Page 5 of Tempting Irish

“Ye’d still be her favorite,” Emersays.

There’s a round of chuckles and concurringnods.

Agnus loves us all, but she tends to treat Emer and Shane like they’re still in nappies, wanting to control every area of their lives. Mine as well, if I let her. And unlike Emer and Shane, I tend to cave more easily. Because when all is said and done, she’s the closest thing Cillian and I had to amother.

Emer snuggles into Aiden, looking so damn content, it makes my chest squeeze. I want to be happy for them. And I am. But it doesn’t mean the jealousy isn’t eating away at my already gnarledheart.

I glance away, meeting my brother’s hard gaze. I know the look he gives me, and the question in his eyes, the one that wants to know if I’mokay. The same damn question everyone asks me multiple times per day. And I’m getting pretty fucking sick ofit.

I rub my temple, placing the cold beer bottle the waitress hands to me against myforehead.

“Ye okay?” Emer asks, her eyes filled withconcern.

“Fine,” I mutter, draining half the bottle in a singleswallow.

She shakes her head at me. “If ye’re having headaches again, ye should make anappointment-”

“Said I’m fine,” I say a little too gruffly, which wins me a few scowls from the othermen.

Not to be deterred, Emer crosses her arms and narrows her gaze at me, giving me one of her mothering looks. “Instead of medicating yerself with booze, ye need to call Dr. Bishop. Maybe there’s another migraine medication ye cantry.”

That’s Emer. More stubborn than any woman I’ve ever met, and yet more compassionate than Mother Teresa and Gandhicombined.

I shrug, and drain the rest of my beer. The last thing I want or deserve from any of them issympathy.

Emer mumbles something to Aiden, and he looks over at me, lips thin, brows drawn down, then gives a small nod, before helping her stand. “If I’m going to survive the next week of wedding preparations, I’m going to need all the sleep I canget.”

“I’m going up, too,” my sister-in-law Delaney says, kissing Cillian’scheek.

My brother’s arms wrap around his wife’s waist and he pulls her back into his lap. “Now what kind of kiss wasthat?”

She chuckles and places her hands on his face, then leans in and kisses himhard.

I look away, more jealousy eating at me. Not for Delaney, but for the happiness my brother has found with her. I’m glad for them both. Never thought any woman would pull Cillian from his brooding long enough to tame him. But Delaney has. She’s good for him. Never seen him as happy as he’s been these pastmonths.

They’re allhappy. Even Shane, with his evolving door of women. And I envy them. Not just their happiness, but their sense of identity, of knowing what they want and fighting like hell to getit.

My own identity revolves around the people at thistable.

Theband.

Myfamily.

Cillian may be the only one related to me by blood, but Aiden and Shane are just as much my family, as well as Emer, and now Delaney. They’re the only thing in this world that matters. And I’d do anything to protect them. Nothing I wouldn’tsacrifice.

The table goes silent as we watch the two women walk out of the restaurant towards the hotelfoyer.

“Emer’s right,” Aiden says when they’re out of earshot. “Ye need to go in and have yer head looked at again. Ye’re turning into a temperamental bastard these days. Skulking around like the world’s about toend.”

I grunt, hearing the affection in his harsh, but true, words. “I don’tskulk.”

“Ye do,” Cillianagrees.

“He just needs to get laid,” Shane says, leaning back in his chair, eyeing two pretty blondes at thebar.

Dressed in slinky little dresses that leave more skin exposed than covered, the women giggle when they catch Shane staring. When he gives them one of his fuck-me grins, the women slide off their stools and start towardsus.

Perfect.I roll my eyes, knowing the drill. Now that Cillian and Aiden are out of the game, I’m his wingman. Even though I have no doubt that Shane could, and probably will, handle both women all by himself. Tonight, I’m not in the mood for casual sex. For the desperate affections of fan girls who want nothing more than to fuck me so that they can brag aboutit.

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