then I can drop her back off and won't have to worry about swapping cars tomorrow.”

  Cathal scoffed. “Yes. And if she's as irresponsible as she was the other night, she already needs a ride home herself.”

  “Katie doesn't go out every night. She's just trying to work through a break-up at the moment. She can come and get me.”

  Brogan's heat disappeared, and he moved to the door of his apartment and opened it. “I said I'd drive her home.” His face had ‘just go away’ written across it, but his brothers still didn't get the point.

  Rian stared at Brogan with an incredulous look. “Certainly, you trust us to get her home.”

  “We're your own flesh and blood, Brog,” Cathal added.

  Damn it. Brogan would have to deal with the consequence of it. Selena crossed her arms. “I'm staying. Here.” She looked back at Cathal. “With Brogan. And both of you are making it awkward as hell right now so drop it and leave.”

  They both grinned. “No. I just won twenty dollars, though,” Rian said. “I bet who would cave first. Cathal always goes with Brogan.”

  Brogan muttered something that both the men found amusing.

  Selena's mouth dropped open. “You knew? And you bet?” She aimed an annoyed look Rian's direction. “And I don't know how I feel about you thinking I'd cave first.”

  He smiled wider and pulled her into a big hug. “I just know our brother.” He turned and left, Cathal trailing right behind him.

  Brogan shut the door harder than necessary, locking it. “Sorry. I tried to raise them better.”

  “It doesn't bother me in the least. I was trying to be discreet for you. Not me.” She walked back to the kitchen and poured another glass of wine. Good God, the way he watched her about made her come unglued. She hated feeling like she wanted to flag Cathal and Rian down and take them up on their offer.

  She held up the bottle of wine. “Do you want any?”

  “No.” His eyes held hers.

  She set the bottle on the counter and picked up her glass. He shouldn't make her nervous. “You're lucky to have brothers that love you that much.”

  “I suppose.” He walked to the sofa and sat down like this was an everyday occurrence for him. He was in command of everything in his life. He expected her to follow him, just like at her apartment.

  She was the only one that was on the verge of going crazy!

  Things needed to change. She couldn't spend the night wondering what he was thinking. Waiting on him to make a move. Hoping she didn't move too fast. He probably had the entire night planned out. Selena couldn't say for certain how far she planned to go with him. Sleeping with Brogan was at the top of her list, but not at the risk that he'd squash on her heart come Monday morning when he treated her like a generic employee again.

  She didn't want special treatment besides a smile and kiss ‘hello’ in the morning. After taking a sip of her wine, she left the glass in the kitchen. She wanted to be in control, too. Of herself. Of the situation.

  “I take it there's supposed to be a big storm coming?” She walked to the sofa. A perfectly lovely sofa cushion sat empty beside Brogan.

  She sat in his lap.

  He blinked and then recovered, his hand holding her thigh, so she didn't fall on the floor. “Yes. There is. I assume this means you decided to stay? All night?”

  She kissed him hard on the mouth. “What gave you that idea?”

  “Just so we're clear—”

  Selena pressed a finger over his lips. “Be quiet. I'm a big girl. You won't pressure me into anything I don't want to do. I don't want to talk about it again.”

  “You're bossy.”

  “You are, too.”

  He trailed his fingertips up and down her leg. She was about to be a puddle of goop if he did that much longer. Brogan's hands anywhere turned her to mush.

  She leaned closer, nipping once at his bottom lip before sinking slow and deep into the kiss she'd wanted all night.

  A loud knock at the door broke them apart. His head fell back before he shifted her to the side and stood up.

  “I left my cell phone,” Cathal called. “I swear if you're already naked, I'll be so damn proud—”

  Brogan yanked open the door. “Do you mind? I have neighbors.”

  Cathal brushed past him. “Sorry, love,” he said to Selena who still sat on the sofa. “I forgot my phone.” He picked it up off the counter and waved to Brogan. “Carry on.”

