Ready For It (MacAteer Brothers #2) - M.L. Nystrom Page 0,40

incredible green eyes of his. “Okay?”

I was sure most of his talking today would be in one- and two-word sentences and mostly to me. No big secret that social settings weren’t his favorite way of spending an afternoon. I couldn’t really blame him either, as the one we faced today, I thought of more as a gauntlet than a party. I fake smiled at him. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s get this shit show over with.”

I could tell he wasn’t fooled by my false bravado, but he kept moving.

The back of the house held a few hundred people or so. Some were friends, but the majority were work acquaintances of either my father or Magnus. It was limited space, so the privilege of being one of the select few to attend was a big deal. I’d questioned for years why they didn’t hold this party of theirs at the country club. More of their people could come with less mess and disturbance to the house. I had the feeling it was more to do with showing off the family wealth than spending time with friends and colleagues.

Wait staff hired for the day wandered around carrying trays of miniscule hors d’oeuvres. Pregnancy was hard work, and my appetite had increased significantly. These tiny bites of nothing wouldn’t cut it for long. Owen picked up a star-shaped cucumber slice topped with a dot of cream cheese and a tiny roll of smoked salmon. He eyed it for a moment before he popped it into his mouth and crunched down with a frown. The waiter scurried away before he could pick up another one.

“Fake food,” he commented.

I had to agree. “It’s a fake day, O-man. Let’s get through it, then make like birds and get the flock out.”

Piper Long, one of my mother’s cronies and the biggest gossip at the country club, approached me. “Melanie, darling. How are you?” She air-kissed both of my cheeks and gave Owen a dismissive glance before looking down at my hidden middle. “You’re looking just lovely these days.”

Bitch. I know what you’re looking for. “I’m well, Piper, I hope you are. This is Owen MacAteer.”

She twisted the ruby drop pendant hanging from her surgically tightened neck. “My, he’s certainly a big one!”

Jeez, why does she always have to titter like that when she talks? Oh my God, did she just crotch shoot him?

Yup, she did. Her eyes darted again to Owen’s lower half. WTF?

I thought Owen looked good on a daily basis—even more so that time I saw him shirtless at the hotel—but today, he was exceptional in tan pants that hugged his tight ass and a pale green polo shirt that fit tight across his broad shoulders. The logo of his family company was stitched on the breast rather than a fashion one. Irish Pub Builders sat on top of a small shamrock. His hair had been freshly buzzed and his short beard trimmed neatly. He looked hot, or should I say hawt? Piper thought the same, judging by the hungry, speculative expression on her face. Owen shifted toward me and seemed uncomfortable under the older woman’s scrutiny. Time to shut this shit down.

“Yes, he is a big one, Piper.” I turned and fitted myself to Owen’s side. His arm came up and automatically wrapped around my waist, drawing me closer. I almost tittered myself at the thought he was using me as protection from the geriatric cougar. My hand came up to rest against his hard chest, and a nipple tightened under my palm.

I didn’t know why I did it. Maybe because Piper was watching. Maybe because I spotted Peter on the other side of the pool with Prudence Mayfield. Maybe because Magnus stood next to them, and the trio’s attention was squarely on us. Maybe I just wanted to. I put two fingers to Owen’s jaw and directed his mouth to mine. The kiss was a light one, closed mouth and entirely casual. I wasn’t expecting the spark that jumped between us. His body jerked as it hit him too.

Piper waved to a group of her cronies and made some lame excuse to move off and go talk to them. I nodded and smiled at her, but my focus was completely on the man standing beside me. Every movement he made landed in my gut. His palm dropped from my waist and brushed lightly over my ass as he reached to clasp my hand firmly in his. He stuck his other hand in his pocket