“Forget kissing. No sex. Seriously.” Mags looked between their friends, incredulous.
Blair signed, “Phone sex?”
Bébhinn tried to tame her blush, but it was no use. “No, you assholes. I’ve told you for the past hour that we’re only friends. Jesus!”
“But you want more?” Gray asked.
“He wants more?” Mags asked.
“I hope it works out. I’ll be a shoo-in for his dad’s internship.”
Bébhinn rolled her eyes. “You’re already overqualified, Blair. As for the other, I’ve wanted more from that first night, but I haven’t a clue about his feelings. Only hope.”
“Your family is going to shit about the age difference,” Mags pointed out.
“Your brothers and the boys will put up a fight,” Gray agreed.
Blair asked, “You only said he was quite a bit older. How much?”
Here we go.“He’s just turned thirty-nine. Eighteen years older.”
“Like mother, like daughter.” Mags winked over her glass.
“Hey! Mom and Dad were way more years apart than that, and the family didn’t bat a lash.”
Blair touched her hand. She was wearing a look on her face that said, “You poor delusional girl.”
“Rowan didn’t have parents. Rowan and her sisters were already under the O’Faolain influence,” Gray started.
Mags interjected. “By ‘influence,’ Gray means under the influence of their dicks.”
“Never speak of private parts and my brothers again. Gross.”
“Anyway,” Gray elbowed Mags to shut up, “your mom didn’t have parents to protest the age difference. You’ve lost your father, though I think even you can admit that Hugh would have handled the news poorly, regardless of him and your mom. Despite that, your brothers?—”
“Will lose their shit,” Mags finished.
“And Daniel and Patrick won’t be much better,” Blair finished.
Bébhinn felt her shoulders slump. She couldn’t deny any of their points. They were all true.
“We’ve got your back, however, and can help out as we may,” Gray said and smiled. “If something more than friendship doesbegin with you and Dagr, it will be an uphill battle with your family, but never impossible.”
“I’ve never known an O’Faolain to take no for an answer,” Blair quickly signed.
“Okay. Thanks, you guys.”
“I know our families,” Mags nodded toward Gray and Blair, “would murder me for saying this, but I think you should lie until after London. Find out after you stay with him and see if it’s going to progress. Then you can have a family meeting, and they can like it or love it. Either way, it’ll be too late.” Mags shrugged like her idea was faultless.
“And my mother? My excuse for going to London?” Bébhinn couldn’t believe she was considering a plan Mags had devised.
“Your mom, Raven, and River share a hive mind. If you tell your mom, she wouldn’t be able to keep it from them, and in turn, they would tell their husbands, who would then tell their sons. Your London charity gala would have some gate crashers, guaranteed.” Blair wasn’t wrong.
“Tell her that you’re visiting Liv and then make sure you do so it isn’t a lie. You aren’t outright lying that way,” Gray suggested.
“Only omitting,” Blair signed while nodding in agreement.
thirty-five
