wrapped around Mary’s little finger for years.
“And you don’t?”
Eric shrugged, a goofy smile curving his lips. “I was a goner the day Mary dumped the plate of corned beef in my lap when I pinched her ass.”
Liam elbowed his friend in the side. “You’re lucky I wasn’t there.”
Reaching the French doors, Liam unconsciously came to a halt, studying the dark-haired beauty who was seated at the breakfast bar, her head tilted back as she laughed at something his sister had said.
His chest tightened, the ache in his heart almost unbearable.
“She is lovely,” Eric murmured, clapping Liam on the shoulder.
“She’s more than that,” he insisted. “She’s intelligent, and loyal, and kindhearted and…” He forgot how to speak as she turned her head to stare directly at him.
“Sexy?” Eric prompted.
His cock went rigid, suddenly eager to have her alone.
At his apartment.
In his bed.
“Hell, yeah,” he growled.
There was a beat before Eric cleared his throat. “Have you told her?”
Liam stiffened, turning his head to glare at his companion. “No.”
Eric shook his head. “You’re playing with fire, bro.”
Liam shoved open the French door, knowing his brother-in-law was right, but determined to ignore the disaster that loomed just out of sight.
“Ah. I knew the scent of bacon would lure you out of hibernation,” Mary teased, sending Holly a knowing smile. “It’s an aphrodisiac to the male sex.”
Coming behind Holly, Liam settled his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to whisper directly in her ear.
“Something to remember.”
She tensed at his touch, but astonishingly, she tilted her head back to flash him a mysterious smile.
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind…” There was a deliberate pause. “Lee-bean.”
Swallowing his chuckle of delight at her teasing, Liam lifted his gaze to send a playful frown toward his sister.
“Traitor,” he growled, knowing Mary had to have delighted in revealing his mother’s name for him when he was a baby. “Silly family pet names are strictly off-limits. What else did you tell her?”
Mary blinked with faux innocence. “Every woman needs a little ammunition.”
“Not Holly,” he wryly assured his sister. The female had been tying him in knots for the past year. “She has more than her fair share of firepower without your help, thank you very much.”
“I happen to find stories of your childhood fascinating,” Holly assured him, her tone mocking.
Sliding one hand beneath the thick silk of her hair, Liam curled his fingers around her nape while his other hand cupped her chin, tilting back her face so he could place a slow, lingering kiss on her lips.
“Do you now,” he drawled as he reluctantly lifted his head, studying her flushed features with a brooding gaze.
She shivered, sucking in a deep breath as she tried to act as if they weren’t both going up in flames.
“I didn’t grow up with any brothers or sisters. I can’t imagine having a house with ten kids.”
Mary snorted, her tone amused as Liam and Holly remained lost in one another’s gaze.
“It was loud, messy, and occasionally violent,” she assured Holly. “You can’t imagine how many times I longed to be an only child.”
“There’s nothing to envy.” The cognac eyes darkened with a remembered sadness. “It was lonely.”
Liam’s heart twisted, but before he could speak, Mary was reaching across the bar to pat Holly’s hand.
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she assured Holly. “Just wait until Ma gets ahold of you.”
Panic tightened Holly’s expression and Liam straightened to send his sister a warning glare.
“Enough. You’re going to make her flee in terror.” His attention shifted back to the woman who had turned his world upside down. “I just got her.”
Her lips parted, something that might have been yearning darkening the cognac eyes.
“Liam.”
Leaning down, he stole a tender kiss.
“Come with
“And you don’t?”
Eric shrugged, a goofy smile curving his lips. “I was a goner the day Mary dumped the plate of corned beef in my lap when I pinched her ass.”
Liam elbowed his friend in the side. “You’re lucky I wasn’t there.”
Reaching the French doors, Liam unconsciously came to a halt, studying the dark-haired beauty who was seated at the breakfast bar, her head tilted back as she laughed at something his sister had said.
His chest tightened, the ache in his heart almost unbearable.
“She is lovely,” Eric murmured, clapping Liam on the shoulder.
“She’s more than that,” he insisted. “She’s intelligent, and loyal, and kindhearted and…” He forgot how to speak as she turned her head to stare directly at him.
“Sexy?” Eric prompted.
His cock went rigid, suddenly eager to have her alone.
At his apartment.
In his bed.
“Hell, yeah,” he growled.
There was a beat before Eric cleared his throat. “Have you told her?”
Liam stiffened, turning his head to glare at his companion. “No.”
Eric shook his head. “You’re playing with fire, bro.”
Liam shoved open the French door, knowing his brother-in-law was right, but determined to ignore the disaster that loomed just out of sight.
“Ah. I knew the scent of bacon would lure you out of hibernation,” Mary teased, sending Holly a knowing smile. “It’s an aphrodisiac to the male sex.”
Coming behind Holly, Liam settled his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to whisper directly in her ear.
“Something to remember.”
She tensed at his touch, but astonishingly, she tilted her head back to flash him a mysterious smile.
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind…” There was a deliberate pause. “Lee-bean.”
Swallowing his chuckle of delight at her teasing, Liam lifted his gaze to send a playful frown toward his sister.
“Traitor,” he growled, knowing Mary had to have delighted in revealing his mother’s name for him when he was a baby. “Silly family pet names are strictly off-limits. What else did you tell her?”
Mary blinked with faux innocence. “Every woman needs a little ammunition.”
“Not Holly,” he wryly assured his sister. The female had been tying him in knots for the past year. “She has more than her fair share of firepower without your help, thank you very much.”
“I happen to find stories of your childhood fascinating,” Holly assured him, her tone mocking.
Sliding one hand beneath the thick silk of her hair, Liam curled his fingers around her nape while his other hand cupped her chin, tilting back her face so he could place a slow, lingering kiss on her lips.
“Do you now,” he drawled as he reluctantly lifted his head, studying her flushed features with a brooding gaze.
She shivered, sucking in a deep breath as she tried to act as if they weren’t both going up in flames.
“I didn’t grow up with any brothers or sisters. I can’t imagine having a house with ten kids.”
Mary snorted, her tone amused as Liam and Holly remained lost in one another’s gaze.
“It was loud, messy, and occasionally violent,” she assured Holly. “You can’t imagine how many times I longed to be an only child.”
“There’s nothing to envy.” The cognac eyes darkened with a remembered sadness. “It was lonely.”
Liam’s heart twisted, but before he could speak, Mary was reaching across the bar to pat Holly’s hand.
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she assured Holly. “Just wait until Ma gets ahold of you.”
Panic tightened Holly’s expression and Liam straightened to send his sister a warning glare.
“Enough. You’re going to make her flee in terror.” His attention shifted back to the woman who had turned his world upside down. “I just got her.”
Her lips parted, something that might have been yearning darkening the cognac eyes.
“Liam.”
Leaning down, he stole a tender kiss.
“Come with
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