Page 15 of Ciaran

I glance around but can’t see anyone, so I wander a little farther inside and peer into what looks like a lounge area with a fully stocked bar at the far end. A few guests are sipping their coffees and reading newspapers, but Ciaran isn’t here.

“Hey, you made it.”

I spin around to find Ciaran standing in front of me, dressed for work, and my breath catches. I may have sworn off men, but I’d have to be blind not to appreciate how gorgeous he looks in his uniform. The cut of the shirt shows off his flat, hard chest, and the short sleeves allow a brief peek of a tattoo covering his upper arm and biceps.

“Am I dressed okay?” I blurt, conscious that I’ve been staring.

He grins. “You look great. Tanya will order a uniform for you, but that’ll take a couple of days to get here. She’ll go through the paperwork with you, too. Come on, let’s get you a coffee, and you can meet, or rather re-meet Declan. Tanya will be here in about fifteen minutes. She’s running a little late.” He pokes his head inside the lounge and calls to a smartly dressed girl tending to a customer. “Isa, can you keep an eye on reception for a few minutes?”

“Sure thing, Ciaran,” she replies.

He spins on his heel and heads down the hallway. Then after punching a keypad next to a door marked as private, he flicks on a light to illuminate a staircase.

“Watch your step,” he says, and for a second, I think he’s going to take my hand. Half of me wants him to, and the other half fears what his touch will do. In the end, I needn’t have worried, because he goes first.

At the bottom of the stairs, the room opens out into a gigantic living space. Declan gets up from the couch and crosses the room to greet me. As I watch him stroll toward me, my nerves recede. I do recognize him, although his face is much more angular, and he’s filled out…a lot. Still, the sense of familiarity slows my racing heartbeat.

He thrusts out his hand. “Millie, welcome. I’m really glad you’re joining the team.”

“Thank you for the opportunity.” I shake his hand, glad that I wiped mine a little earlier on a tissue.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being rude, but I have to disappear for a while. Ciaran will introduce you to Tanya. She’ll look after you. I’ll be around later to see how you’re getting on.”

“Where you off to?” Ciaran asks.

“A meeting with my accountant.” Declan slips his wallet into the inside pocket of his jacket and picks up a thin, cream folder secured with a black band. “I’ll see you tonight,” he says to Ciaran, then turns to me with a friendly smile. “I should be back around one. Good luck. Not that you’ll need it.”

He disappears through a door that leads to the rear of the property rather than heading back upstairs.

Ciaran strolls into the kitchen and lifts a pot of coffee from the hot plate. “Cream and sugar?”

“Neither, thank you.”

I glance around. I have good vibes about this place. It’s warm, welcoming, and reminds me of how I felt growing up. Maybe now I have a job I can pluck up the courage to contact Mom and Dad. I won’t risk going to their place—not yet at least. Not until I’m sure Tanner has given up on the idea of us. But maybe we can meet somewhere else, like the library or the Met.

“You look pensive.”

I blink. Ciaran is standing in front of me holding a steaming cup of coffee. I take it from him, sniffing appreciatively. “Thank you. I was miles away. First day nerves, I guess.”

He points to the couch. “Take a seat.”

I sip the coffee then set the cup on the table and, folding my dress beneath me, sit down. “Do you invite all new recruits into your home?”

“You’re the first.”

Fiddling with the strap on my purse, I say, “Oh.”

“Millie?”

My eyes dart to him, then away. “What?”

“There’s no need to be nervous. You’ll do this job standing on your head.”

I blink again. I can’t remember the last time anyone showed any confidence in me. Tanner preferred to chip away at my self-esteem with his constant criticism and harsh words. He destroyed things rather than rebuilding them. Ciaran’s endorsement has the opposite effect.

I can do this. I will do this.

“I don’t want to let you down. Nor Declan.”

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