“We lived in that apartment above the bar, and I’d wait for it to close every night, and for him to come upstairs. I learned to have a bucket near the door so he could be sick, and then I’d help him to bed, then go to bed myself.”

“And get yourself off to school the next morning,” Declan guesses correctly.

“After I graduated, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I felt so much guilt, but I knew the best thing for me was to go. So I did. I went to college, majored in restaurant management, and thought I’d come back here and help Dad, but I just couldn’t do it.” I’m surprised that there are no tears. I’m just telling him the story as if it belongs to someone else.

Sometimes it feels like it did happen to someone else.

“No one would blame you for that, sugar. I’m sure your daddy didn’t.”

“No, he didn’t. But I can’t help but feel guilty that I never came home to see him. Not once.”

“You never saw him after you graduated from high school?” he asks incredulously.

“He visited me a couple of times,” I reply and sigh deeply. “I should have come home. But I didn’t. Maybe that makes me weak.”

“I wouldn’t call you weak.”

“I couldn’t keep the apartment upstairs. It had too many bad memories.”

“So you made it into a kick ass, amazing space that others can enjoy.”

“Thank you,” I reply happily.

“Just speaking the truth again.”

My hand glides down his chest, his stomach, and finally finds his semi-hard cock. I stroke it a few times, fully waking it up, and climb on top of him.

“The truth turns you on?” he asks with a smile as his hands grip my ass and he guides me up and down.

“You turn me on,” I reply and lean back to brace myself on his legs, and then begin to ride him in earnest.

“Jesus, Callie, you make me crazy.”

Chapter Three

~Declan~

“Thanks for the ride home,” she says with a smile as I pull up to the curb just outside of Adam’s condo.

“I couldn’t have you walking home,” I reply and shove the car in park, then lean over and kiss her thoroughly. I had her in several positions through the night, and yet I’m ready to take her again, right here.

She sends my dick into overdrive.

“The walk of shame,” she replies with a smirk.

“Nothin’ we did was shameful, darlin’,” I whisper and kiss her once more before I hop out and walk to the other side of the Jeep and open the door for her.

“I had fun,” she says with a flirty smile. Her hair is disheveled from my fingers, her classy clothes rumpled from spending the night on the floor, and she looks even better than she did when I picked her up last night.

She looks thoroughly fucked.

And damn if it doesn’t look good on her.

“Me too.” It’s the truth. I don’t remember the last time I had such a good time with a woman. Not to mention¸ I let her stay the night.

That’s rare.

She kisses me one more time, then turns and waves before she enters her building and disappears.

I’m gonna count last night as a success. Nothing much better in this world than sharing some laughs, conversation, and amazing sex with a beautiful woman.

I drive into the city to the head offices of Boudreaux Enterprises. I’m meeting my oldest brother Beau, along with our good friend Ben, for an hour or so of Krav Maga training and some good-natured ribbing.

What are brothers for, if you can’t give each other shit? I’m pretty sure it’s in the job description, and we all have an excellent work ethic.

When I reach the executive level, I toss a smile over at the receptionist and walk back to the gym with a spring in my step, humming a Keith Urban song. The others are already here, which is typical, given that I’m usually late.

“You’re chipper,” Ben says.

“And late,” Beau adds as he ties his shoes.

“I’m here,” I say simply and shrug. I snatch a bottle of water out of the mini fridge and take a long gulp. I always arrive dressed to work out. These idiots stop working in the middle of the day, change out of their monkey suits, then have to shower and change back.

Just one more reason that I wouldn’t be a good fit for a desk job. Suits make me twitchy.

“Has anyone heard from Eli or Kate?” I ask as I wipe water off my chin. “They should be in Aruba by now.”

“We won’t hear from them. They’ve gone radio silent,” Beau says with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t call you ugly assholes if I had a hot woman on a warm island all to myself,” Ben says then looks over at me and frowns. “Something’s up with you.”

“Nothing’s up with me,” I deny.

“Yeah there is,” Beau agrees. “You’re humming.”

“I’m a singer.” I roll my eyes and drink more water.

“You got laid,” Ben says with a wide smile. We’ve known Ben since we were small kids, and he’s really more of a brother to us. He’s not quite as tall as the three of us, but as a Krav Maga master, he’s much stronger.

Ben is badass. No one fucks with him. I’m just happy he likes me.

“The fact that you say that with surprise in your voice tells me that I haven’t gotten laid often enough lately.”

“Who was it this time?” Beau asks as we take to the mat. “Some chick you picked up at the bar?”

Close.

“What do you care?” I duck as Ben comes at me, but he’s a slippery fuck, and he switches tactics and has me on my back in about two seconds.

“Hey, I’m engaging you in conversation,” Beau replies with a grin, standing over me.

“Her name’s Callie,” I say and sit up.

“The owner of The Odyssey?” Ben asks.

“That’s the one.”

“The one you were telling us about a couple months ago, when we gave Rhys the what-for?” Beau asks, making me grin. That was a fun day. Our youngest sister, Gabby, fell in love with Kate’s cousin, Rhys, and we had to scare him a bit.

Because that’s what brothers do.

Except I don’t think we scared him much. Either way, Rhys stuck, and he and Gabby are disgustingly happy, which makes me happy.

All of my sisters should be happy.

“Yes, that’s her,” I reply.

“I didn’t think she wanted to have anything to do with you,” Ben says before he wraps an arm around Beau’s neck and tries to take him to the mat, but Beau twirls and slips out of the hold, pulls Ben’s arm behind his back and plants him in the mat face-down.

“Good one.” I clap once and rub my hands together. Today is going to be fun. “And I told Callie I was going to take her to dinner, and she didn’t argue.”

“You told her?” Beau says.

“I did.”

“Huh.” Beau scratches his cheek and scowls. “I thought you were supposed to ask.”

“If you ask, they can say no,” I reply with a smile.

“True. So, what did you do?” Ben asks.

“I took her to the football game, then back to my place.” Ben and Beau exchange a glance, then both scowl at me.

“Of all of us, you’re the romantic one,” Beau says and takes a swig of his own water. “You took her to a game and then fucked her?”

“I didn’t fuck her,” I reply immediately, then regret it when they both just stare at me speculatively. “I mean, I did fuck her—”

I break off and sigh, and these two yahoos just grin. Damn it.

“So, which was it?” Ben asks.

“And I thought you said you told her you were taking her to dinner?” Beau adds.

“I did. I bought her stadium food.” I walk over and punch the punching bag. “She likes football.”

God, why do I sound so defensive?

“Okay.” Ben nods. “And she was so impressed by your season tickets and popcorn that she begged you to fuck her?”

“It wasn’t that stupid. Or disgusting.” My voice is hard now, and I’m starting to get pissed. I know that in the past I would have laughed with them, and we would have moved on to another topic, but this time it grates. And I’m not sure why. I mean, Callie is a beautiful woman. I set my sights on her, took her out and tumbled her around in my bed.