I answered before Ronan could. “I’m not thunder. I want to meet your girlfriends as well. Ronan has spoken highly of them.”
That pleased them. “Oh yeah?” Paul grinned. “Cool.”
Jeremy nudged Ronan. “Awesome.”
Ronan looked at me and winked. “Yeah, she is.”
I turned, lifting the last pile of plates into the cupboard, refusing to let him see my blush.
* * *
Once again, I sat between Ronan’s legs on the front steps. The air was cooler now the sun had gone down, but I was warm and safe with him surrounding me. His brothers had departed after bear hugs and promises to see us on Sunday. The house seemed very quiet once they left.
“Thanks for making my brothers so welcome, little bird.”
“I liked them. All of them.”
He cleared his throat. “Paige is having quite the effect on Liam. I’ve never seen him so taken with someone.”
“She thinks he is rather spectacular.”
“Lucy likes him better than me,” he groused.
I chuckled. “I think Lucy is rather intuitive. She knows he likes her mom.” I patted his arm. “She still loves you.”
“I’m Evan’s favorite.”
“That will never change.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat. “And thanks for saying what you did about Paul’s and Jeremy’s girls. It made them feel good.”
I turned and looked at him. “I only spoke the truth, Ronan. Do you have any idea how much you’ve talked to me about your brothers since Sunday?”
He scratched his head. “Too much, I think?”
“No. You’ve told me so much about your family. Your life. It’s exactly what I needed to help understand you.”
“You think you understand me, Beth?” he asked, a hopeful note to his voice.
“I know one thing for certain. You don’t see what everyone else sees about you.”
He furrowed his forehead. “Which is?”
I tried to figure out how to say it. I turned even more, so his leg was over mine and I rested against his other thigh. I picked up his hand, marveling at the sheer size of it.
“You know I love historical romance.”
He chuckled. “So I found out. The women in my family are crazy for it. They’re looking forward to you joining in their book club.”
“Your mom sent me the name of the book they’re reading right now. I had already read it, but I started reading it again.”
“It’s by the Scarlett letter woman?”
I laughed. “Scarlett Scott. It’s called Her Virtuous Viscount. It’s part of her Wicked Husband series.”
He grinned. “I am hardly virtuous, although wicked might be a good word.”
I slapped his arm. “Shut up for a moment.”
He pretended to lock his lips shut and looked so adorable doing so, I had to kiss him. He was all too happy to return the favor, so for a few minutes, I forgot what I was trying to say. I pushed at his shoulder, shaking my head. “Wicked is right.”
He grinned. “You started it. Now, you were saying?”
“The hero in the story—Tom—has his heart broken by the woman he thinks he loves. In his mind, he is unworthy of real love. He is useful to people, but not loved. He feels invisible. He is a good man with a big heart, but in his mind, he wonders why he bothers. Good guys finish last sort of thing.”
“Is this where he becomes wicked?”
“No, he meets a woman and decides to have an affair with her. No strings attached.”
He frowned. “Was that allowed back then?”
I laughed. “That is why these books are so delicious. A hidden passionate affair? So scandalous and dangerous. Actually falling in love with your wife? Hard to believe and rare. Men who love so intensely that it changes them, changes their life? Trust me, the books are addictive.”
“I see.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “And this viscount of yours, he falls in love for real this time?”
“Yes. He falls for her hard. He realizes what he had in the past wasn’t what he thought love was. She shows him how to love. How to believe in himself again. To move away from the past and begin to really live again. He lets people in, shocked to realize how many truly care. She lets him know he isn’t invisible. She sees him, and he realizes if he has that, he has everything. He’s finally able to accept his importance to people. It was hard for him to tell her, but he did.”
He was quiet for a moment, then spoke. “Then I know how he feels, because knowing you see me has made all the difference in my life. I don’t want to be without it, or you, again.”
His words touched my heart. I cupped his cheek, unable to tear my gaze from his beautiful green eyes. His emotions were on full display, and I felt his adoration deep within my soul.
“What does he say to her?” he asked. “Do you remember?”