Patrick nodded. “I’m in.”
“Done deal then,” Quinn said. “We’ll let you get back to your girl. Not your usual type, Dallas. Looked too classy for you.”
“I don’t have a type,” Dallas said. “I like women full stop.” Thank god Quinn hadn’t seen her face.
“You have a type,” Patrick said. “Curvy, nice arse. A woman who knows the score and won’t get upset when you turn them loose through your revolving doors. You’ve been that way since Maria kicked your arse.”
“She didn’t give me the flick. She cheated on me.”
“And you’ve been trying to replace her ever since,” Quinn said. “This one looks different. She’s not dark for a start.”
“Redhead or blonde?” Patrick asked as he straightened his stack of papers.
“Blonde,” Quinn said. “I wonder if she’s a natural blonde. Do you know? I have a soft spot for blondes. Maybe she’d prefer a more mature man.”
“Jaysus.” Dallas stood in a hint for his brothers to leave him the hell alone.
“Did you notice how he didn’t answer your question?” Patrick’s blue eyes gleamed with silent laughter.
“Don’t you have an urgent meeting?”
Quinn dumped a pile of papers into his briefcase. “When are we meeting her?”
Dallas didn’t have to think about it. “You’re not. We’re friends.”
“I’m fond of blondes too,” Patrick said.
“No, you don’t. You’re going to be late to your meeting.” His brothers left and his breath eased out in a sigh. Instead of diverting them, he’d made them curious. Not ideal.
He’d thought about getting a place away from the pub, somewhere to relax and have women over without inviting nosy questions from his brothers. Maybe it was time. Mind churning over the benefits, he realized he’d decided to continue with Laura, had scarcely put up a fight once she’d walked into his lair.
He found her pacing his living room, reruns ofMurder, She Wroteon the television providing background sound.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t even consider running into your family. Have I made things difficult for you?” Her brows drew together in a frown. “I was going to sneak out but I thought I might make things worse.”
“Shush,” Dallas said, his mind clear. “Neither of us wants to cause problems with our families. I’ve been thinking about getting a flat of my own rather than living on the job.”
“Can we start looking for somewhere today?”
Dallas laughed and reached for her, trying not to think about how right it felt being with Laura.
“Are you still looking to hire someone?”
“I am, but I don’t see how we can swing that without alerting my brothers to your identity.”
Laura sighed. “I guess I’ll keep looking. No one wants to hire me the second they learn my name.”
Dallas ran a hand over his head. “You know, there’s no reason why the work needs to be done onsite. Let me think about it some more. Have you tried a temp agency? That might be a way for you to gain some experience.”
“Good idea,” Laura said, brightening. “I’ll ring around and make some appointments this afternoon.”
Dallas admired her enthusiasm, her determination to gain independence and willingness to find a job. Most people in her position would be content to coast through life. “Would you have time to look at apartments? I want a two-bedroom apartment, reasonable area, preferably with parking and a decent kitchen.”
“How much rent are you willing to pay?”
Dallas named a figure. “Draw up a shortlist for me, and we’ll check them out later tonight.”
She beamed as if he’d presented her with an expensive jewel. “You trust me to do that for you?”
