CHAPTER 5
Stirring from a loud banging sound she couldn’t yet identify, Carigan reluctantly woke from a sound sleep. The banging continued to earn her attention as she finally got her wits about her. Disappointment filled her heart when she noticed the empty spot to her left that BJ had kept warm all night.
His intoxicating scent was still there when she hugged the pillow he had used, only to find a sweet note had been resting on it. It was from him.
Good morning, beautiful! I had to open the bakery for Pop, but I’ll be back later to pick up where we left off. Why don’t you take a nice, long, hot bath and relax…maybe I’ll meet you there? See you soon, B.
As soon as she finished, she read it again, letting out a breathy sigh at his words. She thought about where they had left off
the night before – or early morning, rather – driving her libidinous desires wild.
They had eventually made it to the hospital, spending time with their friends, waiting for Granny Lou to wake up. Evie was having a rough time with her grandmother’s condition. She looked pale and tired, so it was nice to be there for her and the others. Even sleeping, Lou had a presence that gave them all comfort after such an emotional day, burying a dear friend.
When Carigan and BJ got back to her place, the mood transitioned from low and somber to hot and bothered. She and BJ tore up the sheets all night – and the shower, and the kitchen again of all places. Sweet and kind Carigan was becoming an insatiable sex monger who couldn’t get enough of the delicious man who never left her fantasies and dreams. Something about him being back drew out a side of her that she didn’t even recognize, and reading his note for a third time, she pictured all of the things she wanted to do with him in the bath and everywhere else.
Obnoxious knocking pulled her from her sexy wanderlust daydream. She pulled herself from beneath her warm blankets and tossed on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt before making her way to the door. More impatient pounding had her half ticked when she realized the ungodly hour. Her pace quickened when it dawned on her that perhaps it had something to do with Lou. BJ had a key and nobody else would think to interrupt one’s sleep at the ass crack of dawn…unless something was wrong.
With eyes wide, prepared for the worst, she swung the door open with a force and said, “What happened?!”
“Jesus, Squirt! Is that how you always answer the door, or just for your brother?” A tall guy with muscles for days, short spikey hair with shaved sides, and a too tight t-shirt greeted her, Luke O’Reilly.
“Luke O’Reilly, you nearly rose the dead in me boyo!” she replied with a hint of her Irish twang and hand to her heart. “What are you doing here – and so early?”
“First, it’s polite to invite people in and not
make them freeze their balls off in this weather. Second, you didn’t even look out the window to see who it was. What if I was a crazed loon? You could be dead right now! Last…brought the car back. Wanted to check on Lou.” He tossed a thumb over his shoulder, aiming at the small red car in the driveway.
“Evie’s car. Oh… It’s not even seven in the morning’, that means you left after midnight to get here? What are you up to, Luke?”
She knew better than to think that this was simply a quick courtesy delivery – that was just a convenient excuse. Carigan was the baby of the family, and the only girl, with five bossy, overly protective older brothers. If she didn’t know better, she would think they could literally smell a man in her presence from hundreds of miles away. She needed to play it cool, see what he knew.
Luke, the third oldest by just three minutes – his twin brother Liam beat him to the second-in-charge title – was also third largest in size, just inches behind Wylie and Dec. That didn’t mean much, however, because the O’Reilly brothers were all tall, built, and intimidating as hell, especially Luke. He was as alpha tough guy as they came, with a military background full of top secret macho elite forces crap that no one except their brother Declan and Blake Cooper really knew much about because they shared the same story.
Luke retired early, against his will, at the hands of an injury that nearly claimed him. A special mission gone bad, but not before he saved his crew and took the final blow that left him with a permanent injury, PTSD and a big ass chip on his shoulder. He hadn’t been the same since his accident. He was now very introverted, a loner, battling his deep rooted demons.
One thing that hadn’t changed was his big brother bully routine. It became obvious he knew about BJ when he started scanning the room, looking for clues. This was why Carigan lived in the family home in McKenzie Ridge, while her brothers lived miles and miles away in Portland. Apparently, that was no longer her safety net.
“Luke…” she said again, “What are you up to?”
“Me? Oh, nothing. Just bringing back the car and…you know…Lou,” he said with a mischievous smile.
Eye’s narrowing, she puffed out her chest after noticing the duffle bag in his hand. “So, you’ll be leaving now?”
“Oh, nawwww. Thought I’d stay a few days, visit with the gang. Maybe get some training in with Blake and the boys.” His wink told another story entirely.
“Boys? What do you mean boys?
You mean Blake, Dawson…Colton, right? Those boys?”
She held her breath and waited with a prayer on the tip of her tongue – please don’t let it be the O’Reilly boys
.
Reading her mind, and being an ass, he smiled and answered, “Sure!”
