I give him a good once-over. “How do you feel about orgasms?”
He chokes on his spit but then nods and looks as if he’s going to give me an honest answer.
Which is good, because that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Always. Every day. I’m all for honesty.
“I guess I’m fond of them.”
I grin. “Right? So fun. Okay, who’s next?”
“I feel like you belong here,” Maeve says to me, and I clutch my chest in joy.
“You do? That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. For real.”
“You’re the best,” Maggie agrees. “You served all of those meals tonight, on one of the busiest nights we’ve seen in a long time, and you didn’t so much as flinch. Your feet have to be killing you.”
“I can’t feel my feet,” I realize and lean over to make sure they’re still there. In doing so, I almost fall off the stool, but Shawn catches me. “Are my feet there?”
“Yes.” He has laughter in his green eyes. “And we should think about getting you home.”
“It’s early.”
“It’s three,” Stasia announces. “We should go, too. I have to work in the kitchen all day tomorrow.”
Shawn taps on his phone and then looks up at me. “Our ride will be here in three minutes. Let’s go wait outside, and get you some fresh air.”
“Why don’t you seem drunk?” I ask after we say goodbye to everyone and make our way out to the sidewalk in front of the pub.
“Oh, I’m pretty wasted,” he says. “Definitely had too much to drive safely.”
“You’re not even slurring your words.”
“I’m a mellow drunk,” he says. “And I’m not quite as sloshed as you.”
“It’s the whiskey. I’m not used to it.”
He smiles and kisses my temple. It feels so damn good every time his lips touch me. I could quickly become addicted to having him near, to feeling his touch. And I’m not usually one to enjoy a handsy man, but Shawn has a special gift for touch.
Our car arrives, and we jump into the back. The driver is quiet, and we follow suit, sitting silently in the dark backseat. I lean my head on Shawn’s shoulder, and his fingertips drift up and down my thigh.
I may look relaxed, but my body is on high alert. I want Shawn O’Callaghan—in the biblical sense, as Keegan put it. But I’ll be damned if I say so. Because we’re working together, and I do not, under any circumstances, want to make it weird.
The ride to Shawn’s is fairly fast. Once we’re parked, Shawn thanks the driver and leads me to the front door, which he quickly unlocks. He gestures for me to walk in ahead of him, and I drop my bag on the table inside the door and slip out of my shoes. When I turn to face Shawn, I find him staring at me with intense green eyes, his hands fisted at his sides.
He looks like a wolf on the prowl for prey.
Moving around and getting the fresh air helped to clear some of the whiskey from my brain. I’m clearheaded enough to know exactly what I’m doing.
“I don’t know,” he begins, his words slow and measured, “if I’ll be able to keep my hands off you tonight, Lex.”
I feel the grin spread over my face. “Well, that’s a relief.”
He doesn’t smile in return. He also makes no move toward me.
“I’ve wanted you naked since the moment I saw you at that party, when I buggered everything up.”
“You were kind of a jerk. If that’s how you come on to women, you have a lot to learn. I could probably teach you some tricks, give you pointers, that sort of thing.”
Yes, I’m babbling. I babble when I’m nervous.
He slowly walks toward me, moving as if his feet are stuck in molasses. Or am I just still drunk enough that everything seems in slow motion?
“We need to set some ground rules,” he says as he reaches out and does his signature move, the whole slipping my hair behind my ear bit.
My earlobe tingles where his skin made contact.
“Ground rules.” I swallow hard as I stare at his supple mouth. I’m going to bite him. I just decided.
“First and foremost,” he begins, tugging my shirt out of the waistband of my jeans, “I’m not going to marry you.”
I giggle. “Thank God. Because as hot as you are, Shawn, you’re a massive pain in my ass. I’m absolutely not marrying you either.”
His lips twitch. “Excellent. I think.” He slips the shirt over my