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Awareness crackled between them as he stalked toward her. He took her hands in his, then pressed her back against the door. Pinning her hands above her head, Ronan took her mouth in a deep kiss that had her moaning against his lips.
When they eventually separated, he said, “See.”
She laughed in response. “I think you really only just proved that neither of us have any willpower where the other is concerned. Speaking of willpower, why don't you come upstairs and help me prove my point?”
The combination of her breathy request and the feel of her calf sliding up the back of his jeans-clad leg had him going rock hard instantly. Just as he was about to take her up on her offer, he heard a vehicle pull into the parking lot. Instead, he released her wrists and said, “Hold that very tempting thought until I can tell this person to fuck off.”
When he turned around and saw the county logo on the pickup, he sighed. Turning back to Moira, he said, “I think I'm gonna need a rain check. I can't exactly tell the county to fuck off. Go on upstairs, okay?”
“Fine then,” she said dramatically. “Just get me all excited and then send me away.”
Ronan laughed at the almost comically overdone pout on her face and said, “As soon as I get rid of them, I'm gonna set your sexy ass up on the bar and eat your pussy till you scream. Know that.”
“Lemme just leave you to handle your business then,” she said, nibbling on her lower lip. “I'll be upstairs counting the minutes until you make good on your promise.”
She gave him one last wink and headed back inside. Jesus. She was insatiable. It was one of the many things he loved about her. There was that word again. It had been popping up in his thoughts more and more often since they'd talked about the whole mate thing. A part of him wished he could tell her, but thankfully, the smarter part of him seemed to know better.
When he turned back around, an older man got out of the truck with a clipboard and cheerily said, “Afternoon.”
“Hi there. Ronan Kelly. Can I help you?”
The gleam in the man's eye said it all. “Dean Tennison. Code Enforcement. I do believe you can. We've had a series of complaints about your bar that I need to follow up on.”
****
An hour and a half later, with two tickets and six warning citations in hand, Ronan walked into the apartment. He slapped the paperwork down on the counter in irritation and made a beeline for the fridge. He pulled a cold beer out and twisted off the cap. Not even bothering to close the door, he took a swig.
Moira walked out of the bedroom and asked, “You okay?”
Ronan stepped back and closed the refrigerator with a sigh, then said, “Yeah. I'm fine. Code Enforcement just crawled up my ass, though. I have some fines and shit I need to fix soon. That's all.”
“Shit. I'm sorry. Was it my dad that sicced them on you, do you think?” Her eyes were filled with worry when he turned around to look at her.
“The inspector said that there had been some complaints,” he hedged, not wanting to make her feel any worse. He had no doubt her father was behind this, but it would do no good for Moira to get upset about it.
“What did they cite you for?” she asked, clearly not buying his deflection for a second.
“Let's see. Not enough space between the side of my cooler and the bar. My dumpster wasn't far enough away from the back exit. The handle on the back door is apparently not up to code, somehow. The goddamned hose on the sidewalk. Nothing big. Just a bunch of small shit.”
“You mean to tell me that someone complained because your cooler was up against the side of the bar, Ronan? Clearly this was my father's doing. How much are the fines? Please. Take them out of my check. Or I can pay them out of my tips. I feel—”
“No,” he interrupted. “It's my responsibility to be up to code. Not yours. I'm not taking anything out of your paycheck because your daddy is an asshole. It's an annoyance. Nothing more.”
“I just hate the fact that you have to be involved in this, Ronan. It's embarrassing. I would totally understand if...”
Ronan stepped forward until he stood in front of her. Tipping up her chin, he said, “I'm involved in this because I'm involved with you. I'm not going anywhere. You think I didn't realize that there would be problems when I got involved with the mayor's daughter?”
“Are you sure? Because I don't think this is going to get better any time soon.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “We were meant to find one another. You walked into my into my bar for a reason, Moira. You're my mate. You may not believe in it yet, but I do.”
“I don't know what I did to deserve you,” Moira whispered, giving him a wobbly smile. “You really would've been better off kicking me out that first night.”
“Even then I knew you were special. I still don't think you realize how much courage you have. You walked into a bar you knew was filled with a bunch of people that can change into wild animals at will. You walked away from everything you knew instead of letting your father continue to walk all over you. You're fearless, baby, and you amaze me. I'm part man, part wolf. I'm isolated, stubborn, and jealous as hell any time another man so much as looks at you. I'm probably too honest for my own good. I'm no prize.”
“Yeah,” she said, her lips twitching. “You do seem to lack that rational part of the brain that stops you from saying everything that pops into your mind. If that's what you mean by too honest, then I can certainly agree.”
Ronan rolled his eyes at her and explained. “What I'm trying to say here, smart ass, is that if anyone is undeserving here, it's probably me.”
