3 Seconds

  With his dark skin and dark hair, he already looked dangerous. When you added the way he looked, with his often brooding, silent demeanor, he was a force to be reckoned with.

  I was lucky he’d never been interested in the limelight; he would have given me a run for my money.

  What a waste of great genes!

  “I went by to check out our schedule for next month, and Natalie was working the bar. Day shift.”

  “That sucks. She has seniority, why would Jake put her on days?” Not really caring, but realizing I’d probably have to pry the information out of Brady in order for him to get to the point.

  He shrugged in response, causing me to let out a frustrated sigh. I tried a different approach.

  “Was she okay?”

  Brady poured a disgusting amount of A-1 Sauce on his already perfectly seasoned steak, causing my lip to curl. Why he would ruin a steak that was cooked to perfection was beyond me. Brady’s love of condiments was something that always drove me nuts.

  “She was more skittish than usual. There weren’t any marks or anything, but I’d bet my life she’s being abused by that deadbeat husband of hers. She acts like a wounded animal.” Brady looked me in the eye, his face more serious than usual. “I went to ask her where Jake was, and she jumped ten feet at the sound of my voice. I swear, it made me want to punch something. I asked her if she was okay, and she said she was, just like always, but, Bren, I don’t know how much more I can take. We’ve known her for years now, and it’s obvious that she’s unable to leave that bastard on her own, for whatever reason.”

  “We can’t just insert ourselves into a domestic dispute, brother. We’ve never seen him lay a hand on her, and she’d never admitted that there’s anything wrong.”

  Brady was quiet after that. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was pissed at my answer, or if there was something else he was working out in that crazy brain of his.

  “I’ve been thinking about becoming a cop,” he said, shocking the shit out of me. I’d finished my steak and was enjoying the last of my porter. I put the glass down with a clang.

  I was the one without words after that statement.

  This was the first time my overprotective, but gentle brother had ever even hinted at wanting to join the police force.

  When I finally got my bearings I asked, “Why? I mean, no offense, man, but you’re twenty-seven, and you’ve never showed the slightest interest in being a cop.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but I didn’t want to say anything. I don’t know how Brock’ll feel about it.”

  I saw the concern on his face.

  “Brady, Brock will support you no matter what. Shoot, he never gave me any grief about going to culinary school, and he didn’t say a word when I took off for Europe, putting school on hold. He just wants us to be happy, you know that.”

  A myriad of emotions crossed his face as he processed what I’d said, but when he replied softly, “I don’t want to disappoint him.” I realized he was worried about more than having Brock’s support.

  “Why do you think you would?”

  “I’m not like you, Bren. I’ve been working with Brock since I could hold a job, and he’s been giving me more responsibility. And, I’ve wanted it … I don’t want to leave him high and dry at the business. He’s expecting me to be there with him, to eventually be his partner.” He took a long drink, probably needing the distraction. Talking about his feelings wasn’t on Brady’s list of top ten things he liked to discuss.

  I understood his concerns, but I also knew the man who’d been more of a father than a brother to us, and even if he were initially upset, he’d want what Brady wanted.

  “You just have to talk to him about it. If it’s what you really want to do, you know he’ll come around.”

  “What about the band?” he asked, his eyes conveying that Brock wasn’t the only person he was worried about disappointing.

  “What about it? It survived while I was gone, and it’ll survive while you’re at the academy. I’m sure that after a few years of working the beat, you’d have some free time to pound on your drums. It’s not like you’re any good anyway,” I added with a grin.

  “Fuck off,” he replied with a laugh. Then he added, “Don’t mention anything to Brock or Victoria tonight though, okay? I need a little more time to work everything out in my head.”

  “Of course,” I said, then decided it was my turn to share something with him. “So, I’m officially seeing someone.”

  Brady slowly lowered his glass to the table, his eyes never leaving my face, as if he were trying to figure out if I was messing with him or not.

  “Like, a woman?” he asked.

  “Yeah, Brady, of course like a woman.”

  “One woman?”

  “Very funny. Yes, I’m seeing one woman. Exclusively. Just the two of us.”

  Brady blinked slowly, and I started to get pissed off.

  “Jesus, is it that hard to believe? I didn’t say that I’d just joined an all-girl cover band. I said I’m dating someone…”

  Brady folded his hands on the table and leaned closer.

  “The all-girl cover band thing would be more believable.”

  “Fuck off,” I said, echoing his earlier words.

  “C’mon, Bren, it’s not as if you’ve ever uttered those words before. You can’t be surprised that I’m surprised.”

  Nodding, because I did get where he was coming from, I said, “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

  “Who is she?”

  “That woman I mentioned the other day. Her name is Bronagh, she owns Callaghan’s and teaches a few classes at the culinary school.”

  Brady whistled low between his teeth.

  “Your teacher, huh?”

  “It’s not like that, I met her before I knew she was my teacher.”

  He looked thoughtful for a minute, then asked, “How old is she?”

  “Thirty-five.”

  Brady nodded, then asked, “Thirty-five and single?”

  I signaled to the waiter to grab us our check and replied, “She was married. It wasn’t good. Now, she’s single. Has been for a couple years.”

