Ronan was goingto kill Brendan. Or maybe hug him. He couldn’t decide which. He didn’t know if he had the restraint he would need to keep his hands off Chloe—especially since she kept talking about them fucking. How was he supposed to see her only as a friend when her words made him picture her naked and writhing beneath him?
Lucky for him, Declan’s presence doused all thoughts of sex. So while he might consider thanking Brendan for sending Declan over, mostly he wanted to punch his brother. Declan was a pain in his ass at best, a free-loader at worst. The man hadn’t held a steady job or place to live in years.
He flicked on the light in the living room to reveal the bare space. His recliner and TV were the only fixtures in the room.
“Uh, this is kind of sad, Ronan,” Chloe said.
“In my defense, I’ve been focusing on other rooms. The bathroom and my bedroom are done. I’ve started the kitchen.” He continued walking, turning on lights as he went.
Declan went straight to the kitchen. “Holy shit. This is your idea of started?”
He clapped his brother on the shoulder. “I got the demo done. Now it needs to be cleaned up. That’s what you’re here for.”
“The demo’s the fun part.”
“Yeah, well, talk nice to me and I’ll let you help with the demo when I do the upstairs.”
Chloe squeezed by, the curves of her body brushing against him. “Wow. I bet this will look amazing when you’re done.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but I don’t even have a plan yet. I just knew I needed to get rid of the counters and cabinets from the seventies.”
She spun and held up a hand. “Have your mom or Nessa help you figure out how to do this. You need a woman’s touch.”
Declan laughed. “That’s sexist of you. Men can be very good in the kitchen.”
She scoffed. “I’m sure there are men who love to cook. However, I’ve been around Doyle boys my whole life and I’ve never seen any of you help your mom in the kitchen.”
“Ouch.” Declan slapped a hand on his chest. “Words hurt, Chloe.”
She burst into laughter. It was deep and throaty and made Ronan’s imagination get dirty all over.
Ronan turned away. “The upstairs is old bedrooms and I haven’t done anything up there yet.”
“Dude. You’ve been here, what, a couple months?” Declan asked.
“Some of us have regular jobs. By the time I get home from work most days, the last thing I want to do is put my toolbelt back on. Besides, it’s my own place to live.” He led them down the short hall and pointed. “Bathroom. Bedroom.”
Chloe peeked into the bathroom and then strode fully into his bedroom. He had taken his time in here. He wanted a place to relax.
“I’m impressed. I half expected to walk into a TV-comedy-level bachelor pad. You know, beer bottles and pizza boxes covering all the surfaces, dirty clothes piled on the floor.”
“I haven’t lived like that for a lot of years. Regardless of your Doyle boys comment, I am an adult.”
Her cheeks flushed pink. “I take that back. You are obviously a grown man.”
Her eyes met his and there was no mistaking the heat exchanged between them.
“Dude. You have a king-size bed. That’s huge,” Declan said.
Ronan closed his eyes. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not sharing my bed with you.”
Declan sighed. “Fine. You got anything to drink?”
“In the fridge.” Once he walked away, Ronan looked down at Chloe. “So that’s the whole tour. Like I said, not much to look at.”
“There’s plenty to see here. Thanks for letting me in.”
Ronan couldn’t help but think she was talking about more than the tour. They stood for a minute, their breaths synchronizing.
She licked her lips. “I guess I should be going.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
But neither of them moved. Locked in a trance.
From two rooms away, Declan yelled, “Jackpot! Pizza and beer.”
It was enough to jolt Ronan back.
“What was that?” Chloe asked.
“Fuck if I know.”