“Sure
…that’s encouraging.” Rolling her eyes, she went to the kitchen to make a strong pot of coffee. It was going to be a long ass day.
Luke hollered behind her, “Hey, heard that Baker kid was back in town.”
And there it was, Luke’s sole purpose for showing up at zero dark thirty…to ruin her life. “So that’s why you’re here. Had a feeling. You might want to work on your clairvoyance skills, they’re getting a little weak. That’s a job hazard in your line of work.” By job, she was referring to the elite high-profile security company he and the other brothers owned.
“No, that’s just for fun. Everly needed her car back, along with the things she left at the hotel, and I wanted to visit Lou. Plus, McCain is one of our clients, we have business to discuss.” He was referring to Beck McCain who became their client after a major security breach that nearly cost him his life just over a year ago.
“Uh huh. And where do you plan to stay, brother?”
“What do you mean? Here of course!”
“Oh, of course
.” Sarcasm and a bit of spite rolled off her words, coaxing a smile out of Luke. He knew he was pushing her buttons.
“What? This is the family home. I’ll just take my old room!”
It was time to fight fire with a little fire. If she learned anything from her overbearing brothers, it was how to play dirty. “I had a feeling… BJ stays here, you know.”
“Aw, well, looks like he’ll be staying somewhere else.” He winked.
With her arms crossed and a snarly scowl, she charged off to her room in a mock toddler fit. She grabbed her cellphone to send a text – two could play at this game.
Change of plans. Luke is in town. I’ll come to your place tonight. See you then, have the bath ready. –C
Carigan spent the day running errands and lazing around the house after making a stop in at the hospital to take Everly food, and checking on Granny Lou. Under the veil of darkness, however, later that night, Carigan made good on her promise. After excusing herself to her room, she readied herself for the night by putting on her sexiest lingerie under a simple dress and crept out of the house. Carigan one, Luke zero.
“Hey,” Luke said into the phone. “Yeah, it’s me. No, no…he’s not here. She fucking snuck out though! Can you believe it? What is she, fucking 16? No, I’m not following her, I know where she’s going. Okay…let the others know. See you then.”
And he hung up the phone, sitting in silence, waiting for his little sister to sneak back in.
“Game on, Squirt…game on.”
Like déjà vu, Carigan was startled awake by more pounding. She was fricken tired after a late night of romping and rolling with her new addiction. It didn’t help that she had to sit in her car up the street for over an hour, waiting for her brother’s bedroom light to go off so she could sneak back in. She loved her brother but hoped his stay would be short and sweet.
Pulling her pillow over her head, she ignored the pounding. If Luke wanted to stay in the family home
, he could answer the family door
. But the pounding didn’t stop, Luke wasn’t answering, and there were very few people who would stand there that long, waiting for someone to answer.
“Bloody hell!” She tossed off the covers, glad she had decided on pajamas for bed, and charged the front door.
She swung the door open with a fury and threatening tone, “WHAT?!”
“Whoa, Squirt! What the hell?!”
“What are you doing here, Wylie? And stop calling me Squirt! Christ, I’m closer to thirty than twenty now, I think that nickname died a decade ago.”
She walked away, leaving the door open so he could let himself in. “Why are you
here now?”
“Oh, Doc Charles’s car…I brought it back for him.”
“Doc doesn’t live here, Wylie. Take it to his house.”
“No way. It’s way too early to just show up like that…don’t want to be rude,” he finished, with the classic O’Reilly brothers wink that worked on most women, but not her, because that would be weird.
“Of course you didn’t, so come here instead. Makes sense.” On her way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee so she could start what was about to be another really long day, she hollered, “LUKE! Your brother’s here!”
“Oh, Luke’s not here.”
“What do you mean, Luke’s not here? Did he leave?” There was a bit too much enthusiasm in that last question and it wasn’t lost on Wylie.
“Yep! Saw him on the road on my way in.”
“On the road? He’s walking back to Portland?” She felt bad for a moment, recalling her less than enthusiastic welcome and rude nature the day before.
“To Portland? No…he’s just out for a run.”
As quickly as that regret came, it was gone. She was being played by the master of all pranks and shenanigans. He could have just said what he meant, but Wylie liked to mess with a person, so she tossed him a closer to thirty than twenty
stink eye.
“Wait. If Luke drove over in Ev’s car, and you Doc’s…how are you guys getting home?”
“Home? Oh, I thought I would stay a few days! Check on Lou and…”
“Hang with the boys? Yeah, heard that yesterday.”
“Exactly. McCain is…”
“I know…your client…business to discuss.”
“Yeah! How’d ya know?” he said, a little too impressed.
“Gee, lucky guess.”
The front door opened and Luke walked in. “Hey, you’re up early Squirt! What’s up, Wy?! Good to see you.”
