Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(3)

I stared at her as if she’d just grown an extra head.

“You said they were good lookin’, but babe, they’re on fire. I’ve never met men quite like Ryder and Kane before. And Alec? That is too much sexiness to claim one person. Then there are the twins, who are another kind of hot. Their gene pool is bloody amazin’.”

Bronagh bobbed her head in agreement. “You should have seen me when I first met them. I stared without blinkin’, and I think I even drooled.”

“No one would blame you if you did.”

My friend laughed. “Are you ready to go?”

I sighed as I pushed myself up from the bed and got to my feet. I straightened out my dress, hoping it wasn’t creased.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Bronagh hesitated. “If you’d rather stay—”

“No, I want to go out. I’ve never been clubbin’ before; it’s just ... I hope I don’t get upset if Damien pulls a girl. I have no claim on ’im, but I really like ’im, so you can guarantee me emotions will kick off if he pulls. I just hope I don’t cry and make a show of meself.”

“Ye’know what?” my friend said, sudden confidence filling her tone. “You are goin’ on the pull tonight. You’re goin’ to kiss the socks off a lad and forget about Damien Slater.”

If only.

“Yeah.” I whooped with fake enthusiasm. “Good idea.”

Bronagh beamed, pleased with herself.

“Great. Go on down and tell the lads I’m ready. I’m gonna go get some of Branna’s perfume and see if she’s good to go.”

I nodded and left the room. When I reached the ground floor, I turned and walked down the hallway and into the kitchen where I slammed headfirst into one of the Slater brothers. I looked up and found Alec Slater looking down at me with a shit-eating grin on his way too perfect face. He placed his large hands on my shoulders to steady me, and he left them there, which had me freaking out because he was too hot for words to be touching me for any amount of time.

“I’m so sorry,” I said rapidly, the words sounding jumbled together. “I wasn’t watchin’ where I was goin’.”

He continued to grin. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, sweetheart.”

I heard a groan from inside the kitchen followed by some snickering.

“She’s barely eighteen, big brother.”

It was Nico who spoke, and I wanted to pummel him for embarrassing me.

Alec simply winked at me before he removed his hands from my shoulders, moved around me, and ventured off down the hallway then upstairs. I inhaled and exhaled before I stepped into the kitchen. Without realising it, I turned around to the empty space Alec just vacated and stared as if he would magically reappear.

“He’s so feckin’ pretty.”

I looked to my right when male laughter sounded, and when I found the remaining four Slater brothers staring at me, I widened my eyes.

“Did I say that out loud?”

The group nodded, and I felt blood rush up my neck to my cheeks, which prompted me to place my face in my hands.

“You’re doing much better than Bronagh, if it’s any consolation?” Nico offered. “She stared at all my brothers when she first met them. I’m sure she drooled, too.”

I dropped my hands back to my sides, my cheeks still aflame.

“Speakin’ of Bronagh, go and put ’er out of ’er misery.”

Nico blinked. “You wanna expand on that?”

“She’s mortified to see you even though you both ... ye’know.”

He smirked. “Yeah, I know.”

Ryder and Kane shook their heads while Damien bumped fists with his twin as if Nico having sex with Bronagh had put him on some sort of pedestal.

“Go act normal so she can stop freakin’ out ’cause when she is freaked, I have to be freaked. Best friend code.”

Damien laughed even though his brothers didn’t. I felt a surge of pleasure that at least he thought I was funny.

“I’ll go take care of her,” Nico said as he stood, moved past me, and left the room.

When I was alone with the remaining three brothers, I found myself rocking back and forth on my heels. I stopped moving when fear of my ankles giving way under my high heels entered my mind.

“So.” I cleared my throat. “You’re American.”

I cringed at the shocking conversation starter that slipped from my mouth.

“And you’re Irish,” Kane rumbled. “Now that we’ve gotten the obvious out of the way, how close are you with Bronagh?”

I wasn’t prepared for the question nor the tension in Kane’s tone and the accusation in his glaring grey eyes. I clasped my hands together as apprehension filled me.

“Bro,” Damien began, but one look from his older brother silenced him.

Kane looked back at me, awaiting my reply, but all I could do was stare at him. He was extremely intimidating. Bronagh had warned me about his appearance, and I knew that his scars wouldn’t bother me because his looks didn’t define him, but she failed to mention he was a bit of an arsehole.

“Close as new friends can be, I guess,” I replied with a shrug of one shoulder.

Kane cocked a brow. “Has she talked to you about us?”