Juice: The O'Malleys Book 1, contemporary Adult Romance (12 page)

“Wow, no wonder you have a romance novelist in the family. That’s some adventure. Tell me more about the resorts?”

“We like to provide exclusive private holiday destinations, while making a conscious effort not to disrupt any of the natural flora and fauna of the area. On our resort Islands it’s couples or family quiet time only. There are no damaging water sports or anything that would cause internal damage to the surrounding areas. The resorts are completely energy efficient and use only natural sustainable fuels. They are mainly solar powered and we utilize the natural beauty of the landscape as our selling point.” Cass nodded along enthusiastically.

“Wow, I am genuinely impressed Rory. You father and mother sound amazing by the way. What interesting stories they must have of the sixties in San Francisco.”

“They are a pretty unique couple all right.”

“So, tell me what you are looking for in terms of art?’

“How about we play a little game first. I answer five questions and you answer five questions. A kind of quick fire gets to know each other.”

“And why would I do that?” Cassidy grinned at him from behind her glass.

“Because Cassidy,” he said leaning forward and returning her grin.

“I’m interested in you, in getting to know you better. I like you, humour me.”

Cassidy tugged her teeth against her bottom lip and rubbed her index finger around the top of her wine glass.

“Okay, shoot.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No. Are you a billionaire?”

“Not yet. I’m a multi-millionaire, billionaire in training,” he laughed, a rich warm sound. Do you find me attractive?”

“Yes. But, I try not to mix business and pleasure. Do you always get what you want?”

“Yes, I do. Do you think I find you attractive?”

“I don’t know, it hasn’t crossed my mind.
Liar, liar. Shut up!
Why do you play with your hair when you talk about your family?”

“Perceptive. Probably guilt related. I don’t go home as often as I promise I will. Sometimes they crowd me. And I do, Cassidy. Find you attractive, that is. You are very beautiful.”

“Thank you. That’s not a question.”

“I changed the game. I get bored easily, it’s a thing.”

“Oh a thing, really? Well I shall try my hardest not to bore the multi-millionaire, billionaire in training!”

“Impossible Cassidy, you are far too intriguing. Funny and sweet too.”

Cassidy liked the way he said her name, the soft Irish lit in his voice was so attractive.

“You don’t look very Irish,” Cass said.

“Not every Irish person has red hair and freckles or looks like Darragh. Plus, most of us don’t actually have a donkey-load of turf in the back garden. I don’t own an Aran sweater either, my dad does though. But, you’re right. My mother being Italian and my Dad being Irish created a strange mixture of hybrid kids. We grew up in both Ireland and Italy. My family home is in the south west of Ireland, in county Clare. A small village called Kilvarna. It’s beautiful really, not too far from the sea and just down the road from Bunratty castle. It’s pretty picturesque.”

“Wow. That sounds like a fantastic place to grow up in. I’ve never been to Ireland but the scenery is not unlike Devon, from photographs I’ve seen. So, you’re a combination of Irish and Italian? That sounds like a feisty pairing. Although, that’s probably another stereotype.”

“No. That one is pretty accurate Cassidy. We are pretty full on, our house is always loud. There’s always plenty of laughter and arguments and food. We’re all pretty obsessed with our grub. With five kids in the family, it’s non-stop chatter and banter.”

“Yeah, I’d say so with four brothers and sisters!

Wow, that sounds wonderful, there is just the two of us my brother Harry and I. We-” Cassidy paused, a deep frown darkening her face. She shook her head. Rory knew what was coming and his heart clenched in his chest for her. He didn’t want to hear it now; he didn’t want to feel it.

“Sorry, there
were
two of us growing up. I’m a twin too. Or, at least I was a twin. I lost my brother Harry, three years ago. In a car accident. It’s just me now and my mum and dad. Brian and Alice.”

Rory stretched his large hand across the table and covered her small one squeezing it.

“I’m so sorry, twins? You must have been close. Katie and Junie my nieces are like two peas in a pod. I can’t imagine what you went through.”

