Her body went rigid as she placed a very chaste kiss on my cheek then slid back, out of my grasp.

  I was just inside of this woman not long ago, and now she was kicking me out?

  This must be what rugger huggers felt like on the daily. That thought soured my stomach even more.

  “Good night, Sean. I’ll make sure you get an early morning wakeup call, and I’ll see about the pastries and coffee,” she said as she headed toward the door, opening it for me.

  I gave her a quick hug, her body again stiffening against me. I closed my eyes and inhaled her sweet, floral scent, ingraining it in my memory. Then I let go, trying not to look back as I left the small flat and she shut the door behind me.

  I took the stairs slowly down to the ground floor and exited into the cool night air.

  I had to get my shite together.

  This was just one night, and now we could both move on and try to forget it.

  But that wasn’t happening any time soon.

  …

  The flight to Rome was early.

  Too fecking early.

  But when I woke up, my senses alerted me to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and something savory.

  The moonlight still peeked in from my bedroom window, so I sat up and glanced at the clock.

  Two a.m.

  Was there really a delivery person in my house this early?

  I put on a pair of gym shorts I found on the ground and an old Murphy’s shirt before padding toward the kitchen, wondering what kind of person Leah found to come to my house this early.

  I froze in the doorway from the living room to the kitchen where, across the way, Leah stood with her back to me, stirring something over the stove.

  She wasn’t in the same tight little dress she wore earlier, but she looked just as spectacular in a pair of tight jeans, molding to her curves, and a top that ended in the middle of her back, showing off the colorful ink swirling down to her waistband.

  “You really did come through with breakfast.”

  She jumped, whirling around to face me, her eyes wide as I approached.

  Feck, my heart beat faster.

  She didn’t have a bit of her usual makeup on, revealing light freckles around her nose that I never noticed before. I wanted to kiss them so badly that I had to shove my hands in my pockets so I didn’t reach out and cup her face.

  “You scared the shit out of me,” she said, putting her hand to her chest, her other hand gripping a spatula.

  “Try waking up and smelling something and wondering if there is a delivery person in your house.” I smiled, but she didn’t respond with the same gesture, frowning instead.

  There went my happy, slightly horny mood.

  “I couldn’t sleep, and there weren’t delivery places open this early, so thought I’d see you off to the airport with coffee, some huevos rancheros, and pan dulce.”

  My chest tightened, looking over her at the colorful array of vegetables sautéing in a pan with eggs.

  Fecking hell, she did care.

  “I can’t believe you’re cooking for me,” I whispered, full of warmth that wasn’t there moments ago.

  “Well, you did it for me,” she muttered, scooting back and pulling out a tray of rolls from the oven, the sweet vanilla and cinnamon scent making my mouth water.

  “Not at this ungodly hour, though,” I said, sidling up beside her and grabbing two mugs, pouring us each a full cup of coffee from the carafe. I had to do something useful, so I wouldn’t pull her to me and never let go.

  Never?

  What the feck?

  I had to get my shite together. Not flirting with my assistant and thinking about what could be. She didn’t want a husband or forever. One night was all I could have. I had to move on.

  No matter how much it pained me.

  “Part of the job, right? I help with all forms of the business, including making sure you’re up to catch your tournament flight,” she said with a small smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

  We needed to talk about what happened last night and how it would affect us going forward—if we were ever going to, that is.

  But when I opened my mouth to speak, Leah put her hand up, and I froze. “Look, Sean, I’m not here because I’m expecting a repeat of what we did. I really do want us to be able to move on. I can’t lose this job or the flat. You can go back to rugby and finding a wife. And I’ll get you prepped to conference remotely with your brothers if you need to, okay?”

  There was so much I wanted to say.

  How I still couldn’t stop thinking about the way her skin felt on mine.

  But I didn’t say it.

  “Okay,” I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

  “I’m going to plate your food and head home after I load up the dishwasher,” she said, quickly grabbing a spatula and scooping some eggs and a roll onto a plate.

  “You’re not going to stay and eat with me?” I asked, my heart beating louder than the sound of my hushed words.

  Her shoulders tensed, her back still to me. “Not today.”

  That was the last thing she said before she loaded up the dishwasher and left me standing there, wondering if we really could move on from our one night together.

  Chapter Twelve

  Leah

  I should have been looking on the dating apps for some Italian model who would be compatible with Sean.

  But I buried myself in Murphy’s Pub work.

  Something about getting lost in charts and numbers soothed me and could make me forget all of the chaos going on everywhere else in my brain.

  It was what I did in my old business.

  When the ex invited my business partner to see his band play, knowing it was my night for inventory, I kept my head down, going through each minute detail, not thinking about what they would talk about without me there, and why he would come back home to my mom’s basement so late.

  It wasn’t until I caught them together, wrinkling the boutique’s brand-new stock of fall jackets, that I had to leave.

  But nothing long-term was possible with Sean and me.

  I couldn’t do that to the Murphys. And I really needed to keep this job. Not just for me, but for my family. My friends.

