we were coming. Well, except for Kane. We wanted it to be a surprise, we did.”
“And it worked,” I say, shocked when I’m wrapped in a big hug by the older woman. She has the same red hair as Shawn’s sisters with just the beginnings of silver threading through. Her eyes aren’t green, they’re blue as the ocean. Her body has softened a bit with age, but she’s strong and beautiful.
“I should have rung the bell,” Tom says kindly, his green eyes dancing with mirth. “I beg your pardon, lass.”
I laugh and lean over to give the man—as tall as his sons and just as strong—a hug. “Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Lexi.”
“We weren’t expecting you guys for at least another month,” Shawn says as he pulls out crackers, along with some cheese and fruit from the fridge, and starts making his parents a snack. “This is a surprise.”
“We decided to come early to see our children, take in some mountain air, and relax a little,” Fiona says.
“You’ll relax all of two days before you go check on the pub,” Shawn says with a laugh. “But Keegan will welcome it.”
“Tell us about yourself, Lexi,” Tom says.
“I’m an author. I’ve been working with Shawn on a screenplay for the past month or so. This is our second weekend up here to relax for a couple of days between work sessions during the week.”
“I’m sorry we interrupted you,” Fiona says.
“Oh, it’s really fine,” I reply immediately. Shawn winks at me, and my spine tingles.
I guess we won’t be having much sex this weekend, which is a damn shame. But I’ll get to know his parents a bit, which is exciting.
I can already see where all of the siblings get their amazing looks. These two people are downright beautiful, so it only makes sense that their children are, as well.
But I can also see that they’re kind and full of humor.
While Fiona and Tom eat, Shawn gestures for me to follow him out of the kitchen.
“Do you want to go back to the island?” he asks when we’re out of earshot of his parents. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting this.”
“No, if they don’t mind us being here, I don’t mind staying.”
“I think they’re curious about you. And my parents love people, so having you here won’t bother them at all.”
“Great. We’re staying. We just won’t have sex.”
I turn to walk away, but his hand catches my arm, and he pulls me back around. “Excuse me?”
“No sex.”
“Did you hit your head when you fell in the lake?”
I laugh and lean over to kiss his arm. “No. Your parents are here, Shawn. I won’t have sex with you while we’re in the same house as them. It’s disrespectful.”
“Angel, I’ve been having sex in my parents’ house since I was sixteen.”
I scowl. “I don’t want to know that. Ew. And shame on you.”
“You never had sex in your parents’ house?”
“No.”
“How old were you when you lost your virginity?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Twenty. I was in college. So, no, not my parents’ house.”
He leans in and kisses my nose, then tucks my hair behind my ear and smiles gently. I shift back and forth on my bare feet, suddenly uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
There’s nothing wrong with a woman waiting until she’s twenty to lose her virginity.
Shawn shifts closer and presses his lips close to my ear. “I’m going to spend plenty of time inside of you this weekend, Lex. This is a big house, with lots of space for privacy.”
He kisses my cheek and walks away, and I have to press my hands to my face and take a deep breath.
Why is he so damn hot?
“Tell me about Shawn as a child,” I say later in the evening. We’re all in the living room, playing Canasta. His parents picked the game up quickly.
“What would you like to know?” Fiona asks.
“Did he ever get into mischief?”
Shawn’s green eyes narrow on me from across the coffee table. I shrug a shoulder innocently.
“It was Shawn’s lot in life to test my patience,” Fiona says, smiling fondly at her son. “But there was one incident that almost got us slapped with a lawsuit.”
“She really doesn’t want to hear this,” Shawn says, shaking his head and wiping his hand down his face.
“Oh, I think I do.”
“She does,” Tom agrees with a grin. “Keep going, mo chroí. It’s a great story, twenty years later.”
“Perhaps Shawn should tell it,” Fiona suggests.
“Spill it.”
He sighs and then tosses his cards on the table and