Page 63 of Seducing Bran
“I would have fallen for you no matter when we met,” he said.
They’d only just started officially dating. He didn’t want to scare her. But that was the point—he hadn’t had a girlfriend. Casual encounters were what he’d preferred. Until Ireland.
She was different. Smart, funny, and sassy were only some of her admirable qualities. She also smelled incredible, and her skin was the softest thing he’d ever felt. And he liked the way she fit in his arms, tucked against his body. She was somehow everything he needed and everything he didn’t know he wanted.
And now that she was his, he wasn’t letting her go.
Chapter 24
“You’re what?” Ireland’s eldest brother Gabe said through the phone.
“Bringing my boyfriend to Cali’s wedding,” Ireland said. “Well, once I ask him to be my date. Why?”
“Who the hell is this joker?” Gabe said.
“You’re such an ass. I’m a grown woman. Can’t you just be happy for me?”
“Not until I meet him and determine his intentions.”
“Right, because this is the 1800s. You’re being ridiculous.” Ireland glanced across Jaeg’s living room and rolled her eyes at Cali’s raised eyebrow. “Did you even hear what I said before you got all hung up on the boyfriend situation? Cali bumped up the wedding date. Are you gonna make it or not?”
Gabe let out a deep sigh. “I’ll check my calendar. What’s Cali’s rush, anyway? She isn’t knocked up, is she?”
Ireland stared at the ceiling and prayed for divine intervention. “No, she’s not pregnant—not that it would matter. Cali and Jaeg have been together for years and it’s a done deal.”
“It’s kind of last minute. I might have plans.”
Ireland pinched the bridge of her nose. “Hence the phone call and the need for you to look at your calendar. What crawled up your ass today? You’re super grumpy.”
Gabe grumbled. “Jennifer’s trying to pin me down. Wants to get engaged.”
“Gabe, you’ve been with the woman for three years, and you’re turning thirty this year. Don’t you want to be with her?”
“With her, yes. Married…I’m not sure. And I definitely don’t like the heat she’s giving me.”
Cali rolled her hand in a gesture for Ireland to wrap it up.
“Look, I’ve gotta go,” Ireland said. “With the wedding timeline pushed up, Cali needs my help. Just get back to me and let me know if you’ll make it. Jake can’t come because he’s out of the country, but Lucas will be there. So if you don’t show, you’ll be letting your siblings and Cali down. No pressure.”
“Now who’s being an ass?”
“Get yourself out here for Cali’s wedding, and figure out what you want with Jennifer. If it’s not a future, cut the poor girl loose. A woman’s ovaries only last so long.”
“Not from you too,” he said.
“You’re a doctor; you know how these things work.”
“Exactly, and I don’t need it repeated to me every day.”
“If Jennifer’s giving you heat, she must be really frustrated with you. Can’t say I blame her.”
“What happened to family loyalty?”
“I’m loyal. I just can’t figure out why all the drama if you love her.”
Gabe was silent. “Just tell Cali I’ll be there.”
“With Jennifer?”
