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I knew that meant I was knee-deep in trouble, but there was fuck all that I could do about it.
“Can we go eat before the party?” Keela asked her husband. “I’m starvin’, babe.”
Alec nodded and took his tiny son into his arms, kissing his chunky cheek.
Ina looked at Keela. “Party?”
Crap. I’d forgotten to mention that to her.
“Yeah.” Keela nodded. “Aideen and Kane are havin’ a party.”
“Which everyone is invited to,” Aideen added for Ina’s benefit. “It’s just really all of us havin’ a few drinks in our apartment. Nothin’ wild ’cause our kids will be there. We’d love for ye to come, Ina.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on her.
“Oh, th-thank you for the invite,” she stammered, “but I can’t tonight.”
Before I could stop myself, I asked, “Why not?”
Her eyes turned to me, and I knew that if she were any of the Slater women, she’d have thumped me by now for making her the centre of attention, but this was Ina. She didn’t resort to playful violence, insults, or even snappy replies. Instead, she racked her brain for something to say.
“I ... I don’t have anythin’ cute to wear.”
I wasn’t sure if that was the real reason, but I had no cause to doubt her, so I didn’t.
“What you’re wearin’ is cute,” I countered. “Casual is the dress code anyway.”
She hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Okay then.”
I slung my arm around her shoulders. “Country is in. She can tell everyone her war stories of how she shot more people than anyone durin’ today’s games.”
Everyone who Ina had shot throughout the rounds grumbled while the rest of us laughed. She relaxed against me, and just like that, all was right in the world.
* * *
“When are you going to ask Ina out, Date?”
“I’m not,” I answered Ryder. “I’ve already decided not to.”
We were in my sister’s apartment. All of the Slater brothers were there along with their women and kids. My brothers were there and my father too. I had a bottle of Bulmers in my hand, and Ryder had a bottle of Bud in his. Branna was across the room with her twin sons sitting on her lap. Ryder might have been talking to me, but his eyes were on his family.
“Why not?”
“Because everyone told me it’s a bad idea and that I should just be her friend.”
Ryder moved his storm-grey eyes to mine. “Can’t really blame them with your track record with women.”
Ouch.
“I know.” I sighed. “Which is why I’m being her friend.”
“It’s killing you, though, right?”
“Like ye wouldn’t believe.” I took a swig from my bottle. “I’ve never been more attracted to a woman before, but it’s different because I like her for much more than her looks. She’s the best part of me day every day, and she’s me favourite person. Period.”
Ryder whistled. “Bro, if you’re this into her, just ask her out.”
“I can’t.”
“Because of your dad’s rules? Harley told me about them.”
“They are a factor, but the main reason is that she is me friend. I don’t want to ruin that with sex. I value her too much. She means … she means a lot to me, man.”
It was insane to me that just weeks ago, I would have jumped at the chance to ask Ina out with the end goal of sleeping with her being on the table, but now she was my friend. I still wanted her, I wanted her bad ... but now I wanted her friendship more. No matter how explosive I knew it would be, I wasn’t willing to ruin that for sex.
“Damn, Date.” Ryder whistled. “I’ve never known you to act like this over a woman, not even Alannah.”
I shrugged. “I’m friends with your wife and the others, but I’ve never had a friend like Ina before. I spend a lot of time with her, I work with her, I live across the hall from her ... it’s got me head fucked up, but this is what’s right.”
Ryder patted my shoulder. “You’re a good man.”
“I’m expectin’ a sainthood any day now.”
Ryder laughed just as a body walked into the sitting room. I got to my feet the second I saw her. Her raven-dark hair was loose and hung in waves down to her waist. I was so used to it being tied up in a tight bun that seeing it down was almost my undoing. It reminded me of the first night I met her.
“Country.” I moved towards her. “I was about to send out a search party for ye.”
Her green eyes, framed by her glasses that she pushed up the bridge of her nose, seemed to gleam. “Have ye been here long?”
“Nah. About twenty minutes. What d’ye want a bottle of? Aideen has a bit of everythin’.”
“Oh, I don’t drink,” she uttered nervously. “Never have.”
“Ye not interested in tryin’?”
Demurely, she shook her head.
