“Whatever. She’s totally worth it.”

It was very flattering, but more overwhelming than lunch, and I was still only two names down in the ledger. Tommy pulled out a ten-pound note and set it down on the desk.

“Same time next week then, sweetheart?” He grinned, with a wink, and was out the door with Kieran following close behind.

“See you later, Em, and if any of those fuckers give you shit, you come and see me.”

He shut the door behind him, and I took a deep breath to regain my equilibrium. I needn’t have bothered. Not five minutes later, a light knock at the door preceded its opening, and in walked Cormac O’Connell.

HE WALKED INTO THE ROOM holding a large drinks bottle, and closed the door gently behind him. Without saying a word, he grabbed Jimmy’s chair and sat down, leaning his elbows on his knees.

“So then, sunshine, why’d you run out on me the other day?”

He’d covered himself with a t-shirt, which was ridiculous. Considering that it was so soaked with sweat, the t-shirt moulded to his abdomen like a second skin. I watched the flex and movement of his biceps as he leaned forward. His broad shoulders tapered to lean hips, but every inch between was pure solid muscle. With a body trained to punish and endure, from his deltoids to his abdominals, he looked sculpted by hard work and pain. It wasn’t surprising. He was completely relentless, even sparring. There wasn’t an ounce of remorse or mercy in any punch he threw, and inside those ropes, he looked ready to kill. When he wasn’t fighting, he was primed and tense with anticipation. It wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine that the fuse between his fist and his temper was a short one. His lazy grin, suggesting to the world that he didn’t give a shit, was all a front. Only an idiot would turn his back on this man in a fight. Every fibre of my being should have been screaming at me that being inside four enclosed walls with him was a bad idea, but as soon as he closed that door, I could practically feel the static electricity buzz between us. I feared his attention yet craved it at the same time. I wanted to know that I made him feel as needy and alive as he made me, and yet it scared me because he wouldn’t lack the courage to do anything about it. When I finally looked up, I saw his piercing grey blue eyes assessing me. He didn’t frown or scowl but gazed at me in curious amusement, like I was a puzzle that he was trying to figure out. His real smile was slow and rusty as though it hadn’t been used in a while, but unlike his usual sexy smirk, it was genuine, and in spite of myself, I relaxed a little in his company.

“I wasn’t running away. Not really. I’m just anti-social by nature. I wouldn’t take it personally.”

His smile became a full-blown grin, making my heart sink. Logically I knew that falling for this guy would break every rule that had ever kept me safe, but where O’Connell was concerned, I felt as though I was stood at the top of a precipice, powerless to stop myself falling into the oblivion.

“Well, you say what you think, sunshine, I’ll give you that. But for future reference, friends don’t run out on each other.”

“Duly noted. Any other guiding principles of friendship I should know about?”

I spoke quietly but with sincerity. At this point, any advice on how not to fuck up the friendships I’d been making would be welcome. He thought seriously, taking a long deep drink from his protein shake, while I tried not to drool at the bead of perspiration running sexily down his throat, and floored me.

“It would be nice if you could assume I’m not going to hit you every time I try to strike up a conversation.”

I was mortified. That he had seen my cowardice, or guessed what that could mean, horrified me. This was supposed to be my new start, and I was trying so hard not to be that person anymore, but O’Connell had made me feel that as long as I acted like a victim, I would always be one.

“Look, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be on your guard. Pretty girls like you are always gonna attract predators, but through the front door of this place there’s not one man who would lift a finger to a woman,” he rationalised.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean to flinch. I guess I was just feeling a little intimidated, with it being my first day. Everyone here seems really nice, especially Kieran.”

I thought it would make him happy that I was getting on with his best friend, but this made him frown, hard.

“He’s been making moves on you, then?” he asked, dangerously.

“Of course not,” I replied in confusion. “He just tried to make me feel welcome here.”

The scowl didn’t really lessen, but it seemed to relax him a little to know that Kieran hadn’t been hitting on me. It was a little heart warming to have someone act a little protective. It wasn’t like it was something I’d ever had before, but the completely irrational part of my brain wondered how it would feel if he were jealous rather than just protective of a new friend.

“So, we’re good? No more flinching or running off?”

“We’re good, O’Connell, but it’s pretty terrifying, you know, walking into the middle of a load of guys trying to hit anything that moves.”

He smiled. “So, you know my name, then. Most people call me Con.”

“You’re pretty infamous around here. Would you prefer me to call you Con?”

“Nah, I like the way you say my name.” I didn’t know how to respond to that.

“I’m Emily,” I introduced myself.

“Thanks, sunshine, but I already know your name.” I blushed that he would take the time to find out, and I fussed about with the ledger, embarrassed that I was floundering in my attempt to hold a real conversation with this man.

“Are you all Irish? Only your accents aren’t as strong as Danny’s?” I asked curiously, before I could stop myself.

“Danny was born and raised in Ireland. Me, Kieran, Tommy, and Mac were born there, too, but our parents moved over here when we were kids. Most of our mates are Irish. There’s a pretty big community here.”

The more he spoke, the hotter and more nervous I was getting. I squeezed my thighs together as the heat in my core intensified. His accent only made him more irresistible, and fuck if he didn’t know it. He looked like he was about to ask me something, and unwilling to talk about myself, I scrambled to change the subject.

“Um, the ledger says that you owe twenty pound for this week. Is that okay?”