Now that she wasn’t an insecure young teenager, it felt different. Rory wasn’t just a great guy, someone who made her shiver with excitement or who did things to her in bed she hadn’t known possible. He was also able to make her feel strong. He made her see herself through his eyes, and she loved what she saw.

This felt like a beginning, but of what, she wasn’t sure.

Clare smiled to herself as she daydreamed, sliding a rack of steaming, freshly washed beer glasses out of the dishwasher in the kitchen and carrying it out to the bar area. O’Leary’s was packed, even for the late hour, so she resumed making drinks once the glasses were restocked.

“Crown and Coke over here, Clare.” The handsome young man she recognized as Kane, Rory’s younger brother, took a free spot at the bar.

“Hi, Kane.” She gave him a cordial smile, feeling slightly awkward—she hadn’t actually spoken to him since he’d found her and Rory naked in the ring.

“Aw, don’t be all stiff on me now, Clare.” He winked at her, taking the drink as she slid it over to him.

“I’m not.”

“Oh, yes, you are. Okay, so I caught you sleeping with my brother. Big deal. You could do a lot worse.” Kane shrugged.

“We weren’t sleeping together!” she protested, unsure why she was lying.

“Really?”

“Well, we were, uh, but—” she stammered, not knowing what to say to hide the crimson embarrassment that snuck up her cheeks.

“I heard the same song and dance from him, doll. Both of you are falling all over each other right in front of us, then denying anything is happening. We’re not blind, you know.”

“Who’s we?”

“That would be me.” Quinn, Rory’s other younger brother, slapped Kane on the shoulders.

Jimmy joined them. “I want in. What are we talking about?”

“Clare, have you ever officially met my brothers? This is Quinn, local lowlife and jack-of-all-trades, and the youngest of us, Jimmy. He’s NYPD, so be on your best behavior.” Kane winked at her.

“Good to meet ya, Clare. If you’re serving drinks, I’ll take a Guinness.” Quinn smiled at her, tossing his black hair out of his eyes. Redheaded Jimmy pulled up a stool next to Kane, while Quinn just leaned against the bar.

“Same here, Clare. Thanks.”

Clare busied herself getting their drinks, trying not to be flustered that three insanely attractive and buff men were all standing in front of her and focusing only on her. On top of all that, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was being assessed to see if she was good enough for Rory.

“So, you’re the girl who’s completely changed our big brother?” Jimmy smiled at her, leaning on the bar.

“What do you mean?”

“He means that Jimmy hasn’t had to fudge as many police reports lately,” Quinn teased, giving his brother a gentle shove.

“I didn’t fudge police reports.” Jimmy scowled for a second, but then he cracked a mischievous smile. “I just lost them more often when they had Rory’s name on them.”

“Don’t worry, Rory’s not like that anymore,” Kane reassured her.

“Not even close,” Jimmy added.

“He used to party all the time, a never-ending parade of skanks, but lately I haven’t seen him even blink at a single woman,” Kane told her.

“Except you,” Quinn confirmed, watching her intently.

“He’s not even partying. I haven’t seen him drinking this past week. It’s crazy.” Kane continued, and the brothers all nodded in agreement.

“People change.” Clare kept a straight face, trying to contain her excitement. She didn’t want to tell herself that Rory was actually that taken with her; it left too much room for disappointment. What if they were wrong?

“Only with the right motivations,” Kane told her as she handed them all another round of drinks.

“Here, it’s on the house.”

“Is that a bribe, Clare?” Quinn teased.

“Bribe for what?”

“Leave her alone, Quinn,” Jimmy ordered.

“To win the Kavanagh clan approval, of course. Haven’t you heard? Our pops runs this part of town, old-school Irish Mafia, used to be quite the boxer back in the day for the Westies,” Quinn continued, sounding like he was both bragging and trying to sound intimidating.

Clare blinked at him, her mouth falling slightly open. She had heard some of the rumors and she had met Seamus, but while he was a bit gruff and certainly had a tough exterior, he had been gentle and kind with her.

“Trying to scare away my girl, Quinn?”

Everyone turned around to see Rory towering over them, arms crossed over his chest. With the intimidating stance he was holding himself in as he eyed his brother, he seemed to stand ten times his normal size.

“If she can scare.”

Quinn smirked at her, as if the two had a secret between them. She smiled back, feeling like she had just passed their test.

“Didn’t work,” Clare jested, trying not to stare at Rory, who happened to look irresistible at the moment in a skin-tight black T-shirt that showed every muscle outlined beneath.

“I like her, man. Don’t fuck it up,” Quinn told him as his brothers began ragging on Rory.

“I don’t plan on it.” Rory’s stature softened and he motioned for her to come over to the end of the bar, away from his brothers, where there was a break in the wooden surface. She smiled and quickly followed, pushing up the section of the counter that lifted so employees could get from behind the bar into the pub. Rory joined her in the gap and slid his arms around her, pulling her against him.

They were slightly hidden from view by the lifted counter and the wall on the other side of them, so she felt less inhibited about the public display.

“My brothers are assholes,” he said, grimacing.

“I think they’re sweet. They clearly love you.”

He moved to trail his fingers down her upper arm.

Clare felt her body shiver in response, but she was far from cold. She admired his silver eyes, eyes that seemed molten now as he stared intensely at her.

“So, I’ve been thinking, and I want to ask you…” Rory pushed a stray hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, pausing for a moment.

Clare immediately blushed, feeling self-conscious as she realized she was wearing her apron still and reeked of alcohol from splashing beer on herself earlier.

“Ask me what?” She slid her hands up between them, resting her palms flat on his chest, enjoying the solid feeling of pure muscle beneath her.

“Go on another official date with me.”

“That doesn’t sound like a question.”

“Maybe because I already know your answer.” He leaned in toward her, kissing the tip of her nose gently. A bit light-headed just from his touch, she felt her body sag against him.

“Okay,” she whispered breathlessly. She couldn’t think of anything else to say; her mind had gone completely blank.

“Kane’s first match is on Friday night. Come watch. Then we’ll go out after to celebrate,” he told her as his lips grazed the corner of hers.

She just nodded, her hands gripping his shoulders to keep herself from collapsing. Even though he was bending over slightly, she still had to reach up quite a bit to touch his shoulders as he towered a foot above her.

A shrill, irritating voice cut into their conversation. “Clare!” She just rolled her eyes, cursing Cian in her mind for having the ability to completely ruin a perfect moment.

“I think your boss is calling.”

“Clare, the two-top by the window needs drinks. Go take—” Cian appeared behind her, already ordering her around. The moment he saw Rory standing there, he froze and his hand protectively came up to guard his face.

“What is he doing in here?” he seethed in a low tone.

“Cian, relax. I’m not going to punch you. Yet,” Rory said menacingly, just enough question in his voice to make Clare’s boss wonder if that was true.

Cian crossed his hands over his chest, trying to appear tougher than he was. “You’re banned from here.”