Conned (7 page)

"It's actually more than what I expected, Conall. It's
really nice."

He didn't seem to hear her answer and added, "It would
be better to have a house, easier to keep you safe, but due to the situation,
this is the best I can do."

"Conall," she said firmly and put a hand on his
arm. That's when she noticed his hands were still gripping the steering wheel
and tightly by the looks of it. He flinched at the connection and she pulled
her hand back quickly as if she had been burned, which wouldn't surprise her.
She'd felt a brief hum of electricity whenever they touched and it wasn't
unpleasant. "It's great," she declared. "It's certainly a lot
nicer than a lot of other places I've lived in. If you think I will be safe
here, I'm all for it."

He narrowed his eyes at her and suddenly looked angry.
"What kinds of places have you lived in?"

She hesitated, not sure if that information had been in her
file or not, but decided it didn't matter and she was going to be completely
honest about as much as she could.

"My brother and I couldn't exactly afford luxury and I
was too busy working to really care where I spent my nights, as long as we were
safe. Rayce didn't care either, until he got older. But by then, he had ended
up with the wrong crowd and rarely came home… wherever home was."

Conall's eyes softened, but it didn't make her feel any better.
It was mortifying to talk about her past and how badly she had failed her
little brother. He hadn't had the life she wanted him to and because of that,
he was headed down the wrong path. She knew deep down there wasn't anything she
could have done, but it still hurt.

"This place will work," she finished and reached
for the door handle.

"It's not your fault, Emily."

She stilled at the sincerity she heard in his voice. He may
not speak much, but when he did, it wasn't wasted on meaningless words. Instead
of arguing with him she just nodded and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks,
Conall. I know differently, though."

Before he could respond, she climbed out of the truck and
made her way around the hood to meet him. They walked in silence to the front
office and picked up the key for the apartment that was available for them.

"This way," he said quietly, but she noticed the
huskiness in his voice and wondered if she had upset him. She couldn't imagine
why, but Conall was still a mystery to her.

When he directed her to a set of grated metal stairs, he
placed his hand on the small of her back as they climbed and she all but forgot
the hard looks he had given her over the last twenty four hours. A shiver ran
up her spine and she nearly stumbled at the first landing they came to.

This is getting ridiculous, Em. He isn't interested, he
can't
be interested, so quit it.

He turned her right and led her passed several doors,
indicating that the apartment would most likely be quite small. Didn't matter
because it was still going to be bigger than the one she had back in Denver.

He stopped in front of a crisp white door with the number
'214' on the front of it and the four was slightly tilted as if it was getting
ready to fall to the ground. The anticipation made her heart race and she
started fidgeting with her fingers, a habit she had formed over the last
several weeks that she absolutely hated. He unlocked the door and pushed it
open, then placed his hand on the small of her back once more and gently pushed
her inside. His hand was warm and strong and made her feel grounded… safe.

"I'll have a cleaning crew come before we move
in," he stated.

She barely heard him. The apartment was small and cozy and
probably the nicest place she would ever stay in other than the Brannock's. The
walls were painted white and the carpet was a grayish blue color that looked
brand new. When was the last time she had seen new carpet? She couldn't
remember. Off to the side was the cutest damn kitchen she had ever laid eyes on
with a tiny breakfast nook tucked in the corner. The tile was a bright white
and the counters were just a little darker than the carpet.

And there were cabinets.

Actual cabinets with doors and everything.

She felt a sting in the back of her eyes and her breath
caught in her throat.

Why can't this be for real?

"Emily?" she heard Conall ask with concern.

"Where's the bedroom?" she breathed excitedly and
hurried past him to find it.

He chuckled from behind her, but she ignored him and crashed
through the first door she came upon. The bathroom. Same white tile as the
kitchen and same color countertops, but she gasped when she saw the shower
and
the bathtub. Two separate fixtures. The shower was big enough for two people
and the bathtub was deep enough to swim in.

When was the last time I ever just took a bath?

She didn't take the time to think on it and whipped around
to go find the bedroom. She crashed into Conall on the way out and he was still
chuckling softly, but grasped her upper arms to steady her.

