Bronagh beamed, pleased with herself.
“Great. Go on down and tell the lads I’m ready. I’m gonna go get some of Branna’s perfume and see if she’s good to go.”
I nodded and left the room. When I reached the ground floor, I turned and walked down the hallway and into the kitchen where I slammed headfirst into one of the Slater brothers. I looked up and found Alec Slater looking down at me with a shit-eating grin on his way too perfect face. He placed his large hands on my shoulders to steady me, and he left them there, which had me freaking out because he was too hot for words to be touching me for any amount of time.
“I’m so sorry,” I said rapidly, the words sounding jumbled together. “I wasn’t watchin’ where I was goin’.”
He continued to grin. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, sweetheart.”
I heard a groan from inside the kitchen followed by some snickering.
“She’s barely eighteen, big brother.”
It was Nico who spoke, and I wanted to pummel him for embarrassing me.
Alec simply winked at me before he removed his hands from my shoulders, moved around me, and ventured off down the hallway then upstairs. I inhaled and exhaled before I stepped into the kitchen. Without realising it, I turned around to the empty space Alec just vacated and stared as if he would magically reappear.
“He’s so feckin’ pretty.”
I looked to my right when male laughter sounded, and when I found the remaining four Slater brothers staring at me, I widened my eyes.
“Did I say that out loud?”
The group nodded, and I felt blood rush up my neck to my cheeks, which prompted me to place my face in my hands.
“You’re doing much better than Bronagh, if it’s any consolation?” Nico offered. “She stared at all my brothers when she first met them. I’m sure she drooled, too.”
I dropped my hands back to my sides, my cheeks still aflame.
“Speakin’ of Bronagh, go and put ’er out of ’er misery.”
Nico blinked. “You wanna expand on that?”
“She’s mortified to see you even though you both ... ye’know.”
He smirked. “Yeah, I know.”
Ryder and Kane shook their heads while Damien bumped fists with his twin as if Nico having sex with Bronagh had put him on some sort of pedestal.
“Go act normal so she can stop freakin’ out ’cause when she is freaked, I have to be freaked. Best friend code.”
Damien laughed even though his brothers didn’t. I felt a surge of pleasure that at least he thought I was funny.
“I’ll go take care of her,” Nico said as he stood, moved past me, and left the room.
When I was alone with the remaining three brothers, I found myself rocking back and forth on my heels. I stopped moving when fear of my ankles giving way under my high heels entered my mind.
“So.” I cleared my throat. “You’re American.”
I cringed at the shocking conversation starter that slipped from my mouth.
“And you’re Irish,” Kane rumbled. “Now that we’ve gotten the obvious out of the way, how close are you with Bronagh?”
I wasn’t prepared for the question nor the tension in Kane’s tone and the accusation in his glaring grey eyes. I clasped my hands together as apprehension filled me.
“Bro,” Damien began, but one look from his older brother silenced him.
Kane looked back at me, awaiting my reply, but all I could do was stare at him. He was extremely intimidating. Bronagh had warned me about his appearance, and I knew that his scars wouldn’t bother me because his looks didn’t define him, but she failed to mention he was a bit of an arsehole.
“Close as new friends can be, I guess,” I replied with a shrug of one shoulder.
Kane cocked a brow. “Has she talked to you about us?”
“Us?”
“Me. My brothers.”
“Um, no.” I blinked. “She told me your names, that you’re from New York, and said you’re all good lookin’, but that’s about it.”
Ryder smiled and was about to speak, but Kane wasn’t finished.
“Are you gonna ask questions about us?”
I got the feeling he didn’t like me, though I wasn’t sure why because he didn’t know me.
I swallowed. “No, why would I?”
“Because you’re curious.”
“About Damien, not you.”
I realised what I said the second the words left my mouth, and I wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole because I sounded sassy, and I was rarely sassy.
“I didn’t mean that like it sounded,” I spluttered. “I mean—”
“I know what you mean.” Kane cut me off, leaning back in his chair as he eyed me up and down. “You aren’t the first girl to be curious about him, and you won’t be the last.”
“Ryder,” Damien grunted. “Do something.”
Ryder gave him a slight shake of his head and remained quiet.
“I’m sorry, but have I done somethin’ wrong on you?” I asked Kane, hating how uncomfortable he made me feel. “Because if I haven’t, then I want to know what the hell your problem is and why I’m bein’ interrogated for no bloody reason.”
Kane raised his brows in surprise, Ryder grinned, and Damien choked on air.
“I’m just getting a feel for you,” Kane replied, his eyes still locked on mine. “I don’t know you, you’re a stranger.”
I honestly thought my heart would explode from apprehension, but I stood my ground.
“Well, you can do it in a polite way without the attitude. Introducin’ yourself and simply bein’ nice is a good way to start. I don’t know what Bronagh has said about me, but I’m a nice person who can only take so much nonsense. If you don’t have anythin’ nice to say to me, don’t say anythin’ at all. I’ll be more than happy to ignore you.”
“Well, fuck me.”
Kane and Ryder then shared at look and burst out laughing. Meanwhile, I was busy trying to control my breathing and praying to God that I didn’t pass out. I didn’t do confrontation, and somehow, that was just what I was involved in ... and I think I won.
“I think this conversation is over,” I said and left the room in a flustered hurry.
“Thanks a lot!” Damien snapped. “Asshole!”
The laughter continued as I heard a chair scrape across the tiles, footsteps beat against the floor, and felt a presence come up behind me. I turned around just as Damien reached for me. His hand, that I’m sure was intended for my shoulder, latched onto my right breast and shock froze me to the spot.
“I did not mean to grab your tit,” Damien said, his eyes on mine, and his hand still firmly holding my breast. “I swear.”
My pulse sped up.
“It’s ... okay,” I squeaked. “Don’t worry ’bout it.”
I looked down at my chest, and when Damien realised he was still holding my breast, he dropped his hand as if it was on fire.
“Shit,” he said, flustered. “I wanted to apologise for Kane’s behaviour, not grope you.”
I was so embarrassed that I considered walking out of the house without further words exchanged, but I didn’t. Instead, I swallowed and forced a tight-lipped smile.
“It’s whatever; he was probably just messin’ with me.”
“Yeah,” Damien lied. “He was just playing with you.”
We both knew Kane wasn’t playing with me, he grilled me for a reason, but I had no idea what that reason was. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know, either.
“Forget him,” Damien continued. “Don’t give him a second thought.”
Kane Slater wasn’t someone you easily forgot.
“Already forgotten,” I lied, my forced smile still in place.
Damien stared through my smile. I knew he did because his face softened. He took a step towards me and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when Alec jogged down the stairs. I took a step back and nodded at Alec, who moved past us with just a wink in our direction. Damien looked over his shoulder when Alec spoke, and his other brothers laughed.