“Construction worker or whatever, I’m telling you, he’s a keeper.”

I wanted to laugh. Except a little piece of my heart was already agreeing with her.

I needed to rein that part in.

* * *

Lucy fell asleep on Ronan’s shoulder, and he stood, carrying her to her room. He laid her gently on the bed and watched as I tucked her in.

He followed me to the kitchen. I could hear Paige on the phone in her room, and Evan was busy still working on whatever design was taking shape on the table.

“The desk just needed some tightening. I found a screwdriver and some glue. It’s fine,” Ronan informed me. “Need anything else done?”

“No. Thank you, though.”

He scratched his head. “So, I saw Evan’s room. Lucy’s. Paige’s is obviously the other bedroom. Where do you sleep?”

I indicated that he should follow me, and we went downstairs. There was a little laundry area, a bathroom with a small shower, and an unused family room that we’d turned into a bedroom for me. It was modestly furnished with a double bed, dresser, and nightstand. A chair I had recovered was in the corner with a small bookcase beside it, holding my favorite books. An old table held a lamp and a bag of wine gums—my secret stash I kept for the rare times I could curl up and read. The desk held my laptop and books. A fluffy rug kept my feet warm against the cold concrete floor.

“No door?” he asked, running his hand along the doorframe.

“No.”

“The framing is in place for one,” he observed.

“I think there used to be one there. The landlord said we could add one.” I shrugged. “It’s not a high priority, budget-wise.”

“You should have a door. I could get a crew in to take care of that for you.”

“I have lots of privacy.”

“No, it’s a fire code thing. You should have a door.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll arrange it.”

“So, you’re a construction worker?”

He ran a hand over the back of his neck, looking flustered. “I work in that field, yes. More of a boss than a hands-on crew member, but I know how.”

So, Paige had guessed right when she said foreman. I wasn’t surprised. Ronan seemed like a natural leader. I was, however, a little shocked how uncomfortable he was on the subject of his job. There was obviously a story, but I didn’t want to push.

“I don’t want to bother you for a door, Ronan.”

“Not a bother. I’ll measure it before I go and arrange it. We have tons of doors from jobs kicking around. It’ll only take a couple of hours.”

I worried my lip. “A fire code thing?”

“Yes. Every bedroom has to have a door.” He ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t exactly a legal bedroom, but it still needs it.”

“It was the only option. Evan can’t come down easily with his crutches. Paige wanted to be close to Lucy. It was either make my room down here or share a room with Paige.”

“Oh. This is better then, I think.”

“Me too. I kinda like it down here. It’s private and quiet.”

“Do you get much chance to enjoy that quiet?”

“I study down here when I can. The reading thing doesn’t happen as often as I want, but once I’m done with school, I hope it will.”

He nodded. “You have a lot on your plate.”

“Many people do. I’m not alone in that situation. Paige and I help each other out.”

“I can see that.”

He looked at me, his green eyes intense. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Goose bumps broke out on my arms, and I shivered.

“I’ll get you that door.”

“Okay.”

“I’m glad you don’t share a room with Paige,” he murmured, reaching out and tucking a stray curl behind my ear. His gentle touch made another shiver run down my spine.

“Why?”

“Because I couldn’t do this.”

He swept me into his arms, pulling me tight to his chest. His mouth settled on mine, firm and demanding. I opened for him, and his tongue glided along mine, exploring and hot. He tasted of cinnamon and coffee. Ronan. Addictive.

I wound my arms around his neck as he yanked me closer. Our mouths fused, the kiss becoming deeper, harder. I whimpered. Ronan groaned, the sound low and sexy. He slid his hand up my shirt, spreading his big palm across my back, holding me tight. I gripped his shoulders as he lifted me, sitting down on the edge of my bed, my legs straddling his thick thighs. I felt him hard and pressing between us. He slid his hand to the nape of my neck, holding me close. I played with his hair, the strands soft and silky under my fingers. I was lost to him. To everything that was Ronan. His strength. His taste. The way he held me close as if he didn’t want to let me go. The intensity of his kisses, the scent of his skin. It was a combination of ocean and citrus—I had never smelled anything like it before now. It was uniquely Ronan and highly addictive.

Tags: Melanie Moreland Vested Interest - ABC Corp Romance
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