Page 49 of Bargain with the Irish Devil

It's easy enough to get a few men to the house to clear it out, they'll be by later today. The paintersare saying they can't come for several days, promising next week. Annoyed, Aoife sends a text when the call ends. I want to ask what she's doing, but I keep my focus on whether I want it painted another solid color or to wallpaper it.

As I'm about to go work on the audit, Aoife's phone rings. It's the painter. The one who said he wouldn’t be able to come until nextweek. He promises he'll be here tomorrow with two men to paint the walls. There are a lot of apologies before he hangs up. Aoife has a smile of satisfaction on her face.

Laughing, I go into Declan'soffice.

I work until my stomach grumbles for food. Stretching, I drop my pen and rub my eyes. Crap, it's late, almost two. I didn't get to work until almost ten, but still.

The sound of men moving in and out of the house gets me out of my chair. Aoife is in the hall directing men out the door.

"Hello, dear. I was wondering if you were ever coming out of there for lunch.Hungry?"

"Yes, please."

"What sounds good?" She asks as she guides me back to the kitchen. I shrug. "I'm starving. A sandwich sounds good."

"We have roast beef and turkey. Which would you prefer?"

"Roast beef, please. Tomato, lettuce, and mayo sound good."

"Coming up. Have a seat, dear. Declan won't be home for some time. He gave us leave to visit a furniture store nearby. Said he was good with the bed being tossed. All he cares about is the next one is as big. Beyond that, it's whatever you want."

I'm relieved.

She has her own snack of yogurt with granola. "Once you're done with lunch, we can go."

I shake my head. "I've got so much to do on the audit."

"Declan was adamant. He wanted it all picked out so it could be delivered the day after tomorrow."

"God, that man. Was he born bossy?" I wonder aloud.

"Definitely born bossy. His father had it that he would take over for him and raised him that way. It's no small wonder Declan was the one to turn things around. Killian, his father, never went easy on him. He got the kindness from his mam. But even I was shocked when, after his mam died, Killian sent him to Ireland. If it weren't for his gran, he wouldn't have had another soul to love him."

"That's awful. It's like he lost not just his mother but his father at the same time." Those months after my mother died, the only good thing was growing closer to my father. I wouldn't have made it through it if he sent me away.

"Yes, the idiot never saw it that way. All he cared about was his pain, never mind his son's. I heard Declan cried himself to sleep at night for weeks after he got there. Until someone told him they heard him crying. He never cried after that. Or if he did, he did it, so no soul heard him." She shakes her head sadly.

My chest aches for Declan as a child. How he was the same age as Peter when our mother died. Peter had me and my dad. We might have made mistakes in giving him too much, but I think having nothing was worse.

The furniture store is huge.It's as big as a football field with five floors. There are different rooms in a house on each floor. We spend hours shopping. I try to go with things that aren't too expensive because the prices are insane. Colm, who drove us and is stalking my every move, laughs when I say things are too much.

Somehow, I lose Aoife. Only for her to appear with her phone at her ear. I'm surprised when she hands it to me.

"Miranda, love, Aoife tells me you're having a hard time spending my money. Why is that?" Declan's smoky voice slides down my neck.

"It's just so much." I cringe as I turn my back on the tattle tale Aoife.

He chuckles. "Miranda, you know that investment account you're so proud of?"

I'm frowning because who wouldn't be proud of an investment account with a balance of almost a million dollars?

"My smallest account is three times what your largest is. I have more than five. Spend my money, or I'll be forced to go down there myself. You won't like the spanking I give you if I have to go down there." It's a warning.

Holy shit. I give up. "Fine. You bossy dick."

"That dick is going to be in your mouth tonight." Is a silken promise that makes me wet.

Jerk. I hang up on him and hand the phone back to Aoife.

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