  If I lost this income, would happen to Sophia’s AP classes? What if Sean didn’t find a wife? What would happen to Fallon and Connor if they lost the business?

  What would happen to Sean?

  No…he had to find someone else. A wife.

  Though, even thinking about him with another girl had me closing my eyes tight and counting my breaths.

  Dammit, it was my job to find him a wife.

  My phone buzzed from the table near the couch. I jumped a little then chided myself.

  I wasn’t some teen girl with a crush who got excited by every ping of her phone. At least, I told myself that when my face fell at seeing a text from Fallon instead of my sexy, bearded boss.

  Fallon: Dinner tonight? Connor has a late meeting.

  Leah: Wish I could, but I’ll be in that late meeting.

  Fallon: Are you taking on Sean’s part in the business now?

  I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see it.

  Leah: He’s in Italy for a rugby tournament, and I’m sitting in since he has a game during the meeting time.

  Fallon: You should probably just take over his position permanently. I don’t think he even really wants to run the company and is just doing all this so Connor and Jack don’t lose it.

  I sighed. She was right, of course. From everything I’d seen, the guy had no plans to quit rugby, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. As long as he kept me employed and was willing to get a wife for the company, we’d all be okay.

  Leah: Luckily, he has an awesome assistant.

  After sending the text to Fallon, I decided to do a quick video call with Sean. Not because I wanted to see his face or anything, but we did have to talk about the details of this meeting before I went into it tonight.

  I held up my phone, fixing the spikes of my hair in the reflection before hitting the video message button.

  Maybe I should have just gone for a phone call, but my heart may have pounded a tiny bit faster just thinking about seeing his face.

  Though, after the fifth ring, I was starting to wonder if he was going to answer.

  Just as I was about to hang up the call, the screen whooshed to a white pillow, then a messy bed-head, and soon I had quite the view of a bare, sculpted, tattooed chest.

  “Um, hello?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral, even if just a glimpse of his skin sent heat to parts of me that shouldn’t have heated up during a work call.

  “Who is this?” He pulled the phone to his face, squinting at me and spoiling my view of his chest. “Oh, hey, Leah.”

  I huffed, trying to narrow my eyes and bite down on my bottom lip to hide my smile. Dammit, why did he have to be cute with his bed head and sleepy eyes? “Are you really still in bed? Isn’t it almost noon?”

  He laughed, and the phone moved with him as he leaned against a large fabric bed post, bringing his sculpted chest back into view. The one I had to stop staring at because a new part of me was awakening that shouldn’t be for my boss. “Yeah. Had a late night after the game yesterday. Customary for the hosting team to take us out for pints, and those Italians can go just about as hard as the Irish.”

  “Oh,” was all I could say, as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

  I had to get a damn grip. I should have known that one night with him wasn’t going to be the end of it, but I hadn’t realized how much possessiveness would seethe through me. I’d have to tamp that down really quick.

  “No birds there, though, so didn’t find a wife, if that was going to be your next question.”

  I wasn’t going to ask that out loud, because that would require hiding the bout of jealousy when he mentioned another girl.

  What the hell?

  No, I couldn’t be jealous. He wasn’t mine. We were friends who slept together once. That was it.

  “Well, actually I wanted to talk to you about this meeting today. Connor and Jack are going to discuss some possible franchise owners for the new American establishments, and they’ll be addressing new real estate as well.”

  “Sounds riveting,” he said with a yawn.

  “Actually, it is. Did you know the Chicago Murphy’s is located right off Michigan Avenue, which is great for shoppers, but all of the locations that are near sports venues have reported twenty percent more profit?” I asked, not even needing to look at my notes.

  It was the same kind of information I’d looked at when I scouted the location of my boutique. The perfect space, so I thought.

  It would have been if I hadn’t needed to borrow money from a socialite because my credit sucked too much for me to get a loan for myself. Which was why, I reminded myself, if I was ever going to succeed in business again, I had to make it on my own. Even if I had to save up forever, I wasn’t going to just take what seemed easy.

  I’d create a future not just for me, but for my sister. My family.

  “Yeah. That all sounds good, but I have a meeting with the All Blacks recruiter today, so I’ll need to add that on my calendar, then you can send me notes from the meeting,” he said, absently raking his hand through his messy hair.

  I raised an eyebrow, my jaw tightening. Did this guy not just hear a word I said? “I thought you weren’t even considering the All Blacks, since you wanted to stay in Dublin?”

  He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Yeah, but Alby really wants me to meet with him, if nothing else, to get people talking.”

  “But what about the business? Murphy’s? You said you couldn’t make the meeting because you have a game, and now, instead of talking to me about the pubs, you’re sleeping and trying to change the subject,” I spat, harsher than I intended, but what the hell?

  I knew rugby was important to him, always had been. But he hired me to find him a wife, to help with the business. If he was just going to go off and meet with recruiters from across the world, how the hell would Murphy’s stay afloat? How would he meet anyone?

