Once Kissed

“No,” Killian says, shaking his head. “He didn’t mention a damn thing.”

Oh. “Well, I hope it’s okay. I don’t want to intrude on your evening.”

Killian laughs. “Nah, don’t sweat it. It’s not like that.”

“We’re happy you’re here,” Sofia adds with a smile.

I start to settle when a young man with short ginger curls flops down next to me just as Curran reaches the bar.

“God damn,” he says. “You wouldn’t believe how bad traffic was uptown.” His attention drifts to me, a smile lighting his face. “Hey, sweet thing. I’m Fi

Killian fixes him with a hard stare. “No, she’s with Curran. This is Tess.”

“Hi,” I say, quietly.

Fi

I pull back my hand, thinking I’m missing something obvious.

“So, I take it you do nails?” he asks me.

“Ah, no,” I reply, wondering if I misheard.

Fi

I return my focus to Sofia, seeing that she’s the most endearing and least threatening person here. And given how Fi

This is the something shiny Fi

“He’s not coming?” Killian asks as he pours him a beer.

“Nah. They broke up.” Fi

“That’s understandable,” I agree, since I have nothing better.

Someone wolf-whistles, followed by another group of someones. A tall and sensual woman with porcelain skin and long ebony hair sashays toward us wearing thigh-high boots over jeans and a suede fringe jacket that hugs her startling figure.

“Hey, fucktards,” Fi

“Sister?” the man circling her asks. “Well, if she’s your sister, I’d like to—”

Killian and Fi

The woman grins, clearly unaffected by the attention, and pats the man on the head. “Sorry, I don’t date men with small dicks.” She waves to the bar. “Hey, So

“Hey, gorgeous,” the bartender says, actually smiling.

From the bar, Curran offers me a wink. Wow. His brothers aren’t the only ones watching out for their sister, and for that I’m grateful given Merve’s atmosphere.

She sits beside Killian. “What the hell is up with the men I date?” she asks. “None of them have any balls. Are balls too much to ask for?” It’s then she notices me. “Oh, hey. I’m Wren. You Sofi’s friend?”

I open my mouth, but Fi

“Curran who?” Wren asks, crinkling her brow, although she knows exactly who Fi

“I know, right?” Fi

“Be nice,” Sofia says at the sight of my stu

Wren takes the beer Killian pours her and leans forward. “So I take it you do nails or massage people or something?”

Why do they keep asking me that? “No, I’m sorry. I’m not employed.”

“Ah, I get it,” Fi

I throw out a hand when they all nod like everything finally makes sense. “I’m not on welfare. I work for your other brother, Declan.”

“You his secretary?” Fi

“It’s an unpaid internship.” I glance around. For some reason, no one seems to understand what I’m saying. It’s as if I’m speaking another language, so I do my best to clarify. “I’m in my last semester of law school. I’m working at the district attorney’s office without pay for the experience.”

Instead of making things better, my words seem to confuse them more. “You’re in law school,” Fi

“Ah, yes. I attend the University of Pe

“You seriously don’t do nails?” Wren asks, unable to move past this concept.

Sofia and Killian exchange another round of flabbergasted glances. Fi

“What the fuck, Fi

This is clearly a test. One I’m obviously failing, but one I can’t just walk away from. I give it some thought. “Nine?” I offer.

“Sofe, is that right?” Wren asks her.

She nods slowly. “It sounds right.”

Fi

“Let me check on that,” Siri says.

Killian snatches the phone out of his hand. “Quit being an asshole.”

“The answer is nine,” Siri responds.

“Holy shit,” Fi

Heat flushes my skin, and it’s all I can do not to climb out of the booth and run. Killian leans in. “Tess, ignore these morons. You have to understand, Curran doesn’t usually bring women around.”

“And when he does, they’re not of your…caliber,” Sofia adds.

“Hell, they can’t even spell ‘caliber,’ ” Fi

“Neither can you, dumbass,” Wren fires back. She looks at me. “So you’re in law school?”

“Yes.”

“Ivy League, even.”

“That’s right,” I say, nodding like an imbecile.

“And you’re with Curran?”

Not after tonight. I straighten and clasp my hands together. “Yes.”

“Why?” she asks. “You’re not—what I’m saying is, you’re not—”

Fi

Wren points at him. “What he said. You see, Curran usually dates outside his race. He’s a white Caucasian male, and his women are typically demon spawn from the planet Slut.”

My eyes widen. “So his typical companions are these, ah, fanatical, unemployed, hellish manicurists?”

“Yes,” they all answer, taking a drink.

Wren downs her beer. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot here, but you’re one hell of a breath of fresh air from what we’ve had to deal with.” She nudges Killian. “Remember crazy Miranda—the hairdresser? Do you think that asshole could have warned me he dumped her before I walked into her salon?” She pours herself another beer. “Freaking nutcase came after me with scissors, yelling about him having no dick. I was like, ‘Yo, you can’t be spreading rumors about my brother having no dick, seeing how you straddled that shit in the back of his car.’ ”

Killian laughs. “What about Crazy Alexis? The girl with the pet monkey?”

“Or Shania?” Fi

Killian’s stare turns deadly. “I’m still pissed at him for that.”

“Well, I assure you I’m not unstable,” I offer, making a face. “Nor do I own a monkey.”

“So then what are you doing with Curran?” Fi

They all quiet, waiting for me to answer. “He’s sweet to me,” I tell them, honestly. “And he treats me well.”

No one moves as they seem to infer a lot more than I intended.

“How long has Curran been ‘sweet’ to you?” Wren asks, adding finger quotes over the word.

I think about it, realizing how inseparable we’ve been. “Well over a month now,” I answer.

Once more, they exchange surprised glances. Sofia is the first to smile, a flicker of recognition brightening her small features. “I know you,” she says. “My sister Lety told me about you.”