Brenda Chapter
Brenda:
Our evening had been amazing. I loved the ballet, particularly the introduction to the principal dancers.
Our dinner was at an upscale restaurant that served everything from steak to seafood.
Every bite had been excellent. I was stuffed but happy when we left.
Sean had insisted we get dessert. We’d split a molten dark chocolate cake that was to die for.
I didn’t know if it was all the hours we’d spent over the past week, or the nights at the apartment, both with Cormac and Cyndi and alone, or tonight, and how he treated me and introduced me as his girlfriend.
Whatever it was, I found myself agreeing to his request after dinner.
He asked if I’d consider coming to the apartment he shared with Cormac.
It wasn’t far away. I admit, I was curious to see it.
I knew it had to be far bigger and more elegant than ours.
What made me nervous was that it meant we’d be totally alone together.
Cormac was in Jacksonville with Cyn. I had no idea when he’d come home, but if it were like prior nights, it wouldn’t be for hours yet.
The guys stayed as late as they could. Since it was a weekend, there was no work to worry about in the morning.
My nervousness wasn’t because I was afraid of what Sean might do to me.
It was because of what I might do to him.
The truth was, I was insanely attracted to him, and the more time we spent together, the greater that grew.
I wasn’t the type to sleep with someone after knowing them for just a week.
Hell, the couple of men I had slept with had dated me for three or four months before I said yes to sex.
There had been guys I dated who weren’t willing to wait, and that was the end of them.
Others, we’d gone out a few times and discovered there was no significant spark between us.
With Sean, it felt like a forest fire raged inside of me.
I daydreamed about him a lot. And at night, when I was alone, I fantasized about him.
Those fantasies turned into masturbation sessions for me.
I knew from my talks with Cyndi that she was reacting the same way to Cormac and was already fighting to keep from sleeping with him.
We teased each other that all it took to turn us into sluts was an O’Sheeran.
My first clue that his place was in a different stratosphere than ours was when we pulled into an underground parking garage, not a parking lot.
One that required a code to open the gate.
From there, we parked in what he admitted was an assigned parking spot.
The outside of the structure revealed a modern, tall building covered in glass.
As I entered the elevator, I watched him remove a card and press it to a screen.
When it lit up, he pushed the button marked with a P. Kevin had accompanied us.
“Sean, does P stand for penthouse?” I asked.
“It does. We have the top floor. But don’t worry, we have privacy. Kevin and Eoin, or any other guards, have their own set of quarters on the opposite side of the floor. They have to be close, but we don’t want them in our hair.” He grinned at Kevin.
“Don’t let him fool you, Brenda. He and Cormac are slobs, and we can’t stand to live with them.” Kevin’s deadpan expression concealed whether he was kidding or not.
“You lying ass.” Sean snorted, playfully shoving his bodyguard. This move caused Kevin to crack a smile.
By then, we arrived at the top floor. After exiting the elevator, we wished each other a good night. Then, Sean turned left, and Kevin went right. At the door, Sean used a key to unlock it. He let me enter first, then the lights snapped on. My eyes widened.
I sort of floated along as he took my coat and hung it up, then put my purse away.
We took off our shoes and put them in the front closet.
I expected my feet to get cold, but to my surprise, the floor was warm.
Who had heated floors? I’d love to have this at our place in the winter.
My feet were always cold, even with socks on.
As we walked farther into the foyer, he offered me a tour before getting comfortable. I excitedly agreed.
The place was immense, expertly decorated, and had every amenity and then some, screaming wealth.
It was a four-bedroom, four-bathroom space bigger than the houses of those I knew.
The bedrooms were huge suites with large bathrooms. One of the bedrooms was used as an in-home workout room.
It held every piece of exercise equipment I’d ever seen in a gym.
Another bedroom had been converted into an office, which the brothers shared.
Papers were stacked neatly on each desk.
