The lasses laughed, and I covered me face with me hands and groaned.
Paxton pulled them down and looked in me eyes.
“You’re saving yourself. I think that is beautiful. Don’t let go of that. Stay true to your heart.”
I glanced down at me hands, wringing them under the water in the hot tub.
“I’ve never met a man who made me want to give him that that until…well, you know who I’m talking about.” I shrugged. “I mean, I think I’m getting impatient.” I let out a soft chuckle.
The three of them looked at me like they could read me thoughts. I had almost said I hadn’t met a man I wanted to give meself to until Cord. But I knew that would never happen. He may have wanted one night, but I wanted the rest of me life.
“Men can be real assholes, Maebh. Half only want in your panties, and the other half don’t know what the hell they want. They’re scared or afraid to make commitments. Two of my brothers fall into both of those categories.”
Me heart ached thinking of Cord wanting in a girl’s knickers for sex only. It actually made me stomach hurt.
I forced a smile. “It’s a good thing I’m not looking to get into a relationship.” I mused. “With Aisling opening and doing so well, my focus has to be on that dream. My other dreams will have to take a backseat until the right man comes along.”
Their eyes grew sad.
“Maebh, for what it’s worth, I know my brother likes you.”
I scoffed. “He has a funny way of showing it. You know, he kissed me a few weeks ago.”
They all gasped.
“Hold up!” Harley said, standing and motioning for us to get out of the hot tub.
“This conversation needs to be happening back in our room with orange juice for me and alcohol for y’all.”
“I agree!” Paxton stated, grabbing me hand and pulling me out of the warm water.
Walking into the large sitting area, I stopped. Three sets of eyes were laser-focused on me.
“What are you all looking at?” I asked, dropping into the oversized chair.
Amelia laughed. “The kiss story, Maebh! Tell us about the kiss!”
I shrugged. “It was the night he walked me home from his bar. It was confusing. He said he thought I was sexy and pressed into me. I felt his hard…you know.”
Amelia snarled as Paxton and Harley said, “Dick?”
“Ugh… My brother and that word,” Amelia said, shuddering.
The girls laughed at Meli’s reaction.
“Then he told me he only wanted to be friends. I wanted to tell him I fancied him. A lot. He looks at me sometimes like he wants to swallow me whole, and I don’t understand it. I can’t tell if he likes me, or hates me, or both at any given time.”
“He likes you…a lot,” the three of them said at once.
I rolled me eyes. “But then he said he wanted to be friends, and I figured that was it. I started to leave and the next thing I knew, he had me against the door and lifted me up so me legs wrapped around him. He kissed me like no man ever has. I felt it down to me toes.”
They smiled, and that made me smile, but the memory came back with the hurt.
“I needed air. I pulled back and whispered his name. He put me down and said something about me making him crazy, and how he couldn’t think around me. Then he left.”
“He left?” Harley asked, anger moving over her face.
“Then when I saw him again, he acted like it never happened. But then he did it again. He tried to kiss me in his office, too, then he went back to acting like he’s me friend only. It’s like a game of tennis and I’m the ball.”
Amelia chuckled. “Oh Maebh, I can promise you have him a hell of a lot more confused than he has you. He likes you, and he doesn’t know how to process that. Cord has prided himself on being one of the last family members to not get tied down, always saying the married life’s not for him.”
Me heart dropped. “I don’t know, Amelia. I think I’m more of a challenge than anything.”
“Don’t say that!” Paxton said. “I can tell you from personal experience, the Parker men are a strange bunch.”
“Amen.” Harley giggled.
“I wish Corina was here. This is like déjà vu all over again!” Amelia chuckled.
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
“Corina and Mitchell shared an amazing night right after they first met. Mitchell got freaked by his feelings and walked away from her. Took months to get his ass out of his head and get his feelings sorted.”
“She even dated Tripp for a bit, but they were more like best friends than boyfriend and girlfriend,” Harley added.
“He walked away from her after they slept together?” My heart nearly broke at the thought of Cord taking me virginity and walking away.