3 Seconds (Time for Love Book 6) (3 page)

I just had to
remind her of that fact, and convince her that one night was not
enough to explore the chemistry we had. I
had
to have her
again, which surprised me.

I wouldn’t mind
getting her back in my bed, hell, I’d even snuggle a bit, then get
up and make breakfast for her.

Going back for
seconds wasn’t normal for me, being more the “hit it and quit it”
type. It was the damndest thing, and I had no idea what it meant,
but I wanted to find out.

Class started
and I found it impossible to concentrate. All I could think about
was Bronagh’s luscious body quivering beneath mine. I was like a
man possessed.

I moved through
the motions, chopping the vegetables in front of me on automatic
pilot. My heart wasn’t in it. I realized that I needed to get a
hold of myself and focus, when the class, or should I say culinary
school, pet, and overall pain in my ass, Calla Winston walked up
behind me and asked snarkily, “Hot for teacher, Brendan?”

I shot her a
dirty look and went back to what I was doing, deciding to be the
bigger person and ignore her parting shot.

“Looks like
having the pretty new instructor will work in my favor. You just
keep mooning over her, and I’ll continue to kick your ass and get
that job we’re both gunning for.”

Calla had been
my rival since day one. An overachiever and suck-up, she worked
hard to be the best and hated that I was naturally gifted in the
culinary arts. We were always competing for the top of the class,
and were both applying for the coveted spot with Chef Agard. She
was hot, in a bitchy sort of way, but I’d never been there. I was
afraid if I got too close to that viper, my dick would shrivel up
and fall off.

Needless to
say, there was no love lost between us, and I had every intention
of leaving her crying in my dust when I won that spot.

When a break
was called, I walked out like I was going to the bathroom, then
veered off toward Gordon’s old office, assuming that Bronagh would
be in there.

I walked inside
and shut the door, leaning against it and watching her closely as
she turned.

“Brendan,” she
said breathlessly, reminding me of our night together and causing
my already taut body to harden even more painfully. “What are you
doing here?”

I knew she was
talking about more than just her office.

“I go here,” I
said, stating the obvious. “I’m on my last semester.”

“I thought you
were a musician,” she stated, confusion and shock apparent on her
face.

“I am, but I’m
also a chef … or at least, I’m going to be. Music and food are my
two passions.”

She nodded, as
if that made sense. For the first time I wondered if I’d found
someone who would get
me
. Brendan the musician and cook, not
just the lead singer of Whiskey Heat. Someone who would help fuel
my passions and understand my need for both creative outlets.

I took a few
steps toward her, holding my hand out as if I were approaching a
frightened animal. I brought my palm to her cheek, and smiled when
she instinctively leaned into it and closed her eyes.

“I was hoping
I’d see you again,” I said softly, my lips a breath away from hers.
But before I could touch her sweetness, her eyes flew open and she
used both hands to push me back.

“We can’t do
this,” she said hurriedly, her voice low so no one would overhear.
“I didn’t know … I had no idea that you were one of my students …
How could I?” I wasn’t sure if she was really talking to me, or
thinking out loud, so I remained silent. “You were just supposed to
be a fling,”
Ouch
. “A younger, very hot guy, who would
release the tension that’s been building for the last two years,
three months, and twenty-one days … We weren’t supposed to see each
other again, and you sure as hell weren’t supposed to show up in my
class.”

I tried to
process everything she’d said, but, being a guy, one thing stayed
at the forefront of my mind.

“You hadn’t had
sex in over two years?”

The look she
shot me told me I was missing the point, so I focused on the other
things she said.
She never wanted to see me again.
My chest
hurt.

I was the king
of
love ‘em and leave ‘em
, so why did her statement cause me
pain?

I moved in
closer, crowding her, and when she looked at up at me warily I
said, “I hope I relieved that tension. I’d be happy to do it again
anytime
, Freckles. All you have to do is call.”

I picked up her
phone from the desk and programed my number.

“Brendan,” she
called when I turned to leave. “It’s against school policy. No one
can know what we did, even if it was by accident … and it can never
happen again.”

