8. Paisley

8

PAISLEY

H e's a caveman. A bull in a china shop. Unreasonable. A thorn in my side. But tonight, he's also been a gentleman. Mostly.

I was being a sassy brat to him ten minutes ago, but he still held out his arm and led me out to his SUV, opened the door for me, then turned on my heated seat. The warmth surrounding me is making it hard to keep my eyes open. Tonight has been weird. It also turned into a not-so-bad evening. Who knew that Kieran would make a good date?

"Thank you for saving me, by the way. You didn't have to do that."

He glances at me and dips his chin. "I might be a dick, Paisley, but I'm never going to leave you hanging in a shitty situation. I'd protect you with my life if it came down to it."

My heart squeezes, and a lump forms in my throat. Besides Chloe, I haven't had people in my life who would fight to keep me there. Hell, my own parents wouldn't put their lives on the line for me. Yet, I know Kieran means exactly what he said. He can be a total dick sometimes, but he's also a good man down to his core.

Unable to speak past the emotion lodged in my chest, I open my clutch to find my house key. I dig through it, my heart pounding faster as I shove the contents around multiple times.

"Crap."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't find my key. I swear I grabbed it from my bigger bag when I was switching stuff over. Do you have a spare to Bash and Chloe's house?"

Kieran shoots me a look of annoyance. "It's your house too, Paisley. You live there."

Exasperated, I roll my eyes. He is truly maddening at times.

"You know what I mean. I'm there temporarily. Do you have a key or not?"

"Why would I have a key? I don't go over there unless one of them is home."

My skin prickles. "What if you needed to get in while they're gone? What if there was an emergency? Aren't you Bash's best friend? And Chloe's brother."

He scoffs. "If there was an emergency and I needed to get in, I'd kick the fucking door open."

Of course he would. Because that's what civilized mafia men do.

"Shit. They went to bed like two hours ago. Chloe texted me to say goodnight. I hate to call and wake them up."

His jaw flexes, and he glances at me, then lets out an annoyed sigh. "You can stay at my place."

Um, hell no. I've been in close proximity to Kieran all night, and it's disturbing how much I've enjoyed myself. Sleeping under the man's roof is definitely a bad idea. Besides, I don't have my vibrator with me, and I'd like to use it before I go to sleep.

"It's fine. I'll just call Chloe."

"Paisley, quit being a brat," he says quietly. "There's no reason to call and wake them up. I live right next door, and I have a guest room."

He's right, and I don't like it. Why do I have to be so stubborn? And why do I feel the need to poke at him so much? Well, I know why. It's because he scolds me, and for some strange and fucked-up reason, that turns me on. When he threatened to spank me earlier, my knees nearly buckled. How can I be so attracted to a man I hate?

Because you don't actually hate him, dummy.

"Thank you."

The only response he gives me is a grunt, and we drive the rest of the way back to the estate in silence.

" H ere's something to sleep in. There are spare toothbrushes in the top drawer in the bathroom." Kieran holds out a black shirt for me, his expression a scowl again. It must be past his bedtime.

"Thanks. Sorry to invade your space. I'll leave first thing in the morning."

He stares at me, his eyes blank, and it's times like this I wish I were a mind reader.

"You're welcome, Paisley. Goodnight."

And then he turns and strides down to the end of the hall into his bedroom, shutting the door forcefully behind him.

I stare down the hall for several seconds before I tiptoe back into the guest room.

I don't know how it can be called that because it's enormous, but then again, my bedroom at Chloe's house is just as big. I feel more than a little spoiled living with Chloe and Bash. I'm sure the last thing Bash wanted was for his wife's best friend to move in with them, but he's been pretty amazing to me and made me feel completely welcome. He always makes enough dinner for all three of us, and whenever he's ordering groceries, he asks what I want to be stocked in the house. He even had my bedroom painted a soft gray color for me before I moved in as a surprise. He's made me feel like family. All of these Irishmen have, actually. Even Kieran in his grumpy way. Like making me a plate of dinner, even if he did act disgruntled about it. Huh. Maybe the big lug doesn't hate me as much as he lets on.

Letting out a sigh, I take the shirt he offered me into the bathroom and spend the next twenty minutes scrubbing my face, brushing my teeth, and stripping out of my dress. I'm relieved that I can finally move normally.

What a night. I didn't want to be at that party, yet it turned out to actually be fun. Especially seeing the look on Jeremy's face when I introduced Kieran. I really do need to get him a thank-you basket or something for saving my tail. I would have probably left in tears if it weren't for Kieran being there to act as my boyfriend.

As I pull on the soft black T-shirt that lands mid-thigh, I swear I catch a whiff of Kieran's cologne. The same ocean and citrus scent that's had me squirming all night because, damn, the guy smells good.