Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 (10 page)

He just had to decide what he was going to do with her.

He couldn’t stop himself from envisioning the dragon writhing beneath the material with every movement, though in truth, he wasn’t trying all
that
hard.  Every once in a while she would twist or bend a certain way and he’d get a tiny peek at a hint of emerald green just beneath her collar, and that would re-open the flood gates to a series of images now permanently burned into his retinas.

He sighed.  This was going to be one long fucking night.  Suddenly he felt a small, warm hand on his forearm.  It was such a slight touch, but it had an immediate soothing effect, rippling through him, warming him from the inside out.

Jake barely withheld the growl in his chest when Taryn reached up and touched Kieran’s jaw, but then felt a swell of respect when she put Kieran in his place with a few well-chosen words and a smile.  Maybe he could relax a little; Taryn seemed to be taking them all in stride, and was obviously able to hold her own.  He would make sure he stuck close by, though.  Just in case.

The crowd was in high-spirits, fueled by the sound victory by the local team.  Once Jake took a few deep breaths and convinced himself Taryn could handle herself, he was able to enjoy the night a little, too.

It was actually pretty entertaining to watch the Callaghan brothers - a lethal, secret team of ops men - falling all over themselves, flirting shamelessly with Taryn and trying to guess her name.  Ian took great pleasure in dancing with her behind the bar in front of them, taunting them.  She was a good sport, playing along, teasing them while making sure none of her other customers were neglected.  Even he got involved a few times; though, as he found it increasingly difficult to remove his hands once they touched her in any way, he was forced to limit himself.

The night literally flew by.  Before he knew it he was making last call.  His family hung around, of course.  By then they had eased off on Taryn a little, but were still playing the game.  They’d covered all of the most common names, and had actually gotten quite inventive.  Their father, who had been silent most of the night, content to sit back and watch, was coaxed into taking the final guess.

“Kiara,” he said thoughtfully, one large hand splayed across his chin, his eyes focused and intent.  The glass Taryn had been rinsing slipped out of her hands and into the sink.

“What kind of name is that?” asked Sean. 

“It’s an old Gaelic name,” said the older man slowly.  “Don’t know why it popped into my head like that.” 

“Wrong again,” said Jake with a smile, returning from the back to grab the next load of glasses.  “Sorry guys, you lose.  Game over.”  His smile disappeared quickly when he saw the blood dripping from Taryn’s hand.

“What the hell happened?” Jake cursed as one big hand wrapped around her wrist.  He carefully removed the broken pieces of glass from her palm and wrapped a towel around it. 

“I’m fine,” Taryn insisted, reclaiming her hand.  “A glass slipped out of my hand and clipped the edge.  It’s nothing.” 

Frowning at the crimson hue of the water in the sink, Jake disagreed.  “Let Michael take a look at it.  He’s a doctor.”

“Not necessary, really.”

“You might need stitches,” said Ian, startling her.  He loomed over her shoulder, and Taryn suddenly felt the force of the two men as they closed around her.

“No,” she said, a little too forcefully, stepping away from them. “It’s nothing, really.”  Taryn dabbed at her shirt, trying to hide her shaking hands. 

“You know what?” she said, offering a smile to the men who were now looking at her with such concern.  “You were all such good sports I’m going to buy you a round anyway.”

Jake saw the panic in her eyes, though she tried to hide it.  He pressed his lips together to hold back his protest, afraid that if he pushed her too hard, she’d bolt.  Instead, he insisted on pouring the drinks while Ian fetched the first-aid kit. 

“Thanks,” she said, grabbing it out of his hands the moment it was within snatching distance and making a beeline for the back. 

Ian’s eyes narrowed, and met his questioningly.  Jake answered with a slight shake of his head, indicating they should let her go.  Taryn was safe under his roof; he’d already engaged all of the alarm systems outside of the public area; she wouldn’t be going anywhere without him knowing it.  For now, she needed to believe she still had a choice.

“I don’t know, Jake,” his brother Shane teased sometime later, when the last of the patrons had been escorted out and only Callaghans remained in the bar.  “I think that one’s a keeper.  If you don’t put a ring on her finger maybe I will.” 

