Juice: The O'Malleys Book 1, contemporary Adult Romance by Michelle McLoughney

killed them to watch her fall apart. It was something he never imagined he would see his little sister go through. Annie was usually so strong, so bull headed. Love can be lost in the blink of an eye and he knew he had to keep it at a distance. Love was for other people. Not for Rory O’Malley. He was lucky to still have all his family, just a phone call away. He looked at Cass and wanted to take away her pain. It surprised him how deeply she affected him. He didn’t even know her and yet something deep inside of him seemed to listen to her hearts rhythm.
    He shook his head. Where the hell did that come from? Jesus, if his brothers could hear him now they would look at him in silence before bursting with laughter. Hell, if it had been one of them drooling over a woman they had just met and talking about heart rhythms he would have been pissing himself laughing too . Is this what it feels like to want someone so badly it hurts physically? He felt like a prick keeping his knowledge of her brother’s death from her.
    “How are your parents coping with losing Harry?”
    “They’re managing. Three years has lessened the sting of the grief and the shock of it all. But a piece of them has gone forever. Sometimes I feel guilty for growing older.
    You know, they watch me changing and Harry well-”
    She turned her face away as her eyes filled with unshed tears. Damn, how unprofessional is this!! It had been so long since she had spoken of Harry to a stranger . For some reason I need to open up to him. How the heck did that happened? Why? Cassidy coughed and put her hands on her lap. “Well, I think that’s enough Q&A for the night Rory. Why don’t you tell me what you are looking for in terms of art and where you would like to start?”
    Rory looked at her and smiled at her nodding his head.
    “Okay, art talk in a little while, food first. I’m starving. And, as I said before, I love to eat.” Cassidy blushed. She didn’t even know why, but looking at his lips move and talk about eating made her feel a slow throb in her knickers. She fanned herself with her hand.
    “Whoa it’s warm in here.”
    Rory nodded in agreement. “Getting hotter by the minute.”
    “What?”
    “Nothing.”
    Rory raised his hand and beckoned over the matire’d’. He stood to hug the man.
    “Carlo, lovely to see you again. Come, meet my new friend Cassidy Evans. Cassidy this is my good friend, Carlo Ferrelli. Carlo manages the bistro when Darragh is away. He’d be lost without him.”
    Carlo beamed under the praise. He took Cassidy’s hand and raised it to his lips. “Mademoiselle Evans, it is my very great pleasure to meet you. You must be a very good friend indeed. Rory does not usually bring friends to the bistro.” He looked at Rory and raised an eyebrow. Rory laughed and clapped Carlo on the back.
    “Ah Carlo, you know me too well. Cassidy is also a businesswoman. I am plying her with expensive wine and good food in the hopes that she will agree to work with me.”
    Cassidy liked the way he said with me and not for me . As the men talked and bantered with each other, she drank in Rory’s essence. He wore a crisp white shirt under a black suit. With his jacket slung on the back of the chair she could see his tanned body gleaming at her from beneath his shirt. His arms filled the sleeves and she could make out his biceps beneath. His huge frame was all she could think about and she picked a spot on his neck to focus on. Otherwise, her eyes were constantly being drawn to his brown nipples that she could make out beneath the material. She watched as he rubbed his chin and heard the rasp of his black stubble. He pulled back his lips to smile at Carlo and his white straight teeth made her bite her lip. Damn his mouth was soooooofrickinamazing!  She was wet and felt herself clench beneath the table. It would take nothing to come on the spot; she was so hot for him! She wondered what his hair would feel like between her fingers as she