On one wall were bookcases, and on another, the closet had been converted into a secure space for their paperwork and valuables.
He pointed out Cormac’s bedroom, but we stayed out of it.
However, when it came to his room, Sean insisted we go in and that I look around.
His bed was a king-sized one. It was made of dark, rich wood.
The bedding set was a mixture of black, blue, silvery-gray, and cream.
The walls were painted a combination of the same silvery-gray and the blue.
There was a small, intimate seating area, a chaise in one corner, nightstands, and a dresser that matched the bed.
This same color scheme carried over into the bathroom and closet.
The bathroom was more than half the size of our apartment.
The shower, separate from the clawfoot tub, was large enough for a few people.
The tub could easily hold two people. The closet was wall-to-wall custom-built-ins.
I was speechless when we were finished. Seeing that I was, Sean guided me to the chaise.
He sat first, then brought me down next to him.
His arm wrapped around me. Concern was written all over his face.
“Brenda, say something. You look, I don’t know, scared? What’s wrong?”
“Sean, I’m not scared. Well, that’s not entirely true. I am, but it’s not because of your place. It’s incredible and a dream place to live. You have to know that. People would kill to live in such a home.”
“What’s the scary part?”
“That you live here. I knew you and Cormac were out of Cyndi’s and my league, but this shows me even more that we aren’t even on the same planet as the two of you.
Your apartment is a penthouse, which is bigger and drastically nicer than any house I’ve been in.
Why in the world would you want me as your girlfriend?
You need a woman who finds this an everyday home.
One who has fine jewels, wears designer clothing and shoes, carries designer handbags, and bathes in champagne.
” As I explained, my sadness grew. As the idea blossomed that I’d have to let him go to find someone like that, tears filled my eyes.
“Brenda, leanbh, why are you crying?” he murmured anxiously. He cradled me against his chest but kept my head tilted back so he could see my face.
“B-because, I have to give you u-up,” I sobbed.
“Give me up? What the fuck do you mean? Why?” he asked incredulously.
It took several deep breaths to get control of myself enough to speak. “Sean, I told you. You need someone like you to be your girlfriend. I’m ordinary. I have nothing to give you.”
“Nothing to give! Are you kidding me? You bring me so much it’s insane.
You have no idea how much my life has changed for the better since I first laid eyes on you.
When I saw you at the shop, I almost swallowed my tongue.
Yes, your outer beauty was what caught my attention, but it soon wasn’t all.
Your wit, the way you worked those oils to create the perfect fragrances, I knew you were smart just from that, even before you mentioned you have a degree in chemistry.
That shit is hard. Ask my teachers growing up. They had to pound it into my head.”
The way he twisted his lips ruefully made me giggle. But he wasn’t finished.
“You say you have nothing to give me. This home, the cars, the jewels, and the clothing are all material things. Sure, they can be fun and sometimes make life easier, but they’re not what counts.
My family came here from Ireland with nothing.
Daid scratched out a living and continued to grow it even more after meeting Mam.
He wanted to ensure his family’s livelihood.
He had to be strong and able to defend us.
He knew that true riches came from your family and your connection to them. It’s about heart, soul, and body.
“You fill my heart with more joy than I’ve ever had. You feed my mind in so many ways, and not all of them are intellectual. My body burns for you in ways I’ve never experienced. I can keep going if you want me to.”
His words made my heart pound. However, when he mentioned his dad coming here and having nothing, it made me realize I had to ask him a question that had been at the back of my mind from the start.
“Sean, I’ve got to ask you something. I hear, and I love what you just told me.
But there’s been something I’ve wanted to know.
I hope it’s not a faux pas to ask. If it is, I’m sorry.
There are rumors about your family and how you make a living.
You’re in newspapers and magazines and even appear on television.
The gossip is that you’re part of the Mafia.
Your family is involved in operating illegal businesses throughout Florida and possibly beyond. I have to ask. Are you a mobster?”