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“Fair enough,” he told her. “I’ll not mention it again.”
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t touch her or seduce her with his actions. The darkness provided the perfect setting for seduction, but it could make it a bit harder to snoop. Granted, the darkness could also provide him the cover he needed to look without being seen.
So, as far as he understood, the nine scrolls, which had been in his family since his ancestor transcribed them from Shakespeare himself, were last known to be in this house. The history ran deep with his Irish family, and the precious scrolls were lost in the chaos of the fall of the O’Sheas during the 1930s. The trunk that had been recovered from this home after the Depression had shown up empty, so it only made sense the scrolls were here...somewhere.
Decades had passed, and Braden’s family had attempted to purchase the property, but Zara’s family had owned it since the O’Sheas lost it and they were adamant about not being bought.
Several attempts were made by Braden’s father to purchase the place, but the efforts were always blocked. Eventually Patrick opted to go about things the illegal way. Ryker had even broken in a couple of times when Zara’s grandmother had been alive. The old lady had been sharp, and Ryker had been forced to dodge the cops, but they were still left empty-handed. Patrick O’Shea had even mentioned waiting until the elderly lady passed and trying again to purchase the property, but Patrick had passed before Zara’s grandmother.
So, Braden would get the job done himself. Failure was not an option, and buying the place wasn’t necessary at this point.
Would the scrolls be somewhere obvious? Doubtful, or someone would’ve found them by now, and if those scrolls had been found, they would’ve made headlines around the world. His ancestor, a monk, had transcribed original works, supposedly plays that never came to be.
Zara sank to her knees in front of the fireplace. “Shine that light a little closer.”
He did as requested, waiting while she fidgeted with getting the pilot light going.
“Need help?” he offered.
“Damn it.” She sat back on her heels and shook her head. “This one isn’t working. It was always causing Gram issues, but I’d assumed it was fixed. I know the unit in my bedroom works fine because I’ve used it.”
Braden shouldn’t delight in the fact her bedroom had gas heat and nowhere else in the house seemed to, but he was a guy, and, well, he couldn’t help himself.
“Then maybe we should find those flashlights and more candles and head upstairs.”
Zara threw him a look over her shoulder as she came to her feet and turned to fully face him. “Get that gleam out of your eye. I’m on to you.”
Not yet she wasn’t.
“What gleam?” he asked. “It’s dark, so how can you see anything?”
“Oh, I can see enough and this can’t get any more awkward than it already is.”
“I’m not feeling awkward at all.” He focused back on her eyes and offered a smile. “Are you?”
“Damn it, you know I am. Even if this—” she gestured between them “—wasn’t making me nervous, you’re my first overnight guest in this house.”
Surprised, Braden shifted. “You mean Shane—damn. None of my business.”
Zara crossed her arms over her chest. “After rescuing me tonight, I’d say this is your business. Shane never stayed here. We were dating when my grandmother passed, but he wasn’t there for me much during that time. That’s when I started reevaluating our relationship.”
A pity Braden couldn’t have gotten away with punching Shane in the face, but he hadn’t wanted to cause any more of a scene at his home during the party. This was his first appearance as head of the family; he needed to hold tight to that power, that control.
What man wasn’t there for his woman during a difficult time? Shane had always been a bit of a stuffed shirt, a man who probably polished his cuff links and didn’t even know how to pleasure a woman properly. Braden knew for damn sure when he got Zara into bed, he’d know exactly what to do to her, with her and for her.
Seduction hadn’t been a key factor in his grand scheme, but he wasn’t looking the gift horse in the mouth. He couldn’t deny the attraction, and why should he ignore such a strong pull?
“I don’t want to talk about Shane.” Zara maneuvered around him. “Let’s go find the flashlights. I suppose you’ll have to sleep in my room, but that is not an invitation to any other activity.”
