“That’s convenient.” He snags my hand and steers me into the Plaza’s grand lobby.
“Look who finally got a weekend off to party with me.” Cormac puts his arm around a skyscraper of a man with deep auburn, curly hair, cut short at the ears but softaround the eyes. “Trace Quinlan.”
My heart stops.Thisis Trace Quinlan? The last I saw of him he came up to my boobs. Now my boobs... Will fit so nicely in those brawny hands.
“Shea-Lynne O’Rourke,” he purrs to me in a deep Irish brogue with its noticeable Waterford lilt that I’ve not heard in a long time.
My brothers speak with an Americanized accent, the older ones who came to the States as ruffian brats. Balor, as well as Cormac, Darragh, and I don’t have much of an accent anymore. Living so far away from everyone, my accent is nearly gone.
It slips out once in a while when I’m around my brothers, hearing them speak phonetically alters my own speech. Otherwise, I sound as American as apple pie. It also keeps me safe and out of any crosshairs from someone who might want to hurt my family.
If I don’t sound like them, no one thinks I’m one of them.
But Iaman O’Rourke, in my own unique way. And I don’t hesitate to emphasize my connection to my powerful Irish Mob family when it’s necessary.
“Trace Quinlan.” I reach out to shake his hand. “It’s been a while.”
“Eighteen years.” His strong, warm palms swallow mine.
He knows the exact number of years? Does he know the months, days, and hours, too?
The last time I saw him, I was sixteen and he was twelve. How much of an impact could I have made on a wildling boy who lived down the road from my grandparents’ farm in rural Waterford?
“All taken care of,” Larke says, returning and stops in her tracks. “Holy shit.” She blinks, her openly-admiring gaze moving from Cormac to Trace.
Just another day for me. Beautiful men who are eitherrelated to me or...
Trace Quinlan isn’t related to me. He would have been by marriage, had Kieran married Trace’s cousin, Norah, who sadly passed away.
Frig my life, the most gorgeous man I’ve seen in a long time would be off-limits. He’s my brother’s friend.
Oh, and I have Archer.
“Well, since the wedding is officially called off, you’re free to do what you want,” I tell Larke, so she doesn’t think she has to hang out with me because I’m her boss. “We have our flight home tomorrow morning. It’s Vegas. Have fun.”
“I’m having fun right now.” She smiles at my brotherandTrace.
A flame of jealousy flares in my chest. I squeeze my thighs, taking in that mirage of beauty that can’t be real.
I remind myself that I’ve waited a long time for Archer.
But Archer isn’t here...
My angel and demon start a battle in my conscience.Being unfaithful is not my style. I keep my word. Even if staying loyal to a man who’s strung me along for five years is wearing thin.
Maybe shoving in his face that I have options would be the motivation for him to get his ass in gear and divorce his wife already.
Larke’s phone rings. “Shoot, I have to take this. Yeah, mom?”
She wanders off, and Cormac’s eyes follow her.
I bring my face in line with my flirty brother. “No.”
“You’re no fun.”
“I heartedly disagree with that,” Trace drawls out in a velvety smooth lilt.
“You were twelve when I saw you last.” I face him again and my legs go weak.