AllFreeNovel
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She blushes, and I nearly lose my train of thought. Not since I was in grammar school have I been so distracted by a girl’s sweetness. Maybe she looks so good because I’m comparing her to my ex-fiancee whose personality was ninety parts turpentine and ten parts strychnine.
Putting a hand on the side of her neck, Liv leans forward. The gap in her little dress provides a nice view of the creamy swell of one firm breast.
“What about you, Liam? What do you do?”
“My brother and I have a business that supplies metal to other businesses.” I don’t mention that some of those metal supplies aren’t raw materials. They’re automatic weapons.
“You mentioned your parents are from Ireland? Are they there or…?” She trails off, probably wondering if she’s brought up a painful subject that involves loss. She has a dead mother, and I’m older than she is.
“Unlike yourself, I haven’t lost my mother, though I’m sure her fondest wish some days is that she could find a way to lose me and my brothers for a month or two.”
She laughs. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“My dad passed a while ago, when he was eighty-four. He started having us late in life, but certainly made up for lost time when he got to it.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Three brothers. No sisters. And you? Any siblings?”
“No. I wish.” Her tone is wistful.
“Your dad?”
“Not sure. Last I heard he was in Arizona, but that was years ago.” She looks away.
As she starts to shrug off my suit coat, I realize it was a mistake to bring up the disappearing dad. Clearly a painful subject.
I slide out of the booth. “I need to eat, and the kitchen’s closed. Let’s head out.”
“It’s after ten—”
“On a school night?” I tease.
She holds up a hand in protest. “I was going to say, it’s after ten and I still need to get my tire fixed. And yes, I have class tomorrow morning.”
“What time?”
“Ten-thirty,” she admits with a small smirk.
“And you’re worried about it now? Are you sure you’re nineteen? At nineteen, I could drink until dawn and go straight to work.”
“Hmm.”
“But I am Irish,” I add with a wink. “Seamus, Olivia’s car has a flat. After we get her bag from it, we’ll leave the keys with you. Get one of the guys to change her tire.”
“Sure thing, Liam.”
With her still wide-eyed, I lead Olivia from the bar. She seems to have no idea who I am, which makes for an interesting change.
CHAPTER2
OLIVIA
Liam’s car is a silver Lexus that still has a new-car smell to the leather. On the way to his house, he stops at a restaurant that gives him a to-go order of lobster mac and cheese, which smells delicious.
When we reach Quincy, where he lives, I shift uncomfortably as larger and larger houses come into view. The Lexus rolls to a stop in front of a gray-and-blue sprawling four-story structure that makes me gasp. A third story balcony overlooks the pristine street of perfectly manicured lawns.
“What is this? Youlivehere?” My voice is both incredulous and awestruck.
