Page 36 of Her Michigan Mob Boss

I held his gaze. “I can’t wait.”

Emily cleared her throat. “As glad as I am that you two are on speaking terms again, I’d rather not witness your flirting.” She pushed to her feet and looked at me. “Shall we meet at the front door in ten minutes?”

“Okay.”

After she left, I quickly finished my coffee and got up to leave the room. As I walked past him, Ciaran put a hand on my arm to stop me.

“Later.” That one word held so much promise.

“Later,” I agreed. Perhaps I should be more cautious about getting intimate with Ciaran again, but I needed to explore our attraction, to find out if it could develop into something more.

He released my arm, and I hurried off to get ready for my day out with Emily. I headed upstairs to the room I was already thinking of mine. Brushing my hair, I gathered it up into a ponytail. In case it was chilly out, I put a cardigan on over my short-sleeved dress and made my way back downstairs. By the time I reached the hallway, Emily was already waiting for me.

“Max is on his way over to pick us up. He lives nearby.”

“You don’t sound happy about it,” I surmised.

“The man’s an asshole.”

There was obvious hostility in her voice. I wondered what the story was.

“He drove me back to the hotel the night I met Ciaran. He seemed okay.”

“He used to be fun until he caught me kissing Jamie McKinlay on my nineteenth birthday. He beat the shit out of Jamie and dragged me home. Ever since then, he’s been as bad as my brothers, warning off any man he thinks will corrupt me.”

A startled laugh burst out of me. “What?”

“In our world, a woman’s supposed to be a virgin on her wedding day.”

“But you’re twenty. Surely it’s up to you….”

“Nope,” Emily interrupted. “I follow the rules or face the consequences.”

“That’s archaic.”

Tell me about it. Those assholes belong in the Middle Ages.”

“What assholes?”

We both swung around, startled, to find Max standing in the doorway. Neither of us had heard him arriving.

“Assholes like you, obviously.” Emily swept past him and got into the back of the SUV sitting outside the front door. Max watched her go with an expression that was equal parts consternation and admiration. I suspected the two of them liked each other more than they’d admit.

“Good morning, Max,” I said pleasantly. “Looking forward to a girls’ day out?”

“I’d rather have a red-hot poker shoved up my ass.”

“Charming.”

I followed him out to the car and got into the back with Emily. Max closed the door, then hopped in the front, next to the driver. As we drove off, Emily leaned closer to me so she could speak without being overheard.

“Have you decided to give Ciaran another chance?”

“I want to, but how do I know he won’t end up breaking my heart?”

“How do you know a man you meet at a bar, or go on a blind date with, won’t break your heart?”

She had a point. There was always a risk. “Are you trying to persuade me to forgive Ciaran, or put me off all other men?”

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