“How fast are you gonna marry her, bro?”

I blew out a harsh breath and watched as the taillights of my car became smaller and smaller. The girl was gunning it.

“I’d give her my name tomorrow if I could.” I ran a hand through my hair, wondering where the fuck Emilia had come from. I was the one who’d barged into her life, yet she’d fucking blindsided me. She was nothing like I’d expected.

She infuriated me, made me laugh, turned me on unlike anything else, and did weird shit to my chest. It seized up every time I saw her.

Patrick looked over to where Alec and Nessa were lingering between the houses. Sarah wasn’t there. “Youse can get ready for bed, kids. It’s late.”

Ness wasn’t happy. “I wanna see when Em—”

“You heard him, doll,” I told her, pulling out my phone. “Is Sarah spending the night?”

“Doubt it,” Pat replied dryly. “You think Em’s staying?”

“She is if I have any say.” I pressed call on her number and put the phone to my ear. “You’ll get closer to your girl if you quit acting like a Jersey juicehead. She doesn’t care about your gym routine, big brother.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Patrick lit up a smoke.

Emilia wasn’t answering, so I sent a text to my car. She’d see it popping up on the dashboard screen.

Get back here right now.

Christ, she’d actually taken my wheels. I couldn’t fucking believe her. Even as the anger continued to surge, I wasn’t sure it was directed at her. I was usually spot-on when reading people, except this time.

“Em’s good for you,” Patrick noted. “You seem more like your old self lately.”

I nodded, having realized that too. Being away from work in the city was frustrating the ever-loving fuck outta me, but she was making it easier to pass time. When I was around her, I didn’t think about the syndicate or my crew.

“I wanna bring her to the city this weekend,” I said.

His brows lifted. “To meet the folks?”

“Yeah. You think it’s too soon?”

He shook his head. “Ma will adore her.”

I fully believed that too. More than that, I believed it would help sway Emilia. The girl needed family, and I could give her that.

“Patrick.” It was Sarah, appearing between the houses with her purse. To be honest, I was having a difficult time reading her too. Fuck, this was gonna put a dent in my ego. I couldn’t decide if she’d be good for my brother. “It’s getting late, and I think I’d like to leave.”

I observed her and lit up my own smoke.

“You don’t wanna stay?” Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “Em will probably be back soon, and you two can share a guest room if you want.”

Nah, fuck that. I wanted Emilia a lot closer and a lot more to myself.

“No, thank you.” Sarah cleared her throat and hugged herself a bit. It was probably cold in that dress, something my oblivious brother should pay attention to. “I expect Finnegan to drive Em home when she returns. I’ll wait up for her.”

You might have to wait a while.

I narrowed my eyes and took a slow drag, realizing Sarah could be any girl—one that I ended up with. She wasn’t frigid or ungrateful; she was savvy and in it solely for the payout. In that respect, she was smart. Maybe smarter than Emilia. But was it really about brains? Or was it about the fact that Emilia might be awakening a new side of herself?

She stole my fucking car and had attitude. I just needed to dig it up a bit more and see what else was revealed. Unlike Sarah, Emilia had emotions involved, and I craved every ounce of them.

I’d have to keep my eye on Sarah, even though Emilia was the one who thought she was helping the Feds.

Patrick wanted Sarah to stay, that much was clear, but he wasn’t gonna push it. He told her he’d get his keys.

Sarah nodded in thanks, and then it was the two of us.

I tilted my head. “You’re a calculating one, aren’t you?”

Her head snapped up, and she jutted her chin. “Excuse me?”

I cracked a smirk, my mind spinning further. Whereas Emilia had been neglected and made to feel worthless by her son of a bitch father, Sarah had been pushed physically and abused. Emilia was raw, confused, and lost. Sarah was closed off, didn’t trust anyone, and felt she only had herself.

I wasn’t sure Patrick could break through her shell.

I was more grateful than ever that I hadn’t ended up with someone like Sarah, but I felt for her. Never being able to rely on anyone else was no way to live.

