Page 33 of Naughty Irish Liar

Not even twenty-four hours since I’d crawled out of her bed and I wanted to slide right back in and repeat the whole process and she was ruining my whole goddamn calm life.

I never expected once I left Dublin behind that there would be a day I felt so … out of sync with my own skin. I left reckless behind for a reason and now I had the taste of a ginger virgin, who wore weird glasses and colorful sneakers, in my mouth and I hadn’t been able to fight her out of my brain for more than a minute at a time.

I looked at my silver watch. Just after 6 pm. I’d known her shift started early this afternoon. I admit I’d made sure to be out ofMacNam’sso I didn’t have to look at her.

“Handle it, Catherine. I can’t hold your hand with everything.”

Christ, I realized Iwanted to.Lie. I’d always known that. From the very beginning I’d wanted to make things better for her, fix all her troubles.

“But you told me—”

I’d told her a goddamn lot. How creamy her skin tasted. How incredible her tight pussy felt. And when she’d fallen asleep curled up against my chest, my crazy-beating heart fell in sync with hers.

“If it’s too hard for you I’ll get someone else on it,” I said through my teeth, well aware every set of eyes were watching me lose my shit over a girl. “Leave the paperwork on my desk. Was that all?”

“And the asshole of the year goes to… yeah,that was all, boss.”

She hung up.

Even bastards like me could recognize hurt when I heard it. Her hurt dug deep into my chest until I almost bust my phone slamming it down on the table.

“I don’t know about you, guys, but I think Ronan here is in love.” Cackled Cal, tossing his chips into the pot.

I wasn’t one to bite the bait, but I found myself saying. “It’s nothing.”

The lie obvious.

“Didn’t sound like nothing. Don’t tell me, Irish Lover is having a spat?”

I stared across at Cal. Daring him to say more. I’d rip his head off.

“Little harsh on her, weren’t you?” Gray murmured, tapping his fingers on the table. It was his tell when he was holding a bad hand.

“What are you?” I accused. Irritated that I agreed with him. “The feelings police?”

“Just saying, man. You like a girl, then you don’t talk like shit to her. It’s common sense.”

“Who the fuck said I like her?”

“Maybe the way you nearly broke a bone to answer your phone.” He went on, grinning. Dickhead.

“Leprechaun boy doesn’t have any common sense, Gray, didn’t you know that?” Jibed Cal. “He’s made up of Lucky Charms and—”

“Ah, fuck it. I forgot India’s Lucky Charms,” Gray popped to his feet immediately, tossing in his cards and began gathering his wallet, keys and phone from a side table. “I’m out. You can pay me what you owe next time.”

“The fuck?” I asked.

Both Noah and Cal laughed. It was Noah who said. “Don’t ask. It’s something kinky he has going on with his wife.”

“Pussy-whipped,” coughed Cal under his breath.

“I’m going home to my perfect wife who will do things to me you can’t even imagine. Who’s at home waiting for you, fuckboy?” Countered Gray to his best friend, with a gloating smirk. Though Cal scoffed it did shut him up.

The game pretty much wrapped up an hour after Gray took off to do whatever he had to do at home with cereal. I didn’t wanna know.

I shrugged into my jacket, watched Cal amble out of Noah’s basement under one of his club’s. Tonight we were in the newest strip club. Bet Cal the dirty fuck was gonna go upstairs and pay for some female company to slide all over his lap. Any woman to get involved with that narcissistic maniac would need a screw loose herself.

“Going home?” Ash asked Noah. The big man was towering somewhere near six-five. He was the kind of author who had a real fanbase following and often appeared on the NY Times bestsellers list. Women would probably call him a bear of a man for his hefty size. I’d met him through the lads and he sometimes dropped by the pub if a game was on. Other than that I knew zip about him. We played cards, smoked and drank, we didn’t delve into each other’s lives.

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