Weaving around fighting rings, Clare moved quickly across the floor. She surreptitiously looked around, hoping to catch sight of Rory. Her eyes caught a flash of red in the ring in the far corner, and she smiled as she recognized the large build of the man she had kissed last night. Rory was sparring with his brother, and appeared menacing in only dark red gym shorts.

Clare caught her breath when she saw him without a shirt, his abs glistening with sweat as he moved with stealth and agility across the ring. She had trouble pulling her eyes off of him, which she realized was a mistake, but only after she had already tripped over a misplaced weight and gone sprawling across the floor.

Well, that’s sexy.

“You okay?” An older man approached her as she stared up at the ceiling, mentally scolding herself for being so clumsy and trying to find the breath that had been knocked out of her.

She nodded slowly and accepted the hand he offered her.

“Thank you. I’m such a klutz.” Clare blushed with embarrassment as he helped her to her feet.

“It happens.” He shrugged. “You’re probably going to have quite the knot on the back of your head from the looks of that fall, which is kind of impressive since you fell forward.”

She laughed at his comment before grimacing when she touched the back of her head, quickly realizing that he was right.

“Well, if you’ve got to go down, do it in style, right?” she joked, rubbing her head as he smiled back at her, chuckling.

“Clare? Are you okay?” Rory’s voice approached her from behind, and Clare’s cheeks turned redder by the second. She really hoped he hadn’t seen her less-than-stellar performance.

“I’m okay, just clumsy.” She tried a simple smile, thinking it might let her off the hook.

Rory frowned and touched her head where she had just been holding it, feeling the large bump that was already beginning to form.

“You’re not fine,” Rory said, grimacing. “Dad, can you get me an ice pack?”

Clare considered the older man who had helped her up and had been chatting with her, realizing that Rory had just referred to him as his father. Now that she thought about it, she could see a lot of similarities between the men. While his father was slightly thinner and sported all-silver hair, they had the same rough facial features and prominent jaw.

“Yeah, bring her to the office so she sits down,” the man instructed.

“I’m fine, really. This isn’t necessary,” Clare assured Rory, putting her hand against his chest. At first it had been an attempt to push him away, but when her fingers felt his firm and dewy skin, she couldn’t help but linger a moment longer.

“Clare…” He didn’t sound convinced.

“I am fine, promise. I’ve got to get to Casey’s class or I’ll be late.” She quickly pulled her hand away, still blushing.

“Not a chance. I’m not letting you do anything right now except put some ice on that bump.” He grabbed her upper arm in his hand, pulling her with him toward the office.

“You’re not letting me?” she said in surprise, taking in what he had just said as he not-so-delicately escorted her across the gym floor. She frowned at herself when she realized that she was actually liking the possessiveness and the protective vibe from him.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

I should, she thought, before she realized that the truth was she didn’t.

She liked that he was taking charge and caring for her. Travis had ordered her around with every breath, but nothing about it had ever been protective or kind. Rory had a way of doing the same thing, yet not making her fearful of him because of it. Her ex had been controlling, but Rory was commanding.

His end goal wasn’t always about himself, like she’d been used to in her past relationship. Rory’s end goal was her; he could somehow do almost the exact same thing as Travis and yet for entirely different reasons. There was a subtle difference between the two acts, she saw now.

She had worried at first that maybe Rory was like Travis. Maybe she was getting involved with someone who would only hurt her in all the same ways she had been hurt before. But looking at Rory now, it was clear that the two couldn’t be further apart. Stop comparing him to your ex, she scolded herself as they entered the office.

“Clare? Are you okay?” Casey asked, concern on her face as she looked up from a desk.

“She fell and hit her head. Dad’s getting her some ice,” Rory told her before pulling a chair out for Clare.

“What happened?” An older woman stood up from where she had been sitting behind another desk off to one side.

“Nothing, I’m fine, really,” Clare said, trying to reassure everyone.

“The hell she is. Took a wrong step and went sailing up in the air like a rag doll. Thing must weigh ninety pounds sopping wet.” The older man who had helped her up came into the room with an ice pack.

“Oh, honey, that’s awful. I’m Dee,” the older woman said as she scurried over and grabbed the ice pack from her husband. “Let me help you.”

“You should definitely skip class today,” Casey told Clare.

“She is.” Rory answered for her, and Clare shot him an annoyed look.

“All right—well, I hope you feel better. I have to start teaching.” Casey frowned, looking unsure if she should go or not, before finally offering a small wave and leaving the office.

“Me, too. Nice to meet you though, Clare. I’m Seamus, by the way. Sorry my son apparently has no manners and forgot to introduce us.” Seamus shook her hand.

“Are you friends with Rory?” Excitement obvious on Dee’s face.

“Mom—” Rory was trying to sound intimidating, but his parents were clearly running the show right now.

“Yes, we’re friends.” Clare blushed, admiring the interaction between the family, enjoying being around such a boisterous and friendly group of people.

“An bhfuil tú ag fáil ar deireadh dom iníon?” Dee grinned eagerly, speaking to Rory. Have you finally found me a daughter?

Clare knit her brows, wondering what Dee was saying to her son.

“Mom,” Rory said again, giving his mother a warning look, which only made Dee happier as she clapped her hands excitedly before returning her attention to the ice pack.

—

“Next time, you have to come. The concert was amazing, I’m absolutely a die-hard Logan Clay groupie,” Casey exclaimed as she finished telling Clare all about the rock concert she’d gone to in Manhattan the night before.

“I wish I had been there, but I had to work. Cian wouldn’t give me the night off.”

“I would literally castrate him if I ever had to work for him again. I don’t know how you do it, Clare.” Casey shuddered theatrically.

Clare joined in laughing from where she sat, across the small round table just outside the front door. The two women were spending some time at a nearby coffee shop after finishing their morning class at the gym. A week or so after Clare’s fall, the bump on her head was still there, but didn’t throb anymore and was slowly disappearing.

“Cian isn’t that bad. Just kind of full of himself.” Clare defended him, even though she could think of a hundred different reasons why she should hate him, just from working at the bar.

“You’re always trying to find the best in people, Clare. Come on, admit it. Cian is a bane to work for. You know you want to say it!” Casey teased, leaning forward onto the table.

“All right, he is a total ass, and if I wasn’t flat broke, and in dire need of the job, I would quit immediately.”

“Was that so hard?” Casey rallied as Clare rolled her eyes at her. “One of these days I’ll make a bad girl out of you, Clare. You’ll see.”

“Who says I’m not already?”

“Uh, ’cause if you were you wouldn’t be working for Woodlawn’s biggest asshole, or spending so much time with my cousin.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Clare looked at her friend pointedly.