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CHAPTER7
Ada
When I came back to Murphy’s the following night, Shane was already waiting for me at the bar like I’d known he would be. From the door, he appeared to be cool and relaxed, but his mind was likely running with possibilities of what the night would bring.
Honestly, mine was too.
Tonight, I’d decided to give in just a tiny bit for him and wear a dress. I wasn’t a stranger to a beautiful designer gown by any means, but my usual wardrobe consisted of a lot of power suits because the typical men in my world treated a woman very differently when she was wearing a dress verses a pair of pants.
Instinctually, I knew that Shane wasn’t that kind of man.
At first glance, the pub was even busier than usual for a Saturday night. Maybe word had spread of the interaction between the two of us and they’d come to see the show firsthand, or maybe it was just an unusually busy weekend crowd. Either way, it didn’t really matter.
As soon as Shane turned his head, I only had eyes for him.
I strode over to him with my head held high, noticing that there were already two drinks on the bar top. When I slid into the seat beside him, he smiled and moved one of them in front of me. He could have asked me if I wanted one, but I already knew I would have let him buy it for me without any questions asked.
“I thought we might enjoy a glass of my favorite whiskey tonight.” He smiled, his eyes dancing with eager anticipation, and I couldn’t help but grin in return, his mood contagious.
“Tullamore Dew 18 Year, right?” I offered, returning his cheerful sentiments.
“That’s the one,” he beamed, his entire face lighting up with joy.
For a moment, I allowed myself to admire his wardrobe for the night. I appreciated how he was always put together. His appearance was important to him, and that showed every time I laid eyes on him. His suit was just as fine as any of the ones I’d seen him in before, but this one was especially nice. It was matte black with a deep green, satin trim. His tie matched, a bold black with a subtle sheen of dark green that screamed Irish royalty, and I brazenly reached for it, running my fingertips along the luxurious fabric. He didn’t pull back or brush my hand away. Instead, he looked at me with mounting curiosity, and I leaned in the tiniest bit. His gaze held mine, the heat simmering between us growing palpable. He wanted me, and I wanted him. There would be no questioning that again.
“Do you like it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched me closely.
“I do,” I replied smoothly.
“Good,” he sipped at his whiskey, and I took an emboldened swig of mine. It had been some time since I’d tried this particular maker. The notes of vanilla, sweet golden honey, and dried fruits lingered on my tongue long after I swallowed, like a warm hug from the inside out. Maybe I’d hadn’t given it a fair shot.
Without saying anything at all, he stood up, kissed my cheek, and got down on one knee. There was no need for banter between us tonight, no excessive flirting to tease each other. The two of us were here for one thing only, and that was to secure the alliance between the two of us, or at least that was what I was telling myself.
It definitely wasn’t because I wanted that big cock again.
Or to find out what life would be like as his wife.
I peered down at him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the same velvet box as yesterday. There was no surprise when he flipped open the box and the same hush fell over the crowd as he looked up at me with the same hope, pride, and adoration as before.
The entire picture of it was magnificent.
“Will you marry me, Ada Murphy? Will you do me the honor of becoming my queen?”
My heart seemed to stop beating in my chest. My whole world centered on this incredibly powerful man kneeling in front of me and asking for my permission to marry him, and I lifted my chin in just the tiniest show of defiance. To the rest of the people watching, I would be playing the part of Ada Murphy, a woman that held just as much power as the men in my family, but he saw me for what I truly was.
A woman in need of a man worthy to stand beside her when they were out in the world, and one who wasn’t afraid to put her in her place when she was in his bed.
“If I say yes, will you be gentle with me?” I asked softly, raising a single eyebrow. To those watching, it would appear that I was questioning him publicly. My voice remained low, likely inaudible to the crowd, but by the way his eyes had darkened and his lips turned up in a coy, seductive smirk, I knew that he had heard me.
He was the only one that needed to.
“No,” he growled. He grinned and I chuckled, watching his eyes darken with promise right in front of me.
Good. That’s what I had hoped to hear.
“Then yes. I will marry you, Shane Kavanagh,” I answered, letting my voice carry throughout the pub. The hush remained over the bar crowd. The two of us were in the spotlight, and I reveled in that.
“I’ll call the limo and we can celebrate back at my place,” he offered, his tone suggestive, but I shook my head. I didn’t want to wait for his car, and I didn’t want to drive all the way downtown, either.