  Brogan slammed the door harder that time, muttered, again, and then stalked back to the living room.

  Selena rose. He'd expect to start back where they left off.

  She met him in the middle of the floor. Brogan needed a little chaos in his life. And right then, riding high on the happiness of feeling part of a happy family for once in her life, she was the one to give it to him.

  “We could—” He didn't finish his sentence as her lips found his. If the kiss on the couch had been rated by intensity, she'd have given it a three. This was a six. She rose up on her toes, trying to get closer. She'd promised she'd stay the night. Yet his hands stayed PG. Hers had already slipped under his shirt. The brief experience of his skin when he'd stayed at her apartment had left a lasting impression.

  Now, she wanted to memorize every inch of his amazing chest. Hard chiseled muscles. The one she felt every day smoothing down his tie.

  Another knock at the door made her moan in frustration this time.

  “That jammy bastard had better be glad I don't—” He opened the door, and Cathal stood there with a dopey grin on his face.

  “Sorry. Left the lamb.” He moved into the apartment, sent Selena a wink, and then turned to leave. “Carry on.”

  “I'm not answering this door again,” Brogan growled.

  “I didn't expect you to answer the first two times.”

  Brogan closed the door and locked every lock imaginable.

  Some more of Cathal's magic she assumed, pushing Brogan's buttons.

  He started to pull her back to him. But she had a different plan. Keep him off-kilter. Not in control. She was in charge.

  She stepped back, just out of his reach. “Where's your bedroom?”

  His brows drew down sharply. Nothing but sweet, polite concern in his expression. Because that was what she wanted to see.

  “Selena....”

  She rolled her eyes and pulled her t-shirt over her head, tossing it to the far chair. The bra was plain, same as before, but judging by his sharp intake of breath and the way his eyes locked with hers, it didn't matter.

  “I'll find it myself.”

  After a few more phrases she didn't understand, he took long, confident steps and yanked her to his body. His mouth crashed into hers, smothering her squeal of excitement. His mouth ravaged hers, the same way he'd done before. Primal. When he lost his edge of control, they both won.

  Her feet left the floor, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  This was happening. He'd finally given her the level ten kiss she wanted.

  Another knock sounded at the door.

  His lips trailed down her throat.

  “Bedroom, Brogan.”

  Never breaking contact, he moved across the living room and away from the front door.

  * * *

  Selena's hands and lips almost made Brogan forget he was nearly forty and should handle the situation with a little more finesse. He'd dreamed about carrying her to his bedroom, laying her down on his bed. And here she was, in nothing more than her plain bra and a pair of blue jeans. Both of which were sexier than lace lingerie when they were on her beautiful body.

  “Please tell me you have a condom,” she muttered against his neck. She'd already stripped him of his shirt before they fell onto the bed together. He'd managed to get off both shoes and one sock without breaking the spell and havi
ng to lean down. There just was no nice way to take off a pair of socks.

  Brogan reached to his nightstand and flipped one out. He'd checked for one himself partway through dinner.

  Selena shifted and unbuttoned her jeans.

  Brogan set his hand over hers, keeping her from going farther. “Wait, I—”

  “Stop second-guessing me, Brogan. Please. I want to do this.” She nodded her head as if to make the point clear.

  The reassurance was helpful to hear, but that wasn't his hesitancy. He rested his forehead to hers, a combination of still being completely aroused and trying not to laugh. It was an odd feeling.

  “I was going to tell you to wait.” He leaned back and pushed her hands away. Slowly, he unzipped her blue jeans. “Because I have done nothing but watch you swish your tail around the bar in these tight jeans, and I'm going to enjoy finally getting the chance to take them off you.”

  “I don't swish,” she said with a fake pout. Her down-turned lips shifted into a sexy grin as Brogan pulled the pants down her thighs. He still had flashbacks of her pulling down her pants far enough to tuck in her shirt in his office that one time.