She did that mock toddler thing again, storming off to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Much like the day before, Carigan waited until close to midnight before trying to escape her hovering brothers. She crept down the dark quiet hallway to the living room, aiming for the front door. Nearly there, she was startled by a deep throaty voice.
“Where ya going, Squirt?”
“Jesus! You scared the shit out of me, Luke! What are you doing up?”
“Couldn’t sleep, grabbing a movie. You?” His cocked eyebrow made her nervous, he was like a human lie detector and she was out of practice.
“Oh, uh, ice cream. I wanted ice cream.”
“Uh huh. Sounds good, I’ll have some too.”
“Of course you will…be…right…back.” Slamming the door behind her was becoming a thing. She picked up her phone and sent a quick text to BJ.
Change of plans. I’ll be a little late. Wylie’s here now too. Ugh. – C
Carigan drove to the end of her street and sat there for a bit, while sexting back and forth with BJ. She couldn’t wait to see him, and make good on all the promises he was sending her. When enough time had passed, she pulled back in the driveway, and went inside to face what she was now referring to as the cock blocking spawn of Satan.
“Hey! Where’s the ice cream?” Luke asked, a stupid grin plastered on his face just to piss her off.
“Ate it.”
“Then where’s the trash?”
She paused, gave him an if looks could kill
glare while tossing her hands in the air, and said, “Tossed it out the window!”
“Wow, Cari! Why would you do…”
She didn’t hear the rest of his annoying BS because the door slamming behind her made it hard to hear.
An hour had passed, and the house was silent. She heard Luke trail down the hallway just minutes after her followed by the sound of his door closing. The routine was already getting old, but she wanted to see her guy, so she made her way down the hallway. As she got closer to the living room, music came in ear shot and she found all of the lights on. Standing in the middle of the room was Wylie, shirtless, in a pair of basketball shorts. He was dancing around an ironing board using the iron as a microphone.
“What the bloody hell, Wylie?”
Not even startled by her sudden entry, he smiled and pointed to the ironing board. “Ironing!”
“I see that, but in the middle of the night? Wait…let me guess…you couldn’t sleep?”
“Yeah...that obvious, huh?” His tone was as condescending as hers.
“Something like that. Um, why are you ironing t-shirts…and are those underwear?”
“Yep! I don’t like wrinkles and want crisp lines. I like to look sharp!”
“But it’s t-shirts, and…whatever.” She turned back around, and back to her room she went.
“Goodnight, Squirt.”
SLAM.
At an ungodly hour, before even nature was awake, Carigan woke to the sound of a motorcycle parking out front. Well aware of who it probably was, she beat him to the punch and headed for the front door.
She waited there, leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed, to greet her brother, Dace. Dace was the fourth brother – the tattooed, pierced, motorcycle riding bad boy of the bunch.
“Hey, Squirt! What are you doing up so early?”
“Seems to be a new habit, thought I would let you in so you wouldn’t have to wake the squirrels, pounding on the door like Luke and Wylie did.”
“Oh, they’re here? Cool.”
She turned halfway to the kitchen and shot him an unimpressed look and the middle finger. Something she didn’t do often, and something he wasn’t expecting based on his shocked expression. Carigan one, Dace zero.
“You should have stayed in bed and slept. I have a key, I could’ve let myself in.”
And she flipped him the bird a second time for good measure. “Let me guess, you saw Luke and Wylie out running on your way in.”
“No, they’re running later.”
“So you did
know they were here!”
“No, I just know their schedules.”
“Right.”
“So, what’s with Bart Baker?” Dace asked, just as Luke and Wylie walked in.
“Yeah, what the hell kind of name is Bart
? C’mon Squirt…you can do better than Bart
!” Wylie added.
“He hasn’t gone by Bart
since grade school! It’s Bartholomew…” Carigan defended.
“Oh, ’cause Bartholomew Baker sounds better. I hear he’s all Grizzly Adams nature boy with shit livin’ in his beard and birds layin’ eggs in that shit bun on his head…you’re seriously into that?” Dace did tattoos, piercings, and was anything but the straight and narrow kind of guy…but he drew the line at au naturel and lack of manly grooming apparently.
Carigan put her coffee cup down a little harder than intended, splashing its contents about, “He goes by BJ…got it? BJ
!”
Luke nearly dropped his mug. “For fucks sake! Are you serious? BJ
? Really? BJ…you have got to be kidding me. C’mon Squirt…Bart is better than…BJ
!”
“Blow Job Baker…you just can’t make this shit up!” Wylie laughed.
She stood there in silence, trying to reign in her calm because these boys had her halfway to that new toddler thing she was doing. After a quiet moment and a few deep breaths, she excused herself. “I need to get ready for work. I won’t be home until really late tonight...pulling a double shift.”
She left the room, pleased with the way she’d pulled one over on her brothers. So what if her second shift was at Blow Job
Baker’s house. Carigan for the win…