Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
I looked at my sister, and though I had every right to be irritated with her for sticking her nose in business she had no mind in, I could see she only wanted what was best for me. Kane too. That doused the flames of annoyance that simmered within me. Slightly.
“I appreciate it, but ye can’t just put a woman in me proximity and expect us to just fall in love or some rubbish ye’d see in a film, Ado.”
Aideen leaned forward. “D’ye not like her?”
“I like her plenty, ye meddlin’ little shite.”
Aideen grinned, and Kane snorted.
“What’s the problem, then?”
“The problem,” I answered my brother-in-law with a pointed look, “is that just because I want to r-i-d-e her doesn’t mean it’ll lead to love.”
Kane nodded in agreement and looked at Aideen. “He’s right, you know?”
“I know,” she grumbled. “But just because ye want to r-i-d-e her doesn’t mean it won’t lead to love.”
Kane nodded in agreement and looked at me. “She’s right, you know?”
“You’re useless.” I scowled at him. “Agreein’ with us both isn’t helpful.”
He shrugged. “You’re both right, though.”
I glanced down at my nephews, then back up at the adults. “Ye wanna know how I met her?”
“Yes!” Aideen almost burst. “I absolutely do.”
“The night I was babysittin’ these two angels.” I cut my eyes to Jax for a moment, then returned them to his mother. “She was makin’ a shite load of noise at four in the mornin’, and it woke the big boy up. I was pissed, so with Jax in me arms, I went across the hallway and banged on the door, ready to knock someone out. I thought it was a bloke … but to me surprise, it wasn’t. It was a gorgeous little bit of a woman who was sobbin’.”
“No!” Aideen gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Why was she cryin’?”
“She had a long, tough day,” I explained. “I found this out after I hugged her because I didn’t know what else to do with a cryin’ woman. Then stuff got awkward when Jax whacked on her head with his rattle, and she slumped against me.”
“What?”
“Yep, your son is the rattle whacker. He’s wanted in six counties.”
“Why didn’t ye tell me when I got the boys the next mornin’?”
I shrugged at my sister’s question. “I had other stuff on me mind.”
“Stuff like Ina?”
I cut her a look. “Maybe.”
Aideen clapped her hands together. “Ye like her.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “She’s pretty, she’s little, and God in Heaven does she have an arse and pair of thighs that’d rival Bronagh Murphy’s.”
Kane raised his brows at the mention of his younger brother’s missus.
“Really? She was wearing a baggy dress during the viewing of the apartment, so I didn’t see her ass … not that I’d have looked, baby doll.”
His added sentence to appease his wife made me snort.
“Get back to Jax hittin’ her.” Aideen waved her hand. “What happened next?”
I filled them in on discovering Ina was deaf, which surprised Kane because he didn’t know either, and how she accidentally broke a hearing aid and was stressed with her move that led to her causing so much racket at the early hour. I then proceeded to tell them both about how I got her an interview at the garage and how she landed the job.
“Dante!” Aideen beamed. “Ye did a good thing, hon.”
“Ye should see her.” I chuckled. “She’s so bloody excited to have the job. She takes it dead serious too, which Da’s over the moon about.”
“Date.”
I looked at Kane.
“You can’t f-u-c-k around with her now that she’s your co-worker,” he said firmly. “You might have gotten away with casual s-e-x as a neighbour, but you’re close to her in two ways now. She also doesn’t know anyone in Dublin. She didn’t give me her whole backstory, just told me that she came here for a new start.”
Kane kept his eyes on mine as he spoke. “I ran a background check on her, obviously, and she’s from a small town called Kildavin, County Carlow, has a degree in business from a community college, and lives on a farm with her father. That is literally it. Her whole life seemed to revolve around her home life. Before this week, she had no bank account, never mind a credit card, and she still has no driver’s licence or passport. She showed me her birth certificate as proof of identification. She seems a little lost and scared, bro.”
“That’s the reason ye rented to her?” I raised an eyebrow. “We both know your apartments can rent for over sixteen hundred or more for the one-bedrooms alone. How much did ye rent it to her for?”
“None of your business, a-s-s-h-o-l-e.”
I shook my head. “A grand or less then.”
He glared at me, telling me I guessed right.
“Ye’ll bankrupt yourself bein’ so soft, mate.”
“I won’t.” He waved his hand. “I don’t rent cheap to everyone … just people who need a helping hand. I put them in this tower for a reason.”