Taking Risk Series Read online

  “You’re right,” I say with a nod. “But what is a holy hot oven?”

  “Your vagina.”

  I scoff. “You’re crazy.”

  “Yeah, I know, but don’t worry. He likes you a lot. He isn’t going to do anything to fuck that up. Just tell him once he starts getting all hot that you’re not ready.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, I gotta get ready.”

  “Knock ’em dead, kiddo,” she calls after me. I smile as I run to my bathroom, doing my makeup soft with pastel pinks to match my dress. Running my fingers through my hair, I try to tame the mass but fail miserably. I could throw it up, but I’ve found that Declan likes it down, so I leave it before finishing my makeup.

  I am putting on lip gloss when the door sounds. Slipping on some pink ballet flats, I snatch up my purse before running down the hall to the stairs.

  “See ya!” Fiona calls.

  “Bye! Call me if you need me.”

  “Okay.”

  Running down the stairs, I reach for the door and smile when Declan grins at me. Wearing tan shorts and a yellow tee, his sun-kissed skin glows. He is wearing a pair of aviators and that damn hat. I want to burn the fucking thing, but damn, he looks amazing. Leaning toward me, he places his lips firmly against mine, stealing my breath. Pulling away way too quickly, he laces his fingers with mine.

  “Hi.”

  I grin as I swing our hands like a child. “Hey.”

  “Ready?”

  “Yeah,” I say without hesitation. I may have been nervous before, but like Fiona said, Declan would never force me into anything I wouldn’t want to do.

  The car ride to Declan’s is quick, both of us speaking of our days. He had meetings and then some drama in the malting room since Kane wasn’t there today. I told him again about finding Kane, and he still didn’t understand why we found them like that. He had tried calling Kane, but he wasn’t answering.

  “I think we should leave it alone, you know? Even though he is my best friend and she is your cousin, I don’t want them to come between us. So let’s not talk about it, okay?”

  I nod in agreement. “Yeah, sounds like a plan.”

  He smiles. “Good, because I don’t need my girl getting pissed at me.”

  I laugh. “Won’t happen.”

  “You say that now. I’m a little weird.”

  “It’s okay, your charm makes up for it. Plus, I’m weird too.”

  He grins over at me as we drive through the gates of the O’Callaghan property. I take in the rolling hills of green, the lush trees, and the beauty where the horses are out grazing the field as we drive up a hill. When I look forward, the massive O’Callaghan castle is in view. Breathless at the beauty of it, I take in every single stone, the large, stained glass windows that cover every inch of the castle, and the general splendor of Declan’s home. It’s breathtaking, beautiful, and a little scary.

  “It isn’t haunted, right?”

  Declan laughs as he shakes his head. “Not our wing. My grandda claimed at one time his part was by his great-grandda, but I haven’t found any activity, and believe me, Kane and I looked when we were kids.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” I say as he parks. Someone opens the door for me and helps me out before wishing me a good afternoon.

  “Hello, thank you.”

  The man, I think his name is Matthew, smiles before Declan takes my hand. “Thanks, Matthew.”

  “You’re welcome, sir.”

  Tucking my hand under his arm where it rests on his bicep, he covers it with his other hand as we walk through the large, stone doors. “Are you hungry?”

  I shake my head. My stomach is hurting from all the ice cream and popcorn I devoured. “Not right now.”

  “Awesome, we can get right to it then.”

  My insides clench as my heart speeds up in my chest. Gasping for breath, I allow him to lead me through the gorgeous home. The furnishings are from the 1900s, classic and classy. There are pictures everywhere, big ones of Declan and who I assume is Lena. She’s as beautiful as he is, big blue eyes, long, light blond hair, and skinny as a rail. When he said she was more of a Barbie doll, he wasn’t much off. She’s perfect.

  While it is a beautiful home, without the pictures of Declan’s family, I wouldn’t believe anyone lived here. It is immaculate. Nothing out of place, not like at home where Aunt Shelia’s yarn is everywhere or where the fireplace is cluttered with Uncle Michael’s hunting stuff. While the B&B side is nice and tidy, our living quarters are well lived-in.

  Not like this.

  This is too nice.

  But then again, everything about Declan is always so put together. His car, his horse, his office, his home, and the way he acts around others. The only thing that isn’t is his hair, but he always keeps that hidden. While I like all of him, I like it better when he lets himself go and doesn’t worry one bit about the repercussions. Like when he almost fought Casey. I’ve never been so hot in my life. Or when he picked me up and kissed the stuffing out of me, his control slipping with every passing second. So fucking hot. Thankfully, though, he seems more himself when it is just us, and in a way, I like it like that. It’s like I get to keep all that part of him to myself.

  I’m selfish like that, I guess.

  As I lean into him, we head through the different corridors while Declan gives me the tour.

  “The house is massive, as you can tell, but my family lives in the North Wing, which is eight rooms, twelve bathrooms, two dining rooms, a huge kitchen, and three studies. It also has my favorite part of the house.”

  “Wow,” is all I can say as I take in every single detail of the house. I’m still blown away at how gorgeous everything is. “How many people work here?”

  “On the whole grounds? Over fifteen hundred, but that includes the distillery.”

  “Good Lord.”

  “Yeah, I live here with my ma, da, Lena, grandda, and grandma. I don’t see my grandparents much. They are traveling with my uncle and his family. I think they are in England right now. Lena usually goes with them, but she stayed home this year. When my da retires, he’ll travel more, too.”

  “So then you’ll have the whole house to yourself? Or will you travel, too?”

  He shakes his head. “Yeah, it will be all mine.”

  “Wow. This is a lot of house for one guy.”

  He bites into his lip as he nods his head. “Yeah, but by then I’ll be married.”

  I looked up, my brow raised. “Oh.”

  I have no clue why I just got jealous, but I am. It’s a horrible feeling, one that feels like it’s on fire in the middle of my chest. Biting into my lip hard, I push the feeling away as we reach a huge, white door.

  “So this is what I wanted to show ya.”

  Excitement takes over, and I bounce on my heels. I may have been nervous before, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t his room. For one, the door is as big as a car, and for another, he would have said “This is my room,” right? Shit! Letting go of my hand, he takes both handles in his hands and pushes the doors open. I swear, what I see brings tears to my eyes.

  “Please, pinch me.”

  Declan laughs as he shakes his head. “It’s real and my favorite place on the whole grounds, beside my room in the distillery.”

  “Good God,” I mutter as I set inside. The sun warms me from above, but I ignore it because all I see are rows and rows of books. It’s a library, a huge, beautiful library. Large marble pillars hold up another floor of books, and there is seating everywhere. It’s like a book nerd’s Holy Grail. “It’s like the Beauty and the Beast movie.”

  “That’s what Lena said when we were growing up.”

  “Oh my God,” I say in complete awe. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

  He comes up beside me, and I look up into his eyes. He smiles before saying, “I was thinking the same thing.”

  My cheeks rush with heat as my heart completely blows up in my chest. It’s not lust. I mean, yeah, it