“No lie there,” smirked Sean.  “But my money’s on Ian.”  Ian remained silent, but there was no mistaking the glittering eyes he turned on his brother, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile as he lifted the bottle to his lips.  If Jake hadn’t already spoken to Ian, he might be worried.

“As if she’d take either of them,” Michael snorted. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jake asked.

“It means,” Michael explained with exaggerated patience, “that Shane is right.  That woman is not one you play with.  She’s a lifer.”

“And how the hell would you know that?” Jake asked defensively, refusing to acknowledge the fact that the same thought had crossed his mind once or twice.  “You watched her from the other side of the bar for what, two hours?  Hell, Ian and I just met her yesterday.”

Michael shrugged, taking a long drink from his mug.  “Some things you just know.”

“You’re an idiot,” Jake said, tossing a wet bar rag at him. 

“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m beat,” said Shane with a yawn.  “I vote we crash now and hit IHOP later.  What do you say?”  They all murmured their agreement.  It was then that Jake remembered that he’d given Taryn Kieran’s room. 

“About that,” he began.

“Hey,” said Ian, before Jake could explain the temporary arrangements. “Where’s Kieran?”

“He went upstairs to grab a shower.”

“He what?!?”  Jake and Ian shouted at the same time.  Both sprinted toward the stairs, swearing.

“What the hell is that all about?” Michael asked. 

“I’m not sure,” said Shane with a grin, “but I think we’re about to find out.”

Jake was several feet from the door when he heard Taryn scream.  It made the blood run cold in his veins.  Without hesitation, he threw his substantial weight against the door.  It crashed open, slamming against the inner wall with a loud bang.  Jake reached for the light switch and then froze.  His brother Kieran was sitting on Taryn, straddling her hips, holding both of her wrists in his hands.  Oh, and he was naked.

“Oh, hey there, Jake. Ian.”  Kieran smiled at them as if he’d just been caught taking cookies out of the cookie jar.  “Oi!” he said, turning back to Taryn who was struggling beneath him.  “That hurt, you little hellcat!”

“Get off of me!” she hissed, bucking beneath him.  As Kieran easily had a hundred plus pounds on her, she might as well have been trying to move a mountain for all the good it did.

“Fiesty little thing, aren’t you?” he said.  He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, and not the least bit bothered by his lack of clothing.

“Kieran.”  Jake’s voice was low and dangerous, more like a growl than a human voice.  “Get.  The fuck.  Off of her.”

“No need to get testy.  Just having a bit of fun.”

Jake counted to three in his head – more than enough time for his youngest and soon to be dead brother to get off of her – before he launched himself toward the bed.  The move grabbed enough of Kieran’s attention that Taryn was able to wriggle her knee up and give him a good shot in his man parts.  A second later, Jake hit him full force and tackled him right off the other side of the bed, landing on top of him with a loud “Umph!”

Taryn scrambled to her feet, pulling the sheets up around her as she bolted for the bathroom. 

Michael whistled from the doorway.  “That was one sweet tackle.”

“That is one sweet ass,” Sean commented.

“Was that a dragon?” said Shane, his voice love-struck.

Jake raised his fist to pummel Kieran, but Ian and Michael dragged him off. 

“What the hell is wrong with you!” Taryn screamed from the bathroom doorway.  “Does every one of you feel the need to mount me in my sleep?  You’re like a fucking pack of wild dogs!”

“I haven’t had a turn yet,” Sean pointed out.  Still held back, Jake growled and lurched in his direction.  Sean put both hands up and took a step back.  “Maybe another time...”

Taryn made a sound of feminine frustration and slammed the door.

“What’s going on?” Jack Callaghan boomed loudly from the doorway, his voice holding so much authority that all of the men instantly stopped what they were doing.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” Jake seethed back in Kieran’s direction as he tried in vain to escape the grasp of his brothers.

“What the fuck did I do?” Kieran yelled back.

“I find you naked in bed straddling my bartender and you can fucking ask me that?”

“Oh, that.”  Kieran grinned unrepentantly .  “Totally worth it, bro.”

“Let me go, Ian,” Jake hissed.  “I only want to kill him a little.”

“You can’t murder your own brother, Jakie.”

“It’s not murder.  It’s justifiable homicide.”

“Everybody, just calm down,” Jack said.  “Kieran, for God’s sake get some clothes on, son, and get the hell out of here.  Jake, check on the girl and make sure she’s okay.  The rest of us are going to go down to the trucks to get our gear and give them a chance to straighten this out.”