“Never mind.” I checked my phone and exhaled some smoke. No response from my little car thief. “I’ll return Emilia to you when she’s ready.”

“If you hurt a single hair on her head—”

“You’ll what?” I smiled. “Sarah, the last thing I wanna do is hurt her.”

She snorted derisively. “Words mean absolutely nothing.”

“Including your empty threat, then.” I nodded at Patrick coming out of the house. “Your ride’s here.”

She gave me a once-over, the disdain clear, then turned on her heel and aimed for Patrick’s car.

I laughed through my nose before jerking my chin at Patrick. “Let me know if you see my car wrapped around a tree.” Shite. I’d meant it as a joke, but now I couldn’t help but worry that Emilia might get hurt. She’d had a few drinks, and I could guarantee she’d never driven anything that could go from zero to sixty in under four seconds. “Motherfucker, I’m too young to get grays,” I blurted out irritably. “She’s gonna give them to me, mark my words.”

Patrick laughed and opened the door to his car. “Calm your tits, Finn. I bet she’s just taking it for a spin on the highway.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” I asked incredulously. “Get the fuck outta here.”

He felt the need to laugh harder than before.

* * *

Half an hour later, I was about to flip my shit. The only thing that kept me from going out to chase her down was the text my brother had sent me. Emilia and Sarah had been in touch, and Emilia was on her way back.

I said goodnight to the kids and distracted myself by clearing away from the birthday dinner.

The dishes went to Pat’s place. The leftover cake and food somehow ended up in my fridge.

My phone buzzed with a message from Kellan, and I flinched. Had Emilia really reported the events from her own birthday?

It shouldn’t bother me. I’d lied to her a fuckload, painting myself as a more upstanding guy, and I hadn’t told her about her mother.

I made a face and opened the text.

Congrats, ya gobshite. She said the date tonight was canceled.

“Fuck me sideways.” I scrubbed a hand over my mouth, pure pleasure coursing through me. Followed by enough guilt to make me wince. At some point, I’d have to come clean to Emilia about Kellan. I loved him like a brother, and he had earned my trust repeatedly. It was only a matter of time before she discovered the truth.

And her mom…? How would I break that to her?

“More like when,” I muttered to myself, and the answer was after the wedding.

At the sound of a car entering the premises, I stalked out of my house, though I could hear it was the Jeep.

“The twins asleep?” Patrick locked up and nodded toward his house.

“They’re in bed anyway. You didn’t see Emilia, I take it?”

“Afraid not—”

“Hold on.” Just as the gates closed, I spotted a set of headlights. “Can you open the gates for me?”

Patrick and I jogged down there, and soon they were sliding open again. Emilia was idling some seventy-five feet away.

“You sure it’s her?” he asked.

“Of course I am.” Unless someone happened to be driving a car with headlights that close to the ground, it was her.

“Okay. I’m heading inside.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re strapped in case, yeah?”

“Don’t be so paranoid.” I gave him a two-finger wave, and then I was walking out the gates.

Blinded by the headlights, I saw very little around me. The forest was pitch black, and the car wasn’t more than a shadow behind two lights.

I was strung tight with anticipation. Impatient to make her mine. Pissed she took my fucking car. Proud for the same reason.

I took a final drag from the smoke, then flicked it away, and I was finally close enough to see the silhouette of her behind the wheel. Her hands were gripping it tightly. Nervous? Christ, I’d never get her out of my head, would I?

Not a scratch on the car as far as I could see. I brushed a hand along the hood until I was within reach to rap my knuckles on her window.

She lowered it a few inches and swallowed hard, and I rested my forearm on the roof, bending over slightly to get a better look at her expression. And it was a sucker punch right in the gut to see a hint of something feral in her eyes. It mingled with a dose of nerves, and it was sexy as fuck.

My mouth twisted up. “License and registration, please.”

Her eyes narrowed briefly. “What if I don’t have it with me?”

“Then I’m gonna have to ask you to step out of the car, ma’am.”

