Hard Irish by Jennifer Saints Page B

Porter’s real life experience about finding love with a younger man.
    “You play dirty girlfriend.  We’ll watch it, but then you’ve got homework tonight.”
    “What?”
    “You’ll see.” Dessie smiled.
    Two hours later, movie finished, couch made into a bed, and several Bailey’s Irish Creams a piece down the hatch, Dessie tossed a small book in Rocky’s lap as she said goodnight.
    “What’s this?” Rocky picked it up.
    “Your homework.”
    “ Pocket Guide to Kama Sutra .  Seriously?”
    Dessie grinned, using Rocky’s earlier tone of voice.  “In today’s world, a woman needs to know how to handle big guns on and off the shooting range.  Just because you know your way around the bedroom doesn’t mean you can’t become an expert at the art of love.  Night, night.”  Dessie made a bee-line for her bedroom.
    Rocky stared at the book a minute.  Hours later she concluded, it was more than curiosity that killed the cat.  Intimate images filled her mind and her body was on fire.

C HAPTER F IVE
     
     
    James slammed the truck door and headed for their office in Weldon Estates’ model home.  Jared winced as he followed his twin.  He half expected the rusty hinges to break on the old Ford they’d borrowed from their dad earlier.
    Nine o’clock in the morning and reality already had them by the short hairs with no Starbucks to soften the pain. His Porsche and James’s Jaguar were back at the leasing company, and they were reduced to their Shamrock Construction work truck and the beat-up pick-up they’d shared in high school.  Degrees in business, architecture, and award-winning house designs had done zip to insulate them from a sagging economy.
    Besides the money issue, James was still on edge about his “premonition” of Jesse and Jackson.  He’d spoken to both brothers this morning...at six AM .  Jared was pretty sure James hadn’t slept all night and wasn’t taking Jared’s news well.
    “I can’t believe you.  Our asses are on the line and you have the perfect opportunity to find out what underhanded crap is going on with McKenna Construction that’s putting us out of business.  But instead of checking things out, you’re going to go apologize for kissing her?”
    “Yeah, I am.  I shouldn’t have coerced her into it.”
    James pressed his palms to his temples.  “A Weldon kiss gave that girl the best five seconds of her life and you’re going to apologize and walk away?  Either her ex knocked a screw loose in your brain or she castrated you.  If McKenna Construction was being run by a man you’d have no qualms about checking things out.”
    Jared frowned.  Considering Rocky’s response to his kiss, he couldn’t argue about it being a damn good five seconds.  Hell, it might even be the best five seconds of his life as well.  He didn’t want to “walk away” from her, but given who he was, and what he wanted, it was the only honorable thing to do.  He wasn’t going to use her, or their kiss, as a way to spy on her company.
    “You’re right.  But then if a man was running McKenna Construction, I wouldn’t have kissed him.  We’ll find out what we want without me screwing her over.  She’s got enough assholes in her life as it is.  I refuse to add to it.”
    “I don’t get how looking around screws her over.  But since it eats at your conscience, why don’t I take your place?  I’ll go see her, pretend to be you for a day or two and find out how they are consistently underbidding us.”
    It had been a long time since Jared wanted to plant his fist in James’s face.  He sucked in air, and glared.
    James raised his hands in surrender and backed off.  “Damn, bro.  Forget I mentioned it.  You’re screwed, blued, tattooed, and delusional.  Good luck and send me an invite.”
    “What the hell does that mean?”
    “It means I hope our shared DNA doesn’t mean a shared fate.”
    The phone rang and James answered.  He hung up after a short