5. Conal
CONAL
Hazel’s pretty lips form a small circle of surprise. She’s so fucking sexy, and she has no idea. Her auburn hair tumbles around her shoulders, and her green eyes are beautiful, even clouded with the pain of a hangover.
Barely taking my eyes off her mouth, I call Jack. “Send them up.”
When I click off, I scan the rest of Hazel’s gorgeous body. “Are you ready to see them?” She looks good to me, but I know women like to make themselves up and shit.
Hazel smooths a hand over her hair and shrugs. “May as well get it over with.”
I grab a shirt and pull it over my head, then take her hand and help her off the bed.
“Is your sister mad?” If one of my brothers got married right after meeting someone, I’d be pissed, but that’s because the woman would likely have ulterior motives.
Ignoring the irony of the situation, I lead Hazel out toward the entryway.
“Ember’s … concerned.” She’s clearly being diplomatic, and I decide that charm will be the best approach, especially if the sister’s a fan.
There’s a rap on the door as we approach, and I open it to find Jack and another security guard there along with a petite blonde woman surrounded by three big dudes. The guys have more ink among them than my brothers and me, which is to say, a lot. One of them looks familiar, but I can’t place him.
Hazel’s sister rushes in and hugs her for several seconds before pulling back to look her over. “Nice dress,” she says with a smirk.
Hazel’s cheeks turn rosy as she looks down at the wedding dress. It’s wrinkled in places, but still looks great on her.
Her sister picks up Hazel’s hand and checks out the jeweled band, but doesn’t say anything about it. Her focus shifts to me then, and her eyes widen with surprise. “You!”
Didn’t Hazel tell her sister who she married ?
“Ember, this is Conal. Conal, this is my sister Ember,” Hazel says.
“Oh, we’ve met.” The sister’s tone is dripping with accusation of misdeeds.
Fuck! Don’t tell me I partied with Hazel’s sister at some point in the past. That would be an unfortunate but not unlikely coincidence. She does look vaguely familiar, but I can’t place her.
Hoping to brush past any reminiscences of wild nights, I spread my arms in a welcoming gesture. “Why don’t you all come in? Have you had breakfast? I can send for more food.”
But Hazel’s rooted in place. “Wait. You two have met?”
It’s then that I catch the death glare one of the guys is giving me. Now I remember him. He got all up in my face about … fuck, right, it was this tiny woman. Hazel’s sister. In a tattoo shop here in Vegas.
“You’re Conal Curran?” the sister asks.
I guess she’s not a fan.
“What’re you doing with Hazel?” the goon asks, pushing forward with clenched fists. Jack immediately gets in his face, and Hazel’s sister—what did Hazel say her name was? Ember?—gets his attention with a hand on his arm .
“Let’s go in and talk this out,” she says.
Arching a brow, I give the guy a look to let him know I see how this tiny woman has him wrapped around her finger, and he scowls in return. This is going to be fun.
I nod at Jack to dismiss him, but he follows us inside and takes up a post beside the door.
I offer drinks all around as Hazel’s sister and two of the guys settle onto a sofa, while the goon remains standing.
Both of the men flanking the sister put their hands on her, one on her knee, the other on her thigh. Interesting.
Meanwhile, Rafe and Bron are nowhere to be seen, and I can’t decide if they’re little punks, or just smarter than I am.
Hazel’s sister recognized me, but she didn’t know who I was, so it must be a coincidence that I met Hazel.
I have to be careful about the people I let into my life, but there’s nothing about the way I encountered Hazel or the way she’s been with me that sends up any red flags.
Hazel knew who I was when we met last night, but she’s not acting like a groupie or a parasite.
What the goon is fired up about, I remember now, is that I hit on Hazel’s sister several months back, when we were in town and I stopped in at a tattoo shop where they work. So that’s a relief. Just an innocent come-on, nothing that has to make future family dinners uncomfortable.
I chuckle inside at that last bit, because I can’t picture us making it that far. Meanwhile, time to smooth things over.
“Ember, right?” When she nods once, I continue. “Ember, I apologize for the unfortunate way we met.” Turning to Hazel, who’s sitting on a loveseat across from her sister, I say, “In a wild coincidence, I once met your sister when I was looking to get a tattoo. Absolutely nothing happened?—”
“Damn straight,” the goon growls.
I hold out a hand to him. “Conal. It’s nice to meet you again, and under better circumstances.”
My hand hangs there, until Ember gives the guy a look and he reluctantly shakes it. Damn, he’s whipped. Ember’s pretty enough, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, but she’s no Hazel. Just as well she was already taken when I flirted with her.
“No hard feelings,” I say, to which the goon grunts and begrudgingly tells me his name is Frank.
Ember’s other two guys, who introduce themselves as Zeb and Griffin, are wary but decent, and shake my hands only slightly more firmly than necessary .
Ember gets right down to business. “So, you two are married?”
When Hazel doesn’t immediately answer, I sit down next to her and take her hand. “It was impulsive, sure, but we fell hard for each other last night … and this is Vegas, after all.” I add a laugh, hoping to get a smile out of at least one of them, but no dice.
“So you thought you’d take advantage of a young woman under the influence?” It’s the goon. Why did I even let him in?