Her façade broke, and a soft laugh slipped out. “I can’t picture you as an officer.”

“And I couldn’t picture you as a car thief, yet here we are.” I took a step back and folded my arms over my chest. “Get your sweet ass out here, princess.”

She unbuckled her seat belt with a huff, then opened the door. Without her heels on, she was shorter than short, and she put her hands on her hips and stared up at me with half a scowl.

“I’ll have you know I had a perfect reason to borrow it,” she said stubbornly. “You’re not allowed to get pissy.”

“I’d love to hear that reason.” I felt like a ticking time bomb, every part of me tense.

Had I ever seen something so exquisite? Her long, dark waves teased her hips, the fire was growing in her eyes, and she was just so fucking adorable. Like a feisty kitten, but one that could potentially cause some actual harm.

I was ready to eat her up.

She lost a bit of her bravery when I caged her in, my hands on the roof of the car. Her gaze flickered.

“Go on. I’m listening.” I leaned in and grazed my nose along her jaw.

She trembled and flushed. “I-I…I wanted to know what it was like to drive it.”

I eased off a bit, and it was my turn to narrow my eyes. I admit, I got irritated. “You could’ve asked, Emilia.”

Just like that, her nervousness was gone. “But then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, Finnegan.” She pushed at my chest, and I backed off more. “Now I don’t have to ask. Now I can tell you that it was un-fucking-believable to drive your car.” Fuck me sideways twice. She gave me another shove, only to advance on me. “Are you surprised yet?”

More than she’d ever know. At the third shove, I turned the tables and pushed her back up against the car. I dipped down and covered her mouth with mine, swallowing her shock, and gave up on my heart rate. It was determined to skyrocket around this girl.

After the initial surprise that turned her into a stick, she melted into my arms and kissed me back. I cupped her jaw, sliding my tongue into her mouth, and she threw her arms around my neck.

“How fast did you go?” I asked, out of breath. My self-control took a hike, and I got a grasp of the backs of her thighs before hitching her up, wrapping her legs around me. “Tell me.” I pressed my cock against her.

She gasped and exhaled a moan. “Ninety-five.”

Fuck. Yes.

“That’s my girl.” I kissed her deeply, coaxing her tongue out with my own. “You’ll break one hundred next time.”

“Oh God, it was amazing.” She started panting, and fuck me if she didn’t try to pull me closer. “I felt like I was flying, and—shit,” she whimpered as I gave her a slow, hard thrust and sucked on her neck. “The engine…so powerful… It was exhilarating and terrifying—ungh, please, Finnegan.”

Hearing her talk, all breathy and desperate, turned me into a starved madman. A storm brewed inside me, tightening a knot in my stomach, and my cock almost hurt. She was exhilarating to me.

My teeth grazed her delicate skin. “Please, what? Tell me what you want, baby. I’ll give it to you.”

At her helpless, soft, “I don’t know,” I got a reality check. I swallowed dryly and hauled in a much-needed breath. As much I wanted to take this further, I didn’t want there to be any regrets. For either of us.

“Spend the night with me,” I whispered. “Not—not like that. Sleep in my bed. I won’t let things go too far.”

She shivered in my hold and flicked me an uncertain look. The conflict was written all over her, and I was ready for it to be gone.

Her flushed cheeks and the desire in her eyes lingered, only now she was more nervous than before.

“You can’t fight this forever, Emilia.” I kissed her again, slower this time. “You feel this, don’t you? This, happening between us? It can’t be just me.”

Her fingers shook, and she played with the hair at the back of my neck. She nodded jerkily and lowered her gaze. “I feel it, but I’m afraid to get played. This could all be part of some elaborate—”

I kissed her to shut her up. “Everyone risks that when they meet someone. Fear of getting betrayed and left behind? That’s not unique to our situation.” I touched her cheek and searched her eyes. My gut told me her guard had never been lowered like this with me, and I had to take advantage. I had to get her to say yes. If not to my proposal, then to spend more time with me. “Give me one night—”

“I have school,” she said at the same time. I was losing her; the fog was clearing, and I refused to let it happen. If she went home, she’d shake this, whatever it was, and I would go back to being a convicted felon and mobster. She would regret telling a fake agent that her birthday dinner had been canceled.