"Whoa, take a breath."

She couldn't stop the smile if she wanted to and her eyes
filled with happy tears. Finally,
happy
tears.

"This place is perfect," she all but shouted and,
without thinking, jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Before she realized exactly what she was doing, she felt his
arms go around her waist and squeeze her gently. She was lost in the moment
until the feel of his breath on her neck as he buried his nose in her hair made
her very aware of the gentle hold he had on her.

When he muttered, "Good," she closed her eyes and
pretended this was real, too.

Conall

"I think maybe you overdid it on the cake, kid."

Ash was beaming at the huge monstrosity sitting in the
middle of the kitchen island. The rest of us were doing our best not to burst
out laughing at the very cliché five tiered tower of frosted goodness.

"You don't have a stripper in there, do you?" Gus
asked hopefully and I quickly smacked him in the back of the head before Ash
could.

"Come on, it's perfect. Dad deserves a huge send off,
don't you think?"

Luke nodded eagerly even though Ash had her back to him and
couldn't see that he was trying hard to kiss her ass. Gus, on the other hand,
was shaking his head vigorously and trying not to grimace.

"I don't think this is the kind of send off he needs. A
simple one layer square cake with ninja turtle figurines would probably have
done the job just as well," he chuckled.

Ash had contacted one of Mom's old friends who designed
cakes for weddings and birthdays and the two of them had put their heads
together. Apparently they decided that bigger was better. I couldn't wait to
see the look on Dad's face when this… whatever it was, was rolled in. Then
again, he was always good at controlling his reactions and would probably smile
bigger than ever and show his gratitude.

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was almost time for
the guests to start arriving. Emily had spent most of the day with my sister
helping her take care of last minute details, then she'd hurried up the stairs
an hour ago to get ready and still wasn't back yet. I stepped out of the
kitchen doorway and glanced up at the top of the stairs.

Nothing.

"Whatcha doin, brother?"

Rolling my eyes, I cursed myself for being so damn weak
while Gus was around.

"Nothing. Just want to make sure things go well for Ash
and Dad."

"Mmhmm. You think she fits in that dress Ash let her
borrow?"

The thought of punching my brother in the gut crossed my
mind, but the image I had of Emily was too distracting. She was borrowing one
of my sister's cocktail dresses that she said she'd never used - and thank God
for that because I knew exactly what men would see if she had. That wasn't the
reason I was so anxious to see her, though.

We had gone to lunch after leaving the apartment and running
a few errands and we spent a good portion of the afternoon just talking. We
discussed the case for a minute, but when I saw her discomfort, I changed the
subject to her job in Denver, going against all the plans I had to keep my
distance from her. I already knew she was a teacher, but hearing her talk about
it had given me a glimpse of her I would have never seen otherwise. Her smile
lit up the room when she told me about all her students and how much she missed
them.

She steered the conversation to me and for the first time in
a long time, I actually enjoyed talking about myself. It had been so long since
I wanted someone to really know me, but with her, it had been easy to relax and
let her in a little.

"So you, Gus, and Lucas have been the Three Musketeers
since you were born?" she asked in amazement.

"Yeah, just about. Luke's mom and my mom were good
friends at the time."

"That's great. It must be nice to have such a close
group. I bet you boys got into a lot of trouble."

The wink she gave me had an unexpected effect. It made me
want to tell her every dirty little secret I ever kept and then some. "Not
too much, but enough. The most trouble we got into was with Mom and had to do
with one or all of us pissing off Aislinn."

She laughed, her eyes sparkling and making me forget that
things were getting too personal.

"Ash knows you boys love her."

"Hope so."

"She does. It shows when you all are together. She may
hate the fact that you boys held her back, but the outcome proves
otherwise." She smiled at me for a moment then blinked and looked down at
her half eaten sandwich. "Will you tell me more about your mom?"

Never in my life had I been able to carry on a pleasant
conversation like that with any woman other than my sister. All day I had
anticipated talking to her again and in the back of my mind, I knew it was a
mistake.

It couldn't continue no matter how much I wanted to know
about her.

