“They’re my birthday gifts since my other sister, Shauna, got her tattooing license.” He straightened in his seat androlled his short sleeves up and over the tops of his shoulders. He pointed first to his right arm, at the labyrinth of knotwork and braids weaving through and around each other in a sleeve. “Knotwork for my heritage.” He switched hands and pointed to his left arm, closest to his heart. “A portrait of Queen Méabh reclined in her armor and crown, for Maeve.” He trailed his finger down his bicep, following a tendril of vines and blossoms. “Protected under her is Queen Áine, a wild fae Goddess for Shauna.” He turned his arm so she could see the tattoo spanning his inner forearm. “A crossbow for Danny. Arrows represent brotherhood to the Irish.” He lifted his finger to the inside curve of his elbow. “And up here is a hawk. Means freedom. Saoirse’s name.”
Lily answered with silence and inched to the edge of her seat. She uncrossed her legs, both of her knees tucking between his. She lifted her hand as if she hoped to cross the table and feel the ink under his skin. Her mouth opened, perhaps poised to ask if she could touch him, but the confidence in her expression wavered. Her pink tongue flicked over her bottom lip as she settled back, and it took everything in him not to lean across the table and coax that tongue into his mouth.
“Can I ask another question?”
“Shoot.”
“Danny.”
“That’s not a question.”
Frustration drew her brows together, and the warmth of her legs disappeared. She sat back in her seat. “He’s your little brother?”
Kieran let loose a dry chuckle. “I certainly hope so. Is that your question?”
She shook her head. “No, I just wondered. I mean—you said your parents weren’t around and that you moved your siblings with you. What happened to them?”
An explanation hovered on his tongue, but his heart beat against his rib cage like it had every intention of blasting through. “That’s a third-date question, Princess.”
Lily ducked her head. Their food arrived, and it was too easy to let the conversation die. He just wished their talk hadn’t gone the way it had. The smell of his food only made his stomach turn. He hadn’t counted on this fake date to go any further than a little ribbing.
A distraction would make the food go down easier.
“So, what brought you to Chicago?” he asked, poking his eggs with his fork.
She took her time swallowing a tiny bite of fruit-filled crepe. “Finished college. Figured I needed a fresh start.”
A fresh start after almost marrying her ex? He hadn’t missed that part of her conversation with Sebastián. He rested one forearm on the table, his hand settling near hers. “Still my turn?”
Her gaze stuttered between their almost touching hands and his eyes. Hesitation clouded those forget-me-not blues. “Go ahead.”
“Like I said before, Carter’s a pretentious asshole. You’ve worked at South Side MMA long enough to know this.” And he hadn’t missed her body language or the way she’d swiped her hand against her clothes after Carter kissed it. In no way was this woman eager to go out with the young fighter. Kieran tilted his head as he appraised the secret smile tugging at her lips. “Why’d you say yes to a date with him? I thought you said you liked nice guys.”
Lily tipped her face downward, almost hiding her blush behind the curtain of her hair. “Don’t laugh.”
“Do I look like I laugh?”
She didn’t answer. Her shoulders lifted on a fortifying inhale before she lifted her face, her cheeks still pink. “I’m notlooking for nice right now. Not that I want mean, either. It’s just…” She caught her lips between her teeth. When she released them, they darkened to an almost irresistible maroon. Her voice dropped in confession. “I want something baser.” Her cheeks hollowed on a sharp inhale. “Something casual. No strings attached. A way to work off the tension.”
The rustic, interior brick absorbed her words. The overhead bulbs hummed in their sockets. The wood under his fingertips pushed back against his bracing.
“Are you talking about fucking?”
A deep, red blush engulfed her face. “I’ve heard casual sex can be a great mood and confidence booster.”
“And…” The word crawled, gasping for breath and trekking across the Sahara drought on his tongue. “You need Carter to accomplish that?”
What would happen when Carter ran his mouth to the whole team? Would she stick around the gym with Carter telling her business to anyone who would listen?
Lily’s gaze darted around the room. “Yes. I mean, no?” She swore under her breath and leaned forward again. She covered his hand with hers and squeezed as if she could communicate what she meant through touch alone. “Do you have any better ideas?”
Oh, he had plenty. She could date outside of the gym for starters. Neal didn’t need the drama that came with breakups. Or, if she wanted to fuck someone she knew, she could pick someone who knew how to keep his damn mouth shut. Actually—“Why not me?”
Lily looked at him like he’d grown three heads. “You?”
“You don’t have to worry about strings with me. I’m not looking for a relationship either, and I can sure as fuck give you a better time than Carter ever could.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Are you always this confident?”