“Fuck school.” I brushed her hair aside and cupped her neck. “You need a break. Drop everything you hate and let me take care of you.”

She covered her face with her hands. “You’re horrible, Finnegan.”

“I know,” I chuckled.

I could taste her surrender. She was almost there.

I was a dick for playing with her emotions, but I’d show her. All she had to do was give me a shot. I’d take care of her. I’d treat her like a fucking queen, because I had a feeling she’d make me look like a king.

“I’m too weak for this,” she laughed shakily. The defeat was everywhere. “I’ll stay. One night.”

She wasn’t weak. She just needed to trip before she could come back with a bloody fucking vengeance and show everyone, herself included, what she was made of.

I was the manipulative son of a bitch who was going to make her fall.

* * *

“What’re you looking at?”

“You.” I continued watching her in the mirror as I unbuttoned my shirt, and she fidgeted with a lock of hair, taking in everything. She’d changed into one of my T-shirts, and I had no words for how that made me feel.

There wasn’t much to distract herself with in my bedroom. Other than the bed, two nightstands, and a chair, I hadn’t done anything with it. My mother had taken over and had the wall where the bed stood painted in dark red, and she’d ordered me to hang pictures there. They still sat in a box in the hallway outside.

Opening the closet that took up the opposite side of the bedroom, I threw my shirt in the laundry basket, and I discreetly removed the gun tucked into my pants.

Emilia stood awkwardly next to the bed.

At her sharp intake of air, I cringed and figured she’d seen it anyway, but that wasn’t it. She was staring at my back, or more correctly, the Celtic cross and my last name.

“That’s, um, one big tattoo,” she mumbled and averted her gaze to the window. “Are you afraid you’re gonna forget your name?”

I smiled to myself and shook my head. I never knew what she was gonna say, and I loved it. In a way, she was shaking me back to life.

As I removed my belt, I dug out the birthday gift I’d been saving. Now seemed like the perfect time.

“Be good, or I’ll sleep naked.” I dropped my pants and picked out a pair of sweats, then pushed off my boxer briefs too.

There was a squeak from Emilia. “Finnegan!”

“Relax. See?” I slipped into the sweats, pocketed the gift, and left the closet, tightening the drawstrings.

“I can’t relax. I just saw your naked ass.” She was looking anywhere but at me, and even in the low light of the lamp on the left side of the bed, her blush was clear as day. “Abs, hi. I mean, fuck. Christ.”

I pressed my lips together to withhold the laughter, and that wasn’t easy.

I was counting my blessings for getting her here, so I decided against pushing it and pointing out how flustered she was. Instead, I changed the subject.

“We gotta settle something important. What side of the bed do you sleep on at home?”

She eyed the bed, and her shoulders shook with a silent snicker. “There are no sides to my bed at home. You either sleep in the middle, or you fall off.”

“Noted,” I chuckled.

She shrugged and tugged down the tee. “I have no preference.”

“Good, ’cause the left side is mine.” It wasn’t, but the left was closer to the door. I got under the covers, and it was impossible not to notice her awkwardness. I didn’t take it personally. If my suspicions—and hopes—were correct, this was as new for her as it was for me. “Get in bed, princess.”

“Fine.” She slipped under the covers and stayed near the edge. “You promise you won’t try to have sex with me?”

“I promise.” I left the light on and rolled over to face her. It was time to give her some honesty on that topic, and hopefully, it would ease her fears. Of course, I wanted to dig first. “How did you handle sleepovers with past boyfriends?”

“What boyfriends?” She mirrored me to lie on her side, and she tucked her hands under her cheek. In the low light, her hazel eyes glowed with warmth. “In case it wasn’t clear, I have no life. I work and go to school. Hobbies such as football and handing out V-cards are for other kids.”