"Hmm," I grunted, remembering that Gus had asked
me a question.

"Yeah, I think so, too," he wiggled his eyebrows.

My brother was certainly asking for a beating, but doing so
would prove to him that he was right about me. I couldn't take my eyes or my
mind off of Emily and it had nothing to do with my job. She could come
downstairs in sweats and still keep my attention.

"You need a drink?" he asked and poked me in the
side with his elbow.

"Hell yeah," I grumbled and strolled back into the
kitchen to find something to dull my senses. One drink wasn't going to hurt,
but I had to stay sharp. If it wasn't so important that people saw us together
as a couple so we could spend the next few months in town, I wouldn't have even
entertained the idea of having her at the party. Especially after that little
episode at the apartment. Why it made me feel so damn proud that I had chosen
something she loved, I have no idea.

Aislinn was fluttering around the kitchen, arranging dishes
and double checking everything for the millionth time. I threw back a glass of
Tullamore Dew that Dad had hidden in the cabinet and resigned myself to being
social tonight. Or as social as I could get.

I moved toward my sister and put my arm around her shoulders
to hug her to my side and keep her from flying off the handle. She immediately
wrapped her arm around my waist and I smiled when she rested her head on my
shoulder. That conversation with Emily sparked a new appreciation for my little
sister. I was lucky to have her. We all were.

"Hey kid, you know that everything is going to go off
without a hitch. This party is going to be amazing because of you."

She sighed and absently nodded, but I could still see her
counting the rolls and eyeing the dip.

"Ash," I chided.

She flinched and turned her head until she caught my stern
expression that I hoped would snap her out of it. "What?"

"You look beautiful."

And she did. She was wearing a light blue dress that only
made her grey eyes more striking and her hair was curled flawlessly and hanging
over her shoulders and down her back. I always knew my little sister was pretty
- if I didn't, I wouldn't have worried so much about her - but tonight I
actually saw how breathtaking she truly was. She even made that ugly sling look
amazing.

"Thank you, Con," she smiled and her eyes
sparkled.

"I miss you tons, kid."

She squeezed her arm around me tighter and stretched up on
her toes to kiss my cheek, "I miss you, too. It's nice to know you'll be
around for a while."

"Promise to find time to call after you marry that
asshat?" I teased and jerked my head in the direction Luke was standing.
He and Gus were debating on whether or not to make a sandwich now or see if
they could survive until dinner.

She scoffed and smacked me on the chest. "Not if you
are going to call my fiancé names. I've been trying to get Gus to quit calling
him Shady…"

I laughed and kissed her hair, "You better just give up
on that now. He's never going to grow up."

"Good," she beamed at me then her eyebrows snapped
together and her grey eyes that looked just like Mom's darted around the
kitchen. "Where is Emily? Is she having trouble getting ready?"

I shrugged and dropped my arm back to my side to let her go
and she immediately headed for the stairs. "Leave her be, Ash. I'm sure
she's just a little nervous. She doesn't know anybody that is going to be here
except us and she has to
pretend
to be my girlfriend when she knows hardly
anything about me. I would probably lock myself in a room to avoid that
shit."

Ash whirled around to face me, her eyes wide and her lips
pursed in defiance. "I don't think the pretending is going to be very
hard, Con. But you
will
have to stay by her to field any questions she
may have a hard time answering. I don't know how you boys can do this stuff.
It's all so damn stressful. She's tough, though. She'll keep it together and
you'll help her."

I didn't get a chance to reassure her that I was good at my
job and there was nothing to worry about since I didn't plan on leaving Emily's
side at all. I also didn't get the chance to ask her what she meant when she
said that pretending wasn't going to be very hard. I was hardly even able to
process what Ash was talking about because my eyes caught a glimpse of Emily in
the doorway and I was done for.

Ash was beautiful, but Emily… there were no words worthy
enough to describe her.

"Oh, Emily! You look incredible!" Ash exclaimed
and rushed forward to pull her into a hug and study her hair and makeup. They
went on for a few minutes about the dress that I just couldn't take my eyes off
of and when Ash pulled her toward me, my chest tightened and I felt the urge to
rub my hand over my heart to relieve the pressure.
Am I having a heart
attack? What
is
this?