  “So she’s been married, owns her own business, and has entered into a relationship with a twenty-six year old singer who’s never been in a relationship and is at the beginning stages of his career.”

  “You have a problem with that?” I shot him a look, daring him to answer my question the wrong way.

  “Nope,” he said, the p making a popping sound when he spoke. “Just be careful, brother.”

  Chapter Ten ~ Bronagh

  “I want to take you camping,” Brendan had stated a couple days ago, causing me to look at him curiously.

  “Camping? You don’t really look the type.”

  “What does a camper look like?” he’d asked with a chuckle.

  I shrugged, unsure of the answer myself.

  “I guess I just never thought that would be something that you’d enjoy.”

  “Well, it is,” Brendan said with a smile, caressing my arm in a way that I could really get used to. “My dad used to take us. Brock and Brady remember that more than I do, but later, after, whenever Brock managed to get a day off, the three of us would take off to our favorite spot and spend as much time as we could outdoors.”

  The look on his face told me what that time with his brothers meant to him, and I found that I really wanted to share the experience with him.

  “I’ve never been camping,” I admitted, causing him to look at me with a broad grin.

  “Then let me show you,” he replied. I knew that with that look on his face, and tone in his voice, he could ask me to do anything and the answer’d be yes!

  That was why we were currently parking his brother’s truck in the middle of nowhere.

  We got out of the car, but when I would have turned to grab my things, I noticed Brendan was rounding the front of the car. He crooked his finger, his fac
e so handsome with a small little smile lifting the corners of his mouth, that my feet starting taking me toward all of his goodness, before my brain even had a chance to comprehend what I was doing.

  When I reached him at the front of the truck, he pulled me into his arms, kissed my forehead, and cradled me gently in his arms.

  “I’m so happy you’re here,” his said against my knit cap. He’d warned me that the temperatures would get cooler at night, so I’d packed accordingly.

  “Me too,” I replied, snugging into the soft fabric of his well-worn plaid shirt.

  We stood there, holding each other, as the crisp mountain air blew around us, and I was grateful for the warm sweater I’d thrown on over my long-sleeved shirt at the last minute.

  I sighed, wanting to mentally capture this perfect moment and hold it close forever.

  Too soon he pulled back, his green eyes surveying my face.

  “Ready?”

  “Absolutely,” I replied, sure that my smile was big enough to light up the sky but not caring.

  We trekked through the trees, about a mile away from where we parked. The scenery was beautiful and calming, but when the trees broke and we entered the clearing, I felt my breath hitch.

  We were stopped at the bank of a stream, forest all around us, and the sun beginning to set to the right of us. It was the most beautiful thing I’d seen since the last time I’d traveled to Ireland.

  “It’s gorgeous!” I exclaimed, dropping my bags at my feet and taking it all in.

  “Brock said Dad found it when he was on a fishing trip with his buddies, and we’ve been coming here ever since.

  “I can see why.”

  “I’ll get the tent set up, then we can get some wood for a fire and get that going for dinner.”

  “Let me help,” I offered, even though I had no idea what I was doing.

  That fact became apparent five minutes later, when Brendan had the tent fully erected and I was still trying to figure out how to fold the cover so it would fit back into the bag correctly.

  “You’ve really never been camping before…” he said, more of a statement than a question.

  “Nope,” I replied, handing him the cover when he reached for it. “We moved here a couple years after my mom died, so my da was working and trying to get us established. We took care of the house together, and cooked together, and whenever he could afford it, he’d take me to the circus, or a carnival that was driving through.”

  “Sounds nice,” Brendan said. I scowled when I realized he’s already gotten that damn cover to fit in its too-small bag, causing him to chuckle. “Just takes practice, Freckles. Just wait until we have to put the tent back.”

  I looked from the large two-person tent to the small bag that Brendan had carried it in and grimaced. I was not looking forward to that.

  Once we had enough wood, Brendan started it with ease and we began prepping for dinner. He was knee deep in the water, fishing for our protein, while I was shucking corn and cutting up potatoes. He had a device that sat over the fire, so that you could place a skillet on top of one side, and grill on the other side. It was quite genius actually, and I was curious to see how the food would turn out.

  “Caught one,” Brendan said, holding up a large bass proudly.

  “Wow, you’re shockingly good at this stuff,” I replied, thoroughly impressed.

  “I’m going to go clean it. We have a station a ways from the camp. Be back soon.”

  “Okay,” I replied, thinking it was a good idea not to have fish guts right by where we were sleeping.

  I suddenly wondered if there were bears in the woods, and began to totally freak myself out.

  It felt like hours before Brendan came back into the clearing with his prepared fish, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him.

  “You okay?” he asked, looking down at my expression.

  “Yeah, just happy you’re not a bear.”

  “You don’t have to worry, we’ve never once seen a bear in all the years we’ve been coming here. A couple coyotes or wolves, maybe, but no bears.”

  “Coyotes and wolves?” I asked, wondering how long it would take me to get to the truck.

  Brendan laughed as he pulled me up and into his arms. “I’m just fucking with you … We’ll be fine.”

