RYDER (Slater Brothers 4)(27)

“I’m great, hon. Jesus woke me up this morning so I can’t complain.”

I felt the corners of my eyes crease as my smile deepened. “I’m glad to hear it, how are your grandkids? Are they over their dose of the flu?”

Yolanda blessed herself. “Yes, thank Jesus, I prayed every morning and night for them.” She frowned. “I hate seeing them so unwell, but I know Jesus will look after them.”

Yolanda was very religious, everything out of her mouth was ‘Jesus this and Jesus that’.

I nodded. “I can imagine. When Bronagh was sick growin’ up, I worried meself silly about every cold or stomach bug.”

Yolanda winked. “That’s what we do, we worry about our babies no matter how old they are. Jesus, help us.”

Ain’t that the truth, I thought.

“I hear you,” I said as she pushed her mop bucket down the hall in the direction of the supply room.

I looked over my shoulder to Ash when he exited the break room with two cups of tea in his hands. I groaned out loud and reached for my pink cup. “I could kiss you,” I said as I took the cup and sipped on the addictive sugary liquid.

Tea was—quite literally—my life; I could not function without it.

“You can’t go and do a thing like that,” Ash said. “You’d break Sally’s heart, she loves me, you know?”

I cocked a brow. “She loves the attention from you, that’s all.”

Ash grabbed his chest. “You heartless wench, how dare you dismiss what Sally and I have!”

It took everything in me not to laugh, or crack a smile.

“Just tellin’ you like it is,” I smirked. “Kid.”

Ash growled. “You have five-seconds.”

Oh, shit.

I stood up and quickly scurried around to the other side of our work counter, and placed my hands in front of my chest.

“Ash,” I warned, my voice low. “Don’t even think about it.”

He rounded the station and advanced on me, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Don’t!” I said firmly, hoping my no-bullshit-demeanour would give him reason to stop.

It didn’t, if anything, it only fuelled the freak to come at me faster.

“No!” I shrieked and made a move to dive behind the counter but Ash was too fast, and caught me mid-air.

He set me down, and full on assaulted my sides with his fingertips as he tickled me. I laughed, shrieked some more, and did the strangest moves known to man as I made my bid to escape the terror.

“Mercy!” I laughed. “For the love of God, mercy!”

Ash pulled back on his tickling but kept hold of me as I steadied myself and came down from my laughing high. I was about to playfully sucker punch him and make a run for the break room when I heard my name being… bellowed.

I turned and looked down the hallway and raised my brows.

“Dominic?” I said aloud, hearing the confusion in my own voice. “What are you doin’ here?”

He was glaring as he walked up the hallway towards me.

“Bronagh can’t collect you today.” He said, or rather, growled. “She’s not feeling good, her morning sickness is still lasting most of the day, so I said I would come get you instead since I was on my way home from using the gym at your place. Who is he?”

I blinked, and glanced to my right when Ash moved to my side.

“Me?” he questioned, and pointed his finger at his chest.

“Yeah, you.” Dominic narrowed his eyes. “I’m looking at you, aren’t I?”

He wasn’t happy.

Ash cleared his throat and extended his hand. “My name is Ash Wade. I’m Branna’s co-worker... who are you?”

Dominic didn’t even glance at Ash’s hand as he said, “I’m her brother-in-law.”

Ash furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and lowered his hand back to his side when it was evident Dominic wasn’t going to shake it.

“Branna isn’t married.”

Thanks for the reminder, I silently grumbled.

“That’s a technicality,” Dominic’s eye twitched. “She’s dating my brother, and has been for a long ass time. They’re engaged.”

Ash nodded. “Ah, I see. Nice to meet you.”

“I wish I could say likewise, but I can’t.” Dominic quipped. “Take a couple of steps back from my brother’s fiancée.”

Oh, for the love of God.

“Stop it, Dominic.” I chastised. “You’re being rude.”

Dominic’s eyes never left Ash’s. “I’m about to get real rude if this guy doesn’t back up away from you.”

Ash held his hands up in front of his chest and took a hesitant step away from me. “We were only joking around, man.”

Dominic’s eyes blazed with anger. “You don’t ‘joke around’ with another man’s woman. Ever.”

Ash lifted his hand and scratched his neck. “We’re friends.”

Dominic took a threatening step forward. “Let’s see how long that lasts, shall we?”

I stared at him. “What the hell does that mean?”

Dominic flicked his eyes to me. “It means he might have trouble breathing when Ryder finds out he was touching you like that.”