“My face is going to fall off from frostbite if I ice it any more than I already have,” Maggie replies.
“How does it feel?” I ask.
“It throbs like a fucker,” she says, then shrugs one shoulder. “It’ll feel better in a couple of days. Keegan says I’m relegated to the kitchen until it fades. And I’m okay with that. I’ve had enough of drunk customers for a little while.”
“I’ll wait tables,” Maeve volunteers. “Now, tell us more about Cameron.”
“There’s not much to tell,” she says. “He gave me a ride home, got me settled with ice and a shot of whiskey, and then put me to bed.”
“And how many times did you have sex?” I ask, then cover my mouth in surprise. “Well, that was rude. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Maeve says. “We all want to know.”
“We didn’t have sex,” Maggie replies. “And we won’t be having sex. He’s Kane’s best friend. He’s just being brotherly.”
I can’t help the snort or the laughter that escapes. “Trust me when I tell you, Cameron does not look at you the way a brother looks at his sister.”
“He never has,” Maeve says quietly. “Not since you became an adult, anyway.”
“He’s never here,” Maggie says. “He works for the government. He used to be military, and who knows what in the hell he does now. He’s always off saving the world from something or other. He’s never here.”
“He’s here now,” I point out. “Maybe he plans to be here for a while.”
“Doubtful.”
“Did you ask him? That’s what I want to know,” Maeve says.
“No, I didn’t ask him. He never stays. Besides, Joey’s only been dead for a year. I’m still unpacking this house, for God’s sake. I don’t have time to get tangled up with Cameron.”
“When did you move in here?” I ask.
“Right after Joey died,” she replies. “I just haven’t finished settling in.”
“Because this isn’t where you’re staying,” Maeve adds. “It’s a rental. I keep trying to get her to buy something that’s more…her.”
“I can’t afford a mortgage, making what I do at the pub,” Maggie says. “And, no, I’m not complaining. This little house is just fine.”
The sisters share a look, and I want to ask more questions, but we’re diving into territory that truly isn’t any of my business. So, I change the subject.
“I’m sleeping with your brother.”
Two pairs of emerald green eyes turn to me, both full of laughter.
“Oh, we know,” Maggie says.
“How?”
“Well, you can’t keep your hands off each other when you’re in the kitchen,” Maeve says. “And when you look at each other, I expect the whole pub to burst into flames at any moment.”
“The chemistry is palpable,” Maggie agrees. “And it’s fun to watch.”
“I’m a little jealous,” Maeve adds. “No one’s ever looked at me like that.”
“That’s because men are dumb,” Maggie replies. “But, sometimes, they’re handy. Do you think you’ll move here, then?”
“Why would I do that?” I ask as I take a bite.
“To be with Shawn,” Maeve says.
I shake my head. “No, you misunderstand. We’re having sex, but no one said anything about falling in love. We’re enjoying each other while we work together. That’s it.”
“Huh,” Maggie says. “Really?”
“Why?”
Maeve shakes her head at Maggie as if to shut her up.
“What am I missing?”
“Nothing,” Maggie says, holding up her hands. “It’s just surprising, that’s all.”
“We’re together all the time,” I remind them. “And the work itself wasn’t going well at first. I honestly thought I might kill him.”
“So, you slept with him instead?” Maggie asks with a grin.
“Attagirl,” Maeve says.* * *The rideshare drops me off at Shawn’s, and I frown when I see the man himself standing at the rear of his SUV, loading a suitcase.
“Where are you going?” I ask as I approach. He turns and offers me a devastating smile that has me immediately flashing one of my own.
The man’s smile should come with a warning label.
Warning: may incinerate panties.
“We’re going up to the cabin for the weekend.”
“Who’s we? You got a turd in your pocket?”
He blinks at me and then says, “Excuse me?”
“My mom used to say that to me when I was a kid. Who is we?”
“You and me.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “We still have work to do, and I haven’t packed anything. Your communication skills need some polishing, Shawn.”
I glance into the back of the SUV and see that he’s already added a couple of my cozy throws and pillows.
Okay, that’s sweet.
“We’ve been working our asses off all week, Lex. We can take the rest of today off. It’s Friday.”
“I’m not really an outdoorsy girl.”
I can just imagine what this cabin looks like—a tiny, rustic building with no electricity, no running water, and bugs everywhere.
Absolutely not.
“Besides, don’t we have to work at the pub?”
He tucks my hair behind my ear, and I immediately feel my nipples pebble.
My physical response to this man is absolutely ridiculous.