  And now his hands were on those hips.

  His lips found hers again, and he suddenly wished he had accepted the second glass of wine. Maybe then he wouldn't feel the emotions battering into him like the waves in the Atlantic Ocean as he stripped off the rest of their clothing.

  He kissed along the curve of her neck and down to the swell of her breast. His hands shook, and he was thankful for the darkness. That was the last thing he needed to explain right then. To himself or to Selena.

  The wildflower scent that drove him crazy lingered along her skin. Every inch he discovered, touched, tore away the last barrier he’d built around his heart. The final distrust of her melted away.

  Because Selena was different.

  Her back arched against his chest, her fingers interlaced with his and pinned above her head.

  He squeezed his eyes shut against a surge of protectiveness. The woman gave him more than he could ever return. But he’d protect her. It didn’t matter what happened, what they became, he’d make sure this woman was protected.

  A blur of emotions swirled through Brogan’s system, and he swore their hearts were beating at the same rapid pace as he entered her.

  Her back arched again, their bodies pressing together.

  He held still a brief second, the sudden awareness of how much his life had changed since he left Ireland completely overwhelming him. He never assumed he'd find someone like Selena.

  He never knew someone so perfect for him existed.

  “Brogan,” she mumbled, her hands skimming along his back.

  He wished he could tell her, swear that he’d be there for her, but that was for another time. For now, he’d try to show her.

  16

  The loud crack of thunder caused them to jump from a deep sleep. Selena curled up closer to Brogan, her head nuzzled on his chest, just under his chin.

  He wrapped his arms around her tighter with a flash of lightning and, after a moment, a crash of thunder. “Are you scared?” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, enjoying the memory of their night together.

  Her finger trailed along his stomach, where the sheet rested low. “No. It's nice, though. Not having to listen to it alone. Mimi is probably up.” Her voice didn't hold any trace of sleepiness, although she spoke in whispers with him.

  “Tina has her.” He kissed her hair again and rested his cheek on its softness.

  “I know.” She took a deep breath, her exhale trickling warm air across his chest. “This is the first night in a year I've been away from her.”

  Simultaneously, thunder boomed and lightning struck again. This time, they both jumped and then lightly laughed. “It'll move through soon.” Without the lightning, his room filled with complete darkness. He felt her head angle upward. Her lips pressed against his jaw. It seemed impossible that it would ever get old. Selena. In his arms. In the dark. In his bed.

  He took a guarded breath. Why wasn't the rest of life this comfortable with her?

  Her lips found his. The flash of heat from before was gone, replaced with nothing more than raw emotions. A little painful it hit so deep within him. With every press of his lips and touch of his tongue, he spelled out how much he cared, hoping she knew.

  Last night reaffirmed the same revelation he'd experienced with their first kiss. Something inside him clicked into place. Now, the darkness helped. He didn't have to face the questions in her eyes. Expectations. Responsibility.

  In the dark, it was only their two souls. Calling it love, when they were both so open, seemed trivial.

  What pulled them closer together was something deeper than he knew the words to describe. So he didn't try. He'd give what he had and take what she offered. Cherish this one moment and figure out how to live with or without it in the morning.

  * * *

  Selena scanned through her email on her phone as Brogan drove her back to her apartment to change before work. “I don't think Cathal went to sleep last night. The last few of these emails came in at six this morning. He didn't have to do all this for me.”

  Fifteen emails. All with information about possible ways to afford Mimi's stay at a nursing facility. She'd barely touched on the topic at dinner, both brothers asking how her grandmother was doing. Or granny, as they called her.

  And now, it seems she had a friend willing to help. Focusing on Cathal's emails prevented her from analyzing her night with Brogan. His hand rested on her knee as he drove. What they had between them felt real and significant. He seemed to feel the same way if she read his signals right. Would it last or would he revert back to the aloof man that only acknowledged them behind closed doors?