The relief to have it confirmed that she hadn’t been with anyone hit me harder than I thought it would’ve.

“Last party I went to was over a year ago,” she said with a quirk of her lips. “I’ve dated a little, but my main man was always the diner. He’s a demanding fellow.”

Oh, really. So she’d dated.

“Come here.” I couldn’t make sense of the tightness that had formed around my chest, but I wasn’t a fan. Emilia shifting closer eased it a bit, though. “You’re with me now,” I murmured and met her in the middle. I stole a kiss, as if to remind myself I could and no one else had that privilege.

“Am I?” She ducked her head and fingered the chain around my neck.

I covered her hand with mine. “I’m working on it, anyway.”

“Who’s this?”

“St. Christopher.”

She hummed and got settled on the pillow again. “He watches over travelers or something, right?”

That was a surprise. “You know of him?”

“Not really.” She chewed on her lip, thinking. Debating. “My mom was Catholic.” Is. She is. “All I have left of her is this little book about saints, and I used to read it a lot. There was one prayer to him—St. Christopher—that I memorized.”

Wanting to keep her talking, I asked, “Do you remember it?”

She squinted. “Um. I’m not sure…”

“‘Dear Saint Christopher, protect me today, in all my travels, along the road’s way.’” I recited the beginning for her.

“Oh yeah.” She smiled softly. “‘Give your warning sign, if danger is near, so that I may stop, while the road—no, wait—while the path is clear. Be at my window, and direct me through…um.’”

“‘When the vision blurs, from out of the blue.’”

Recognition sparked, and she finished the prayer without help. Then she snickered to herself. “We just went from talking about sex to a prayer.”

“As religion intended it.”

She laughed, finally looking more at ease.

I reached out and touched her cheek, just feeling like it. “Speaking of.” I cleared my throat and got serious for a moment. “I don’t believe in sex before I’m married, so when I say you don’t have to worry, I mean it. It’s important to me.”

She blinked.

I stifled my amusement. This could go one way or the other, and I was used to both of them. She would either laugh or call me a liar. No one ever believed I was serious. No one of my generation, at least.

“You mean…” She furrowed her brow. “I mean… You mean what?”

I snorted under my breath and tugged at a lock of her hair. “I mean that I made a decision at an early age to abstain from girls and distractions like sex.” I paused to let her process that. “A chick my brother went to high school with claimed he was the father of her unborn child, and it freaked him out. They had to do a paternity test, and the first one came out inconclusive, so lawyers got involved.”

“Oh my God, you’re serious,” she mumbled, visibly stunned.

“My uncle has three kids,” I went on. “My aunt isn’t the mother to any of them—”

“Nurse Walsh?”

“No, on my mother’s side,” I replied. “I work with men who fuck around and have more kids than they can count. They’re always surrounded by drama—”

“Finnegan.” She scooted even closer and kissed me quickly, her cheeks turning pink. “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

It was my turn to furrow my brow. She didn’t react right. What the fuck was wrong with her?

“You believe me?” I questioned.

She scrunched her nose and lifted a shoulder. “I figure, of all things, this is one you have no reason to lie about. No offense, but in today’s society, having never had sex at twenty-five is kinda…well, you know. Lame.”

I muffled my laughter into my pillow before remembering I had her here, and I could force her to join me. Yanking her flush to my body, I sank my teeth into her neck and tickled her rib cage.

“No! Fuck you, no!” She let out a shriek and smacked my chest hard enough to make me flinch and hiss. “You freaking savage. You bit me!”

I groaned out the last laugh and rubbed my chest. “Mental note. She’s ticklish as fuck, and it makes her violent.”

“And don’t you forget it.” She puffed out a hard breath and flopped onto her back. “Goddammit, Finnegan. Why can’t I hate you anymore? Things were so much easier back then. Ahh…last week, how I miss you.” She scrubbed her hands over her face and sighed. “Today has been…” She swallowed, maybe at a loss, and so was I. Maybe on edge too, for fear of what she’d say. Then she tilted her head at me and offered a small smile. “Thank you. Today was amazing.”

