Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Uncharitable? Probably. But that didn’t make it a lie.
Her dark eyes were sympathetic. “Sounds like a cold reason to make that decision.”
“I think there was more to it, but it was definitely something my parents considered. I mean, fuck, there are seven of us.” He caught himself. “Were. There were seven of us.” A year later and he was still stumbling over that fact. There would come a day when he wouldn’t. He already mourned it.
“I didn’t mean to bring up a painful subject.”
“Life is full of painful subjects.” He tried to make his voice light, but didn’t quite pull it off.
Olivia saw. She’d have to be blind not to, but she did him the favor of changing the subject and not prodding deeper. “Do you want kids of your own?”
Did he? He took his time eating another bite before he answered. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. Up until a year ago, I was all about living life to the fullest and not slowing down for anyone, so kids weren’t even on my radar.”
“And now?”
Painfully aware that he was talking to a woman with a kid, he picked his words with care. But he couldn’t lie to her. “I still don’t know. I like the idea of eventually settling down and starting a family at some point in the future.”
“You mean you aren’t going to follow in your father’s footsteps and try to repopulate Boston with more O’Malleys?”
He chuckled. “I think two or three would be much more manageable.”
“And you don’t have some sort of arranged marriage waiting in the wings?” She took a drink and held up her hand. “Sorry, that’s not really my business.”
“No, it’s fine.” Though he was now even more curious as to her connections to the kind of life he led. Most people considered arranged marriages a thing of the past—at least in this part of the world—so for her to broach the subject spoke volumes. He forced himself to temporarily let it go. She’d tell him when she was ready and not before. He wasn’t going to ruin a good conversation by prying, especially since she was already cagey about coming out with him in the first place. “I’m not the oldest son, so I have some freedom from that sort of thing.” His value lay elsewhere, in his bookkeeping skills.
She raised her eyebrows. “Your family sounds charming.”
“You have no idea. There are definite perks, and they’re mostly good people, but my parents don’t let a little thing like emotional attachment get in the way of their plans.”
“You don’t sound particularly bitter.”
“I’m not.” Not really. Not most days. “Like I said—I made my peace with my place in the world a long time ago.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. “And what would your family think about you being out with me right now?”
He thought back to Sloan’s response. It hadn’t exactly been supportive, but that was more aimed at him than the woman across from him. He’d been telling the truth—when push came to shove, his skills with numbers were more valuable than any marriage he’d potentially make. That left him freer than most of his siblings. “It doesn’t really matter what they’d think. I want to be here with you, so here we are.”
For a second, she actually looked shocked before she managed to get an expressionless mask in place. Why was what he said so surprising? Sure, Irish mob families had a tendency to put family first and everyone else dead last, but as long as Olivia wasn’t some kind of sleeper agent or spy intent on bringing them all down in flames, there was no reason his family should have a problem with them dating.
In theory.
But he meant what he said. The more he found out about Olivia, the more he liked. He wasn’t about to give her up without a fight. Not now. Not until they’d had their fill of each other.
And what if that never happens?
He shoved the voice away. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it. “So, why don’t we try something easy? Tell me about your hopes and dreams and fears.”
She laughed again, the sound like the best whiskey. He could almost taste it if he closed his eyes. That night with her in the alley had been the first time he’d been with someone in…a long time. A seriously long time. Olivia picked up her water. “That’s your idea of small talk?”
“Sure. What’s wrong with that?” He knew damn well that it wasn’t small talk, but he liked that she was teasing him. He liked it a lot.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She grinned. “Everything?”
“Sit back, sweetheart. I’m about to school you.”
“This should be interesting.”
She had no idea.
* * *
Sloan had never been a big drinker, but she was thinking now might be a good time to start. Keira certainly hadn’t felt that five thirty in the evening was too early to begin tipping whatever was in her flask into her drink when she thought no one was looking. She caught Sloan’s frown and grinned. “Don’t look so disapproving. It’s after five.”