She raised her head up and smiled softly.

“That’s really brilliant that they are close. Yes, yes we were very close. Harry was my best friend and my other half. My better half in many ways.”

Her pain was evident and it tore at Rory’s heart. Losing someone you loved that deeply must be torturous. He had been there for Annie as much as he could and had witnessed her pain. He remembered the night she had disappeared not long after James’ death. How terrified they all had been, as they scoured the countryside looking for her. They had found her hours later, in the graveyard lying face down on James’ grave. His brother Rian had carried her in his arms back to their Jeep, cradling her gently. It had nearly killed them to watch her fall apart. It was something he never imagined he would see his little sister go through. Annie was usually so strong, so bull headed. Love can be lost in the blink of an eye and he knew he had to keep it at a distance. Love was for other people. Not for Rory O’Malley. He was lucky to still have all his family, just a phone call away. He looked at Cass and wanted to take away her pain. It surprised him how deeply she affected him. He didn’t even know her and yet something deep inside of him seemed to listen to her hearts rhythm.

He shook his head.
Where the hell did that come from?
Jesus, if his brothers could hear him now they would look at him in silence before bursting with laughter. Hell, if it had been one of them drooling over a woman they had just met and talking about heart rhythms he would have been pissing himself laughing too
. Is this what it feels like to want someone so badly it hurts physically?
He felt like a prick keeping his knowledge of her brother’s death from her.

“How are your parents coping with losing Harry?”

“They’re managing. Three years has lessened the sting of the grief and the shock of it all. But a piece of them has gone forever. Sometimes I feel guilty for growing older.

You know, they watch me changing and Harry well-”

She turned her face away as her eyes filled with unshed tears.
Damn, how unprofessional is this!!
It had been so long since she had spoken of Harry to a stranger
. For some reason I need to open up to him. How the heck did that happened? Why?
Cassidy coughed and put her hands on her lap. “Well, I think that’s enough Q&A for the night Rory. Why don’t you tell me what you are looking for in terms of art and where you would like to start?”

Rory looked at her and smiled at her nodding his head.

“Okay, art talk in a little while, food first. I’m starving. And, as I said before, I love to eat.” Cassidy blushed. She didn’t even know why, but looking at his lips move and talk about eating made her feel a slow throb in her knickers. She fanned herself with her hand.

“Whoa it’s warm in here.”

Rory nodded in agreement. “Getting hotter by the minute.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Rory raised his hand and beckoned over the matire’d’. He stood to hug the man.

“Carlo, lovely to see you again. Come, meet my new friend Cassidy Evans. Cassidy this is my good friend, Carlo Ferrelli. Carlo manages the bistro when Darragh is away. He’d be lost without him.”

Carlo beamed under the praise. He took Cassidy’s hand and raised it to his lips. “Mademoiselle Evans, it is my very great pleasure to meet you. You must be a very good friend indeed. Rory does not usually bring friends to the bistro.” He looked at Rory and raised an eyebrow. Rory laughed and clapped Carlo on the back.

“Ah Carlo, you know me too well. Cassidy is also a businesswoman. I am plying her with expensive wine and good food in the hopes that she will agree to work with me.”