Thank fuck. More relief, and my chest expanded with it. The way I reacted to her was bewildering at times, to be honest. Correction: how much I reacted. It was one thing to find her irresistibly beautiful, funny, and intriguing. Even our chemistry was a great fortune. But I couldn’t afford to lose my head over this girl.

What we had now was perfect, if only she’d agree to marry me already. Actually, if she agreed to be my wife for life rather than three years, it would be perfect. But I’d settle for those three years, and I’d achieve my goal. After which, there would be a lifetime of other goals, not to mention risks. And love would jeopardize that. I’d grow lazy and lose track of my priorities. Just look at my father. While he’d been a top earner for decades, the syndicate wasn’t his top priority. He didn’t care about advancing.

No, what I wanted from Emilia was companionship. A partnership and loyalty. The passion was a fantastic bonus.

Being away from my crew and Philly was fucking with my head.

“Now you look all…” Emilia reached out and eased a finger over the spot between my brows. “Don’t frown. Say something cocky like, ‘I knew you’d like it here today, princess.’”

Her impersonation of my voice failed miserably, and I chuckled and grasped her wrist. I found her fingertips and pressed a kiss to them.

“I knew you’d like it here today, princess.” I smiled and rolled on top of her, enjoying the surprise in her eyes, and got settled between her legs. “It’s not over yet. Remember I said I was saving one gift?”

She opened her mouth, promptly closed it, then opened it again. “If it’s in your pants, I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” I gave her a slow thrust, which was a bad fucking thing. I’d only shot myself in the foot. The hitch in Emilia’s breath didn’t improve my situation, and I felt a ball of lust dropping to my gut. “Tempting.” I leaned down and nipped at her bottom lip. “And, technically, the gift is in my pants. Check my pockets.”

She couldn’t hide her blush from me, and I didn’t move off of her.

“It’s not what you think it is,” I said when she located the little jewelry box.

“Okay,” she answered warily and held the box. “Because it looks like a box you’d give someone who’s said yes to something.”

“And you haven’t done that.” Yet. “Open it.” For this, I sorta needed my hands, so I reluctantly returned to lie next to her. “Ever heard of a Claddagh ring?”

“No…?” She pushed herself up a bit to inspect it closer, her hair falling forward. “It’s so pretty.” She touched the old silver carefully, tracing the design of the two hands holding a heart, and the little crown above the heart.

I copied her position and supported myself on my elbow. “There are a lot of traditions and legends about this ring. Some say suitors give them to the women they intend to marry. Some say mothers should give them to their daughters, and there are rules about how to wear it, with the heart pointing in or out. I was never any good with rules.”

She smirked a little. “Shocking.”

“Right?” I took the ring out of the box. “I’m creating my own rule.” I slid the ring onto her left index finger, and thank fuck it fit. It used to belong to my grandmother, and it’d been too small for her in her final…sixty years.

“The heart is pointing in now,” Emilia said.

I nodded. “And when you’re ready to accept my family as your own, you turn it outward to represent your heart being open to them.”

“Finnegan,” she whispered.

“I want nothing more than to give you another ring, one that’s just for you and me,” I murmured. “But this is for family. They’ll love you, and I think you’ll love them too.”

She swallowed hard and nodded with a dip of her chin. Maybe she was choked up and conflicted and didn’t know what the fuck to do or say. I couldn’t blame her. She blinked when her eyes got glassy.

Without saying anything, she cuddled up against my chest and nudged my arm, silently telling me I should be a good boy and put it around her. I had no problems with that, and before getting settled a last time, I reached behind me to turn off the light.

“Get some sleep, baby.” I kissed the top of her head, lingering and breathing her in. She wasn’t even moving or saying anything, yet she was doing weird shit to my chest again. It felt…fucking incredible to have her in my arms like this, and I tightened my hold on her.

Stay. Focused.

Fuck.