Page 30 of Her Irish Boss

“Yeah. I don't think so. That's not happening. We have a strict no dating policy, Mimi. And he enforces that rule each time he gets the chance.” That's what confused her about his actions. She could almost see the struggle inside him. He was interested. She'd established that. The way he watched her, touched her, talked to her. But still, he could control himself enough to hold back. Keep his distance.

Keep his damn rules in place.

She'd chased after Jacob all those years ago. And that was a turning point in her life. She'd never chase after a man again. Beg him to accept her. Hope he thought she was good enough with her trailer park background and no college degree.

She couldn't chase after Brogan. If that meant she'd never know what it was like to be held by those arms, thenthat was the price she'd pay. Her ego was too fragile to risk anything else.

“I think I'll just stay on the sideline for right now. I need this job.”

Katie stuck her tongue out. “You're no fun.”

“I don't see you chasing after Cathal.”

“Because Cathal doesn't like me like that. He doesn't look at me like he wants to devour me the way Ms. Estella just killed that ice cream.”

Mimi laughed. “Mint chocolate chip is my favorite.”

“I know,” Katie and Selena said at the same time. Katie left the topic alone for the evening and soon, soft snores came from Mimi's end of the sofa. She'd miss this. If she ever could get her grandmother into the proper facility, she'd miss her being beside her in the evenings. There when she awoke in the mornings. But it was for the best.

Last month, she'd fallen in the middle of the night. Selena couldn't sleep for a week, expecting to wake up and find her grandmother on the ground and instead of a small cut on her arm, maybe a gash on her forehead. Or a broken bone. Selena was strong, but not strong enough to handle Mimi in every situation possible.

She'd try again with the insurance company. God knows she didn't have enough money to pay for a nursing facility herself.

Selena rushedthrough the door of O'Keeley's. She was later than usual but had a good reason. The insurance company had called, scheduling another appointment to meet and discuss Mimi's qualifications into the facility she needed. Brogan stepped out of his bathroom as she walkedinto his office. His undershirt was tucked into his suit pants, but his dress shirt hung open.

His hair was wet and unstyled.

His feet, bare.

Hell.

She came to a dead stop in the middle of the room to get her reaction under control.

He looked delicious.

“Good morning,” he said, his eyes brightening. She did that to him, made him happy.

“Hi.”

“You seem happy.” His crooked smile appeared. He spoke a little less structured around her, his accent deeper. Did he realize it?

“It is a good morning.” Mimi had been the happiest. When she was all present, she always lamented living with Selena. Young people should be around other young people, she would say. But Selena had Katie, and now she wanted Brogan.

At breakfast, Mimi had brought up their conversation with Katie from a few days before. She'd pushed Selena to talk to Brogan about her feelings. She couldn't do that. But she might nudge him along. Not enough to get fired on the spot, but if he didn't make a move, it was because he didn't like her in return and not because he wasn't sure of her feelings.

He sat down at his computer. “I came up with an idea this morning. I'm not sure if you can do it. So, please, just tell me if you can't.”

“I probably can.” She'd done everything else he'd asked. His confidence in her, passing off assignment after assignment, gave her a sense of pride.

He clicked through a few screens, pulling up variouswebsites in different windows. “I don't even know if we can do it without hiring someone. Or I can do it.”

He exasperated her with his controlling nature. “Stop procrastinating and tell me what you want. I know I can do it.” Selena stood behind Brogan, her hand resting loosely on the back of his chair. Two weeks after being asked to come in early, she had moved into almost an administrative assistant role. Simply working beside Brogan satisfied a small side of her. She'd figured out some of the little things that made him tick. That made him mad. The way he liked his coffee. The way he tied his tie. All the things someone in a relationship would know about their partner.

Too bad their relationship was more G rated than some Disney movies.

Brogan pointed at the screen. She leaned a little closer. At nine thirty, no one else would arrive for another thirty minutes. They had this short time together each morning—their own little world where he let down his wall for a few minutes.

“Here. I'm trying to push our advertising to these sites. I have the ad packages; I'm not sure how to contact them.” He leaned back. His hair brushed her hand. She should move and not be so obsessed, but she stayed. One small, minute shift of her hand and her fingers would brush through the soft, damp hair.

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