Cassidy liked the way he said
with me
and not
for me
. As the men talked and bantered with each other, she drank in Rory’s essence. He wore a crisp white shirt under a black suit. With his jacket slung on the back of the chair she could see his tanned body gleaming at her from beneath his shirt. His arms filled the sleeves and she could make out his biceps beneath. His huge frame was all she could think about and she picked a spot on his neck to focus on. Otherwise, her eyes were constantly being drawn to his brown nipples that she could make out beneath the material. She watched as he rubbed his chin and heard the rasp of his black stubble. He pulled back his lips to smile at Carlo and his white straight teeth made her bite her lip. Damn his mouth was soooooofrickinamazing!  She was wet and felt herself clench beneath the table. It would take nothing to come on the spot; she was so hot for him! She wondered what his hair would feel like between her fingers as she pictured herself fisting it. In her mind she pulled his head back to lick his Adams apple and nipped at the base of his neck where his stubble ended.
Oh sweet Jesus, this is ridiculous
. She was twenty-four years old for heaven’s sake, not seventeen. He was hairy she noted, she liked that. Where his watch sat on his wrist, black hair swirled around and disappeared up his sleeve. Cass wondered if he had a lot of hair “down there” too. Jonathan had favoured a back, sack and crack wax. She hadn’t been a fan. He was quite vocal about how much he would have liked her to be completely hairless too. She had never agreed to it and was glad she hadn’t given in to every demand he had made of her. Especially considering what a knuckle dragging fucker he had turned out to be. She just knew Rory’s balls were hairy. He had that look about him.
Why am I imagining Rory O’Malley’s balls? Seriously, I need to get laid!
  She took a huge gulp of wine and smiled at Rory as Carlo prepared to take their order.

“What dirty things have you on your mind?” Rory back smiled at her and winked.

Cassidy swallowed her wine the wrong way and started to cough and splutter.

“Jesus, forgive me. That was totally inappropriate.”

Rory jumped up and began to clean the table and pat her face with a serviette.

“You just had a look on your face like you were hungry for something.”

Yeah, your hairy balls!
Cass shook her head and took another drink from her water glass, still coughing.

“No. No you’re fine, really. It just went down the wrong way.” She all but slapped his hand away. He stayed beside her a look of concern on his face.

“Seriously, I’m fine thank you.”
God, please let the
ground swallow me up. Now!

She looked up at him and nodded. He looked a bit uncertain but smiled at her as he sat back down.

“Perfect. Sooooooooo, how would you like your steak?”

“Medium, please.”

“Two medium steaks please Carlo, all the trimmings too. And a bottle of the house cabernet sauvignon too.” Carlo nodded and headed off towards the kitchen.

“Hope that’s okay? I thought I’d get rid of him as quickly as I could. He tends to hang around for a chat, especially if there is a beautiful woman in the vicinity.”

Cassidy blushed under his gaze.

“All the trimmings, what does that entail? Sounds interesting.”

“Ah, a woman after my own heart”, he stopped then and looked at her.
Would she be gentle with a man’s heart
?

“Umm… all the trimmings are, home cut fries, onions, mushrooms, garlic and pepper sauce, baby broccoli shoots and French beans and a little secret somethin’, somethin.’ He faked an American southern drawl that had her smiling widely at him.

“And yes, I eat here a lot and have designed the dish to suit my own appetite and general whim. I seriously could eat this meal every day.” He blew out a breath and raised his glass to his lips, not drinking, just holding it at his mouth.

“Well then, I can’t wait to dig in. Please tell me you make them provide a side of tomato sauce. I can’t have steak and chips without it!”

Rory leaned in and crooked his finger at her to draw towards him. He spoke to her seriously.

“Cassidy, it would be a crime for anyone to serve fries without ketchup.”

He was close enough for her to smell the sweet wine on his breath. Her eyes darted to his lips, and she unconsciously licked hers. Rory’s eyes caught the movement and he tilted his head and moved in towards her. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until Cassidy pulled back suddenly and stood up muttering ‘bathroom’ before shooting off towards the double doors to her left. She stood with her head against the coolness of the bathroom mirror banging it lightly.
NONONONONONO!
This was not the way to conduct a business meeting. Why did it have to be him? Why did he have to be the one who lit up her knickers like a Halloween bonfire! She hadn’t been this turned on and this hot for a man, in years. Not even when she was a hormonal fourteen year old in secondary school and in love with Alan Aspen. He had kissed the face off her and told her he would marry her if he could put his hand down her knickers. She hadn’t let him and he had unceremoniously dumped her by passing her a note in history class. When he had ended up getting their history teacher pregnant and landing in jail five years later for stealing a lawnmower, she had felt somewhat vindicated.  Cassidy raised her head, and shook it back and forth in the mirror.