Page 12 of Desired

“And how do you suggest I broach the subject, dickwad? Ask her to introduce me to the motherfucker?! We just met! It doesn’t work that way, asshole!”

“I’m not saying that you should suggest marriage, stupid.” He’s irritated now. “But it isn’t against the rules to ask about her family. Everyone on the planet knows that you’re so close to yours that you can smell us in every fucking room. And, besides, how do you know that she’ll be pissed, anyway? Anyone with half a business sense sniffs around everybody these days, man. It isn’t unheard of, Declan.”

“Malcolm, she’s a gynecologist. The only sniffing around she does...oh, fuckoff, never mind!”

He starts to laugh. I’m deciding whether I want to be irritated or if what I just said was a little bit funny. His face changes. He’s levelling with me. Malcolm knows when it’s time to fuck around and when it’s time to get down to business. That’s why my da groomed him like us and hired him when he finished university. “Look, Declan. This isn’t the end of the world, man. The way I see it, your da’s always pissed at somebody for something. And he’s more pissed at Maverick right now, not you.”

“But he will be if I go out with her again.” I counter.

“Not if you find out something that’s...noteworthy. Like, say her da’s a dirtbag, and she left Scotland because she didn’t want to help him? Like she wanted him to fry in jail. If that’s the truth, then you know as well as I do that Uncle Dougall would have an army of eyes protecting her, just like he did with Trudy.”

I swallow, thinking over his logic for a moment. “But she doesn’t want to see me again, Malcolm. She made no move towards it at all.”

“So, you make a move, man. Don’t be a pussy. You know you liked her. I know that you didn’t just fuck her to fuck her. That’s not your style. I know it and you know it.” He puts his hand on my forearm. “I won’t say a word about any of this shit, but only if you promise me that you’ll do this.”

I draw in a deep breath. “Look, I’m not promising anything.” I tell him calmly. “But I will reach out to her, if nothing else, to give her her bra and panties back.” I say with a smirk.

“Attaboy.” He nudges me with his elbow.

After the first call from da, that I dodge, I decide that the only way out of this, is to take it head on, and speak to Moira directly. I figure it can go down one of two ways. Either she shows me the door and tells me to get the fuck out, both for violating her privacy, and for violating her after violating her privacy, or she comes clean and tells me the truth, giving me a chance to explain why I did what I did. But since I’ve already lied to her, I’m feeling much trepidation as I walk up to her house.

Knowing full well that she’s going to know that I nosed through her personal information to find out her address, and that I paid the security guard a handsome sum to let me in, I might as well walk in with my tail between my legs. Guests in this building need to be announced, and I clearly failed to do that. As I knock on her door, I already feel defeated. After a beat, she opens the door. The first thing that comes out of my mouth is. “You have to move, lass. The security here is shit.”

Stunned isn’t the word to describe the look on her face. “What...how did you...what?”

I let her off the hook. “I’ve got something to tell you, Moira. And it needed to be done in person. Can I come in?”

Her step inside the apartment is her answer. She’s changed out of the dress that she was wearing earlier. It’s late, but she’s not in pajamas, rather, some sort of a jumpsuit, like she’s been working out. “Sure, Declan. You look like hell.”

I want to tell her that she looks so fucking cute I could take her again, but I don’t. Her jumpsuit is powder pink, and it’s short in the legs, with an attached tank top above. It looks like something that she’d have to remove completely if she needed to relieve herself or do...other things. “I paid your security guard fifty bucks to let me in without calling you first. That’s ass, Moira. Anybody could get in here.”

Her face changes, like she’s now worried about that. “I’ll take that into consideration. I’m on the board of directors here.”

A glance around tells me that she’s living modestly. It’s a small apartment, with one floor and one bedroom, and just a small kitchenette. The fireplace is impressive, though, and the decor is very smart for such a small place. “It’s not much, but the pool is fantastic, and it’s five minutes from work. Also, the view is spectacular at night. I’ve never lived in an apartment before. I love being this high up. It sort of makes me feel...hidden. Like nobody would be able to see me at this height.”

I decide now is as good a time as any. “I know why you’re hiding, Moira.” My tone is apologetic, trite.

Her gaze goes to the floor after a beat, like she was mulling something over in her mind, before reacting. “I admit I’m a bit of a fool here, Declan. Of course you would know. Your family probably doesn’t mix with anyone that they don’t know everything about first.”

“While that’s true, I’m also sorry for violating your privacy, Moira. I wanted to tell you, but I felt like a shit.” I say slowly.

“So, why are you coming to me now, Declan? If you knew...what you know. I’m sure that there’s a price to be paid for that.”

“And you’re wondering if you’re worth it.” I surmise. She swallows, head bobbing up and down in assent. I take a step towards her and lift her chin with my hand. “I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t, lass. But I also came to apologize.” I say. I want to also add ‘and to find out the truth’, but I don’t believe in counting my chickens. If she wants to share, she will, otherwise, I’m being outright daft just coming out and asking her.

“You were just doing your job, Declan. You don’t need to apologize.” She states. “But you’re taking a huge risk coming here, clearly.”

“Why do you say that?”

She walks into her living room and sits down on the couch, effectively inviting me to do the same. “Well, clearly your family knows about us. And if I’m off bounds, then you’re going to take some heat for coming here, if you haven’t already taken heat for bringing me back to your place today.”

“I never said that you’re off bounds.”

She scoffs. “Then you don’t know what you think you know, Declan. Either that or you’re going against your da and your family to come here.”

“Actually, I’m dodging my da’s calls at the moment, but he’ll understand why.”

“Look, Declan, I’m not worth the risk, okay? Not until things settle down.”

---