Page 17 of Irish

“It wasn’t first sight. Hell, I’ve known that girl her entire life. The thing is, I don’t know what she and Kylie talked about but after we left the clubhouse on Sunday, she closed off. I am not imagining the chemistry between us, but…something changed.”

“What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know and it’s fucking maddening. If I wasn’t being careful not to scare her off, I’d order her to tell me or go over my knee for a spanking. I don’t like having to pull things out of people.”

Lucky’s laugh filled the line. “So, you think she’s a Little?”

“I do. I called her a good girl and she all but melted.”

“Then you know to tread carefully.”

“Yeah. Fuck. I’m not even worried about being a rebound. She didn’t love her fiancé.”

“Then why was she marrying him?”

“A warped sense of responsibility to her family,” Irish said. “I get it. It’s the reason I married Darian.”

“Luckily Makenzie is smarter and backed out before she wound up divorced like the two of us.”

“Right. If you don’t need anything else, I’m going to get back to making this grilled cheese before I burn it.”

“Grilled cheese, huh? May the odds be with you, young Jedi.”

Irish shook his head at Lucky’s mixed-up quotes, hung up the phone and went back to making the best damn grilled cheese he’d ever cooked. It had to be perfect for what was next.

Irish returned from the kitchen, balancing a tray with strawberry milkshakes adorned with whipped cream and a cherry, alongside two plates of grilled cheese sandwiches oozing with extra cheese, the crust neatly cut off, accompanied by apple slices and green beans. He placed the tray of food on the side table besides where Makenzie was reading through the files. Seizing the opportunity, he swiped some whipped cream off oneof the milkshakes and, before he could second-guess himself, he held it out to her.

“I promise, it's better than it looks,” Irish said with a wink. She hesitated for a second before leaning forward and tentatively tasting the cream off his finger. The room seemed to come to a standstill as their eyes met; the air between them crackling with an electric charge.

“It’s delicious,” she said, putting the file down and leaning back into the couch.

He took a seat beside Makenzie, their knees brushing against each other. He couldn't help but notice the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the food, her enthusiasm contagious.

"This should make for a nice dinner," he said with a smile, handing her the milkshake.

Makenzie's eyes sparkled with delight as she took the milkshake. “Thank you. You are definitely spoiling me!”

He chuckled softly. “You have no idea what spoiling means if you think a milkshake and a grilled cheese sandwich is spoiling. But it would be my pleasure to show you.”

As she took a sip of the milkshake, he watched her closely, noting the way her lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“Would you like a bite of grilled cheese?” he offered, holding out a sandwich toward her.

Makenzie hesitated for a moment before nodding, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. She leaned forward, taking the sandwich from his hand and biting into it.

Irish couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction as he watched her enjoy the food he had prepared. “Good girl,” he praised when she finished the first half of her sandwich.

Makenzie's blush deepened, and she smiled shyly, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she lowered them back to her plate.

As she reached for an apple slice, he noticed her push the green beans to the side, a small frown marrying her features.

“You still hate green beans, don’t you?” he asked. He hedged his bets when he’d thrown the bag of frozen green beans in the microwave to steam, remembering how much she’d hated them as a child.

She nodded, her expression sheepish. “You know that I've never been a fan. Remember how I would give you mine under the table when you came over for dinner and you’d eat them for me, so I could have dessert?”

“I remember.” He reached for the plate, scooping up a few green beans onto her fork and held them out toward her. “Come on, sweet girl, just a few bites of your vegetables. For me?”

Makenzie hesitated for a moment. She shook her head at him, and he bit back a chuckle, watching the emotions dance across her face.

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