He looked at each one of them in turn, ensuring he had their complete and undivided attention, before turning around and walking away.  Despite the fact that they were all grown men, not one considered disobeying the command of the elder Callaghan.

I
an and Michael released Jake once Kieran was safely down the steps and took their leave.  Jake immediately went to the bathroom door.  “Taryn?” he knocked.  “Taryn, are you okay?”

“Jake?  Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.  Everyone else is gone.”  He heard the lock release on the door.  “Can I come in?”

Taryn opened the door slowly a few inches and peeked out.  After confirming that he was alone, she stepped back and allowed it to open further.  She sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, the sheet still wrapped around her liked a sleeveless gown, her right hand swathed in white bandages.   

“What the hell is it with your brothers, anyway?” she asked.  “Do they do this to everyone?” 

Jake kneeled down in front of her, checking her visible skin for bruises.  “Jesus.  Did he hurt you?”  She shook her head and sniffed.

“They didn’t know you were staying here,” he told her.  “Most of them have the rooms on the second floor, but Kieran’s been crashing in here lately, and I didn’t think to tell him I’d given you his space.  What happened?” he asked, sure his heart was about to leap through his mouth any moment.  “Why didn’t you floor him like you did Ian yesterday?”

“I thought he was you,” she said, so quietly he barely heard it.

“What?” he asked, certain he had misheard.

Taryn cleared her throat.  “I thought he was you,” she repeated, looking down at her hands.  “I must have fallen asleep pretty quickly.  Next thing I knew, I felt someone next to me.”  Her voice dropped to a whisper.  “I thought it was you.  He smelled like you when you just get out of the shower.” 

Jake blinked, not quite believing what he was hearing.  She knew his scent?

“So I turned and I, uh, kissed him, and the moment he spoke I knew it wasn’t you and I screamed.”  She lifted her lashes, crystal drops still clinging to them, hitting him full force with those beautiful violet eyes.  “Then I started hitting and kicking him.  That’s when he sat on me and you came in.  He didn’t hurt me.  I just... panicked.”

Jake swallowed hard.  “You thought I would climb into your bed while you were sleeping?”

Taryn looked down again, her cheeks pinkening in embarrassment.  “Not under normal circumstances, no.  But I guess I was dreaming...”  she let the rest of her sentence hang.

“What were you dreaming of, Taryn?” Jake asked, his voice soft and quiet as he lifted her chin with his finger.  She looked deep into his eyes and then he knew.  She’d been dreaming about
him
. 

Every rational thought left his mind, every logical reason he had been using to hold himself at bay swept away in that instant.  He cupped her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers.  She sighed softly into his mouth as he parted her lips with his tongue.

Jake moaned at the taste of her as he dipped his tongue into her sweet mouth.  She tasted like she smelled – warm and sweet and heavenly.  A ravenous hunger clawed at him, making him lightheaded as blood rushed to the lower parts of his anatomy.  He was vaguely aware of her hands fisting his hair, pulling him deeper.  His body responded automatically; without conscious thought he deepened the kiss, sweeping her mouth with his tongue, taking full possession of everything she offered.

The kiss lasted an eternity, and it still wasn’t long enough.  It only made him want more.  His hands slid down to cup her behind.  Her legs twined around his hips when he lifted her up and carried her to his room.  His eyes glittered as he gently tugged at the sheet, baring her to his hungry gaze.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured.  He felt a compelling need to touch her, to taste every inch of her.  Taryn moaned softly; it was the only encouragement he needed.

He began with her lips, drinking in the taste of her as if he was a man dying of thirst.  He trailed his mouth beneath her jawline and suckled at that perfect neck, the one that he had been dying to taste since he first saw her.  His large hands found her breasts, filling his palms as he caressed her.  She gasped out his name as his thumbs skimmed over her impossibly hard nipples.

It wasn’t enough.  He wanted her
screaming
his name.  His wicked mouth worked its way down the rest of her neck, dipping into the hollow of her throat and then skimming briefly along her collar bone before taking one hardening peak.  She arched beneath him, muted little cries of torturous pleasure crossing her lips as he flicked his tongue and bit lightly with his teeth.