Kate Hoffmann - Danny

Danny shook his head. It was hard to keep from grinning when the only thing going through his head was thoughts of Jordan…naked…asleep in his bed. “I’m not in love,” Danny assured them all. “I’ve only known her less than a week. And you’re the besotted one in this family, Riley.”

“Well, I’m happy he’s found a nice girl,” Eamon declared. “It’s about bloody time. I was starting to wonder if any of you lot would ever settle down.” He walked over to the Unholy Trinity and leaned against the bar. “We made the bet on Riley and Nan. What say we put some money on Danny and this new girl?”

“You’re gambling on my love life?” Danny asked.

“We’ve grown bored with wagering on Dealy’s ability to catch fish,” Markus said. “And it’s not nearly as interesting as your ability to catch women.”

“Can I get in on this?” Riley asked. “What’s the wager? How much are we tossing in?”

Kellan shook his head. “For a total wanker, Riley, you managed to get yourself a great woman. Don’t feck it up or you’ll go back to being a total wanker.” Kellan turned to Danny. “As for you, watch yourself. I happen to be fond of Jordan and I don’t want you hurting her.”

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Riley asked.

“No, I just know my little brother. And he doesn’t have the best reputation. Jordan is a nice person. She doesn’t deserve a git like you.” He stood and grabbed his newspaper, then took it and his cup of coffee to a table in the corner.

“You know what your problem is, Danny boy?” Dealy asked. “You’re too damn good-looking. Riley and Kellan too. Look at Markus here. Look at that face. When he was a lad, the girls didn’t have such high expectations when it came to him. They knew he’d have to work harder because he was so close to ugly.”

“Who are you to talk?” Markus said. “You’re ugly as a bucket of toads.”

“It’s true,” Johnnie said. “When a lad is too flash, he thinks he can get any girl. He’s never satisfied with the one he has.”

“I’m perfectly satisfied,” Riley said.

“So am I,” Danny added.

“Don’t you get too comfortable,” Kellan shouted from across the room. “It won’t take her long to see her mistake. You just can’t go draggin’ anyone off to bed and expect them to fall in love with you.”

“I didn’t drag her into bed,” Danny said. “In fact, she came to me. How could I refuse?” That wasn’t exactly the full story. But what had he been supposed to do? She’d been frightened and uneasy and he’d just calmed her nerves in the best way that he could.

Kellan set his paper down and crossed the bar, leaning close to Danny, his voice low. “She looks like she’s tough and like she’s got herself together,” he said, “but she’s a lot more fragile than that.”

“I know,” Danny said. “And I’m not going to hurt her. That’s the last thing in the world I’d ever want to do.”

“You don’t understand. She doesn’t work like other people. She has this way of pulling you in, until all you want to do is make her happy. I’ve seen her do it. And if you fail, she doesn’t yell or curse. She just acts all disappointed and then you feel lower than an earthworm’s arse.”

Danny nodded. “I know, I know.” In truth, he didn’t know. He hadn’t experienced that moment with Jordan. And he didn’t mean to anytime soon.

Eamon Quinn walked through the doors from the kitchen with a paper bag. “Here’s your breakfast. Two black coffees and soda bread. I threw some fruit salad in there. And before you leave town, you may want to stop by and wish your mother a happy birthday. Tell her she doesn’t look a day over thirty-five,” he said.

Danny winced. “I’m sorry. I forgot all about her birthday today. I’ll ring her later. I’ve been so-”

“Don’t worry. Kellan told her all about your new job. You know, she’s been dying to get a look inside that castle, too. You might invite her for a tour to make up for the missed birthday.”

“I will,” Danny said. “Once it’s all finished, I’m sure Jordan wouldn’t mind.”

“Remember what I said,” Kellan muttered.

Danny nodded. “I have to go.” He grabbed the bag and headed out the front door of the pub. As he strode back to his cottage, he drew a deep breath of the sea air and smiled to himself. Funny how his life had changed so much in just five days.

It didn’t matter to him how long it lasted. He was going to enjoy himself while he could. And when it was time for Jordan to leave, he’d kiss her goodbye and regret that it couldn’t go on for just a little longer.

But even as he told himself it was just a passing thing, Danny could imagine them together for more than just a few weeks or months. He found her endlessly fascinating. And she seemed to find him interesting as well. There was a lot to be said for that, wasn’t there?

Danny hurried back to his cottage. The dogs were waiting and he shooed them out, then closed the door. A moment later, Jordan rushed out of the bedroom, half-dressed, her hair tumbling around her face.

“Where have you been?”

“I just went to get us breakfast,” he said.

“We’re late. I have to get back to the house. The workmen will be there and I have calls to make and-”

“It’s Saturday,” Danny said.

“I know it is. I work on Saturday. So do you. Just because we’re sleeping together doesn’t mean we can ignore our responsibilities.”

She’d gone from lover back to boss-and she was disappointed in him. “I wasn’t gone that long. I was talking to my brothers. Kellan was at the pub and my da was back from his holiday.”

“You should have told me you were leaving,” she said. “I woke up and you weren’t there. I looked all over for you and-”

“You knew I wasn’t far,” Danny said, frowning. “Jordan, I wouldn’t have left you here. I knew we had to get back. So come on, then. Get dressed. Let’s go. You’re the boss.”

Jordan blinked, her expression suddenly shifting. “Don’t say that.”

“What? That you’re the boss?”

She cursed softly. “I’m sorry. I’m really tired and I’m a little hungover and I just want a shower and a really big cup of coffee.”

He took one of the paper cups out of the bag. “I brought you coffee,” he said. Stepping closer, Danny dropped a kiss on her lips. “And something to eat.”

Jordan groaned. “See. I’m really awful. You’re right. I need to learn to relax. Why can’t I do that? It’s Saturday. We should just go right back to bed.”

“I shouldn’t have left you alone in a strange house.”

“Well, don’t do it again. Or I’ll have to make a note in your personnel file.”

Reaching out, he ran a finger along her arm, tracing a lazy path from her wrist to her elbow and back again. “You have a file on me? What does it say?”

She took a sip of her coffee and then sighed. “It says that you have trouble separating work from-from everything else, and I think that might become a problem.”

He stared at her for a long moment, fighting back a surge of frustration. Would it always come back to this? Did they always have to be boss and employee? Why couldn’t she see them as just a man and a woman? “Am I supposed to pretend that I don’t want you? Because I do. All the time. And if that’s a problem, then write it up in my personnel file. In big red letters.” He walked to the door and pulled it open. “I’ll be in the car with Finny and Mogue. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll go.”

Danny snapped his fingers as he walked out the front door, and the dogs came running. He opened the rear door of the Land Rover and they hopped inside. Then, he slid in behind the wheel and waited, his anger growing with every moment that passed.