Her flash of
regret was so quick, I’m not sure if she even realized it happened.
I did. I shot her my most confident grin and a wink.

“No one has to
know, Bronagh … I’m good at keeping secrets.” I nodded to the phone
she now held in her hand. “Call me.”

Chapter Four ~
Bronagh

After the day
I’d had, I couldn’t wait for the weekend and Bellini’s, I needed my
girls and some gin … stat!

“Okay, Bronagh,
what’s the big emergency?” my friend Ming asked when we were all
settled in the corner booth of mine and my da’s pub. “Not that I’m
not always up for drinks, but you made it sound like you’d just
found out that Henry Cavill is gay, and all hope for your future
together was lost.”

I smiled
half-heartedly at her joke, but my mind was too boggled to fully
appreciate her quick wit.

I figured it
was best to just rip the Band-Aide off quickly and get straight to
the part where they agreed that I was right, and needed to forget
that I’d ever seen Brendan naked.

As if
that
could ever happen…

“I went home
with that lead singer the other night, had fan-freaking-tastic sex,
and it turns out he’s one of my students at the culinary school.”
That said, I let out a long breath, then picked up my dirty martini
and took a swift drink.

“Yay!” Cass,
the third member of our trio, shrieked, startling me with her
exuberance.

I gave her the
stink eye over my glass.

“What part of
what I just said made you think, ‘Yay!’ was an appropriate
response?” I asked.

Cass looked at
me like I was a moron.

“Um, the part
where you went home with that
stud
from the bar, and finally
used your vagina for something good again.”

“How do you use
your vagina for something bad?” Ming asked, looking totally
serious.

I rolled my
eyes at both of them and reiterated, “He’s one of my students,
Cass. I could lose my job.”

“Oh, poo,” Cass
said, sticking her tongue out. A look that on me would have made me
look like a toad, but on her was totally cute. “It’s not like
you’re his high school English teacher or something. You’re a grown
woman, and he’s a grown man.”

“Well,
practically grown, anyway,” Ming said with a smirk.

“
Shut
up
,” I replied, feeling my cheeks warm at the reminder of our
age difference.

“It was just a
one-night stand, right?” Ming asked, running her finger along the
stem of her wine glass as she pondered my dilemma. “Neither of you
knew that you were his instructor at the time, and it’s never going
to happen again, so … no harm, no foul. I’m sure if you explain the
situation, he’ll keep his mouth shut.”

“But what if
she
wants
a repeat performance?” Cass asked, tossing her
long caramel-colored hair over her shoulder. “She just said it was
great sex, and Ming, she’s finally
having
some. Why can’t
they just keep it on the down low?”

“First,” Ming
said, causing me to turn my attention to her. I felt like I was
watching a tennis match, with as often as my head was turning back
and forth. “No one says
down low
anymore. Second, a hot
piece of ass isn’t worth losing her position … unless,” she began,
then turned her focus on me. “He’s more than a hot piece of ass,
and you want to explore some sort of relationship with him.”

I blinked at
her, then blinked again, unable to come up with an immediate
response.

Am I
interested in pursuing something further with Brendan? The sex was
the best I’d ever had … I can’t deny that, but is there anything
else there?

I thought back
to our time together, the brief moments when we weren’t engaged in
sexual activity, and I could admit that I was intrigued.
His
loft was cool in a creative/hipster sort of way, and the fact that
he was a musician and a chef told me that he was not only creative,
but probably had a sensitive side underneath his playboy exterior.
I’d watched him embrace his brother on stage, their affection for
each other was tangible, so I knew he had the ability to feel
things deeply, and express those feelings … but was it even an
option? After our night together, I’d figured that was the end of
it, but he had come up to me in my office and given me his
number…

The sound of
Cass clearing her throat had me coming out of my head and back to
the present.

“I feel like
you just had an entire conversation in your head and we totally
couldn’t hear it.”

