“Are you kidding me? You have nothing to apologize for. I was out of order in the worst way, and I’m sorry. If you’ll stay, I’d like to give this manager thing a go.”
“That absolutely killed you to say, didn’t it?” he said with a grin.
“Yeah, so make the most of it. I can’t promise not to be a dick again but being a dick also means that I don’t apologize often.”
“How does Em put up with your moody ass?” he commented.
“Fuck knows. She owns the balls of every man at Driscoll’s so be warned she’ll own yours by the end of the week,” I warned him.
“I’ve already got one sister, and she’s enough of a handful. I’m not sure I could handle another,” he said with a grimace.
“Em is gentle and kind. She doesn’t shout or even raise her voice much. She doesn’t bark orders or ask for anything but she is the strongest woman you’ll ever meet. If Danny’s the backbone of our family, then Em’s the heart. That’s why she’ll own your balls like she owns ours. You’ll love her and won’t be able to help it.”
He nodded thoughtfully as he stared into his pint.
“She’s your voice of reason then?” he asked curiously.
“That and my moral compass,” I agreed. “But I have a short fuse when it comes to people flirting or fucking with her. I’ll work on reining that in, but our relationship will be easier if you bear that in mind.”
“I don’t have any interest in her other than being friends, so you have no worries on that score. She’s important enough to you that I’ll take her advice and consult with her a fair bit of the time but consider this my word that I won’t be messing with your head that way.”
“I appreciate it,” I told him honestly.
“Look, if you’re serious and you can get a handle on your anger management, then I think I can help you. But you need to listen and take my advice. You do that and fight like you’ve been fighting, and I’ll take you to the top.”
“Done,” I agreed with a rare smile.
Chapter 7
I loved to watch Em sleep. It was the most peaceful thing in the world to watch her pulse tick gently at her throat while her chest moved slowly up and down. Every protective instinct in me flared to life, like my body knew she was at her most vulnerable and it was my job to protect her.
Usually I could watch her sleep for hours. Usually. Today I paced back and forth in front of the bed waiting for her to open her eyes. I’d already been for a five-mile run to burn off some excess energy but it hadn’t worked. What if she didn’t like it? Today was her twenty-first birthday. I’d spent my twenty-first in a series of bars and fuck knows where after that. I had no memory after the first ten pints. Sunshine’s birthday was going to be different though. With everything that had gone down this year, she needed a day filled with happiness, and I was going to give it to her. Her flushed, warm cheeks dimpled as she grinned, amused by my excitement.
“Happy birthday, baby,” I whispered.
“Best birthday ever,” she replied.
“How do you know? You’ve only just woken up,” I asked.
“Because it’s the first birthday I’ve ever woken up with you,” she told me.
God, sometimes it’s like she reached into my chest and held my heart in her hand, just to remind me why it belonged to her.
Her answer was rewarded with another lingering kiss before I bounded from the bed to the kitchenette, full of excitement and restless energy. I opened the oven and put the pastries I had warming on a plate, then placed them on the tray next to the expensive coffee I prayed was still hot. Frowning down, I figured the tray needed something fancy like a flower or something. Grabbing a couple of paper towels off the countertop, I folded them origami style into a sailboat and placed it next to the pastries. Placing the folded tea towel over my arm in my best imitation of a butler, I turned to look at her.
“Ma’am, breakfast is served.”
I’d like to say I walked the tray through to the breakfast room but our flat was so tiny that you were literally in the bedroom/living room if you turned around in the kitchenette.
Giggling in delight she sat up against the pillows and groaned sexily when she poured the coffee.
“This is wonderful. I can’t believe you did this,” she squealed in delight.
“I’ll be back in a minute, love,” I told her. Placing a kiss on her forehead, I disappeared to get everything ready. When I came back breakfast was over, and she was in the kitchenette washing dishes.