Iris
The drive back to mytownhouse was filled with Bill’s color commentary on the last Yankees baseball game. Ronan nodded a few times while I slumped like a slug in the back seat. Bill didn’t seem to require any more out of us than that, and I was relieved. It had been too long since I’d spent hours rehearsing with my boys. My brain was mush and my body was exhausted, but my chest was so full, I had to press on it to make sure it wasn’t going to burst.
I would never tell those jackholes how much I loved playing with them, but they probably knew. They let me yell at them when I got pissy or frustrated and never yelled back, so I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. Even Callum, though his affection was mostly silent. That he kept showing up and signing his name on the dotted line to be contractually obligated to continue to show up was all I needed from him to know he was as committed as the rest of us.
“I’ve got some bad news, Iris.” Bill peered at me through the rearview mirror.
Plucked out of my foggy thoughts, I realized we hadn’t moved for several minutes and tapped on the window beside me. “I don’t suppose it has anything to do with this mountain of traffic we’re stuck under, does it?”
“I’m afraid so. There’s a five-car pileup ahead. No traffic is moving in this direction. It could be a while before it gets cleared out.”
I groaned, already wistful for home. I really didn’t want to sit in this car all day. Glancing around, I recognized where we were and an idea buzzed through me. I wrapped my fingers around Ronan’s headrest and scooted forward. “What do you think?” My mouth was only inches from his ear. Cloves and soap tickled my nose and goose bumps sprouted on the back of his neck. “Want to walk me home, Ronan? I bet Bill could pop a U-ey and get himself out of here.”
He saluted me, grinning like a proud papa. It was true, Bill was a bit of a daredevil when he drove. If we left the car, he’d find some way out of this bumper-to-bumper traffic.
“All right. We’ll walk.” Ronan got out of the SUV and pulled my door open before I even registered what he was doing. His offered hand enveloped mine, warm and a little rough. He held on to me until I was on the sidewalk.
Once we were clear of the SUV, Bill made a highly illegal U-turn and squealed the opposite way down the street. A tired laugh bubbled out of me, and I caught Ronan’s lips turned up in amusement.
Ronan stuck close as we walked. The sidewalks weren’t as busy as they would be during rush hour, but they were far from empty. I rarely felt unsafe in the city, but with the towering presence at my side, I could have been locked up in a fortress behind impenetrable walls. That was how Ronan made me feel when he was in guard mode.
“Were you bored to tears today?” I arched a brow and slid my eyes his way. He’d left the room a lot, and when he had been in the room, he’d kept himself busy on his phone.
“Not in the least.” He didn’t hesitate.
“What did you think?”
“Of which part?”
I knocked my shoulder into his arm. “Of any part. The boys. The music. The watercooler. Thoughts, Ronan. Tell me them.”
“Hmmm. The water was crisp, like it came from a natural spring.”
I sputtered a light laugh. “Oh, hilarious, joke man. Devastatingly funny.”
He grinned, keeping his eyes on the area in front of us. “Your band seems tight-knit. Cohesive. Like you’ve seen a lot together and been through even more. I enjoyed that.”
My shoulder brushed his again, but I didn’t move away. “But you’re wondering about Callum?”
“Aye. He’s got me curious.”
“Everyone wonders about Callum. He just exists in his own world, and sometimes he comes to ours for a visit.”
“Interesting. So, you’re not close?”
“What defines close? The four of us continue to choose to spend the majority of our time together. I don’t know his every thought, but is that necessary?”
We stopped at an intersection and were soon surrounded by other pedestrians waiting for the light to change. Ronan placed a hand on the center of my back, inviting me into his sphere. I tipped my face up and found him already looking down at me.
“No,” he said.
“No?” I’d already forgotten the question.
“Knowing someone’s every thought isn’t necessary to be close. I think I like your definition. I’d add that being present in the time you spend togetherisnecessary. When I’m with someone important to me, they are my sole focus.”
What was it about this man that had me practically panting? He infuriated me, but oh god, he turned me on just as furiously. Imagining what it would be like to be his sole focus made my panties wet. As ice cold as Ronan could be, I’d seen flashes of the heat that lay beneath and had little doubt he was as meticulous and careful about his partner’s pleasure as he was with his bespoke suits and security systems.
“I agree with that.” I bit my bottom lip, and he tracked every movement. “Who’s Lizzy?”