A Little Harmless Fantasy(27)

“Of course he’s up by now,” Maura said. “He probably had one or both of the pilots call him when we drove off. You know what a control freak he is.”

He could tell she was nervous about seeing her brother and he couldn’t understand why. Of course, a person with his fucked up family life wouldn't. He was an odd Irishman, avoiding his family or any mention of them. He was sure he had siblings out in the wild knowing his bastard father the way he did, but he had never met them and didn’t want to. There was a good chance they were as fucked up as he was—or worse. If he hadn’t been discovered by Zee’s ma, there was a good chance he would have ended up just like his da.

He brushed those thoughts aside and realized Maura was still talking about her brother. There was something between the siblings that was endearing and perplexing at the same time. She saw him as a brother, which Rory understood, but she also acted as if she needed his approval like she would a father. It was odd that she tied so much in her life to his approval.

“I just want the key to the house, then I want to go to sleep,” Zeke said when Maura stopped long enough for him to comment.

Rory nodded as he leaned back and let the environment take control of him for just a little bit. He needed this time off, all three of them did. And this…connection they all seemed to have was definitely one that he was going to enjoy. They did need rest and he could understand why Zeke just wanted to go to sleep. Rory was exhausted in one way, but there was a part of him that was completely exhilarated. Who couldn’t be with two lovers like Zee and Maura?

He watched Maura from the back seat. He liked women. They had been his first love until he hit twenty and had his first encounter with a man. Still there was something about Maura. Something in her tugged at him. He had sensed it before they had been in bed. Zee had a thing for her and now...Rory wasn’t so sure he didn’t have a thing for her.

Whoa. What the hell was he thinking? Sure, the sex had been stellar. She hadn’t really submitted yet and he was already a little tangled up in her. But, that was all it was. One week for Zee to work her out of his system, and then they could move on. That was it.

She turned and smiled at him. “How many times have you been to Oahu?”

They’d removed the top of the Jeep because Maura had insisted it was the only way to enjoy Hawaii. It had surprised him. She seemed closed down at the office, all business. But here, in this setting with them, she was open as if she feared nothing. It seemed so...intimate. Something about her he didn’t know. And now, her hair was flying around her head. She pulled it out of her face and smiled at him. Something hit him hard and clutched at his heart. He rubbed his chest hoping to rid himself of the feeling.

“Only when your brother and Jillian got married.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? I thought maybe you and Zeke had been here before. Like for work.”

His lips twitched. “Not a lot of security work here on Oahu for us.”

Her smile turned into a grin. “I hope there is since my brother insists on opening that office.”

He didn’t want to tell her that the type of work Zee and he did for years wouldn’t be the type of high-level security they now handled. It was down and dirty, some of it more than a little questionable. He didn’t think much about the earlier jobs these days. Truth was, if Zee and he didn’t have the protection of the British government, they would probably be in prison somewhere. But, they had done it for—what was it the Americans liked to say—God and country. That was it. Those days were long gone, but he didn’t regret them. They had done what needed to be done.

Shaking himself from his thoughts again, he found Maura staring at him still.

“No, it’s actually smart. You have a lot of work here thanks to the movies plus, it gives Dillon Securities the ability to work their way into the Pacific Rim. There is a lot of need for security. More and more US companies are moving into these new market areas and we can provide them security for their executives and their offices.”

“I’m just the nerd who works on the technical aspect,” she said shrugging. “I don’t think there’s a need for me to be here.”

He didn’t like the fact that she downplayed her abilities. It was something that her brother and Zee allowed all the time. Zee always dismissed it as a joke, but Rory still did not care for it. He knew the truth of it. Their company wouldn’t be able to function without someone like Maura. She was the reason they were gaining more and more clients in every area.

“Computers are a huge part of the problem today. So much terrorism happens online, or the ability to hack into systems, easy way to steal millions.”