Page 64 of Ireland

“Might also have a lemon cheese layer cake sitting around, too,” Penny added, giving Eva a wink.

Eva returned a grateful smile. She personally leaned more toward chocolate, but having a slice of her mother’s favorite childhood dessert had become an annual birthday tradition she cherished. It was a detail about her mother she hadn’t known before. So many things she hadn’t known because her mother had reinvented herself with every successive husband.

Katherine grabbed her hand. “Catch me up on everything. How is Richard? And Eva and Gideon? How is their adorable dog?”

“Richard is… well, he’s Richard. He should retire but says he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. Gideon and Eva work nearly as much. I tell them to live a little or give me a grandchildto spoil, but…” She shrugged helplessly. “I guess they’re happy with Lucky.”

“You? A grandmother?” Katherine’s smile wavered, and shadows entered her blue eyes. “I don’t know how you aren’t crazed with worry over Eva, let alone wanting to bring a baby into this dangerous world. A dog can guard you, at least. They should just get another one and save themselves a lifetime of worry.”

Katherine’s unwittingly accurate assessment of the situation was a painful surprise.

Eva’s hand went to her tummy before she thought about it. She dropped it back into her lap. “It’s difficult when a woman feels the urgency of her biological clock. Eva’s thirty-six now, and fertility declines after thirty-five.”

“Well, maybe the decision’s been made for her, then. I hope I never feel that urge. I don’t think I will. I’m happy living here, far from all the evil and crime. Thanks to you. And Richard, too!”

Catching up both of her aunt’s hands, Eva gave them an affectionate squeeze. “I’m so happy to hear that you’re happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

Katherine’s grin was childishly joyful.

Eva chose to focus on celebrating the day. When she was with her aunt, her mother felt so beguilingly near. It was bittersweet, the balance between what she had and what she ached for, but she was grateful nonetheless.

“You look like hell.”

Ronan glanced up from the article he was reading at the dining table and shot an arch glance over the top of his glasses as Jules sauntered into the living room.

“Bon matinto you, too,” he growled, rubbing a kink in his neck. His mood was foul and made worse by theenviehe had for chicory coffee that could not be satisfied, just as his hunger for a stubborn, unreasonable tigress was also not being appeased. Yet another sleepless night did nothing to sweeten his temper.

“Did you sleep on the couch?” Jules stared at the pillow and blanket tossed haphazardly on the flattened sofa cushions. He was dressed in a sleekly tailored suit the color of turmeric. While the color was striking—Jules preferred it when everyone noticed him entering a room—it was saved from being overwhelming by classic lines and quietly luxurious accessories.

“I didn’t sleep at all,” Ronan shot back. “And I’m damned tired, so don’t test me today.”

His brother’s laughter conveyed biting amusement. “I never thought to see the day a woman tiedyouinto knots. When Scarlett couldn’t do it, I figured it couldn’t be done.”

“Ah, but Ireland Vidal’s millennialjoie de vivreis captivating for a GenX old man like ourbeau-frère,non?”

Claudette entered the room, not looking the least bit guilty for eavesdropping. Unlike Jules, her style was so understated as to be almost severe—wide-legged slacks in navy paired with a champagne silk shell with a bow at the throat. She wore her dark hair in thick, loose curls over one shoulder, and pearls hung from her ears.

Both of his half-siblings were now so far removed from the neglected, malnourished children they’d once been. They were now thriving, which helped dispel the lingering nightmare of what had happened. Ronan was profoundly grateful that they’d beaten the odds and had been placed together with a foster couple who genuinely cared for their wellbeing when he’d been unable to see to it himself.

“I’m not old,” Ronan groused, his mood darkening further. He tried not to dwell on Ireland’s youth. The woman could decide for herself which men she dated. There were many reasons he was unsuitable for her that ranked higher than his age.

“Let him have fun, Jules,” Claudette went on. “A last hurrah.”

“What’s fun about cold showers and sleeping on the couch?” Jules challenged. “Care to explain it to us,beau-frère?”

“We arenottalking about this, Jules.” Ronan returned his attention to his tablet, silently damning the spirits for putting Ireland in his path. She was a curse; he knew that now. A bane. A damnedtrevail.

Her visit had left him with a bed that smelled so erotically of her perfume and sex he couldn’t sleep in it. He’d never smelled anything as delicious as her. The need to bury his mouthbetween her long sleek legs and tongue her sweet pussy was so strong it was a torment. He wanted his hands and mouth on every inch of her silky skin. He wanted to take her body in every filthy way possible. He wanted to wallow in a bed with her for days, gluttonously feasting on her tempestuous passion until he’d had his fill and craved no more.

Jules snapped his fingers in front of Ronan’s face. “Earth to Ronan. Come in, Ronan.”

Embarrassed to be caught daydreaming, he pulled his glasses off and tossed them on the table. “Shut up,couillion!I have a lot on my plate at the moment.”

“Which usually makes you cool and precise, not hotheaded and grumpy.” Jules pulled out the chair next to him and grabbed a mug from the coffee service Ronan had ordered after abandoning sleep. “We’re meeting with Elizabeth Vidal at nine.”

Ronan sat back. “We should’ve had her commitment long before the meeting yesterday. We’ve shown our hand before the showdown.”

“The loan defaulted at 12:01 a.m. yesterday,” Claudette reminded, joining them at the table and waving off the steaming mug Jules attempted to slide her way. “Owning Elizabeth’s shares will expedite things, but we’ve got the company by the throat either way. Elizabeth can string us along all she likes, but from now on, we have no incentive to offer her more and should consider offering less.”

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