Page 17 of Ireland

“My thoughts exactly.” While Eva had only attended one of Elizabeth’s glamorous parties before the Vidal marriage collapsed, she’d been impressed by everything about the event. And in the years since, she’d seen Elizabeth work the room at social gatherings and noted her charismatic poise. She didn’t respect her mother-in-law fundamentally but could acknowledge her talents.

“I met someone.”

The blurted-out change in subject raised Eva’s brows. “Oh? Tell me more.”

“He might be perfect.” Ireland’s smile lit up the already light-flooded room. “He plays the trumpet like he was born to it, but—get this—he’s not a professional musician! He’s tremendously talented and so, so sexy onstage, but it’s just a hobby.”

Eva grinned at her delight. “I take it that’s a selling point.”

“For me, it’s a huge one. I can’t help being attracted to musicians. No matter how hot he is, I couldn’t be with a guy who didn’t love music.” Making a face, Ireland continued, “But musicians who want to make a career out of it are a problem for me. They find out who I am—or they already know—and I’m not a woman anymore. I’m just a golden ticket.”

“They’re idiots,” Eva snapped, angry on her behalf. She’d been there when Ireland’s tender heart had been broken the first time. That guy, too, had used her. Stringing her along on the side while blaming Gideon for the secrecy of their relationship—allthe while, he’d been dating other girls. “What you do for a living is the least interesting thing about you.”

Ireland reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thanks. I was beginning to wonder what the fuck is wrong with me that I’m only good for what I can do for someone. Alina thinks I pick the wrong guys, but I think I just attract them. Then, I met Ronan.”

Just saying the man’s name noticeably altered Ireland’s mood from frustrated to hopeful.

“So, what does this perfect guy do for a living?” Eva asked.

“Leveraged buyouts and the occasional hostile takeover. And he’s got to be successful at it because he’s got this swagger to him. He’s an alpha because he’s earned it, you know what I mean?” Ireland smiled. “He also happens to be the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen, and he’s so fucking sexy he raises my body temperature when I’m around him.”

Ireland grabbed her phone off the sofa’s armrest and swiped at the screen. She flipped it around to show a picture of an extraordinarily handsome man sitting at an antique desk with a lithe black cat stretched across the far edge. “That’s Ronan with his cat, Marie Laveau. He’s from Louisiana. His hair’s longer now. A bit longer than Gideon’s and crazy thick. I want to touch it so bad. I swear, I didn’t know a man could check every box on a wish list.”

“He’s certainly a looker,” Eva agreed. The kind of guy who turned heads and short-circuited a woman’s common sense. While Gideon’s face had been carved to perfection by enamored angels, Ronan was all devilish, sultry temptation. The sparkle in his eyes, the natural come-hither curve of his lips. And that hair… “He looks… mature.”

Ireland laughed, and there was such a lightness about her. Her stunningly blue eyes were feverishly bright, and her cheeks flushed pink. Eva had seen that look on her own face before—when she’d first crossed paths with Gideon.

“Older, you mean,” Ireland said. “He’ll turn forty on Christmas. What a birthday, right? But he’s mature in the other sense, too. Eva, you have no idea how wonderful it is that he’s figured himself out, who he is and what he wants. There’s nothing I can do for him, nothing he needs me to do for him. And that feels so amazing.”

Eva kicked off her sandals and tucked her legs, wrapping her arms around them. “The only thing sexier in a man than confidence is a sense of humor.”

“Oh, he makes me laugh!” Ireland’s face took on a dreamy expression. “He’s impossibly charming—suave, really, and it’s effortless for him. He’s a Southern gentleman all the way. He’s got the faintest hint of a drawl when he talks. It’s like music, actually. That’s why I love it so much!” She looked astonished by the realization. “The way he speaks is melodic. I could listen to him all day.”

It was startling to see Ireland finally excited by a romantic interest. Eva wasn’t sure the men in their family were ready for an additional source of testosterone, let alone from a man of Gideon’s age. A man in his early thirties, like Christopher Jr., was still malleable and easier to ruffle. A man of forty was another animal entirely. “How did you two meet?”

“Right place, right time. I was still pissed at Graham and hating anything with a penis. I told Ronan I wasn’t interested, and he wasn’t on the prowl either, so it was just sharing a table in a crowded club at first. I think he was a little wary, and who could blame him? He has to be getting hit on every five minutes.”

Eva’s brows lifted. “You just met himlast night?”

“After work. Then we went to dinner at this amazing Cajun restaurant. I’ll have to take you. Everything was delicious! He’s close friends with the owners, and we stayed with them for hours after closing, just talking and laughing over wine.”

Leaning forward, Eva lowered her voice. “Is he here?”

“God, I wish!” Ireland pouted. “The sexual attraction is off the charts. He’s like catnip to me. I invited him over, but he wants me to know him better first since I told him I have a terrible track record with men.”

“He turned down an offer to hit the sheets with you? Withyou? Are you sure he’s straight?”

Ireland broke into peals of laughter. It took her a minute to catch her breath enough to speak. “You’re good for my ego, sis. But no, he’s definitely into me. I mean, he flat out looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘I want you’ in that smoked whiskey voice of his.”

“Oh boy.” Eva went on alert. Gideon had been as blunt about his lust for her in the early days of their eventual relationship. She knew exactly how devastating it was to be faced with a gorgeous, successful, supremely confident man who was honest about his craving for you. It was a powerful turn-on, and for her, it had caused the first crack in her meticulously built defenses.

Whoever Ronan was, he warranted a closer look because a man like that could either anchor you or set you adrift.

“Can you imagine?” Ireland flushed prettily. “So direct and assertive. Aggressive even. Like swoon, right?”

“I’d like to meet him. Will you be bringing him to the masquerade on Friday?” Preparing her husband for the first-ever occasion of meeting his sister’s boyfriend might take a little finessing. Although the charity event for their Crossroads Foundation should keep Gideon on his best behavior. She hoped.

“Oh… I haven’t even considered asking him. Ronan’s not based here, and it’s too soon to talk about the logistics of seeing each other once he’s finished his business in the city.”

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