Page 48 of Midnight Dissonance

“We were going to see if you wanted to grab a bite and head to the club with us. But we can see you’re already occupied.” Aiden’s coloring was similar to his own, with the same inky hair he’d inherited from their dad. But his eyes were their mum with their shape and crystal blue color. And he was two inches taller than him, something Aiden loved teasing him about.

“Aren’t you a mite old for her?” Sean asked. He was the opposite of him and Aiden in that his hair color was like their mum’s and his sea-green eyes were their dad’s.

Josh sipped his beer for a minute, letting his patience quash the rest of his lust. “Appreciate the thought, but I’m not going to the club tonight.”

“And you’re with Lexi because?”

At Aiden’s question, Josh glanced up the stairs, hoping their intrusion didn’t set the progress they’d made back. He didn’t want to divulge too much. However, if he didn’t cut this off at the knees, these knuckleheads would head straight to their cousins and blather on about what they witnessed.

And he didn’t want the rest of his family to know about their relationship yet. Not until they were more solid. Because while he was all in, Lexi still had major doubts he had to help lay to rest. He couldn’t do that with his nosy, albeit well-meaning family interfering with his love life.

“I ran into her outside of the club, and we hit it off,” he said by way of explanation.

“But she turned you down flat. Why would you want to hook up with her?” Sean asked, sipping at his beer with an arched look like Josh had lost his marbles.

“He’s right. She’s a looker, that’s for sure, but I don’t know why you would pursue something with her. She doesn’t seem like your normal type.” Aiden scratched at his head.

“This stays between us. No tattling to our cousins or our parents. Understood?” He glared them, imparting the world of hurt he would exact upon them should they break their word.

They nodded. Their bond was impenetrable. When they first moved to the States, they rented a place together to help one another get their bearings in a foreign country. And it worked. But it also deepened their bond. There was no one he trusted more than his brothers, not even his cousins.

“I felt the Ryan click with Lexi,” he admitted out loud for the first time.

“Bollocks,” Sean exclaimed, wide-eyed.

“Bloody hell, you sure?” Aiden asked with a frown marring his brow.

“Aye. Once her suspension is up at Eros, I’m gonna collar her.”

“Well, hell. We should be celebrating.” Aiden chuckled and toasted him with his beer.

“Does she know?” Sean jerked his chin toward the stairs toward his bedroom.

“No, not about the Ryan click. But she does know I plan to collar her and have her move in with me.”

“And you’re the one who didn’t believe in the Ryan click!” Aiden cackled, smacking his thigh as if it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

Aye, he was the doubting Thomas in the bunch. “Aye, tis true. But you feckers just wait. Your turn is coming, you bloody wankers. And when it does, I’ll be the one laughing.”

“Have you let Mum and Dad know?” Sean asked, all serious.

“No. Not yet. She’s still not sure of me, given my history at the club.”

“But everyone at the club gets around. I know we certainly have. And the subs tend to line up for our clan. We can’t help it if we’re in high demand.” Sean shrugged as if it was no big deal. But it was only because he hadn’t found the woman he’d felt a click with yet. Because it changed everything.

“She has her reasons.” Which he wouldn’t divulge, not even to his brothers. They were her private pain, and it was up to him to help her heal. “But it’s left her uncertain regarding the truthfulness of my words.”

“You’ll wear her down eventually.” Aiden was far too confident in his abilities.

“And will there be wedding bells in the offing? Because Mum will be beyond pleased. She’s been nagging us lately about why we’re not married and giving her grandbabies,” Sean asked.

At the mention of marriage, his normal knee-jerk reaction of never bloody again was absent. Because deep down he knew they were headed in that direction. It wasn’t tomorrow, and he wasn’t ready to propose just yet. But it would come. Experiencing the click had spun his world, and he was still navigating the new terrain.

In the meantime, he would continue arguing his case to make her fall for him. She was inching closer to trusting him too. If he kept at it, she would be gone over in no time.

“Aye, eventually, so be nice.”

Their shite-eating grins made him want to bash their heads together. “How goes it over at New Dublin Table?”

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