“Sorry,” I
mumbled, then took another drink before saying, “I
might
be
interested in finding out if there’s more between us than just sex,
if it wasn’t for the fact that not only is it against school
policy, but he’s only, like, gah, twenty-five or something.”

“So what?” Cass
asked, her face challenging, and I realized that as someone whose
husband was seven years older than her, the age difference wouldn’t
be an issue for her.

“It’s different
for you, Cass, you’re with an
older
man,” I said, thinking
that explained everything. When her expression didn’t change I
clarified, “Women mature faster than men, so you and Geo are
mentally the same age.”

“That’s a
generalized statement,” Ming said, shaking her head disapprovingly.
“Did he act like a moron when you were together? Did he get out his
crayons and color at the dinner table?”

Cass bit back a
laugh at our friends’ remark, but I just looked at Ming
incredulously.

“You can’t
think this is a good idea,” I argued, knowing my friend was usually
cautious at best when it came to men.

Ming looked up
at me through the fringe of her jet-black bangs and said evenly, “I
understand your concerns, but, Bronagh, this is the first spark of
passion I’ve seen out of you since we graduated high school. Maxime
was an asshole of epic proportions. Not only did he cheat on you
throughout your marriage, but he treated you like a prized
possession, instead of a wife. You’ve dedicated your life to food,
and that’s great, it’s wonderful that you’re doing what you love,
but
Nonie
, there’s more to life than work.”

I quirked my
eyebrow at her, causing her to smile for the first time that
evening. Answering my unspoken response she added, “I know … says
the workaholic, but you aren’t me, and you deserve to find some
happiness. Maybe an affair with the gorgeous young singer slash
chef will bring that light back into your eyes.”

I returned her
smile, then laughed when Cass added, “Yeah, and the naughty factor
doesn’t hurt. Have fun, do something bad, you deserve to let loose.
Besides, you’re only thirty-five, not eighty … And you’re sexy as
hell!”

I grinned at my
friends then raised my glass and said, “To making bad
decisions.”

“Absolutely,”
Cass said as she downed her cosmo.

“Just do what
feels right,” Ming added.

I nodded
slightly, feeling much better after having talked things out with
my girls. Unable to resist any longer, I searched my contacts,
looking for Brendan’s number. When I found a contact listed at
Rock God
, I rolled my eyes, even as I laughed out loud.

Chapter Five ~
Brendan

Rock God…
Really???

I grinned as I
read the text, which I knew had to be from Bronagh. She was the
only one whose phone I’d hijacked.

“What are you
grinning about?” my brother Brady asked, causing me to turn my
attention from my phone, and back to him.

We were over at
Brock and Victoria’s for our weekly family dinner. They’d gone
inside to change Declan, my nephew, while Brady and I lounged by
the pool with our beers.

“Nothing you’d
understand,” I replied, never one to pass up the opportunity to
push my brother’s buttons.

“Shit,” Brady
replied with a crooked grin. “What’s to understand? You meet a girl
at the bar, flirt, play the rocker card, and take her home … You’re
a pretty simple guy, Bren.”

I looked at
him, surprised that his barb had taken hold.

“I don’t know,”
I admitted, suddenly serious. “This one might be different.”

His gaze turned
assessing as he leaned in closer.

“Are you saying
you didn’t pick her up at the bar and take her home?”

I couldn’t
blame Brady for being suspicious. My brother was cynical on his
best days, and he was pretty spot on with my track record. But I
didn’t like him talking about Bronagh that way, and that told me
that she was different.

I wanted you to
be able to find my number… How’s it going, freckles?

I was still
smiling as I waited for her to respond, but my tone was hard when I
said, “She’s a woman, not a girl, and it doesn’t matter how we met,
what matters is that I want to see her again. I think there’s
something there, bro, and I don’t want to screw it up.”

Brady sat in
silence, watching me curiously as he processed what I’d said.

I’d never had a
serious relationship. And other than my date to the prom, I’d never
brought a girl home to meet my brothers. I didn’t date, I hooked
up. I’d never met a girl I wanted to get to know better.