Emily looked up at me from beneath her eyelashes and damn it
if that didn't make me want to kiss her until she couldn't breathe. The air
around us thickened and the pressure in my chest held tighter with every breath.

"Hi."

It was a simple word and the response I should have given
was just as simple, but I couldn't speak as I took in the details up close.

Her blonde hair was pinned up into some kind of fancy twist
thing with small pieces falling out of it, making the style sexier than it
would have been otherwise. Her makeup wasn't dramatic like I thought it would
be and the green of her eyes was even more noticeable with the colors she had
chosen. The white dress she was wearing fit her like a glove. No other way to
describe it. Every curve was accentuated by the thin, stretchy material. There
was only one strap over her left shoulder and the neckline revealed enough to
tease at the soft skin I knew was underneath. The hem stopped at the top of her
knees, allowing a view of her long, smooth legs. She couldn't be any taller
than 5'4", but those legs looked like they went on for miles.

And the shoes.

Damn you, Aislinn!

Those heels would only look better if they were digging into
my back.

"Con, Are you okay?"

My sister's voice sounded more amused than panicked and I
shook my head to clear away my dirty thoughts.

"You look… Wow!" It was all I could say and not
enough of what I
wanted
to say.

"Thank you, Conall. You look very handsome
yourself," Emily muttered with a small grin, bringing my attention to
those plump lips. She wasn't wearing any lipstick, just some kind of gloss that
brought out the natural pink of those lips and I desperately wanted to taste
them.

"Doesn't he? I love when the boys wear suits. They may
hate it, but they look so handsome," Ash rambled then turned to me.
"She didn't bring anything fancy, of course, so I'm glad we are about the
same size. Emily, this dress is perfect for you. You can definitely keep it. No
way could I pull it off like that."

Emily was still looking up at me when she started to
protest, but it was on that thought, I turned back to the cabinet where the
Tullamore was and poured myself another glass. I needed a minute to pull myself
together and the sound of Ash pulling Emily out the door to look at the
decorations was like a heavy weight off of my shoulders. I sighed as the drink
went down and immediately soothed me. When I turned back to the kitchen, Luke
and Gus were smiling like a bunch of idiots.

"Hey Shady? Isn't that the look you got on your face
when you saw Ash fifteen minutes ago?" Gus said casually without taking
his eyes off me.

Luke nodded, his expression serious. "Yep. But I was
able to pull her into a room and kiss her senseless. Helped a little bit."

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and grumbled under my
breath. That
would
help. Maybe. It would at least relieve this ache in
my chest I couldn't seem to get rid of and that was the worst part. I could
avert my eyes when necessary and my head would benefit from the distraction,
but this tight grip around what could only be my heart… I couldn't do a damn
thing about it.

I liked her.

Really
liked her.

I knew this was going to be trouble. I didn't have time for
this crap.

"Yeah. Too bad, Con. Never thought I'd see the day that
my big brother would get his ass handed to him by a dress."

"Did you see that thing? Luke, look me in the eye and
tell me that if Ash wore that-"

"Whoa there," Luke stopped me with a laugh.
"Ash has worn that to try it on and I have to be honest, she was gorgeous
but she's right. She didn't pull it off the same way Emily has. Plus, she's my
fiancé, I'm allowed to pull her aside and kiss her senseless. You're on your
own, buddy."

"Asshole," I growled.

"If you want, I can be her date tonight," Gus suggested.

If my father hadn't walked in at that moment, I don't know
what I would have done to my little brother. The thought of him with his hands
on her made me feel like I was suffocating.

This is getting ridiculous.

"We ready to get this thing over with?" Dad said
cheerily, then noticed me still holding onto the bottle that was only used in
emergencies and smirked. "I take it you saw Emily."

I nodded and put the bottle back on the shelf before I
closed the cabinet door and turned away from all of them. I didn't have to hear
it to know what Dad was thinking. I could see it every time he looked at Emily.
He had gotten to know her better than any of us really, with the exception of
Ash. He liked her, too. For me. But it didn't matter.