Page 22 of Tender Temptation

“Oh yeah? Well, I feel the same way.” Cillian’s hazel eyes sparkle. “And since you’re moving to California in a fewweeks, why waste any time? Let’s soak up every minute we can.”

A thread of dread weaves through my excitement. Does he see me leaving for grad school as an end date for us?Ugh.

“Yeah. Let’s make the most of every moment.” I smile at him, hoping to savor the present, even if my heart yearns for a future I’m uncertain how to secure.

“I have a question.” Cillian pauses as we merge onto the freeway. “Why Stanford, anyway?”

His tone is genuinely curious, but do I detect an undercurrent of something else?

“My dad’s choice because of the caliber of the business school,” I admit. “As I mentioned, he likes to control most of my life. Well, at least since my brother…”

Cillian squeezes my knee. “Tell me. I’m an excellent listener.”

“Well, Forrest—he was supposed to take over the family business,” I sigh, the anguish of his death ever-present and heavy on my chest. “When he passed away, it changed everything. My parents became more protective.Overprotective, really. It’s only recently started to wear on me, but I don’t want them to worry. I’m all they have left.”

“We have lots in common. The challenge of living up to family expectations because of a tragedy.” Cillian nods.

“Really? You too?” My heart swells at the thought of him truly understanding what I’m going through. “I guess the reason I’m excited to go to Stanford is to get away from the constant scrutiny. My dad is powerful. He’s used to everyone around him bending to his will, and I’m no exception. He doesn’t see me as an adult, able to take care of myself and make decisions. He likes to control who I spend time with. With them being away all summer, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to seize my moment. Expand my horizons. And, there you were.”

“Seize your moment, huh? Are you telling me I’m a convenient excuse to rebel against your dad?” he teases gently, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

I shake my head. “You have no idea.”

“It sounds like you’re carrying a lot on your shoulders. At your age, you shouldn’t let anyone control you, Ivy. Even your father.” Cillian’s eyes narrow with concern.

I tense up. How do I navigate this? “Yeah…I get what you’re saying. In his defense, my dad’s been through a lot and he wants to protect his little girl.”

“Still…” He catches my eye. “You’re twenty-four. A grown woman with your own needs and desires.”

This is getting sticky. I should confess. It would clear things up.

It would also endthings.

I’m not willing to risk it. “I know, but trust me. I have my reasons. All I was saying is, with them out of town, I have more flexibility outside of his watchful—and judgmental—eye.”

“Look. I’m sorry.” He moves his hand closer to the cleft between my legs and grins. “Whatever your reasons, I’m glad it led you to me. If you hadn’t figured it out, I’m fishing a little bit. Is this a summer fling for you? I’m already missing you and you haven’t left yet. I was secretly wondering if you’d be open to attend a business school closer to home.”

My heart bursts with joy. I read this conversation all wrong.

“I guess it depends.” I massage the top of his hand with my thumb. “He probably won’t be a fan of me dating anyone during grad school, since he’s covering the cost.”

Cillian returns both hands to the steering wheel. After a moment, he looks over at me. “Well, he definitely won’t be a fan of you dating someone eight years older than you. Right?”

I don’t need to answer him. We fall into another silence, this one not quite as comfortable, considering the air is filled with unasked questions and the echo of my half truths.

A few minutes later, Cillian shifts the topic to his own family. “Connor, my oldest brother is the bassist for Less Than Zero, the rock band. When I was in my early teens, my da wanted him to quit high school and to help him run McGloughlin Construction. Then, Da had a terrible accident, got addicted to pain meds and Connor didn’t have a choice.He saved our family, really. Sacrificed his own dreams for nearly a decade to keep the company afloat and become the breadwinner to get me and my brothers through high school.”

“Wow. He was under lot of pressure.” I’m astounded. Not only at the parallels in our lives, but holy shit. His brother is really, really famous.

“He was,” he agrees. “Connor hated construction and everything about the business, but felt bound by duty. On the other hand, from an early age, I knew it’s what I wanted to do so I relentlessly weaseled my way in. At first, he’d only let me help out on the weekends, but once I turned seventeen, he realized I was serious. By this point, LTZ was starting to get well-known and he started to teach me how to run the business.”

“Wait, you were that involved in your family business before you were eighteen?” I’m blown away. More things we have in common.

“Yes and no. I think I mentioned, I took over completely at twenty-five—because Connor insisted I go to college first. I lived at home while I was at UW and worked in the business until I graduated with a degree in Construction Management. His ex-girlfriend, who’s now married to a woman named Becca, took over when Connor left on tour. I worked with her until she moved to the KitsapPeninsula.”

Connor’s so open. Engaging. Honest. I’m fascinated by his life. “It sounds like your brother is pretty special.”

“You’re spot on. He sacrificed his own happiness for years to put all of us through school. I’m not sure any of us appreciated it at the time because Da was such a distraction, but we all respect the shit out of him. He inspired us and the rest of my brothers found their own paths early on too. Liam and Padraig are also musicians, they’re in a band called Fireball. Brennan founded an AI company during his freshman year of college. The baby, Seamus, completed early start in high school and is finishing up his surgical residency.”

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