  I pushed away and slapped him on the chest, then took the fish from him.

  “Everything’s prepped, should I lay it all on your grill?”

  “Here,” he said, bending over to pull a small bag from his pack and handing it to me. I zipped it open to find an array of spices inside.

  “You bring your own spices?”

  “We’re camping,” he replied, bending over and grabbing the pan of potatoes, before handing them to me to be seasoned. “But we’re not savages.”

  I sprinkled some salt, pepper, garlic salt, and what Brendan called his “special seasoning” on the potatoes, thinking I hadn’t given him enough credit, before handing them back and watching as he placed them over the open flame.

  Once everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection, we feasted, and I had to admit, it was one of the best meals I’d ever eaten.

  Once we’d cleaned up, Brendan pulled out his acoustic guitar and sat on a log by the fire, then gestured for me to sit with him.

  He sang, we made love under the stars, and fell asleep snuggling in Brendan’s sleeping bag. It was a perfect night, and I knew I’d never think of camping the same way again.

  Chapter Eleven ~ Brendan

  I woke slowly, the smell of fresh air, dirt, and forest assaulting my senses and reminding me where I was. I shifted slightly, aware of the fact that I needed to go find a tree, but suddenly registering the supple body entwined with mine.

  I opened one eye gingerly, taking in the bright-red hair strewn across my chest, and decided I didn’t give a fuck if my bladder was about to explode, I wasn’t moving from this spot.

  I moved one hand slowly, testing to see if Bronagh was awake or not, then moved it to cradle her rounded ass, pulling her tighter against my body.

  Shit! My dick apparently didn’t care if I had to piss or not either, it was hard as stone. She shifted her thigh, which had her rubbing against the base of my cock, and I groaned uncontrollably. I felt the curve of her lips against my bare chest and knew she was playing opossum.

  If she wanted to play dirty this morning, I was happy to oblige.

  I moved my hand under her shirt and into the waistband of her pajama pants, and, stroking as I caressed, I began fondling her through her panties. She remained still, but I could feel her breath coming out in pants as she became wet.

  Bronagh shifted again, this time sliding her hand down my torso and stroking my cock boldly, all pretense of sleep gone.

  I pushed the thin fabric aside and slipped my fingers inside her, easing in and out slowly, allowing the tension to build as she tilted her hips to allow better access. When the silky softness of her hand fisted around the head of my cock I bucked up and no longer felt like playing around.

  “Did you like making love last night, Freckles?” I asked, my voice rough from sleep and need.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  I flipped her onto her back as I rose up above her, taking in her pink cheeks and heavy-lidded eyes.

  “Well, I hope you’re in the mood to get fucked,” I growled, then leaned down and tugged her lower lip between my teeth and asked, “Are you, Bronagh?”

  “Yes, God, yes,” she replied immediately, licking her lip to sooth the bite.

  “Yes, what?” I asked, needed to hear the dirty words come out of that pretty little mouth.

  “Yes, fuck me,” she obliged, then reached up and grasped the back of my neck, pulling me down to ravage my mouth with hers.

  I got to my knees and grabbed her hips, bringing her a couple inches closer before lifting her hips off of the ground.

  “Wrap your legs around my waist,” I demanded. As soon as her heels hit my back, I took my dick in my hand a
nd stroked it, then ran it across her wet opening before thrusting inside.

  “Oh,” she gasped, closing her eyes when I was seated all the way inside of her.

  “Touch your tits.”

  Her eyes flew open and she lifted her shirt, doing as I asked. The sight of those delicate hands on her soft, supple breasts caused me to pound harder inside her. Her tits jiggled perfectly as she pinched the nipples and teased herself by rolling the hard peaks between her fingers.

  “That’s so fucking hot.” I gripped her hips tightly as I pumped in and out, already ready to come at the sight of the beautiful woman before me. “Now your clit, Bronagh. Make yourself come for me.”

  With zero hesitation she trailed her hand from her breast, down her smooth stomach, and through the small patch of ginger hair, before reaching her clit and moving her fingers in a circular motion. When she closed her eyes and arched her back at the sensation, I pulled out. I had the overwhelming need to finish her off myself, so I lowered myself a little and swung her knees over my shoulder, pushing her hand aggressively out of the way so I could feast on her.

  I was like a man possessed, and a short few seconds later, she was coming against my lips. I licked until she could take no more, then I let her slide bonelessly to the ground. Finally realized I didn’t have a condom on, I took matters into my own hands and began jacking myself off in front of her, still kneeling, as she watched with a hungry gaze. Before I could finish, she was knocking my hand out of the way and replacing it with her hot, wet mouth.

  I fisted my hand in her hair as she sucked, her head moving back and forth as she took me deeper inside. The taste of her on my lips, the sight of her blowing me, and the feel of that moist heat took me over the edge so quickly I would have been embarrassed if it hadn’t been so fucking perfect.

  Bronagh kept working me until I began softening in her mouth, then I gathered her down for a long, hard kiss. When she moved away and collapsed on my chest, her soft, fruity-scented hair splaying across me, I realized that I may be in trouble.