“Are you close with your dad?” She peeks over her shoulder, her eyes locking on me. I freeze, holding her gaze.
“My pa died when I was a little lad.”
Mellie turns fully, her blue, blue eyes full of sadness and compassion.
“Oh, Niall,” she breathes, “I’m so, so sorry. You and your mother must miss him.”
I hesitate, scratching the back of my head. What am I supposed to say to that?
“Well, lass….” I shift, a look of horror crossing her face as she raises her hand to cover her mouth.
“Oh my God! Niall, I’m so sorry. Me and my big mouth!”
I blink at her in surprise, my eyes dipping to her lips. Her mouth isn’t big. It’s a plump little button that I wouldn’t mind seeing stretched around my dick.
“When did you lose your mother?”
Oh. I’m brought back to the conversation with a thud. I can’t think of the lass swallowing my dick while talking about my mammy.
See, that’s why I can’t be with Mellie. She’s so kind and lovely. She immediately picked that I was about to tell her my mammy was gone too. I would probably have guessed that I was about to say I didn’t miss my pa.
“When I was sixteen, lass. It’s why I came out here from Dublin. Sean Fitzpatrick knew my pa from way back. So when he heard my mammy passed, he sent for me.”
“Oh, I can’t even imagine!” Her eyes are all soft. Jesus fuck, I want to kiss her.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, lass.” I shake my head at her. “The best thing that happened to this world is that my mammy isn’t in it anymore. She wasn’t right in the head, lass, and it was bad for all involved.”
Mellie stares at me, her mouth hanging open. Jesus fuck, I could kiss it closed.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I shake my head at her again. “Don’t think that, Mellie.”
Her eyes dart to mine in surprise. I rarely call her anything but ‘lass,’ but this conversation is serious, and if I called her lass, I’d be fantasizing about tasting her smooth, tanned skin.
“My mammy never touched me. It was other people that she was hard on.”
She nods thoughtfully, chewing her lower lip. “My mother has a drinking problem.”
I could have guessed as much, having heard the slurred message on Mellie’s phone a few weeks ago. But I’m not supposed to have listened to that, so I keep my mouth shut, waiting for the lass to continue.
“It’s why I know all about bartending. I used to fix her drinks. When I was little, it was just cheap shit from the local bar in Southie. Once she remarried and moved to Beacon Hill, she started getting me to mix her cocktails. So I guess she’s the reason I got a job here. I should probably thank her….” she trails off, her cheeks bright red.
I like that she told me things about herself. Things she wouldn’t tell just anyone. Should I tell her something else about me? I’ve never even told the lads about my mammy. Only Mellie. We stare at each other for a long beat until she blows out a breath.
“Well,” Mellie sets down her mug, edging out of the room. “I should get back to work. I’m sure you need to as well.”
Jesus fuck. Connor’s gamblers.
Chapter Nine
Mellie
My mind is full of Niall. I blame our revealing little chat in the kitchenette today. Poor Niall losing both his parents before he was sixteen. I can’t even imagine. Losing Dad at twenty-two was hard enough.
Paddy strides into the VIP room, his face like thunder. I immediately reach for his favorite whiskey when my hand freezes on the bottle. Paddy has never brought a woman in here before. Christ, I have never even seen him take advantage of the willing strippers the way some of the other lads do.
But he has a woman with him tonight. She’s stunning. Pale skin, dark hair, huge smoky eyes, and plump lips. Of course Paddy went and found himself a beauty. I don’t know why he looks wicked mad. If he’s with her, shouldn’t he be…happier?