Page 36 of Her Irish Boss

Her hand gripped his wrist as if she had to hold on. The sweet wine on her tongue gave him a buzz, his head spinning with the effect.

Why had he even questioned this? The world clicked together. And that had never happened before. Not with anyother woman. A first kiss shouldn't have this much power. Or significance.

“Mama?”

The word broke them apart. Selena closed her eyes a brief second before standing up from the sofa. There, her granny stood, in her faded nightgown looking disoriented. Her white hair stuck out at an odd angle, and she braced herself up on the wall.

“Give me a second, Brogan.” Selena turned her granny around and helped her back to the room adjacent from them.

Selena’s reality slammed into him. She didn't need this complication in her life. He wasn't a good bet, not being her boss. He could never give her anything more than this, secret meetings, only to treat her “normal” during the day. That would be torture. A distraction from his responsibilities to his brothers and their business. Unfair to her.

He rose and pulled his keys from his pocket. He'd wait until she came out, but then he'd leave before he messed their relationship up further.

It was hard as hell to walk away from that feeling of perfection.

“Selena?”Mimi's eyes were unfocused, and she looked around the room wildly as she slipped back into reality. Selena would have to call the doctor in the morning and tell him.

“Yes. You're having a dream, Mimi. C'mon, I'll help you to the restroom and then back to bed.” She walked Mimi back into the bedroom and to the bathroom. By the time shegot her a drink of water, Mimi was fully coherent but tired. She climbed back into bed and rolled to face the wall.

Selena waited until she heard the light, steady breathing before leaving the room again. Only when she spotted Brogan, waiting by the front door, did she realize that she'd just up and left him.

“I'm sorry. You won't be the first guy to cut out when they see the reality of what I handle.” She'd just hoped Brogan was different. Because, if he'd felt a quarter of the impact from their kiss, then he couldn't walk away.

His eyebrows shot down tight. “Cut out because of your granny? You think that's what I'm doing?”

“I don't know what you're doing.” She didn't know whatshewas doing. She crossed her arms, feeling exposed. They'd shared an incredible kiss, one that'd been weeks in the making.

Sweet with a little edge underneath. As she'd expected, Brogan controlled it. For once, his need to be in charge had been precisely what she needed. She'd kissed men before, made the first move. Put herself out there. But not with someone like Brogan. God, she'd been nervous. Until their lips touched.

He sighed and ran a hand over his hair, disheveled. “I admire you for taking care of her this way.”

“But? There's always a but.”

“No buts. It's late. I was going to leave you to it, so you didn't feel the need to rush back out here to me.”

“It's fine. I know having her here changes things.” She hugged herself tighter, hating how petty she felt. Her voice sounded harsh in her ears. “We can just forget this happened if you want.”

“Forget?” He blinked, his blue eyes cautious. “Is that what you want?”

She knew she didn't want a man that couldn't handle the fact this was her life at the moment. He took another step toward the door. Her heart fell to her stomach.

Better she found out now that he couldn’t handle it than once her heart was really tangled up.

He paused and changed direction, taking three long steps to get to her.

Without warning, he tugged her head back by her hair as his lips met hers. His kiss struck through her body, straight to her toes.

Deep and sensual. Dominating.

She rose on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck and craving as much as he'd give.

And he gave her plenty to remember him by.

She felt the frustration in his tense body. God, kissing this way, outside of marriage, was probably outlawed in at least twenty-seven countries.

His other hand, splayed across the small of her back, pressed their bodies tight, amping up the intensity of his control over the powerful kiss. Nothing resembled the controlled kiss on the sofa a few minutes earlier.

How was it the same man?

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