Page 1 of Bride By Initiation

1

Sean O'Malley Jr.

"Happy birthday, dear Shannon, happy birthday to you!" everyone in the pub sings and then cheers erupt so loud, I cringe.

My cousin, Shannon, beams, her face glowing from all twenty-eight flickering candles decorating the luxurious chocolate cake.

"Make a wish," Aunt Nora chirps, her excited smile growing as tears well in her eyes.

Uncle Boris tugs Nora closer to him, looking just as proud as his wife.

Shannon blows a long breath of air over the cake, extinguishing the candles.

A deafening round of applause and hollers sound throughout the pub again, and Zara raises onto her tiptoes to lean into my ear and state, "Time for another drink."

The hairs on my neck rise, and a feeling I keep getting in my gut reappears. It happened the moment she walked into the pub wearing a short minidress and stilettos. Her dark hair hangs in long curls, those blue eyes, fringed with long lashes, sparkle, and her plump, red-stained lips keep making my mind buzz with indecent thoughts.

I try to ignore it. Zara is my sister's best friend, and we've known her since childhood. Fiona would never shut up if I made a move on her. It doesn't matter if I'm 36 and Zara's 30. The fact we're adults doesn't stop my sister from constantly warning us to not cross the line. Plus, Luca, Zara's father, would kill me if I tried anything with her.

Yet I don't argue or stop myself from following her to the bar. "Another pint and..." I glance at Zara's empty martini glass and tease, "What fancy drink is it tonight?"

She bats her lashes, her gaze swirling with mischief and something else...something inviting and taboo.

I'm imagining things,I remind myself.

She smirks, eliminating the room in my pants to the point it hurts.

Jesus. I need to get a grip.

It's Zara.

She chirps, "It's a chartreuse martini, Sean."

I groan, pretending to be annoyed, stating, "I'm not even going to ask what that is, how to spell it, or where you discovered it."

"Good. I can't tell you anyway."

I arch my eyebrows and lean closer to her. "Why is that?"

She studies my face for a moment, pursing her pink, pouty lips, then licks them, tilting her head to the side.

My blood heats further, and an ache hits me below the belt.

She replies, "It was at a secret place."

"Well, now you have to tell me," I claim.

"So a pint and chartreuse martini?" Molly interjects in an irritated voice.

I snap my attention toward her. "Sorry. Yes."

She keeps her frown in place, grabs a pint, and holds it under the tap, pulling the lever toward her.

"What's up her booty?" Zara murmurs in my ear.

I clench my jaw, wishing my dick would settle down.

Don't go there.

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