  How would I get paid and help out my family?

  “Ouch. Get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”

  “Look, I’m covering for you as much as I can, but at some point, you have to participate in the business end. I can’t do it alone.”

  He had to participate in the finding him a wife, too, for that matter. Though, our one night together might have pushed him farther back on that one.

  I swallowed hard, trying not to let guilt seep into me.

  He sighed, shaking his head. “Okay, I’m sorry. Email me the details, and I’ll look over them before the meeting, okay?”

  “Yeah,” I muttered.

  He leaned closer, his eyes serious. “Is there something else?”

  I looked at my lap instead of his gorgeous blue eyes, the ones which made me want him to forget about finding a wife and wrap me in those strong arms again. “Nope, just thinking about your schedule and whether you need me to still set you up with dates while you’re there. Though it’s probably better for you to find an Irish girl so you could stay here. You know, for when you’re done traveling with rugby and ready to fully settle down.”

  “Marriage doesn’t have to be about settling. As long as I still have a good assistant and an understanding wife, I can hopefully handle the company and rugby until my knees give out,” he said with a laugh.

  But there was nothing funny about this to me.

  I thought about not having a dad around. How Mom and Abuela worked separate shifts so one of them could take care of me and Sophia. How tired they always looked, trying to do it all.

  How now I was trying to take care of Sophia, so mom and Abuela didn’t have to take all of the burden.

  How would him being away all the time for rugby be fair for Sean’s future wife when he had a family?

  “I’ll get those notes to you soon. Good luck at your meeting,” I said.

  “I’m not going to hang up this call if you’re mad at me, mo gra,” he said, his voice rising slightly with concern.

  “I’m not mad, but I do have to text Fallon back and get to work. You should probably shower before the meeting.”

  He lifted up an arm and made a big show of smelling his armpit. “Yup, you’re probably right on that. I’ll talk to you soon, Leah.”

  “Bye.”

  Once I ended the call, I let out a breath and opened my texts again.

  I needed to take a step away for a moment. To breathe.

  Leah: How about lunch?

  Fallon: Sounds good. Café across from the office?

  Leah: See you there.

  …

  Fallon was already at a table with my sandwich order and a bottle of water in front of each of our spots.

  “Thanks for meeting me, even after I ditched you for dinner,” I said, sliding into my seat.

  She laughed, shaking her head so her blond curls swished on her shoulders. “Don’t thank me yet. Is there more to this meeting than just you being hungry for corned beef sandwiches?”

  I shrugged, though my shoulders slumped at my clairvoyant friend’s words. “No.”

  She shook her head. “Have you fallen for Sean, and you want to tell me you can’t work for him because you have a big crush on him now?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a crush,” I said, goose bumps prickling my arms.

  “Then what would you call it?” She raised her eyebrows.

  I let out a deep breath, closing my eyes then slowly opening them again.

  Fallon and I told each other everything, and I knew I couldn’t keep this from her for long. “We sort of slept together after Jack’s wedding.”

  She gently shoved my arm. “I should have known something was going on when he carried you out of the place. But this is great news. Now you two can fall in love and live happily ever after and all that.”

  “It was a one-time thing,” I muttered, the words souring in my mouth. “It’s not really a big deal. I’ve hooked up with a lot of guys. This one just happens to be your husband’s brother.”

  Who also really needs a wife so said husband and brother can get the company. Who hired me to help him with that exact thing.

  We were silent for a few beats, Fallon taking a long drink of her water while I nibbled on a few fries.

  “So, what’s going to happen with you two now?” she asked, breaking the silence.

  “Keep doing what I’ve been doing and find him a wife, pretend it never happened,” I blurted it all out in one breath.

  “What if his wife is sitting right in front of me?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “Are you crazy?” I asked, leaning forward and keeping my voice low.

  “You’re talking to the girl who agreed to marry her boss’s brother so he could get the company then ended up falling madly in love with him. So, yeah, maybe I am crazy, but sometimes the craziest ideas work out the best.”

  I sighed, shaking my head. “Not always. How many crazy ideas did we have growing up that ended with one or both of us grounded?”

  She nodded, a small smile crossing her face, which was the only thing warming this otherwise frigid moment. “Yeah, but if we didn’t do any of those things, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

  “By where we are now, you’d mean you married to an Irish billionaire and me the girl who slept with her boss and now has to try and pretend it never happened so she can find him a wife?”

  “Pfftt, when you say it like that it sounds super dramatic.”

  “Well, how would you say it?” I asked, twirling a fry in my fingers. Suddenly my stomach wasn’t rumbling anymore, the sour feeling still riddling me.

  “Same thing you told me. That not every guy is your ex and going to hurt you.”

  I’d already hurt myself by getting involved with Sean.

  We couldn’t be together.

  He needed a wife for the company. Just someone to sit there and look pretty while he went off and played rugby.

  That wasn’t going to be me.

  Ever.

  This was just a job to help pay for my sister’s AP classes. Then we’d both move on with our lives.