Page 59 of Seducing Bran
He walked over with a tray of crackers and cheese. “That’s understandable.” He shook his head. “I should have walked you to your car. I won’t make that mistake again.”
She reached for his hand. “You can’t protect me all the time. And until recently, you wouldn’t have protected me at all.”
“Of course, I would have.”
“You didn’t like me in the beginning.”
A rueful smile played on his lips. “We’ve already discussed how much I liked you. That was the problem.”
She harrumphed. “Well, you did a good job hiding your feelings.”
“I’ll prove how much I like and want you, but not tonight. You need rest.”
“Okay, boss,” she said. And ruined it with a yawn, because, dammit, he was right.
They ate the entire plate of cheese and crackers, and then Ireland found herself slowly slumping into a horizontal position on the bed. Her body felt weighed down by sandbags, and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
Bran wrapped his arm around her, tucking her close, which only induced more drowsiness. His chest was warm and cozy, and he smelled like Bran and laundry detergent. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to.
One thing was for sure—aside from family members, Ireland had never had a man be there for her the way Bran had tonight. She wasn’t sure where things were going, but he was the only person who’d stood by her and made her feel safe. And that meant everything.
Chapter 23
Bran woke with a start. He blinked several times, taking in his position on the bed, spooning Ireland. He also acknowledged the deep sense of relaxation and peace that filled him. It was the best damn night of sleep he’d had in ages. He wanted to wake with Ireland in his arms every day.
Bran considered staying right where he was, and then he remembered it was a workday and neither of them had the luxury of remaining in bed. Bran rarely took days off. Now that he thought about it, he was the only one of his brothers who didn’t… He needed to change that. How was he going to spend quality time with his girlfriend if he always worked?
He reluctantly rolled to the side of the bed and looked back, unable to help himself. Ireland lay on her side, hands tucked under her head. One of her smooth legs was raised seductively higher than the other, her shorts just barely covering the curve of her extremely sexy ass.
And now other parts of him were awake.
He wanted to roll back into her and draw her close, run his hand down those smooth legs, and other curves, fist his palm in her hair… This was a bad train of thought. What was waking a moment ago came fully alert and prepared for morning sex.
Bran rose and stretched his back, arms over his head. No way would he rouse Ireland after the night she’d had. He could control his urges. Had been doing it for years. Besides, he planned to seduce the hell out of her later, once she’d had proper rest.
He walked to the closet and grabbed a clean pair of jeans, along with a Club Tahoe polo shirt. On his way to the shower, though, he paused at the end of the bed. The blanket had slipped off Ireland at some point in the night.
He grabbed the thick blanket and gently covered her. That was better. Much as he loved her curves, he didn’t want her getting cold now that he wasn’t there to keep her warm… Which brought thoughts of justhowhe might keep her warm.
Dammit.Bran stormed to the shower.
When he was cleaned up and cooled off, he made sure Ireland was still asleep, then jogged quietly down the stairs.
He had texted his brothers about the incident at the club last night after Ireland had fallen asleep. They showed proper disgust, but no one was more furious than Levi. He’d been ready to step up security, and considering what could have happened, Bran agreed. They’d decided to add another security guard to monitor the parking lot. Of course, this entire conversation took about an hour, what with all the text shouting and attempts to get a word in edgewise among his four siblings. Group texts with his brothers were always a joy.
Bran messaged Adam to let him know Ireland might be late for work then turned on the coffeemaker. Drunk, hungover, or tired as hell, Bran never forgot to fill his coffeemaker the night before. Sometime soon, he’d buy a souped-up version and replace the one he’d bought before he started working at Club Tahoe, earning more money. One with a timer that poured the perfect cup. On second thought, he didn’t own a couch. The multitasking coffeemaker might need to wait until he ticked off the couch from his list of items to furnish his house.
He pulled out eggs and a few other items from the fridge and cut vegetables for an omelet. Contrary to his chosen profession, he wasn’t a cook, but eggs he could do.
Bran covered the finished product and popped in toast, setting mugs out on the kitchen island, along with utensils. He glanced around and winced. Now that he was paying attention, his place was damn depressing. He needed a dining table and chairs, and about a million other things. Why hadn’t he cared before now?
Because he’d never had anyone he wanted to impress. His house was a place to sleep and shower. He rarely ate here, though he kept essentials around.
The home he’d bought from Wes hadn’t been more than a glorified studio with a deck on a large lot. Wes had purchased it as a fixer-upper and had never gotten around to renovating. By the time Wes needed something bigger, he’d had a baby on the way with Kaylee, and expediency became a priority. So Bran had bought the house from his brother.
With the help of a family friend who owned Sallee Construction, Bran had recently made the place a full two-bedroom and added a second bath. The house was cleaned up, with a nice roof over his head, but it lacked any creature comforts.
Ireland walked down the stairs, her long hair wet, wearing an outfit she must have packed last night for work today. She yawned at the bottom and smiled shyly. “I passed out last night.”