  She was royally screwed at this point. Love. It might not make sense to anyone else, but she loved her grouchy boss. The tender way he'd held her, loved her, put a hitch in her breath when he turned his brooding gaze her way.

  “What else does he have to do?” Brogan asked.

  She cleared her throat from the emotion. “Does he have another job? He is a lawyer, right?” She'd tried to figure out how to get Mimi into a home, but, everywhere she looked, either said her insurance wouldn't pay for it at this stage, or she had to pay out of pocket. Each time it frustrated her. In a matter of hours, Cathal had a game plan.

  “He works for a firm when they need him. Odds and ends from what he says. You should let him help you with this.”

  She wrinkled her nose and stared out the window as they pulled into her rundown apartment complex. “I hate asking for help.”

  He parked and turned off the car. “Think of it this way.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, pulling her face close and kissing her lightly. “You're helping me with the restaurant, so he can help you with your granny.”

  Exactly how a family treated one another. The emotion from before welled up inside. But she couldn't tell him she loved him. There were too many hurdles between them.

  “I still feel bad he spent his entire night researching this, but I will accept his help. As much as I hate asking for help, there's no denying I haven't been successful on my own.” She pushed open the car door as Tina appeared in the doorway with a frantic look on her face.

  Selena bolted up the steps, taking two at a time. “What's wrong?”

  “She fell. Just now. I called for an ambulance—”

  Selena pushed past her, Brogan right behind her. Mimi laid on the floor beside her bed.

  Selena dropped to her knees beside her, immediately reaching for her head, cradling it in her hands.

  Tina's voice shook when she spoke. “She called for me and then I heard her fall. She won't let me touch her now.” Tina sobbed out something else and left the room.

  “Mimi?”

  Mimi pulled away, crying, looking between Brogan and Selena with wide, scared eyes. It'd happened this way before. She'd snap back into another time when something scared
her. Hurt her.

  “Let me help you up,” Selena tried again, but Mimi lashed out at her with her other hand. The hand she clutched to her chest looked odd, her wrist hanging unusually.

  Selena's stomach rolled. “I think she's broken her wrist.”

  “Aye.” Brogan's hands gripped Selena's shoulders and pulled her up and to the side. Without giving her grandmother an option, Brogan squatted down and picked her up, setting her gently back on the bed even though Mimi got one or two strong slaps in with her good hand across his cheek and forehead.

  Mimi held her wrist and rolled toward the wall, muffled sobs shaking her frail shoulders.

  Brogan brought his arms around Selena, and only then did she feel the tears on her cheeks. Helplessly, she stared at the small form of her grandmother. This was why she needed the facility, with nurses who knew what to do. All she did was guess at what to do for Mimi.

  The paramedics arrived, and Brogan left the cramped bedroom to give them space to work. They took Mimi's vitals and decided she did need to have a doctor look at her wrist. She still wasn't in her right frame of mind and flat out denied even knowing Selena. The paramedics asked Selena to meet them at the hospital in an attempt to keep Mimi calm,

  Again, she was useless.

  Selena watched the ambulance drive out of the apartment complex. She needed a shower. Change of clothes. Then she'd go by and pick Mimi up from the hospital.

  “Have some coffee.” Brogan passed her a mug. “I watched how you made yours this morning.”

  Their morning together seemed so long ago. Brogan’s sweetness eased her heart a little. “Thank you. I'll have to call for another nurse. Tina said she couldn't stay any longer today.”

  “You don't have to come to work.” He leaned against the railing near the stairs that led to the parking lot. The early morning sunlight caused Brogan's eyes to glow a beautiful shade of cobalt blue.

  Last night had changed things. An uncomfortable buzz of emotion swirled in her chest. She didn't think it was regret. Brogan hadn't shied away from her. Hadn't become distant. But he looked just as confused as she felt. Mimi's episode had catapulted them both straight back to reality.