Hazel’s hand goes stiff and cold in mine. I’ll bet she shared that information with her sister, but didn’t expect these guys to also know she drank too much. I don’t fucking like what he’s implying, but I’m going to keep my cool for Hazel’s sake.
“Look, not that it’s any of your business, but nothing happened last night. We came back here and we fell asleep.”
Hazel softens immediately, and I don’t miss the relief that crosses her features, though she tries to hide it. We definitely need to talk once this meddling foursome is gone.
“Why the rush to marriage?” Ember asks. “That’s what I’m wondering. ”
My brothers stroll in then, looking indifferent to anyone who didn’t know them well.
I introduce them all around, and Ember’s displeasure ratchets up several notches.
When she glares at me again, waiting for an answer to her question, I say, “Sometimes things are unconventional.” I give a meaningful look at her and the way she’s connected to two men with another hovering nearby.
“I’m a musician, and forgive me, but I can be a bit of a romantic.
Sure, dating would have been the expected route, but sometimes, when you know, you know. ”
As I say this, I smile at Hazel, and get a weird warm feeling in my chest when she smiles back at me.
“I did some research on you on the way over,” Ember says, “and romantic isn’t the way I’d describe the things I read.”
I wave a hand dismissively. “Stories in the media are greatly exaggerated, if not entirely falsified. Besides, can’t a person change?”
“A person could also take their time and be cautious about things,” Ember counters. She stands, and the two men flanking her immediately follow suit. “Hazel, why don’t you come home with us, and you and Conal can back things up a few steps. Maybe he can ask you out on a date. ”
I tilt my head, giving Hazel an inquiring look. If she wants to leave, I’m not going to stop her. She searches my eyes for a long moment before she turns to her sister and says, “No.”
“Look, I’m not trying to interfere. I just want what’s best for you, Hazel.” She holds out her hand, but Hazel slides an inch closer to me and shakes her head.
“No, Ember. I’m going to stay.”
This marriage has already had some gratifying side effects. I’d be okay if she wanted to leave, but damn if it doesn’t make me happy that she wants to stay.
“You’d better treat her right,” the red-headed guy with Ember says. Can’t remember if he’s Zeb or Griffin. The other men echo similar warnings about keeping their eyes on the situation, and I smile through it all, even though inside I’m flipping them off.
“I’ll call you if I need anything,” Hazel assures her sister before they hug at the door. Frank throws me one more dirty look, and then they leave, and Jack follows them out.
I put my arm around Hazel’s shoulder and pull her close. “That was a good time. ”
“I’m sorry about that. Sometimes Ember forgets that she’s my sister and not my mom.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it.” I turn her toward me and press a quick kiss to her lips. So sweet. The urge to take her into the bedroom is strong, but I’m not as big of an asshole as her sister thinks I am.
“Can you eat something else? How about some eggs?”
She shakes her head. “Maybe later. I’d like to let the toast settle. I could try some tea, though.”
Bron gets up from the barstool where he’d been sitting. “I’ll make it.”
Good to hear, because when Hazel’s in my arms, I don’t want to let her go. I lead her to the nearest sofa, stopping along the way to snag another blanket, and settle down with her resting against my chest.
After I cover her with the blanket and give her time to get comfortable, I gently stroke my fingertips over her scalp, from her forehead to the crown. “That feel okay?”
She nestles closer and lets out a sigh. “Yeah, that feels good.”
Bron arrives with her tea and sets it on the coffee table in front of us, saying, “Whenever you’re ready.” Then he sits down next to Hazel. “Want a foot massage, too?”
Her body stiffens and she looks up at me, as if to gauge my reaction to my brother’s offer.
“I wouldn’t turn down a foot massage if I were you,” I tell her.
After I give her a smile, she turns back toward Bron and softly says, “Okay.”
Hazel wasn’t throwing herself at us last night, but today she’s much more … demure. I like it, actually, but I want her to be comfortable.
As my youngest brother moves closer and takes her feet onto his lap, I resume caressing her head. “So you really don’t remember getting married?”
Rafe had been pacing the room, but he comes over and sits down across from us. “It’s embarrassing to admit,” Hazel says, “but no, I’m afraid I don’t.”
“No reason to be embarrassed,” Bron says.
“I just wish I’d realized how much you’d had to drink,” I tell her.
“It’s okay. I’m not upset. I’m guessing you all had a good bit to drink, too.”
“It was a fun night.” I’m sure I drank much more than Hazel, but I’m used to it, and I remember every minute.
“In fact …” Hazel starts out, then pauses, her body tensing, despite the ways Bron and I are working to soothe her. “If you’d like to have the marriage annulled, I wouldn't blame you. I wouldn’t be upset. I don't think marriage is exactly your style, anyway.”
I bend to look at her face. “Is that what you want? If so, I’ll arrange it, but I’d like to stay married.” She’s biting her lip, but her body settles into mine again, so I continue. “I’d like you to stay for a while and see where things go.”
“I’d like that, too,” Bron adds.
Rafe clears his throat, then says, “Yeah.”
She’s silent for several seconds, then asks, “Do the three of you … always share a bed?”